DUI vs. Mesothelioma & PPC’s Most Expensive Keywords

Before Google(GOOG) cracked down on Adsense abuse, mesothelioma-related pay-per-click (PPC) keywords were undoubtedly the most expensive and lucrative. Rumor has it that at its peak, these words cost as much as $200 per click. Wow! So, now that things have normalized (whatever normal is), is mesothelioma still king? While doing research for BRBS & HBN (mesothelioma lawyers in Philadelphia), I discovered that mesothelioma is still one of the most expensive PPC keywords. For example, “mesothelioma attorneys san diego” goes for $51.03 per click.

DUI vs. Mesothelioma

As shown below in a recent search volume chart from Google, search interest for DUI/DWI is rising, while the mesothelioma trend line is flatter.

recent search volume chart from Google, search interest for DUI/DWI is rising

Top 100 PPC Terms by Cost

DUI/DWI PPC keywords cover fifteen of the top 100 PPC terms, while mesothelioma has only seven, as shown in the following rankings chart from SpyFu. Which has some other really interesting data also, take a look at what other terms would cost you fifty bucks per click.

Keywords with Highest Cost Per Click via SpyFu

Mesothelioma PPC Costs Still Rising

But, despite a relatively flat trend line, mesothelioma PPC keyword costs are still on the rise. Look at the SpyFu chart below.

Mesothelioma PPC keyword costs are still on the rise: SpyFu Chart

Competition is Fierce for Mesothelioma Lawyers

Individual firms themselves have created large informational sites devoted to mesothelioma. Meso RC, The Mesothelioma Resource Center, (shown below) appears to be sponsored exclusively by the Law Offices of James Sokolove.

The Mesothelioma Resource Center

Clearly, to compete online in these areas, DUI & mesothelioma lawyers must be prepared to spend money on PPC, site development, content development, and SEO. In addition, 50 bucks per click, is that really worth it? You can place an ad for your product or service on a relevant site for 50 bucks per week, and that should deliver way more than one visitor. And do not get me started on click fraud, these ripe, low-hanging fruit must attract swarms of MFA (Made for Adsense) spammy sites which only intend to drain your budget and provide zero relevant leads in return.

Written by marc on September 17th, 2008 with 27 comments.
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27 comments

Read the comments left by other users below, or:

Mention from Seo-domains.com
#1. September 17th, 2008, at 7:03 AM.

Featured | SEO Domains: DUI vs. Mesothelioma: Legal PPC’s Most Expensive Keywords

Mention from Seo-domains.com
#2. September 17th, 2008, at 7:55 AM.

Keywords in SEO, Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em: DUI vs. Mesothelioma: Legal PPC’s Most Expensive Keywords

Norman
#3. September 17th, 2008, at 1:52 PM.

50$ per click is outrageous, when the bidding on some of my sites starts nearing 10$ I move money into alternative or traditional marketing efforts.

Between click fraud and bounce rates only like 1% of visitors convert to sales or real leads anyway.

Mal
#4. September 18th, 2008, at 12:31 AM.

Which goes to prove that Google is one of the biggest rip-off artists in the world. Unless you go after them with the kitchen sink they will register dozens of clicks over a one week period from the same IP address as unique clicks. They are really clicks from your enemy and competitor and Google knows that but they don’t care.

Stacy
#5. September 18th, 2008, at 1:00 AM.

Us adwords advertisers got back pennies on the dollar when the lost that click fraud case two years ago. The settlement itself was not even close to what experts were estimating as actual click fraud numbers. The power of lobbyists!

Gary
#6. September 18th, 2008, at 2:47 PM.

I’m flabbergasted that PPC can cost $50! But i guess if you want to gamble and go after the money making cases, you’ve have to place your bets.

Minnesota Litigation Attorney
#7. September 23rd, 2008, at 6:12 AM.

