Expensive AdWords Keywords

When we type a word into google, we generally don’t think about how much companies pay to ensure that word generates their ads at the top of the search results.  Thanks to a study conducted by Wordstream, a company whose software helps users create search engine marketing campaigns, we now know which keywords garner the highest costs per click (CPC for those in the know) in Google AdWords. For over a decade Google’s AdWords solution has allowed companies to create ad campaigns on google’s search results and participating websites and bid on which keywords lead users to those campaigns.  Considering advertising makes up 97% of Google’s total revenue, or 33.3 billion dollars a year, selling these keywords is an integral part of Google’s business model.

Wordstream, a pay-per-click software company, recently study compiled the top 10,000 keywords into categories by weighting the number of keywords within each category and the estimated monthly search volume and average cost per click for each keyword.  The results aren’t as exciting as the most searched for keywords on google, (which mostly involve celebrity scandals, current events, and the weather) but they still reveal some interesting trends.

Insurance – $54.31 per click

It turns out ‘insurance’ ranks number one for CPC.  That in itself is an astonishing number considering the millions of people who see these ads every day.  Keywords in this category include ‘auto price quotes’

Loans – $44.28 per click

Following close behind are ‘loans’, a category that includes ‘consolidate’, ‘graduate’, and ‘student’.  The emerging trend here reveals the type of company that can afford to spend a lot on advertising since they’re able to acquire consistent revenue from their customers over the course of their lives.

Mortgage – $47.12 per click

Keeping in mind these figures correspond to the number of keywords in the top 10,000 keywords that belong to that category, Mortgage come in third.  Keywords include ‘refinanced’, ‘second’ and ‘mortgages’.

Attorney – $47.07 per click

Continuing the trend of either borrowing or spending large amounts of money for major life activities, ‘attorney’ ranks 4th, with keywords like ‘personal injury attorney’.

Credit – $36.06 per click

It comes as no surprise that ‘credit’ makes it on the list, as well all know credit card companies are constantly looking for new card holders.  ‘home equity line of credit’ is an example of a keyword that would generate ads from this category.

[Source: Most-Expensive Journal]

Most Expensive Vacuum

Hardly an icon of luxury, the vacuum is more commonly viewed as the weapon of choice for janitors, maids, stay at home moms, and those who rank somewhere along the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder spectrum.  Companies like Dyson, Kirby, and Hoover may offer state-of-the-art sucking technology; but the offensively loud, droning, cat-terrorizing machine is still seen as considerably less sexy and luxurious than, say, a feather duster from The Dollar Tree.

Enter the most expensive vacuum cleaner in the world: The Crystal Ergoripado by Electrolux.  Created in 2009 by Polish Fashion designer Lukasz Jemiol, the vacuum was commissioned to commemorate Electrolux’s popular Ergoripado model.  The limited edition black and white version of this model was chosen to be adorned head to toe with 3,730 Swarovski crystals.  Electrolux lovingly states “Inspired by (the Ergoripado’s) beautiful form, we decided to create something extraordinary”  Electrolux has already won several design awards for the sleek Ergoripado.

This one-off, record-breaking vacuum cleaner is still available at a hefty $19,340, leading one to question the overlap between those who could afford the pricey cleaning device and those who actually vacuum their own houses.

Not since the iconic 50’s Stepford wife glided a Hoover around in high heels has the vacuum had such an image make over.  The lesson here is that with enough diamonds, Swarovski crystals, or even just a bedazzler, the most humble household item can discover it’s inner diva.

[Source: Most-Expensive Journal]

Most Expensive Beds

A person typically spends a third of their life sleeping, so why not make the most of that time by spending a ridiculous amount of money on an extravagant bed? Each supremely expensive bed is luxurious in its own way, and we’re certain almost anyone will find one of these beds most desirable.

Parnian Furniture bed – over $210,000

Furniture designer Abdolhay Parnian treats his furniture like works of art and it shows in the final product. It’s taken him two years to design this bed and I think you’ll agree that it was well worth the wait. It’s not only visually striking, with the eyelike headboard that will surely dominate any bedroom, but also equipped with features sure to intrigue even the most jaded of millionaires. The purchaser may choose from a variety of materials, including the ebony, sapele and curly maple in the pictured display model, as well as technological features such as iPad holders and charging stations, hidden compartments and pop-up swiveling televisions and computer monitors.

