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“Truck collision attorney” can cost up to $748.40 a click at the top of Google, and 49,500 people search it every month. That’s the highest top-of-page bid Keyword Planner gave me when I pulled 11 industries on 30 October 2026. The most any of our own 35 US accounts paid for a click was $36.06.
What I found
- 22 keywords share the same top bid of $748.40. It looks like a cap in Keyword Planner, so the real top price for those terms may be higher.
- Planner’s high end isn’t the most you’ll pay. In 330 keywords from our accounts, 177 had an average CPC above Planner’s top-of-page high.
- AdSense pays from display clicks. A display click cost a median $0.78 in our accounts, against $4.92 for a search click.
Below are the top keywords in 11 industries, then what a high CPC means if you buy the clicks, and what it means if you earn from AdSense.
The most expensive keywords on Google
These are the highest-priced keywords in each industry with 100 or more US searches a month. The range is Keyword Planner’s top-of-page bid: the low and high end of what advertisers bid to show above the organic results.
| Industry | Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | truck collision attorney | 49,500 | $92.39 - $748.40 |
| Marketing | linkedin event ads | 260 | $40.49 - $643.60 |
| Cyber security | security information and event management | 22,200 | $11.23 - $466.96 |
| Software | best payroll software for startups | 210 | $74.61 - $310.89 |
| B2B services | employer of record services | 2,900 | $44.28 - $282.86 |
| Finance | business working capital | 480 | $29.45 - $231.66 |
| Home services | emergency water damage | 1,300 | $18.18 - $224.40 |
| Insurance | online home and auto insurance quotes | 260 | $63.62 - $208.11 |
| Real estate | sell my house quick for cash | 170 | $42.76 - $167.52 |
| Rehab | luxury detox california | 320 | $40.11 - $149.49 |
| Education | online colleges for psychology | 480 | $44.90 - $112.26 |
I left out brand names. Some of the highest bids in the pull were for a competitor’s name, like an ERP brand at $748.40 or an insurer at $602.66. Those prices come from rivals bidding on each other, and you can’t use them for planning.
For context, a search click in our own accounts cost a median of $4.92.
Highest CPC keywords by industry
Each table has 5 keywords with 100 or more US searches a month, sorted by the high end of the range.
1. Legal
Truck and injury searches take every top spot. A signed injury case can be worth tens of thousands in fees, so firms bid for the top of the page.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| truck accident attorney near me | 74,000 | $129.49 - $748.40 |
| truck collision attorney | 49,500 | $92.39 - $748.40 |
| houston trucking accident attorney | 14,800 | $246.97 - $748.40 |
| oilfield injury attorneys | 390 | $56.82 - $673.56 |
| auto accident law firm near me | 390 | $106.09 - $651.23 |
2. Marketing and advertising
LinkedIn ad searches are the surprise. The people searching them have budgets to spend, and ad platforms and agencies bid for them.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| linkedin event ads | 260 | $40.49 - $643.60 |
| google advertising | 18,100 | $18.07 - $281.00 |
| ppc management agency | 480 | $36.67 - $278.44 |
| ppc google | 2,400 | $14.26 - $261.70 |
| linkedin advertising | 9,900 | $21.03 - $245.13 |
3. Cyber security
Security deals are large annual contracts, so a single lead can pay for a lot of clicks.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| security information and event management | 22,200 | $11.23 - $466.96 |
| soc 2 audit firm | 170 | $43.48 - $434.58 |
| network penetration testing services | 210 | $18.71 - $299.36 |
| soc 2 type 1 audit | 210 | $8.82 - $254.88 |
| managed detection and response mdr services | 720 | $7.25 - $244.54 |
4. Software
Payroll software leads this year. A payroll customer pays every month for years.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| best payroll software for startups | 210 | $74.61 - $310.89 |
| crm for plumbers | 140 | $16.02 - $281.74 |
| best global payroll software | 260 | $60.13 - $245.75 |
| payroll services for small companies | 8,100 | $44.54 - $209.21 |
| best payroll service for small business | 880 | $43.60 - $180.45 |
5. B2B services
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| employer of record services | 2,900 | $44.28 - $282.86 |
| high risk payment | 260 | $14.97 - $189.08 |
| managed it services for nonprofits | 140 | $39.29 - $178.40 |
| voip phone system providers | 140 | $8.68 - $165.95 |
| credit card processing services for small business | 110 | $26.99 - $151.04 |
6. Finance
