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Every time someone types a financial related term into Google, there are banks and credit unions paying to have their ads placed atop the search results. The neat thing about Google AdWords is that you don’t pay until someone clicks. Some search terms only costs a few cents per click, while other more valuable and popular terms can run you a few bucks. With the Google AdWords interface, you can control how much you’re willing to pay per click, and how much you’re willing to spend every day. If you hit your spending limit, Google simply stops showing your ads. It’s a pretty slick system… if you have someone responsible for tightly managing and massaging your campaigns. A “set-it-and-forget-it” strategy probably isn’t going to pay off.
Here’s a breakdown of who’s paying for what, how much it costs, how many keywords they use and how many clicks they get. The data is divided into four main groups: Banks, Credit Unions, Consumer Search Terms and Geographical Search Terms. There are two bonus sections at the end showing how financial institutions are targeted through Google AdWords by industry vendors and trade groups.
Banks Using Google AdWords
| Bank | Daily Budget | Keywords Used | Paid Clicks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America | $15,830 – $29,420 | 59,373 | 28,700 |
| Bank of the West | $476 – $1,000 | 3,335 | 439 |
| Bankrate.com | $22,500 – $38,590 | 64,398 | 29,500 |
| BB&T | $303 – $912 | 6,849 | 404 |
| Charter One | $931 – $2,010 | 2,695 | 1,020 |
| Chase | $27,620 – $33,540 | 40,692 | 31,700 |
| Citi | $929 – $4,490 | 8,807 | 2,370 |
| Citizens | $229 – $598 | 1,872 | 127 |
| Deluxe | $6K – $13K | 19,805 | 7,680 |
| DepositAccounts.com | $69 – $111 | 501 | 114 |
| Fifth Third Bank | $570 – $908 | 2,870 | 659 |
| First Tennessee | $96 – $290 | 722 | 142 |
| Harris | $1,500 – $2,730 | 2,646 | 1,520 |
| LendingTree | $12,080 – $23,620 | 29,618 | 16,500 |
| MyBankTracker | $170 – $597 | 175 | 98 |
| PNC | $5,070 – $8,070 | 27,111 | 6,960 |
| Quicken Loans | $43,960 – $44,630 | 37,532 | 46,100 |
| Regions Bank | $290 – $778 | 9,219 | 217 |
| SunTrust Bank | $404 – $680 | 10,878 | 591 |
| Susquehanna | $13 – $27 | 17 | 4 |
| Umpqua Bank | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| US Bank | $4,130 – $9,540 | 15,864 | 7,470 |
| USAA | $9,950 – $20,430 | 54,312 | 17,300 |
| Wells Fargo | $5,040 – $14,680 | 58,009 | 11,100 |
Credit Unions Using Google AdWords
Out of the top 20 biggest credit unions in the U.S., 11 are running Google Adwords campaigns (55%). Navy FCU, the biggest credit union in the world, also has the biggest AdWords budget — probably around $1 million annually.
