This week, during the US v. Google antitrust trial, we got a rare glimpse at a closely guarded secret: which search terms make the most money.
By my count, that’s three iPhone-related queries, which makes sense, given that the iPhone 8 had just launched and there were a lot of retailers, carriers, and accessory makers who might want to bid to be at the top of search results.
There are five insurance-related queries on the list, which has always been a competitive and lucrative space — I just Googled “auto insurance” and got four ads before a single regular result.
Most people don’t switch car insurance very often, so it’s worth a lot to Allstate or State Farm to get your first click when you search.
The sweet spot for Google, it appears, is right in the middle: a popular search query that overlaps with a competitive, expensive industry.
Again, there’s only so much to extrapolate from one week’s list, especially given that the other side of the table — how much money each query brought in — is still redacted in the public exhibit.
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