Business lending beats consumer finance. “Business line of credit” gets 14,800 searches a month and still tops out at $177.22.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| business working capital | 480 | $29.45 - $231.66 |
| short term business finance | 140 | $56.10 - $224.40 |
| quick business loans | 2,900 | $37.90 - $194.50 |
| business term loan | 12,100 | $6.70 - $188.97 |
| business line of credit | 14,800 | $30.65 - $177.22 |
7. Home services
Water damage is the expensive corner of home services. The job is urgent, and insurance often pays for it.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| emergency water damage | 1,300 | $18.18 - $224.40 |
| water damage restoration dallas | 1,000 | $15.66 - $213.29 |
| water damage mitigation services | 480 | $7.30 - $179.52 |
| emergency flood service | 260 | $32.91 - $128.12 |
| 24 hour water damage restoration | 480 | $16.03 - $120.51 |
8. Insurance
Bundled home and auto quotes cost more than car insurance on its own. “Car insurance quotes” gets 673,000 searches a month at $44.06 to $126.20.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| online home and auto insurance quotes | 260 | $63.62 - $208.11 |
| bundled home and auto insurance quotes | 720 | $64.82 - $187.05 |
| car insurance quote ma | 1,600 | $59.85 - $187.00 |
| home and auto insurance quote | 9,900 | $54.61 - $180.48 |
| car insurance quotes | 673,000 | $44.06 - $126.20 |
9. Real estate
Cash home buyers bid the most here. Every one of these searches is someone who wants to sell quickly.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| sell my house quick for cash | 170 | $42.76 - $167.52 |
| cash buyers for houses near me | 170 | $45.75 - $147.31 |
| get cash offer for my house | 110 | $49.60 - $142.20 |
| cash offer for my home | 1,000 | $43.54 - $126.24 |
| fast home buyers | 170 | $24.15 - $124.24 |
10. Rehab
Rehab bids are lower than older lists claim. Luxury and insurance searches cost the most.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| luxury detox california | 320 | $40.11 - $149.49 |
| blue cross blue shield drug rehab | 140 | $45.65 - $100.28 |
| luxury rehab near me | 1,600 | $14.57 - $82.57 |
| detox near me | 14,800 | $16.38 - $79.05 |
| inpatient detox near me | 480 | $15.11 - $68.02 |
11. Education
Online degrees still cost more than $100 a click at the top end. Criminal justice and psychology lead the volume.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|
| online colleges for psychology | 480 | $44.90 - $112.26 |
| online college business degree | 170 | $41.16 - $110.51 |
| online colleges that accept fafsa | 1,900 | $34.20 - $107.12 |
| online criminal justice degree | 6,600 | $34.86 - $93.55 |
| healthcare management degree online | 1,000 | $25.14 - $89.81 |
Why so many keywords show $748.40
22 keywords in my pull share a top-of-page high of exactly $748.40. They’re truck and injury lawyer searches, ERP software brands and LinkedIn ad examples, which have little else in common. A shared figure like that looks like the highest number Keyword Planner will show, so treat $748.40 as “at least this much”.
The same thing happened in July, when this page’s earlier pull showed truck terms at $732 and $750. Lists that quote a single keyword at $1,000 or more are using a third-party estimate, or a number from years ago.
The old version of this page listed 185 keywords. When I pulled them again, 35 had no bid estimate at all. Of the 142 I could compare with an old price, 75 are lower now. Bids move, so treat any list, this one included, as a snapshot.
What advertisers actually pay
Keyword Planner shows what advertisers bid. I wanted to see what they paid, so I pulled every keyword with 10 or more clicks between 30 July and 28 October 2026 from 35 US accounts we manage. That’s 972 keywords, 81,475 clicks and $340,318 of spend.
The median keyword cost $4.79 a click, and the highest cost $36.06. These are mostly home and pool services accounts, so none of them come near legal prices. The top 5 were all pool builders and contractors, at $30.03 to $36.06 a click.
The comparison surprised me. Keyword Planner returned a bid range for 330 of those keywords. 177 of them had an average CPC above Planner’s top-of-page high. Only 3 were below its low end. The median keyword paid 1.03 times Planner’s high. Planner’s range is a bid estimate and the average CPC is what was charged, so they’re different measures, but both are in dollars per click.
Two reasons I can see. These accounts target small local areas, and Planner’s range is for the whole US. And the accounts bid to show at the top for buyer searches, which is the slot that costs the most. So take Planner’s high as a typical price for a strong position, and check it against your own CPCs before you set a budget. My Google Ads cost guide has the wider numbers on what clicks cost.
