Seven Niches In Legal Pay Per Click That Are Startlingly Expensive

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Pay per click (PPC), also known as cost per click, is an advertising model used to steer traffic to websites. Advertisers pay the publisher, usually the website owner, when the ad is clicked and is also defined as “the amount spent to get an advertisement clicked.”

Advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market and content sites normally charge a fixed price per click instead of the bidding system used on most other sites.

While the PPC advertising model can be abused through click fraud, Google and others have developed automated systems to guard against fraud by corrupt web developers.

The earliest Pay Per Click was included in a web directory called Planet Oasis in 1996. Developed by Ark Interface, a division of Packard Bell, the initial reaction were skeptical. By the end of 1997, attitudes changed and over 400 major players were paying between a nickel and twenty-five cents per click.

In 1998, Jeffrey Brewer of Goto.com showcased a Pay Per Click proof-of-concept to the TED conference in California. Credit for the PPC model is typically given to Goto.com founder, Bill Gross.

While Google started search engine advertising in 1999, it wasn’t until 2000 that AdWords was introduced. With the introduction of AdWords, advertisers were able to create text ads for placement on the Google system.  It would be another two years before PPC as it is known now was introduced.

Pay Per Click: Top 7 Expensive Keywords

Ever wonder how Google makes money? Roughly 96% comes from online pay-per-click advertising. According to the report from Nick Wooldridge, a New York attorney who practices online and IP law, the most expensive keywords deal mainly with an industry that handle large sums of money. Considering entry into one of these niches?  Be ready to pay high rates for these keywords.

  1. Divorce

Keyword: “Divorce Attorney San Diego”

CPC: $61.33

Depending on the part of the country, divorce lawyers can get between $300 and $600 an hour. Any question about how they can afford over $60 per click?

  1. Car Accidents

Keyword: “Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer”

CPC: $142.46

Car accidents can lead to personal injury suits which can lead to big settlements. An attorney will be glad to pay over $100.00 for a lead which could turn into hundreds of thousands in return.

  1. Criminal Defense

Keyword: “Criminal Defense Lawyer Dallas”

CPC: $179.85

When a person’s freedom is on the line, no price tag is too much to stay out of prison. A good defense lawyer will consider it a bargain to pay $179.85 per click.

  1. Dui

Keyword: “Tampa Dui Lawyer”

CPC: $232.43

Get a DUI, and life can be altered drastically. Individuals with multiple DUIs will be willing to pay almost anything to keep their license to drive. Those dollars make it easy for a good DUI defense attorney to cough up over $200 per click.

  1. Personal Injury

Keyword: “South Florida Personal Injury Lawyer”

CPC: $392.93

Personal injury lawyers have been called “ambulance chasers.” But when the injury could mean a significant payday for an attorney, it’s easy to understand a PPC of almost $400.

  1. Structured Settlements

Keyword: “Best Structured Settlement Companies”

CPC: $747.11

Often accepted on a contingency basis, attorneys who specialize in structured settlements stand to make as much as 33% on a successful case. When the monetary award can be in the millions, it’s easy to understand a PPC of over $700. JG Wentworth whose TV commercials have been live across the nation for many years, is estimated to pour at least $250k into Google Adwords on a monthly basis (according to SEMrush).

  1. Mesothelioma

Keyword: “Lawyer Mesothelioma”

CPC: $828.85

The first lawsuit over mesothelioma was in 1929. Since then, billions of dollars have been awarded to shipbuilders, miners and others who have worked around asbestos.

What is Learned?

The highest cost keyword terms are all found among the usual suspects — lawyers, insurance companies and prescription drug companies. Some are surprising, such as “web conferencing”. At the end of the day, it all comes down to client acquisition costs.  Is the pay per click worth the advertising dollars spent?

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