Lead Generation Statistics 2026: Cost per Lead, Conversion and Buyer Data
The median cost per lead from US search ads is $66.69 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ, with a median conversion rate of 8.18%. Legal services pay $131.63 a lead, 4.9 times as much as arts and entertainment, calculated by StatisticsGlobal. 29.6% of marketers call generating leads a top challenge, according to HubSpot. Yet 74.5% saw lead volume rise in the past year. B2B buyers have mostly picked a vendor before they make contact. 94% ranked preferred vendors first, according to 6sense.
Key statistics
- The median cost per lead from US search ads was $66.69 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
- Legal services paid 4.9 times as much per search ad lead as arts and entertainment in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
- Generating leads is a top challenge for 29.6% of marketers in 2026, according to HubSpot.
- 74.5% of marketers saw lead volume rise in the year to 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from HubSpot data.
- 94% of B2B buying groups ranked preferred vendors before first contact in 2025, according to 6sense.
Cost per lead by industry
Search ads are one of the few lead sources with public cost data by industry. The figures below are medians for US Google Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns run by WordStream and LocaliQ clients from April 2025 to March 2026.
The median cost per lead from US search ads is $66.69 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ. WordStream says this is the first fall it has measured since before 2020. Over a longer run, the cost is up 12.7% on the $59.18 it reported for 2016.
The spread by industry is wide. Legal services pay $131.63 a lead, 4.9 times the $26.84 paid in arts and entertainment and about twice the all-industry median. High-value services such as furniture, real estate and business services all sit near or above $90. Cheap leads come from local, low-ticket categories such as car repair, restaurants and pet services.
12 of the 23 industries sit above the $66.69 median. The simple average of the 23 industry figures is $64.92, close to the median, so no single sector skews the picture. Prices also moved a lot in a year. Travel leads got 39.35% cheaper, while leads for cars for sale cost 13.90% more. For click costs behind these numbers, see our PPC statistics.
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ.
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The median cost per lead from US search ads was $66.69 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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The average cost per lead from search ads was $59.18 in 2016, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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The cost per lead from search ads was 12.7% higher in 2026 than in 2016, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: ($66.69 in 2026 minus $59.18 in 2016) divided by $59.18 = 12.69%. WordStream rounds this to "about 13%". The 2016 figure was called cost per action and may use a different campaign mix.
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Attorneys and legal services had the highest US search ad cost per lead at $131.63 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Arts and entertainment had the lowest US search ad cost per lead at $26.84 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Furniture had a median US search ad cost per lead of $106.70 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Real estate had a median US search ad cost per lead of $102.51 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Business services had a median US search ad cost per lead of $93.69 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Legal services paid 4.9 times as much per search ad lead as arts and entertainment in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: Attorneys and legal services median CPL ($131.63) divided by arts and entertainment median CPL ($26.84) = 4.90.
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Legal services paid about twice the all-industry median cost per search ad lead in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: Attorneys and legal services median CPL ($131.63) divided by the all-industry median CPL ($66.69) = 1.97.
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12 of 23 US industries had a search ad cost per lead above the $66.69 median in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: Count of the 23 industry median CPLs above $66.69: legal, furniture, real estate, apparel, business services, home, education, industrial, finance, dentists, career, health and fitness.
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The middle US industry paid $67.36 per search ad lead in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: Median of the 23 industry median CPLs published by WordStream (ranked from $26.84 to $131.63); the 12th value is $67.36, shared by career and employment and health and fitness.
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The average of 23 US industry search ad costs per lead was $64.92 in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: Simple mean of the 23 industry median CPLs published by WordStream (sum $1,493.14 divided by 23 = $64.92). Unweighted by campaign count.
