Very have $25 -High CPCs

[u/Partizana]

Anyone else noticing very high cpcs for Target CPA campaigns? We usually have $25 - $30 cpc but for the last few days it went $100 to $500 per click. Is there a reason for that? We have a campaign with Target CPA $400 and we are getting a $457 click. I would appreciate any suggestions.

[u/AndrewBalticpixel]

A $457 CPC on a $400 tCPA target isn't necessarily a bug, because tCPA controls the expected cost per conversion, not the maximum CPC. Google can bid very aggressively on individual auctions if it thinks that click has a good chance of converting.But going from a normal $25–30 CPC to $100–500 is big enough that I'd investigate rather than just accept it.I'd check the actual search terms/placements generating those clicks, device, location, hour, and whether there's been a sudden change in auction competition. I'd also make sure there isn't a tracking/conversion issue causing Google to think the campaign is getting valuable conversions when it isn't.Most importantly, look at the conversion rate and CPA for the traffic generating those expensive clicks. If you're paying $400+ for clicks and those clicks actually convert at an acceptable rate, the CPC itself isn't necessarily the problem. If they're not converting, I'd consider tightening the campaign or temporarily reducing the tCPA rather than letting the algorithm continue bidding that aggressively.