Wasted ad spend calculator
Most accounts pay for clicks that never convert. Move the sliders to your numbers and this tool estimates the budget you could recover by reaching the benchmark conversion rate, and the revenue those converted clicks would add. No signup, no email, just the math you can check against the Benchmark Observatory.
Benchmark conversion rate used: 8.18% (all-industry search average, 2026). Set your conversion rate to your industry figure for a sharper estimate.
Reaching the benchmark conversion rate would add about 92 conversions, worth roughly $16,539 at your stated value, without spending a dollar more.
What the recoverable number means
The calculator compares your conversion rate against the all-industry search benchmark and turns the gap into budget and revenue you are leaving on the table.
The benchmark it uses
The reference is the 2026 all-industry search conversion rate of 8.18%[WordStream], drawn from 13,474 US campaigns. If your rate sits below it, the difference is the share of spend an average account would not have needed to hit the same result. Set your conversion rate to your industry figure for a sharper estimate.
Where the waste hides
Four causes account for most of it: broad match without negatives, a thin negative-keyword list, low Quality Score raising your CPCs, and conversion tracking that feeds Smart Bidding bad data. The fix order matters, closing the tracking gap first, since every other decision depends on the numbers being right. The guide to lowering your CPA walks through each lever.
Calculator FAQ
It takes your monthly spend, average CPC, conversion rate, and order value, then compares your conversion rate to the all-industry search benchmark of 8.18%. The gap between the two becomes an estimate of the budget you could recover by converting clicks you are already paying for, plus the revenue those extra conversions would add.
Use your own account figure from Google Ads or GA4 if you have it. If you do not, your industry benchmark is a better starting point than the blended average, since conversion rates run from under 3% in Finance to over 16% in Animals & Pets. The Benchmark Observatory lists the rate for every industry.
No. It is a directional estimate built from public benchmarks, not a forecast for your specific account. Real recovery depends on your offer, landing pages, and competition. The point is to size the opportunity: if the gap is large, an audit usually pays for itself quickly by closing it.
Four things dominate: broad match without enough negative keywords, a weak negative-keyword list, low Quality Score driving up CPCs, and broken conversion tracking that starves Smart Bidding of signal. Each one quietly inflates cost per conversion. A five-lever audit checks all four in order.
Found a gap? Let's find the cause.
A free PPC audit traces the wasted spend to its source, broad match, negatives, Quality Score, or tracking, and gives you the fix order in plain language.