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Travel cost per lead from US search ads fell 39.35% year on year in 2026, the largest drop, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Automotive for sale cost per lead from US search ads rose 13.90% year on year in 2026, the largest rise, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
| Industry | Cost per lead | Conversion rate |
|---|---|---|
| Attorneys and legal services | $131.63 | 5.55% |
| Furniture | $106.70 | 2.99% |
| Real estate | $102.51 | 3.70% |
| Apparel, fashion and jewellery | $97.51 | 4.50% |
| Business services | $93.69 | 4.85% |
| Home and home improvement | $90.92 | 8.05% |
| Education and instruction | $77.48 | 13.14% |
| Industrial and commercial | $75.19 | 8.20% |
| Finance and insurance | $74.44 | 2.64% |
| Dentists and dental services | $72.97 | 10.67% |
| Career and employment | $67.36 | 3.05% |
| Health and fitness | $67.36 | 6.94% |
| Personal services | $54.60 | 12.34% |
| Shopping, collectibles and gifts | $49.40 | 4.01% |
| Travel | $44.70 | 5.83% |
| Automotive, for sale | $44.26 | 6.01% |
| Sports and recreation | $44.26 | 7.69% |
| Physicians and surgeons | $40.04 | 12.43% |
| Beauty and personal care | $39.25 | 10.35% |
| Animals and pets | $31.50 | 16.22% |
| Restaurants and food | $30.57 | 8.05% |
| Automotive, repair, service and parts | $29.96 | 15.51% |
| Arts and entertainment | $26.84 | 5.91% |
| All industries (median) | $66.69 | 8.18% |
Lead conversion rate benchmarks
Conversion rates change a lot with the step being measured. An ad click turning into a lead is a different step from a form fill turning into a meeting.
The median US search ad converts 8.18% of clicks into a lead or sale in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ. That is 3.0 times the 2.70% it reported for 2016. Rates rose in 87% of industries in the past year. Animals and pets convert best at 16.22%. Finance and insurance convert worst at 2.64%, a 13.58-point spread.
Further down the funnel, Chili Piper found 14.1% of B2B demo form fills were not qualified in 2024. Of the qualified ones, 66.7% booked a meeting when they could pick a time straight away. Chili Piper puts the norm without this at about 30%, so instant booking more than doubles the rate. Across all fills, about 57.3% became a booked meeting.
RevenueHero's 2025 data is a little lower, with a median of 62% of qualified leads booked. The top quartile books 72% and the bottom quartile 53%, a 19-point gap. Enterprise sellers book the most, at 70.1%. Both vendors sell the scheduling tools they measure, and their customers are likely better than average at this step. For checkout and site conversion data, see our conversion rate benchmarks.
Source: RevenueHero, 2025 Inbound Benchmark.
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The median conversion rate for US search ads was 8.18% in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Search ad conversion rates were 3.0 times higher in 2026 (8.18%) than in 2016 (2.70%), calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: 8.18% in 2026 divided by 2.70% in 2016 = 3.03. The 2016 benchmark used a different campaign mix.
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Animals and pets had the highest US search ad conversion rate at 16.22% in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Finance and insurance had the lowest US search ad conversion rate at 2.64% in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Business services had a median US search ad conversion rate of 4.85% in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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US search ad conversion rates ranged 13.58 points between the best and worst industries in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WordStream by LocaliQ data.
How we calculated it: Animals and pets (16.22%) minus finance and insurance (2.64%) = 13.58 points.
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Search ad conversion rates rose in 87% of US industries in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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Beauty and personal care search ad conversion rates rose 32.34% year on year in 2026, the largest rise, according to WordStream by LocaliQ.
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14.1% of people who filled out B2B demo forms were not qualified in 2024, according to Chili Piper.
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66.7% of qualified B2B form submissions booked a meeting with instant scheduling in 2024, according to Chili Piper.
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Qualified B2B form leads booked meetings at about 30% without instant scheduling in 2024, according to Chili Piper.
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About 57.3% of all B2B demo form fills became booked meetings in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Chili Piper data.
How we calculated it: Qualified share (100% minus 14.1% = 85.9%) multiplied by the 66.7% of qualified submissions that booked = 57.3%.
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Instant scheduling booked 2.2 times as many qualified B2B form leads as the 30% norm in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Chili Piper data.
How we calculated it: 66.7% booking rate with instant scheduling divided by the 30% average Chili Piper cites without it = 2.22.
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Chili Piper customers offering a live call option converted 69.2% of qualified form fills in 2024, according to Chili Piper.
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Only 8% of top B2B SaaS companies let leads book a meeting straight after a form fill in 2024, according to Chili Piper.
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The median qualified-to-booked rate for B2B SaaS inbound leads was 62% in 2025, according to RevenueHero.
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The top quartile of B2B SaaS companies booked 72% of qualified inbound leads in 2025, according to RevenueHero.
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The bottom quartile of B2B SaaS companies booked 53% of qualified inbound leads in 2025, according to RevenueHero.
