What's a Good CPM for the Google Display Network in 2026?

A good CPM on the Google Display Network in 2026 is $2 to $5, with the blended average sitting around $3.12 across all industries. B2B and SaaS advertisers should expect a higher benchmark of roughly $4.20 CPM, since display inventory targeting business audiences and niche professional placements costs more than broad consumer reach.

Google Display Network CPM by Context

Display CPM moves with the type of inventory and audience being targeted, not just the industry vertical.

• Blended average across GDN: $3.12 CPM
• B2B/SaaS-targeted display: roughly $4.20 CPM
• Standard "good" range cited across benchmark sources: $2-$5, with some sources placing the top end at $8 for premium or curated inventory
• Budget/open-exchange placements: can run below $2, though often at the cost of brand safety and placement quality

For comparison, Google Search CPCs and CPMs run meaningfully higher than Display, which is expected. Display is built for reach and awareness rather than high-intent conversion, so a lower cost per thousand impressions is the trade-off for lower average intent per impression.

Why the Range Is So Wide

The Google Display Network spans everything from a small blog's ad slot to premium, curated placements on high-traffic publisher sites, and pricing follows that spread. Industry benchmark data shows the gap between commodity open-exchange placements and curated, brand-safe inventory has widened more than 60% since 2024, meaning two advertisers running "Display" campaigns can see very different CPMs depending on whether they're buying broad open-exchange reach or a managed placement list.

What Drives Your Actual CPM

• Targeting method: Contextual and placement-based targeting on curated sites tends to cost more per thousand impressions than broad automatic placements.
• Ad format: Responsive display ads that compete across more inventory types typically post lower CPMs than fixed banner formats restricted to premium placements.
• Audience overlap with Search: Remarketing audiences built from Search or site visitors usually see different, often lower, CPMs than cold, interest-based targeting because Google has more signal to work with.
• Industry: B2B, SaaS, legal, and finance verticals consistently price above the blended average because the audience pool is narrower and more competitive.

Display CPM vs. Other Google Ads Formats

A $3.12 CPM on Display is not directly comparable to CPM figures on Search or YouTube, since each format sells impressions against a different pool of inventory and intent level. Display's lower CPM reflects that it's typically bought for reach and remarketing rather than the high-intent, bottom-of-funnel traffic that Search campaigns are built to capture. Advertisers who run both formats should track them against their own separate benchmarks rather than expecting Display to match Search-level cost efficiency per conversion.

Bottom Line

Benchmark a general-audience Google Display campaign against the $3.12 blended average, and budget closer to $4.20 CPM if you're a B2B or SaaS advertiser targeting a narrower professional audience. Anything sustainably above $8 CPM on Display, outside of a deliberately curated premium placement list, is worth auditing for targeting or placement issues.

Sources: WebFX, "2026 Google Ads Benchmarks: Is Your Account Ahead or Just Burning Budget?"; Digital Applied, "Display Advertising Benchmarks 2026: 150+ Data Points"; Understory, "What Is a Good CPM? 2026 Benchmarks by Channel."