Rank 1818th highest head-CPC of 19 industries
UK PPC Index for Recruitment Agencies for September 2026
Average Google Ads cost-per-click for the Recruitment Agencies vertical in the United Kingdom, based on a basket of 25 high-volume commercial keywords. Updated monthly.
Head-CPC
£1.51
Volume-weighted average across the keyword basket.
Tail-CPC
£1.64
Flat-average sample of 20 keywords.
Head to tail gap
£0.13
The competitive-squeeze indicator.
01Briefing
This month's findings
- Head-CPC rose 12.6% month over month to £1.51, and is 0.7% higher than a year ago.
- Tail-CPC sits at £1.64, £0.13 above head.
- The dearest keyword in the basket is "staffing agency london" at £1.82; the cheapest is "agencies recruitment near me" at £1.10.
- Recruitment Agencies ranks 18th of 19 industries for head-CPC.
Recruitment agencies fell back in June 2026, with head-term CPC down 9.4 per cent to £1.81 and tail-term CPC down 10.2 per cent to £1.85 after May's step up. Both remain above their year-ago levels, head by 17.9 per cent and tail by 16.0 per cent, and modestly above their prior 12-month averages of £1.74 and £1.81. The two series sit closer together than in any other month of the window, with a tail premium of £0.03 against a range of £0.03 to £0.15 over the 24 months, one of the tightest couplings in the Peak Digital UK PPC Index. Head CPC is still £0.63 below the 24-month high of £2.44 recorded in October 2024. The June sample covered 25 keywords, against 13 in January 2026, the thinnest reading in the panel that month.
02Loadout
Top keywords by search volume
| Keyword | Monthly searchesSearches | CPC | CompetitionComp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| agencies recruitment near me | 49,500 | £1.10 | medium |
| agency recruitment near me | 49,500 | £1.10 | medium |
| recruitment agency near.me | 49,500 | £1.10 | medium |
| job staffing agency near me | 49,500 | £1.10 | medium |
| recruitment agencies near me | 49,500 | £1.10 | medium |
| staffing agency london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| agencies recruitment london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agency in london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agencies uk london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agencies london uk | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agencies london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agencies in london uk | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agencies in london city | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agencies in london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| recruitment agencies for london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| london staffing agency | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| london agency recruitment | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| job recruitment agency in london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| job recruitment agencies in london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
| agency recruitment in london | 22,200 | £1.82 | medium |
Methodology
- Head-CPC
- Volume-weighted average CPC across the top 25 keywords.
- Tail-CPC
- Flat average across the sample.
- Gap
- Tail minus head, a competitive-squeeze indicator.
- Source
- Google Keyword Planner, United Kingdom. USD converted to GBP.
Source: Peak Digital UK PPC Index for Recruitment Agencies, September 2026.
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