Jado Steel Style Gold Bed – $676,550

If you want to go all out with a bed that conveys wealth like no other, you can’t go wrong with the Gold Bed. As its name suggests, the luxurious waterbed is coated in 24k gold and features Swarovski crystals along the sideboard. It’s equipped with a DVD player and Bose sound system, Blu-ray player, Playstation 3, a foldaway plasma television coated in gold and can even be connected to the internet.

Magnetic Floating Bed – $1.6 million

The 2006 Millionaire Fair in Kortrijk, Belgium saw the debut of a magnetic floating bed that pretty much takes the cake for the coolest bed in the world—and the most expensive. Conventional beds and mattresses haven’t changed much over the years, and that’s where Dutch architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars comes in. The goal in his project was to make a usable piece of furniture that wasn’t constrained by the laws of gravity.

Ruijssenaars reportedly worked on the technology for six years in collaboration with Bakker Magnetics. Permanent opposing industrial-strength magnets allow the bed to float around 1.3 feet off the floor while holding almost 2,000 lbs. This aesthetically pleasing technology could also be applied to other areas in home furnishings like coffee tables, sofas, and Japanese dining tables. How cool would it be to eat sushi and drink sake off a floating table?

While the expensive bed will run you €1,200,000 (US $1.6 million), a smaller unit, one fifth of the full size, costs €115,000 (US $153,000). If you are a millionaire and simply must have this eye-catching bed, the people at Universe Architecture would be happy to make it happen for you.

Baldacchino Supreme – $6.3 million

After four years on the top, the magnetic floating bed has been unseated by luxury designer Stuart Hughes. whose collaboration with Italy’s Fratelli Basile has created nothing short of the most expensive bed in the world–the Baldacchino Supreme.

Fratelli Basile’s Hebanon furniture evokes the timeless qualities of 18th century furniture while making use of modern craftsmanship. This bed, with its chestnut structure and ash wood canopy, is no exception. The exterior is lacquered, patinated and decorated with 107 kg of 24k gold. The bed also features the finest Italian silk and cotton.

[Source: Most-Expensive Journal]

Most Expensive Wedding Dress

A wedding is an expensive occasion for even the most humble bride and groom. Imagine, then, the wedding that includes the most expensive wedding dress in the world. The Diamond Wedding Gown is a collaboration of Renee Strauss, owner of a highly successful bridal salon in Beverly Hills, and Martin Katz, who deals in rare jewels. Featuring 150 carats of diamonds, the dress is valued at US $12 million.

The world’s most expensive wedding gown was unveiled at the premier Luxury Brands Lifestyle Bridal show in February of 2006. Later in the year, Dubai’s Fashion & Diamonds show also featured a gown touted as the world’s most expensive wedding dress. Yumi Katsura’s design, however, is only valued at $8.5 million. Despite being only the second most expensive wedding dress, it features 1,000 pearls and one of the world’s only two 5 carat white gold diamonds.

The Diamond Wedding Gown
(Courtesy of The Diamond Blog).

[Source: Most-Expensive Journal]

Most Expensive Hello Kitty Item

Sanrio’s Hello Kitty, that adorable cartoon cat that comes to us from Japanese popular culture, has appeared on a host of commercial products from credit cards to the Hello Kitty Jet (an Airbus A330-220). The character, designed by Yuko Shimizu, debuted in 1974 as a decoration on a vinyl coin purse.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty in 2009, Sanrio partnered with crystal maker Swarovski and Japanese jeweler I.K. to create the Super Hello Kitty Jewel Doll. This 4-inch “doll” is made of solid platinum studded with thousands of precious gems, including 1,939 pieces of white topaz, 403 pink sapphires, a pair of black spinels for her eyes, a citrine for her nose and a 1.027-carat diamond on her signature bow.

The ultimate Hello Kitty doll was unveiled at Switzerland’s Baselworld watch and jewelry show and is valued at 15 million yen—about US $167,000!

[Source: Most-Expensive Journal]