Have you ever set up a Google Ads campaign, only to notice how expensive some of the keywords are?

Depending on your niche and industry, some keywords can be incredibly expensive to the point where they are three or four digit numbers!

But have you ever wondered what the most expensive Google keywords are? And why they are so expensive in the first place?

Well, keep on reading as we’re diving deep into both questions!

The most expensive Google keywords 2023

To give you an idea of some of the most expensive keywords out there, here are the top 40 high CPC keywords as of January 2023. All data is compiled from Ahrefs with a minimum search volume of 100 searches per month to filter out bad data.

As you can see, most of the table is dominated by attorney and lawyer keywords, with the highest CPC reaching $815.

Compared to Google's display network and Facebook Ads, these prices probably seem ridiculous to most advertisers.

But why are they so expensive in the first place and why are businesses paying these high prices?

Why are some keywords so expensive?

Why do some keywords like click fraud cost $7 per click, while other keywords like personal injury lawyer have a high cost of over $500 per click?

Well, the simple answer is: it’s all to do with demand.

When PPC advertising first began on Google, the platform and concept were both relatively new. This meant that many advertisers weren’t buying ads on Google, simply because they didn’t know it existed or how profitable it could be.

Fast forward to today and the competition level for these keywords is at all-time highs. With many attorneys and lawyers making thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars per client, it’s easy to see why these keywords are so competitive.

Since there are only three to four ad spots up for grabs on the top of page one, it means advertisers have to fight it out. And the only way to do this is by paying more money per click!

Not only can attorneys afford to pay these high prices and still make a profit, but it is also one of the best ways to get fast qualified leads. Where else can attorneys and lawyers put themselves in front of people specifically searching for legal services in their area?

The fact that these leads are highly targeted and ready to spend money means they also convert very well. Even if businesses have to pay over $1,000 to get a conversion, when their average legal fees are $5,000+ it’s still a very healthy profit.

How to check average CPCs yourself

Knowing the most expensive keywords is all well and good, but how can you find the average CPC for keywords in your industry?

Thankfully, there are plenty of PPC tools out there that will give you all the data you need to work out how much every click will cost.

Google keywords planner

The first method of finding the cost of keywords is by using Google's keyword planner tool.

The Google keyword planner is an essential tool for every PPC marketer, so the chances are you already have some experience with it. However, if you don’t, finding how much keywords cost is very simple.

To start off, log in to the keyword planner and make sure you select the “discover new keywords” section.

From there you can enter a specific keyword you want the data for and Google will return the average cost per click figures like below.

Since Google collects lots of data from different regions and countries, depending on the location you select can have a significant impact on the average cost per click. In this example we’ve selected the United States, but if we switched the location to the United Kingdom the numbers would change drastically.

The two figures Google returns for CPC data is the top of page bid low and high range. This means Google takes the lowest CPC bid and maximum CPC bid on page one to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay. If you want to appear on page one then the low range is the absolute minimum you should be looking to pay.

But if you want to appear within the top three positions then you should be looking at the high range top of page bid.

Ahrefs

If you’re looking for another way to find the cost per click of keywords, then Ahrefs has all the data you need.

Using a different data source than Google’s keyword planner, it’s a great tool to confirm Google’s data and to help you find cheaper keywords to target.

Using it is just as easy as the keyword planner. Simply enter the keywords you want the cost per click data for, and press the find button.

Once the data loads up, you want to pay attention to the CPC column that will contain the important data you are looking for. Unlike the Google keyword planner, Ahrefs just gives you an average cost per click based off all the ads being run on that keyword.

Just like in the Google keyword planner, changing the location will also dramatically affect the average CPC figure, so be sure it’s on your target country!

Data differences

If you do have access to both Google’s keyword planner and Ahrefs, then you’re probably wondering why the cost per click values differ greatly from each one.

The answer is primarily down to the data source and how often it gets updated.

In Google’s platform, the data is much more accurate as it’s coming from their official data source which is used in Google ads. Since Google knows exactly how much advertisers are paying per click, it makes sense that they should have the latest and most accurate data.

Compare this to Ahrefs and its a different data source entirely. Since there is no way for Ahrefs to know exactly how much people are paying per click, they have to use various methods to estimate the actual cost per click. This often means that they don’t always get the numbers right and some can be way off!

So should you only stick to using keyword planner when trying to find the cost of keywords?

Like every digital marketer says: it depends!

Ahrefs has plenty of great data you can take advantage of, and it’s much easier to do keyword research in compared to Google’s keyword planner. Yet with the expensive price tag, we wouldn’t suggest buying it just to do keyword research, it’s just a great tool to use if you already have access to it.

Protect yourself from fraudulent clicks

Hopefully, this article has helped answer those questions about what the most expensive keywords are and why they are so expensive.

Although not every niche has an average CPC in the hundreds, many industries do often experience two digit numbers.

With some landing pages and funnels only converting for every one in ten clicks, it’s crucial that you get the most out of every visitor. The last thing you want is a fake or fraudulent click that ends up costing you $20 for no reason!

Just like you would set up a negative keyword list for underperforming keywords, Lunio helps you set up a negative keyword list for malicious and non-converting users.

To protect your expensive Google Ads campaigns from competitors, click bots and scrapers, be sure to sign up to our free 14 day trial.