{"id":20273,"date":"2020-01-30T09:43:40","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T09:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/glosario-digital\/cpc"},"modified":"2026-05-11T22:35:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T22:35:52","slug":"cpc","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/cpc","title":{"rendered":"CPC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em style=\"font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"boxpad alignright wp-image-14126 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/cpc-coste_por_clic.jpg\" alt=\"CPC - Cost Per Click\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/cpc-coste_por_clic.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/cpc-coste_por_clic-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Definition:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Cost per click (CPC)<\/em> is an internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites where advertisers pay the publisher, usually a platform or search engine, when the ad is clicked. It is defined as the amount spent that is made when an ad is clicked.<\/p>\n\n<h2>The CPC in search engines<\/h2>\n<p>In search engines, they display the results corresponding to the target search keyword, appearing above or below the organic results on the search engine results pages, or on the sites defined by each platform. This type of advertising is called sponsored links or sponsored ads.<\/p>\n<p>Once the click occurs, the user is taken to a landing page, or a call is made to the advertiser&#8217;s phone in the case of mobile call ads.<\/p>\n<h2>The CPC in social networks and marketplaces<\/h2>\n<p>The Cost per click is also used in social media campaigns (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) maintaining the same meaning. In Marketplaces such as Amazon, clicks are directed to internal pages of the marketplace itself.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span class=\"heading_text\">CPC Formula<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The formula of the CPC is as follows:<\/p>\n<p><strong>CPC = Total cost \/ number of clicks<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"donde-se-utiliza-en-cpc\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">Where it is used in CPC<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Among the <strong>advertising platforms that use the Cost per Click<\/strong> we can highlight:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Google Ads<\/li>\n<li>Bing Ads<\/li>\n<li>Facebook Ads<\/li>\n<li>LinkedIn Ads<\/li>\n<li>Twitter Ads<\/li>\n<li>Youtube<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While all of them offer ads where the advertiser stops per click, the subsequent interaction can be the view to a web page, a like, a form &#8230;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"tipos-de-cpc\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">Types of CPCs<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Several types <strong>of CPCs can be distinguished:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Fixed CPC<\/em>: The advertiser pays the agreed cost per click regardless of any other factor<\/li>\n<li><em>CPC Auction<\/em>: There is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/ad-auction\">ad auction<\/a> in which the highest bidder (taking into account some other variables) is the one who manages to advertise (in case there is a single position) or achieves the first position (as in the paid ads of Google and Bing search engines)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"el-cpc-en-buscadores\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">The CPC in search engines<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Across different search engines, advertisers typically bid on keywords relevant to their target market. Content sites often charge a fixed price for each click instead of using an auction system. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/banner\">Banners<\/a> are also CPC ads.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of looking for a high volume of traffic to a site, the <strong>CPC<\/strong> tries to attract quality customers, so it implements the so-called affiliate model, which offers buying opportunities where people are browsing. Through financial incentives (in the form of a percentage of revenue) to affiliate partner sites, a pay-for-performance model is created: if an affiliate does not generate sales, it does not represent any cost to the merchant. Variations to this system include banner sharing, pay-per-click, and revenue-sharing programs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"el-cpc-en-google-ads\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">The CPC in Google Ads<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/google-ads-agency-madrid\"><strong>Google Ads <\/strong><\/a>there are several bidding models based on the CPC:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Manual CPC Bidding:<\/em> This type of bid defines the maximum cost per click that you are willing to pay.<\/li>\n<li><em>Enhanced CPC Bidding:<\/em>The platform is allowed to bid above the set CPC if it considers that there are more options to convert for a given query.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"ventajas-del-cpc\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">Advantages of CPC<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If we compare it with other models, such as the cost per impression, the CPC has the great advantage that it <strong>informs about the effectiveness of advertising,<\/strong>by directly relating the investment with the results. The number of clicks is a way to measure the attention and interest that the ad produces.<\/p>\n<p>It is an efficient bidding system, since it is only paid when someone clicks, and this happens in most cases because that user has an interest in what is advertised there.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"indexed\"><span id=\"consejos-para-optimizar-el-cpc\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span class=\"heading_text\">Tips for optimizing CPC<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Among the recommendations to improve the CPC we can highlight:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Analyze the most relevant keywords in the sector.<\/em> For this you can use tools such as the keyword tool of Google, Sistrix or Semrush.<\/li>\n<li><em>Segment traffic geographically and demographically based on the CTR obtained.<\/em> It is important for this to have a good measurement of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-analytics-agency-spain\">Web Analytics<\/a>, as well as to perform periodic analysis to analyze the evolution of cost, engagement and conversion for each keyword.<\/li>\n<li><em>Do A\/B Testing with the design and creatives of the ads.<\/em> For this you can use tools such as Google Optimize.<\/li>\n<li><em>Look for relevance<\/em> between what is advertised and the product\/service that the user will see at the end. In Google Ads, the relevance of the ads (that the ad corresponds to what is offered on the landing page), is a fundamental factor in calculating the level of quality of a keyword.<\/li>\n<li><em>Analyze conversions<\/em>to verify that the paid CPC is profitable. To do this, it is necessary to define the conversions in the CPC platform and in the web analytics tool.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about CPC<\/h2>\n<div class=\"geo-faq-block\">\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>What does CPC mean in digital marketing?<\/summary>\n<p>CPC refers to the concept described in this glossary entry: Definition: Cost per click (CPC) is an internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites where advertisers pay the publisher, usually a platform or search engine, when the ad is clicked.  The CPC in search engines In search engines, they display the results corresponding to the target search keyword, appearing above or below the organic results on the search engine results pages, or on the sites defin It gives teams a shared vocabulary for analysing digital projects.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>When should teams pay attention to CPC?<\/summary>\n<p>Teams should review CPC when it affects acquisition, measurement, user experience, content, automation or campaign performance. The important step is to connect the definition with a real decision.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>How is CPC used in a digital strategy?<\/summary>\n<p>CPC is used by translating the concept into practical checks: where it appears in the funnel, which data or channel is involved and whether it needs optimisation, monitoring or documentation.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"geo-faq-item\">\n<summary>What is a common mistake when interpreting CPC?<\/summary>\n<p>A common mistake is using CPC too broadly. It is better to verify the context, the tool or the metric involved before making strategic or technical conclusions.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"DefinedTerm\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/cpc#definedterm\",\n      \"name\": \"CPC\",\n      \"description\": \"Definition of CPC in the Arimetrics Digital Glossary.\",\n      \"inDefinedTermSet\": {\n        \"@type\": \"DefinedTermSet\",\n        \"name\": \"Arimetrics Digital Glossary\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/cpc#faq\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What does CPC mean in digital marketing?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"CPC refers to the concept described in this glossary entry: Definition: Cost per click (CPC) is an internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites where advertisers pay the publisher, usually a platform or search engine, when the ad is clicked.  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The CPC in search engines In search engines, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"template":"","encyclopedia-tag":[838],"class_list":["post-20273","encyclopedia","type-encyclopedia","status-publish","hentry","encyclopedia-tag-publicidad-search"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia\/20273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/encyclopedia"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"encyclopedia-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia-tag?post=20273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}