When most people think of Google, they usually think of search results or cell phones. But did you know over 97% of Google’s revenue comes from online, paid advertising? In the last four quarters alone, they have made over $32.2 billion in total advertising revenue!
Google’s Pay-Per-Click (PPC) or Paid Search management system is known as Google Ads. Simply put, it is a dynamic, auction-based marketplace designed for building and managing online ad campaigns. These ads are then shown throughout Google’s search results pages, and more.
Though Google Ads, it is possible to bid on keywords, search phrases, topics, locations, interests, brands (you name it) to compete for top ad placements for search results intended to get your company found. You now the results at the top and right-hand side of the search results page? Those are Google Ads ads. The minimum bid can sometimes be mere pennies, but highly competitive categories can get to a bid price upwards of $50 per click. That’s not even a customer, it’s just a click!
Let’s take a look at the top 20 most expensive industries on Google Ads.
*Please note, these are industry metrics as reported by WordStream and reflect their records of highest bids overall. Many, if not all Google Ads users should find success in bids far below these numbers.
At an average bid price of $54 per click, searches related to insurance are some of the most competitive terms in Google Ads. Top sample queries include: auto insurance price quotes; CA automobiles insurance; building contents insurance; buy care insurance online; and life insurance comparison quotes.
With power concerns on the rise and the de-privatization of power suppliers in many areas these terms have quickly risen in cost to an average of $54 per click.
Mortgage keywords cost an average of $47 per click. Some common keywords that fall under this category include refinanced second mortgage and remortgage with bad credit.
Personal injury attorney and dui defense attorney are among the most competitive attorney keywords and come in at around $47 per click.
Legal issues are a definite favorite in terms of competitiveness for keywords and terms like personal injury claim and accident claims no win no fee now cost around $45 per click.
With a cost per click of $44 dollars, loan related ad placements are also highly contested and include terms such as: consolidate graduate student loans; fixed home equity loan rates; cheapest homeowner loans; and fixed rate secured loans.
Similar to attorney keywords, lawyer related search terms are quite expensive and come in at about $42 per click.
With best conference call service and conference calls toll free as some of the most searched terms in this category, conference call related searches are up to an average of $42 per click.
Addiction recovery is becoming a more prominent and openly discussed and advertised industry. This has caused related search terms to reach an average price of $42 per click.
Demonstrating that even good causes can have stiff competition, keywords relating to donations can cost upwards of $40 per click.
With the increasing need for post-secondary education, institutions are popping up all over the place and degree related terms have grown to a cost of $40 per click.
Similar to recovery related terms, the treatment of addictions and other conditions have driven per click prices to around $37.
Credit terms related to home equity and buying homes can cost upwards of $36 per click.
As with degree related keywords, online classes and registrations have increased in recent years, driving the average cost of top ad placement for the category to around the $35 mark.
Software searches are also at an average cost per click of about $35.
Cheap online trading and stock trade online terms have risen as the market recovers from the recent recession and trading keywords now cost an average of $33 per click.
Less competitive of a term than recovery or treatment, rehab keywords are nonetheless expensive and competitive: they cost an average of $33 per click for top ad placement.
As more and more companies develop an online presence hosting is becoming a competitive business, and a competitive search term, and ad placements often cost over $30 per click.
Online money transfers can save users lots of time and effort and competition for rankings can get fierce. Related keywords can have costs as high as $29 per click.
Finally, despite seemingly never-ending controversy, more and more parents are opting to save cord blood when they have a child. This has driven cord blood related searches, particularly those to do with storage, into the $27 per click range.
Strange, but insightful metrics via WordStream