I am an attorney with experience working on Mesothelioma cases. There are two things most people don’t realize about these cases. First, they rarely go to court, so the attorney gets the client, settles the case, and the attorney takes a nice fee for it. Second, Mesothelioma is on the decline because asbestos is no longer used in building materials. So there is short-term money in Mesothelioma cases, but not long-term.

marc
#8. September 23rd, 2008, at 3:09 PM.

Thanks for the insight Aaron, that definitely helps us understand why the prices are soo high.

insider
#9. September 24th, 2008, at 8:51 PM.

I’m an insider. Trust me, the meso game is big money. And no, it will never go away. it will diminish over time but thousands of schools and public building still have asbestos.

Divorce Lawyers in Miami FL
#10. November 21st, 2008, at 4:56 PM.

Hey, when are you going to do one of these for Divorce Law?

Bob- Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyer
#11. January 11th, 2009, at 7:01 PM.

How about doing one of these for medical malpractice?

Job-Miami legal Malpractice
#12. January 11th, 2009, at 7:01 PM.

or for legal malpractice?

Charlotte bankruptcy lawyers
#13. January 28th, 2009, at 7:15 PM.

The list is growing…bankruptcy laws.

Los Angeles DUI lawyer
#14. February 4th, 2009, at 1:43 AM.

Unfortunately, most lawyers don’t use analytics or simple ROI calculations to make these decisions. They just spend whatever it takes to rank highly for the coveted “mesothelioma” keyword. I think many would be astounded by the low ROI if they actually set up tracking. There’s definitely higher ROI opportunities, but you have to look for them and they’re fragmented. Most attorneys simply don’t have time for that or demand it of their marketing departments.

mike
#15. February 19th, 2009, at 4:32 AM.

this is good information. i will have to look into this SpyFu. thanks for the insight and tips. i will have to start following this blog.

Mention from Niemanlab.org
#16. February 25th, 2009, at 2:20 PM.

My adventure in search advertising; or, what twenty-six bucks can buy other than appetizers in Manhattan » Nieman Journalism Lab » Pushing to the Future of Journalism: advertisers for those keywords. (Traditionally some of the highest cost-per-click ads have been for searches involving mesothelioma, because people ...

Kaden
#17. April 20th, 2009, at 10:14 PM.

Hello. Great job. I did not expect this on a Wednesday. This is a great story. Thanks!

Austin DWI Attorney
#18. April 21st, 2009, at 9:02 AM.

Great article. I never understood why it cost so much do DWI PPC’s compared to other terms until I read this. I will definitely have to follow your blog. Great Info.

Guaranteed Houston SEO
#19. April 29th, 2009, at 11:54 AM.

I can understand that PPC might be expensive but it’s always effective and remarkable for us.It seems great post, I haven’t read the whole articles yet but the first advices sounded great.

Jacksonville auto accident lawyer
#20. May 6th, 2009, at 9:14 PM.

Spyfu looks like a great tool to use, I will check it out. Mesothelioma cases earn big bucks, so I guess there is room in their profit margins for high ppc costs. But, then again, maybe there is some panic bidding to be #1. Sooner or later, those panic bidders will go over budget if they dont land some good cases to profit from. thanks for the info and nice analysis

Jim with the Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyers
#21. May 7th, 2009, at 1:41 PM.

interesting numbers indeed!

Marc with the Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers
#22. May 7th, 2009, at 1:47 PM.

yeah, bankruptcy must be all over this chart now

Carolina in NJ
#23. May 7th, 2009, at 1:51 PM.

great article

All about mesothelioma
#24. May 19th, 2009, at 4:16 AM.

Yeah.. They are the most expensive keyword in ADwords… But the competition is incredible…

Andres Montejo
#25. May 20th, 2009, at 4:41 PM.

andres montejo law

great article!

resveratrol benefits
#26. August 6th, 2009, at 8:05 AM.

Yes I think this is the most expensive keyword in ADwords..
But now .
resveratrol is such a BUZZ word right now.
Everybody seems to want it

Online Insurance Plans
#27. August 27th, 2009, at 11:10 AM.

Awesome article! I have gradually become fan of your article and would like to suggest putting some new updates to make it more effective.

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