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The best B2B SaaS performers booked 88% of qualified inbound leads in 2025, according to RevenueHero.
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Top-quartile B2B SaaS companies booked 19 points more qualified inbound leads than the bottom quartile in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from RevenueHero data.
How we calculated it: Top quartile qualified-to-booked rate (72%) minus bottom quartile (53%) = 19 points.
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Enterprise B2B SaaS companies booked 70.1% of qualified inbound leads in 2025, according to RevenueHero.
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Mid-market B2B SaaS companies booked 61.2% of qualified inbound leads in 2025, according to RevenueHero.
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SMB-focused B2B SaaS companies booked 63.2% of qualified inbound leads in 2025, according to RevenueHero.
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RevenueHero's 2025 median booking rate was 4.7 points below Chili Piper's 2024 average, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from RevenueHero and Chili Piper data.
How we calculated it: Chili Piper qualified-to-booked rate for 2024 (66.7%) minus RevenueHero median for 2025 (62%) = 4.7 points. One is an average, the other a median, and the customer bases differ.
| Measure | Value | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Form fills not qualified | 14.1% | Chili Piper, 2024 |
| Qualified fills that book, with instant scheduling | 66.7% | Chili Piper, 2024 |
| Qualified fills that book, without instant scheduling | About 30% | Chili Piper, 2024 |
| All form fills that book (calculated) | 57.3% | Chili Piper data, 2024 |
| Qualified-to-booked, median | 62% | RevenueHero, 2025 |
| Qualified-to-booked, top quartile | 72% | RevenueHero, 2025 |
| Qualified-to-booked, bottom quartile | 53% | RevenueHero, 2025 |
Lead generation challenges for marketers
HubSpot's 2026 State of Marketing survey asks more than 1,500 marketers about their leads and their biggest problems.
29.6% of marketers name generating leads as a top challenge in 2026, according to HubSpot. It is no longer the biggest one. Measuring marketing ROI comes first at 33%, 3.4 points ahead. Sales and marketing alignment follows at 27.6%.
Most marketers say the job has got easier. 55.7% say leads are easier to win than a decade ago. 74.5% saw lead volume rise in the past year, and 93.8% say lead quality improved. 93.2% credit personalised experiences with bringing more leads and purchases.
Treat the quality figure with care. It is self-reported, and HubSpot does not define quality. The B2B buyer data below suggests that much of the decision happens before a lead ever fills a form. For wider B2B budget and channel data, see our B2B marketing statistics.
Source: HubSpot.
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Generating leads is a top challenge for 29.6% of marketers in 2026, according to HubSpot.
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Measuring marketing ROI is the top challenge for 33% of marketers in 2026, according to HubSpot.
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Sales and marketing alignment is a top challenge for 27.6% of marketers in 2026, according to HubSpot.
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Measuring ROI was named a top challenge 3.4 points more often than generating leads in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from HubSpot data.
How we calculated it: Measuring marketing ROI (33%) minus generating leads (29.6%) = 3.4 points. HubSpot also rounds the leads figure to 30% elsewhere on the page, which would make the gap 3 points.
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55.7% of marketers say leads are easier to generate in 2026 than a decade ago, according to HubSpot.
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24.5% of marketers saw their lead volume rise significantly in the year to 2026, according to HubSpot.
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50% of marketers saw their lead volume rise somewhat in the year to 2026, according to HubSpot.
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74.5% of marketers saw lead volume rise in the year to 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from HubSpot data.
How we calculated it: Significant increase (24.5%) plus somewhat increased (50%) = 74.5%.
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93.8% of marketers say their lead quality improved in the year to 2026, according to HubSpot.
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93.2% of marketers say personalised experiences brought more leads and purchases in 2026, according to HubSpot.
| Measure | Share of marketers |
|---|---|
| Measuring marketing ROI is a top challenge | 33% |
| Generating leads is a top challenge | 29.6% |
| Sales and marketing alignment is a top challenge | 27.6% |
| Leads are easier to generate than a decade ago | 55.7% |
| Lead volume rose significantly in the past year | 24.5% |
| Lead volume rose somewhat in the past year | 50% |
| Lead quality improved in the past year | 93.8% |
B2B buyer journey statistics
6sense surveys B2B buyers each year about how they choose vendors. Salesforce surveys the sellers on the other side.
