This piece revisits our popular 2011 “Most Expensive Keywords in Google Ads” infographic, known for its surprisingly durable data on Average Cost-Per-Click (CPC). Today, we’re giving it a fresh look and expanding its scope. Instead of simply replicating the old research, we’re offering currency-specific insights. Below, you’ll find infographics for USD and GBP, with CAD and ZAR versions coming soon. Each reveals unique trends in keyword costs across different regions. Now, let’s dive into the 25 Most Expensive Keywords in Google Ads (AdWords) for Australia.

Australia’s Priciest Keywords: Beyond Beer and Fosters

While Australians are known for their love of “Fosters” (their slang for beer), neither “beer” nor “Fosters” made it to the top 25 most expensive keywords list. So, what did? Let’s find out: Top 25 Most Expensive Keywords in [AUD]

Deciphering the Cost of Keywords

The high cost of some keywords, like “Lawyer,” is understandable due to the competitive legal field. However, others, like “Child Charities” ranking fifth, are more surprising. Similarly, the prevalence of “Roller Shutters” sparks curiosity about Australian housing and weather conditions.

Keywords reflecting urgency (e.g., “leaking shower service”) or necessities (e.g., “education,” “internet”) are similarly expensive in other regions we analyzed. Let’s delve deeper into some interesting trends:

Australia: A Land of Litigation?

While the US is often associated with lawsuits, Australians seem equally inclined, especially considering the significantly higher cost of legal keywords compared to other sectors in Australia.

Although legal keywords are expensive in the US, they don’t overshadow other costly sectors like business services, casinos, and bail bonds. However, in Australia, legal terms cost almost double the second most expensive keyword, “workers comp.”

CREAM: A Global Financial Obsession

The prevalence of expensive keywords related to “Money Stuff” in Australia is striking.

Consider these:

• Insurance at #3
• Finance at #9
• Car finance at #12
• Loans at #14
• Mortgages at #15
• Pension at #16
• Financial trading at #19
• Payment systems at #21 A staggering 33% of Australia’s most expensive keywords are money-related. Additionally, three more keywords—Business software (#6), Business services (#8), and ISO9001 consulting (#20)—have clear business ties. Australians certainly seem business-minded! However, it’s not all work and no play…

Health, Wealth, and Speed Bumps: A Winning Combination?

Based on my limited understanding of Australia, shaped by a didgeridoo souvenir, the soap opera Neighbors, and the cinematic masterpiece Kangaroo Jack, I suspected Australians were health-conscious.

However, seeing both “Health and fitness” and “Medical health” secure top spots was unexpected.

My personal pick for Australia’s most intriguing expensive keyword? “Speed bump,” landing at number 24 with a $13.94 average CPC.

One can’t help but imagine both safety-conscious communities purchasing speed bumps and mischievous youths transforming cautionary signs into images of car-stricken cassowaries. A man can dream.

Explore Other Regions!

Most Expensive Keywords – USA Most Expensive Keywords – Canada (coming soon!) Most Expensive Keywords – United Kingdom Most Expensive Keywords – South Africa (coming soon!)

Data Collection and Methodology

Our list is based on data gathered from anonymous AdWords Performance Grader reports across all industries between June 1, 2016, and June 12, 2017. We analyzed the top 1000 most expensive keywords during this period, categorizing them by core intent. For example, “fitness course” and “personal trainer” fell under a single category due to their shared core intent. Similarly, keywords related to different lawyer types (the priciest category in our AUD data) or insurance were grouped. This method, consistent with our 2011 infographic, avoids overrepresenting specific long-tail or local keywords with limited relevance to a broader audience. Distinct services (e.g., pest control vs. termites) were separated whenever possible. Keywords with less than 100 clicks were excluded, and only advertisers bidding in USD, AUD, CAD, and ZAR were considered, with separate analyses for each currency. Non-English ads and duplicates (identical keywords and CPCs) were also removed. The results presented here are in AUD. (A big thank you to our data analyst Josh Brackett, web team leader Meg Lister, and designer Kate Lindsay for their contributions in compiling, analyzing, and illustrating the data!)