100 Most Expensive Keywords for Google Ads (May 2026)

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100 Most Expensive Keywords for Google Ads (May 2026)


These are the 100 most expensive keywords on Google Ads, along with their monthly search volume and cost per click (CPC).

100 most expensive keywords on Google Ads in the U.S.

# Keyword CPC Search Volume
1 keiser university population $1000.00 50
2 what is a keiser $950.00 20
3 axiom meaning $935.00 3,500
4 define axioms $935.00 150
5 keiser university commercial blvd $800.00 30
6 truck accident lawyer corpus christi $500.00 200
7 delllogo $500.00 10
8 dog bite attorney philadelphia $415.00 90
9 stvt cc tx $390.00 60
10 verizon 2023 dbir $390.00 10
11 janela bay discount code $370.00 90
12 tubby buddy $335.00 20
13 knorr de camaron $320.00 150
14 splashtop software updater $300.00 30
15 att net web $295.00 0
16 felony domestic violence lawyer $270.00 80
17 can i get a cashier’s check at h-e-b $255.00 0
18 what is bazaarvoice used for $245.00 0
19 midland truck accident lawyer $240.00 450
20 misumi-ec $230.00 50
21 watsonx documentation $220.00 10
22 hero wars healers $220.00 0
23 business internet in detroit $210.00 20
24 bannana puff bar $200.00 0
25 alteryx mclaren $200.00 40
26 company welcome $185.00 10
27 allstate insurance prattville alabama $185.00 0
28 alteryx free version $180.00 20
29 albion correctional $175.00 10
30 crash attorney near me $175.00 100
31 cat parts sis online $170.00 30
32 dell work outlet $170.00 0
33 are annual performance reviews effective $165.00 10
34 oxygen deprivation brain damage $155.00 70
35 is hbo max included with att $150.00 50
36 scorm compliant lms software $145.00 150
37 canidae llc $140.00 10
38 utk software distribution $140.00 0
39 spectrum self install wifi $140.00 10
40 mongodb array $140.00 60
41 how to activate iphone 8 $135.00 10
42 sunshine care centers $135.00 20
43 spectrum noho west $130.00 20
44 personal injury lawyer new brunswick $130.00 90
45 skyline r $125.00 90
46 knorr tomate de pollo $125.00 150
47 tremendous reward id $120.00 0
48 bakersfield car accident lawyer $120.00 600
49 bento for business pricing $120.00 0
50 light companies odessa $115.00 150
51 sand creek golf course idaho falls $110.00 50
52 inyouths reviews $110.00 0
53 lawyers for wrecks $110.00 100
54 virginia learning center login $110.00 250
55 amica b2b $110.00 0
56 philo discount code 2023 $110.00 0
57 how much is lincoln tech tuition $105.00 40
58 chordee repair $105.00 800
59 colorado springs personal injury lawyer $105.00 900
60 commercial energy price comparison $105.00 250
61 injury attorneys in colorado springs $105.00 150
62 injury lawyer mesa arizona $100.00 30
63 roof replacement gaithersburg md $100.00 200
64 atlanta motor vehicle accident attorney $100.00 20
65 true capital management $100.00 100
66 tax preparation coatesville pa $100.00 10
67 eservices florida $100.00 30
68 richardson ac service $100.00 10
69 liability insurance portland or $100.00 40
70 irvine accident lawyers $100.00 30
71 roofing hurst tx $100.00 20
72 usaa fraud number $100.00 100
73 ozempic and dupixent $100.00 10
74 fort myers auto accident attorney $100.00 100
75 accident lawyers in mesa az $100.00 50
76 car accident attorney in norfolk $100.00 0
77 merrill edge select portfolios $100.00 0
78 アメリカ インターネット spectrum $100.00 0
79 water heater replacement thornton $100.00 250
80 wahiawa fire $100.00 50
81 california bike accident attorney $100.00 90
82 verizon phone replacement policy $100.00 20
83 fid canada $100.00 0
84 espn nhl playoff standings $100.00 250
85 candidio $100.00 200
86 the axon $100.00 250
87 how long do stockx take to ship $100.00 80
88 community works medford $100.00 150
89 sell settlement payments $100.00 350
90 ados checklist $100.00 10
91 how to get 2g and 5g wifi spectrum $100.00 10
92 air fryer carrot $100.00 70
93 black michel jackson $100.00 0
94 woodbury mn dental implants $100.00 10
95 fruit and oats del monte $100.00 0
96 grayish violet $100.00 20
97 fruit products $100.00 80
98 is youtube tv getting nfl sunday ticket $100.00 0
99 freya rose london $100.00 40
100 merrill edge select portfolio $100.00 10

Why are these keywords so expensive?

The main reason is due to Google’s ads mechanism:

  • Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click auction system.
  • There are only a few ads that appear for each keyword.

Companies have to outbid each other in order to secure their spot at the top of the search results. If demand for a keyword is high, it means more companies are bidding for it, therefore driving up the cost per click.

Example of a Google Ad

Demand for a keyword is high when companies believe it will generate a return on investment (ROI). Typically, you’ll see this when:

  • The industry offers high-value services or products (e.g., legal, finance) as each potential sale generates a lot of revenue.
  • The keyword signals strong purchase intent (e.g., personal injury lawyer near me) as they’re likely to lead to direct sales or high-quality leads.
  • The location is competitive and populous, e.g., “divorce lawyer in New York” will be more expensive than “divorce lawyer in Provincetown”.
  • There is a peak season (e.g. tax season, holidays)

Which industries do the most expensive keywords belong to?

I analyzed the top 10,000 most expensive keywords to see which niches they belong to:

  • Legal services (17.52%), with a focus on accident and injury law in specific locations (e.g., Baton Rouge)
  • Ecommerce (3.85%), with a focus on promotional codes, brand-specific queries, and product searches.
  • Education (2.58%), with a focus on university-related keywords, career and technical education centers, and student services and programs.
  • Financial services (1.52%), with a focus on trading platforms, banking services, and investment-related terms.
  • Technology (1.13%), with a focus on software development services, computer vision development, technical education and training, and international outsourcing (e.g, Romania)

How to avoid paying for expensive keywords

Marketing consultant Dan Kennedy once said, “Whoever can spend the most money to acquire a customer wins.”

Your goal is not to avoid paying for expensive keywords, but to bid for keywords that make sense according to your goals and strategy. If a keyword generates a positive ROI for you, then you should continue bidding on that keyword, no matter how expensive it is. (Expensive is relative after all; a $10 cup of coffee is expensive to me, but could be of value to a snob.)

That said, there are ways to run your Google Ads more effectively, such as:

  • Targeting long-tail keywords (e.g., “affordable personal injury lawyer in New York”), rather than generic, broad keywords like “personal injury lawyer”
  • Using negative keywords to prevent your ads from appearing on irrelevant searches.
  • Improving your Quality Score by writing relevant ad copy and creating targeted landing pages.
  • Using retargeting to focus on people who’ve already interacted with your website or shown interest in your brand, product, or service.

How to see the paid keywords your competitors are bidding on

If your competitors are paying for certain keywords, it may indicate that they’re profitable for them—and could be for you too.

Here’s how to find these keywords:

  1. Go to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer
  2. Enter your competitor’s domain
  3. Go to the Paid Keywords report
Paid keywords report

For example, if we analyze asana.com, we can see they’re bidding on 1,367 keywords in the U.S. We can also see the keywords they’re bidding on and how much they’re paying for each keyword (CPC).

If you hover over the magnifying glass, you can even see the ad they’re running for that keyword and the link they’re sending paid traffic to.

Want to do paid keyword research for your site? Sign up for Site Explorer.