94% of B2B buying groups ranked their preferred vendors before first contact in 2025, according to 6sense. The vendor in front at that point won 80% of deals. Buyers bought from their early favourite 77% of the time, so only about 23% of deals change hands after contact. That makes lead generation mostly a race to be on the shortlist early.
Buying is getting faster and more hands-on. Cycles fell from about 11 months to 10, around 9% shorter. Seller engagement now takes 40% of the journey, up from 30%. 62% of buyers engaged sellers earlier because of economic pressure, and 58% did so to fill gaps about AI features. 94% used large language models to summarise reviews or analyse data.
The sellers see a different picture. 57% of sales professionals told Salesforce that customers take longer to decide. 45% of those with AI agents use them for prospecting, and high performers are 1.7 times more likely to do so than underperformers. The two surveys ask different people different questions, so they do not cancel each other out. For more seller data, see our sales statistics.
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94% of B2B buying groups ranked preferred vendors before first contact in 2025, according to 6sense.
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The vendor B2B buyers preferred before talking to sellers won 80% of deals in 2025, according to 6sense.
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B2B buyers bought from their preliminary favourite vendor 77% of the time in 2025, according to 6sense.
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B2B buyers chose a vendor other than their early favourite in 23% of purchases in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from 6sense data.
How we calculated it: 100% minus the 77% of purchases made from the preliminary favourite = 23%.
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Average B2B buying cycles were 10 months in 2025, down from about 11 months in 2024, according to 6sense.
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B2B buying cycles were about 9% shorter in 2025 than in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from 6sense data.
How we calculated it: (About 11 months in 2024 minus 10 months in 2025) divided by 11 = 9.1%. 6sense rounds both figures in its release, so treat this as approximate.
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B2B buyers averaged 16 interactions per person with the winning vendor in 2025, according to 6sense.
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94% of B2B buyers used large language models to summarise reviews or analyse data in 2025, according to 6sense.
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49% of B2B buyers said financial pressure shortened their buying cycles in 2025, according to 6sense.
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62% of B2B buyers engaged sellers earlier because of economic pressure in 2025, according to 6sense.
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58% of B2B buyers engaged sellers earlier to clarify missing AI details in 2025, according to 6sense.
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57% of sales professionals said customers took longer to decide in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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45% of sales professionals with AI agents used them for prospecting in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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92% of sales professionals using AI agents said agents benefit prospecting in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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High-performing sales teams were 1.7 times more likely than underperformers to use prospecting agents in 2025, according to Salesforce.
| Measure | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Buying groups that ranked vendors before first contact | 94% |
| Deals won by the vendor preferred before contact | 80% |
| Purchases from the preliminary favourite | 77% |
| Average buying cycle | 10 months (about 11 in 2024) |
| Share of journey spent engaging sellers | 40% (30% before) |
| Interactions per person with the winning vendor | 16 |
Lead quality and CRM data statistics
Leads are only as useful as the data stored about them. Three surveys from 2025 and 2026 point to the same weak spot.
62% of organisations lost revenue because of poor CRM data in 2026, according to Validity. 67% said bad data delayed or scrapped campaigns, and 63% said it added compliance risk. Only 41% have a team or owner for data governance.
The AI push makes this more pressing. Only 21% of marketers rate their CRM data as very well prepared for AI, so 79% do not. On the sales side, 66% of sellers using AI agents told Salesforce that data quality issues hurt their sales, and 74% of sales teams with AI are prioritising data hygiene.
HubSpot finds 65% of marketers say they have high-quality audience data. That fits loosely with Validity, but the questions differ. One asks about audience data in general, the other about CRM data quality and its effects.
Source: Validity.
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62% of organisations lost revenue because of poor CRM data quality in 2026, according to Validity.
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67% of marketers said poor data contributed to delayed or scrapped campaigns in 2026, according to Validity.
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63% of marketers said poor data contributed to compliance exposure in 2026, according to Validity.
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21% of marketers said their CRM data was very well prepared to support AI in 2026, according to Validity.
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79% of marketers did not rate their CRM data as very well prepared for AI in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Validity data.
How we calculated it: 100% minus the 21% who said their CRM data is "very well prepared" to support AI = 79%. This group includes those who said somewhat prepared.
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41% of organisations had a dedicated data governance team or owner in 2026, according to Validity.
