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Demand Gen & PaidMarketing Glossary

Cost Per Click (CPC)

CPC is what you pay each time someone clicks your ad. It's the default metric for search and social campaigns optimized for traffic. High CPC isn't automatically bad — a $30 CPC on a highly targeted LinkedIn campaign that drives qualified demos might be much more valuable than a $1 CPC from broad display traffic. Evaluate CPC in the context of what you're paying for and what happens after the click.

Real-World Example

For example, Google Ads for competitive SaaS keywords can run $20–$60+ CPC, which sounds expensive until you calculate that 10 clicks → 1 demo → 0.25 closed deals at $25K ACV gives you a blended $800 CPC-to-customer.

At Cactus

We optimize CPC by tightening audience targeting and improving landing page conversion — so lower spend produces more pipeline.

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