Is a $748 click ever worth paying?
It comes down to what a customer is worth to you.
Here’s the sum for two made-up businesses. The numbers are examples, the method is the one I use.
| Injury law firm | Plumber | |
|---|---|---|
| One customer is worth | $30,000 in fees | $200 a job |
| Leads that become customers | 1 in 20 | 1 in 10 |
| One lead is worth | $1,500 | $20 |
| Clicks per lead | about 3 | about 5 |
| Most it can pay per click | about $500 | about $4 |
At the low end of its range, $92.39, “truck collision attorney” is cheap for the law firm. The plumber copying those bids would lose money on every job. You can run the same sum on your own numbers with the CPC formula.
The sum works the same way every time: customer value, then what you can pay per lead, then what you can pay per click. A high CPC tells you the customer is worth a lot to someone. It doesn’t tell you the customer is worth that much to you.
What to do on an expensive keyword
1. Add negatives before you change bids. A $300 click on “lawyer salary” or “free legal advice” is pure waste, and broad match will pull those searches in. On expensive terms, a week of bad matches can cost more than a month of waste on cheap ones. Start from these negative keyword examples.
2. Bid to a target CPA. Set the target from your customer value and let Smart Bidding set the price for each click. It needs conversion volume to learn, so on a thin account, build that up first.
3. Bid on the long tail of the head term. Question searches around the same problem usually price well below the head term, and the person asking is deep in the problem. Volume is low, so add these next to the head terms.
To check your own numbers, open Keyword Planner for your terms, then compare it with your real CPCs in the account. If a few expensive days pull your average up, our free CPC pattern analyzer shows which ones.
High paying AdSense keywords
Many people who search for high CPC keywords run a website with AdSense. They want topics where each ad click pays the most. The search bids above don’t tell you that.
AdSense shows ads on your site through Google’s display network, and the advertiser pays a display price. Google’s AdSense revenue share page says that when advertisers buy display ads through Google Ads, publishers keep about 68% of the revenue.
In our accounts, a display click cost a median $0.78, against $4.92 on Search. At about 68%, a $0.78 display click pays a publisher around 53 cents.
The industry order still helps. Topics where search clicks cost the most, like legal, insurance, finance and software, also tend to draw the higher display bids. But a page about truck accidents won’t earn $748 a click, or anything close to it. Display also has more invalid clicks: Google filtered a median 19.2% of display clicks in 13 US accounts, against 5.8% on Search.
How I pulled the numbers
- Keyword Planner: the Google Ads API’s historical metrics and keyword ideas, US, English, Google Search only, pulled 30 October 2026. Each industry started from 3 seed searches plus the old list, and I kept keywords with 100 or more searches a month.
- What we paid: the Google Ads API, every US-dollar account under our two manager accounts, 30 July to 28 October 2026, keywords with 10 or more clicks.
- Search and display: the same accounts, cost and clicks split by network.
Other lists use older or estimated numbers. Arvow’s list, which ranked first for “high paying adsense keywords” when I checked, shows “truck collision attorney” at $1,003.68. ALM Corp’s 2026 list puts “truck accident lawyer” at $250 to $600 a click. The highest figure Planner gave me for any keyword was $748.40.
FAQ
- What is the most expensive keyword on Google?
- In October 2026, truck accident searches like 'truck collision attorney' and 'truck accident attorney near me' had the highest top-of-page bid in Keyword Planner, at $748.40. 22 keywords shared that exact figure, so it looks like the most Planner will show.
- What does a high CPC mean?
- It means advertisers expect a customer from that search to be worth a lot. When one customer is worth thousands, advertisers can pay hundreds per click and still make money, and the auction price rises to meet that.
- Is Keyword Planner's top-of-page bid what I will pay?
- Not always. In 330 keywords from 35 of our US accounts, 177 had an average CPC above Planner's high end, and the median keyword paid 1.03 times the high. Check your own CPCs before you plan a budget from Planner.
- What are the highest paying AdSense keywords?
- AdSense pays from display clicks, which cost far less than search clicks. In our accounts a display click cost a median $0.78, against $4.92 on Search, and Google says publishers keep about 68% when advertisers buy display ads through Google Ads. Legal, insurance, finance and software topics still tend to pay the most.
- Why is my average CPC so high?
- It's usually broad match pulling in the wrong searches, a low Quality Score, or a short negative keyword list. A better ad and landing page lower what you pay for the same position. Fix those before you blame the auction.