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65% of marketers say they have high-quality audience data in 2026, according to HubSpot.
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66% of sales professionals with AI agents said data quality issues hurt their sales in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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74% of sales teams with AI prioritised data hygiene in 2025, according to Salesforce.
| Measure | Value | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Lost revenue due to poor CRM data | 62% | Validity, 2026 |
| Poor data delayed or scrapped campaigns | 67% | Validity, 2026 |
| CRM data very well prepared for AI | 21% | Validity, 2026 |
| Have a data governance team or owner | 41% | Validity, 2026 |
| Have high-quality audience data | 65% | HubSpot, 2026 |
| Data quality issues hurt sales (sellers with AI agents) | 66% | Salesforce, 2025 |
How the sources measure lead generation
There are no official statistics on lead generation. Every figure on this page comes from a company that sells marketing, sales or data software, and most come from its own customers or from surveys it commissioned. Results describe those customers and respondents, not all businesses.
WordStream by LocaliQ measured 13,474 US search campaigns from April 2025 to March 2026. Its "averages" are medians. A lead or conversion is whatever each advertiser tracks, so a phone call, a form fill and a sale can all count. Its 2016 figures used an earlier method and campaign mix, so long-run comparisons are rough. Some industries share identical published values, which we report as published.
Chili Piper looked at nearly 4 million form submissions from its customers in 2024. RevenueHero looked at more than 1 million form fills from B2B SaaS customers over 12 months. Chili Piper reports an average and RevenueHero a median, so the 4.7-point gap between them is indicative only. Chili Piper's 30% baseline is its own estimate of the norm without instant scheduling. We did not find a primary dataset on lead response time that we could verify, so this page does not include speed-to-lead figures.
HubSpot surveyed more than 1,500 marketers worldwide. Its page gives the lead generation challenge as 29.6% in one place and 30% in another. We use 29.6%. 6sense surveyed more than 4,000 B2B buyers. We use the figures in its November 2025 press release, which rounds the buying cycle to whole months. Validity surveyed 500 marketers in five countries and Salesforce surveyed 4,050 sales professionals in 22 countries. None of these surveys publishes a margin of error.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost per lead in 2026?
The median cost per lead from US search ads is $66.69 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ, based on 13,474 campaigns from April 2025 to March 2026.
Which industry has the highest cost per lead?
Attorneys and legal services have the highest US search ad cost per lead at $131.63 in 2026, according to WordStream by LocaliQ. Arts and entertainment have the lowest at $26.84.
Is cost per lead going up or down compared with last year?
Down. WordStream by LocaliQ says the median cost per lead from US search ads fell in 2026 for the first time since before 2020, to $66.69. Travel fell most, by 39.35%.
What is a good lead to meeting conversion rate?
RevenueHero's 2025 median is 62% of qualified B2B SaaS inbound leads booked, with the top quartile at 72%. Chili Piper reports 66.7% for 2024 with instant scheduling.
Why is lead generation getting harder for B2B?
Most B2B buyers decide early. 94% of buying groups ranked preferred vendors before first contact in 2025, and that vendor won 80% of deals, according to 6sense.
Is lead generation still the top marketing challenge?
Not quite. In HubSpot's 2026 survey, 29.6% of marketers named generating leads a top challenge, behind measuring marketing ROI at 33%.
Sources
- WordStream by LocaliQ, 2026 Google Ads Benchmarks, 2026, accessed 2 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- HubSpot, Inbound marketing statistics (2026 State of Marketing data), updated 2026, accessed 2 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- 6sense, The Timeline for Influencing B2B Buyers Is Shrinking: Insights From 6sense's 2025 Buyer Experience Report, 12 November 2025, accessed 2 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Chili Piper, Form Conversion Rate Benchmark Report, 18 February 2025, updated 26 September 2025, accessed 2 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- RevenueHero, 2025 Inbound Benchmark, 2025 report, accessed 2 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Salesforce, State of Sales, Seventh Edition (Asia Pacific edition), 2026, accessed 2 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Validity, Validity Releases State of CRM Data Management in 2026 Report (press release via PR Newswire), 25 August 2026, accessed 2 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
Changes to this page
- : Page published with WordStream 2026 cost per lead benchmarks, 2024 and 2025 form-to-meeting data, and 2025 and 2026 marketer, buyer and seller surveys.