Not every search query generates revenue for Google, as some inquiries do not lend themselves to ad placements.
Google has disclosed that it serves ads on only a fraction of its total queries, with the rest considered non-commercial.
These queries that contribute to Google’s earnings are referred to as “commercial queries” and cover a range of topics, including consumer products and services.
Recently, during the ongoing US vs. Google antitrust trial, rare insights into the most profitable search queries for the company were exposed, shedding light on what searches make the most money for Google.
The information, which was previously undisclosed, was revealed after Judge Amit Mehta pressed Google for more transparency.
The data, from a week in September 2018, provides a snapshot of the queries that generated significant revenue for the tech giant. While the exact revenue figures were redacted, the list of top 20 revenue-generating queries in the US is quite revealing:
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- Auto insurance
- Car insurance
- Cheap flights
- Car insurance quotes
- Direct TV
- Online colleges
- AT&T
- Hulu
- iPhone
- Uber
- Spectrum
- Comcast
- Xfinity
- Insurance quotes
- Free credit report
- Cheap car insurance
- AARP
- LifeLock
Interestingly, the list includes multiple queries related to the iPhone, especially the iPhone 8, which aligns with the release of the iPhone 8 during that period. This indicates a competitive landscape where retailers, carriers, accessory manufacturers, and others sought to secure top positions in search results for iPhone-related searches.
Furthermore, the presence of multiple insurance-related queries underlines the intense competition in the US insurance market. For example, a search for car insurance often displays multiple ads before showing any organic search results, highlighting the productive nature of such queries.
It’s important to note that the data is from a single week, and the search landscape can vary throughout the year. The entire year’s worth of queries would likely present a different picture, but such comprehensive data is not typically disclosed by Google.
