Benchmarks · Free data
Australian marketing benchmarks,
with the method shown.
Data on what Australian businesses can afford to pay for ads, what clicks cost by trade, and how AI search treats Australian sites. Our three October 2026 studies each name their source and date, show the method and come with a CSV you can reuse under Creative Commons BY 4.0.
The studies
Four studies, each with its source named.
ATO data · 2023-24
Break-even ROAS by industry
Gross margin and the break-even return on ad spend for 71 Australian industries, by turnover band, worked out from the ATO's small business benchmarks. Includes a worked example for trades once labour is added.
2.0x
Median break-even ROAS on cost of sales alone
Source: ATO small business benchmarks 2023-24. Published 1 October 2026.
Original research · October 2026
AI Overviews statistics for Australia
How often Google shows an AI Overview on 498 Australian marketing searches, which sites those Overviews cite, the Australian share of citations and how many cited pages also rank on page one.
87%
Of searches showed an AI Overview (433 of 498)
Source: Google Australia desktop results via the DataForSEO SERP API, 1 October 2026.
Keyword Planner · 2026
Google Ads costs for tradies
Top-of-page bid ranges and monthly searches for 104 customer job searches across 23 Australian trades, from plumbers and electricians to fencers and landscapers, with the seasonal peaks.
$11.90 to $57.27
Top-of-page bid range for 'plumber near me'
Source: Google Ads Keyword Planner, Australia, September 2025 to August 2026.
Client data · 2026
Australian paid advertising benchmarks 2026
ROAS by industry, where paid spend goes by channel, the attribution leaks we measure on audits, and Meta Event Match Quality before and after a server-side rebuild, aggregated and rounded from Profit Geeks client engagements.
8% to 18%
Attributable revenue typically recovered in year one after a measurement rebuild
Source: Profit Geeks client engagements, anonymised. Published 1 April 2026, updated 29 April 2026.
Using the data
Can I quote these numbers?
Yes. Quote, chart or republish them with a link to the study, under Creative Commons BY 4.0.
Each study has a how-to-cite line and its method and limits on the page. Journalists and industry associations can reach us through the contact page.
Data inside our guides
- Google Ads costs in AustraliaWhat clicks and monthly budgets cost on Google Ads in Australia.
- Facebook ads costs in AustraliaWhat to expect by industry, and how to read the benchmarks.
- Google Ads agency feesThe common fee models and the AUD ranges to expect.
- Cost per leadHow to work out what a lead costs you, and what to compare it with.
- What is a good conversion rate?How to judge a conversion rate against the right baseline.
Run your own numbers
Benchmarks tell you the market. The calculators tell you your business.
Industry figures are a starting point. Our free marketing calculators and tools run the same sums on your own margin, spend and revenue.
Your own benchmark
See where your business sits against the numbers.
On a free 30-minute profit audit you can put your own margins, spend and tracking in front of a senior operator, and you keep the written findings.