Search media costs rise as demand increases from CPG categories

Alex Brownsell, Celeste Huang

Cost-per-click (CPC) search advertising rates according to data from Skai.

Cost inflation is a headache for marketers across the media landscape, and this appears equally true in paid search. Data from Skai show that average global cost-per-click (CPC) rates in Q2 2022 were up 8% year-on-year.

According to Skai, search spending levels were “mostly unchanged” from the previous quarter. However, the firm commented that “more sophisticated” ad formats and bidding strategies are likely to continue to drive growth in the coming year.

As marketers in CPG categories less well-acquainted with paid search begin to spend in the channel, this may contribute further to rising costs. For...

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