| Credit Union | Daily Budget | Keywords Used | Paid Clicks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy FCU | $1,220 – $6,870 | 28,627 | 4,640 |
| Pentagon Federal | $681 – $2,700 | 6,028 | 1,510 |
| BECU | $241 – $688 | 22,924 | 151 |
| Golden 1 | $1.02 – $4.19 | 228 | 2 |
| Security Service FCU | $25.28 – $68.53 | 48 | 14 |
| San Diego County | $66.85 – $153.95 | 44 | 19 |
| CEFCU | $7.75 – $22.97 | 460 | 5 |
| Alaska USA | $9.37 – $38.45 | 17 | 3 |
| Randolph Brooks | $105.42 – $303.07 | 174 | 61 |
| Delta Community | $29 – $107 | 3,473 | 28 |
| IBM SE | $6 – $19 | 106 | 3 |
| Associated | $80 – $210 | 344 | 52 |
| Georgia United | $40 – $87 | 2,850 | 20 |
| Fairwinds | $15 – $30 | 24 | 4 |
Common Consumer Search Terms
| Keyword(s) | Cost/Click | Searches/Day | Clicks/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| mortgage | $1.16 – $1.42 | 304,667 | 4,190 – 5,280 |
| mortgage rates | $0.67 – $0.83 | 40,667 | 6,380 – 8,860 |
| home loan | $0.83 – $1.01 | 33,333 | 1,440 – 2,000 |
| foreclosure | $0.64 – $0.78 | 91,333 | 2,560 – 3,550 |
| short sale | $0.48 – $0.58 | 27,433 | 563 – 782 |
| reverse mortgage | $2.20 – $2.70 | 6,700 | 182 – 253 |
| home equity loan | $1.24 – $1.52 | 4,500 | 160 – 223 |
| car loan | $1.12 – $1.38 | 22,433 | 964 – 1,340 |
| auto loan | $0.62 – $0.76 | 27,433 | 792 – 1,100 |
| credit union | $0.83 – $1.03 | 553,333 | 989 – 1,370 |
| bank account | $1.19 – $1.47 | 22,433 | 564 – 784 |
| checking account | $1.18 – $1.46 | 18,333 | 581 – 807 |
| debit card | $0.75 – $0.93 | 22,433 | 595 – 827 |
| direct deposit | $0.96 – $1.18 | 8,200 | 136 – 189 |
| online bill pay | $0.90 – $1.10 | 8,200 | 171 – 237 |
| money market account | $1.29 – $1.59 | 3,017 | 94 – 131 |
| cd rates | $1.77 – $2.17 | 12,267 | 509 – 707 |
| savings account | $1.12 – $1.38 | 15,000 | 494 – 686 |
| fico score | $1.08 – $1.32 | 3,667 | 64 – 89 |
| personal loan | $1.18 – $1.46 | 15,000 | 362 – 503 |
| boat loan | $0.59 – $0.73 | 1,350 | 50 – 69 |
| rv loan | $0.62 – $0.76 | 740 | 17 – 23 |
| motorcycle loan | $0.64 – $0.78 | 1,103 | 43 – 60 |
| business loan | $1.53 – $1.89 | 12,267 | 293 – 408 |
| business checking | $1.97 – $2.43 | 2,467 | 51 – 72 |
Geographically Specific Search Terms
| Keywords | Cost/Click | Searches/Day | Clicks/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| new york bank | $0.39 – $0.47 | 18,333 | 3 – 5 |
| california bank | $0.93 – $1.15 | 15,000 | 3 – 4 |
| texas bank | $0.93 – $1.15 | 18,333 | 9 – 12 |
| kansas bank | $5.02 – $6.18 | 4,500 | 0 |
| boston bank | $0.56 – $0.68 | 3,667 | 2 |
| houston bank | $1.31 – $1.61 | 2,467 | 0 |
| seattle bank | $0.68 – $0.84 | 1,103 | 1 |
| cincinnati bank | $0.64 – $0.78 | 903 | 0 |
| new york credit union | $1.56 – $1.92 | 1,350 | 0 |
| boston credit union | $0.36 – $0.44 | 330 | 4 – 6 |
| texas credit union | $0.80 – $0.98 | 4,500 | 2 – 3 |
| seattle credit union | $1.15 – $1.41 | 903 | 3 – 5 |
| chicago home loan | $1.08 – $1.32 | 63 | 0 |
| houston home loan | $0.90 – $1.10 | 29 | 0 |
| tampa home loan | $0.94 – $1.16 | 9 | 2 – 3 |
| kansas home loan | $0.64 – $0.78 | 33 | 1 |
Financial Consultants Targeting Banks & Credit Unions
| Vendor/Association | Daily Budget | Keywords Used | Paid Clicks |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABA | $269.67 – $468.33 | 2,818 | 468 |
| Bancvue | $40.70 – $159.36 | 23 | 27 |
| Branch Xpress | $13.28 – $47.30 | 37 | 6 |
| Cornerstone Advisors | $29.61 – $63.71 | 975 | 72 |
| CreditUnions.com | $10.17 – $42.53 | 51 | 5 |
| CU iDiz | $15.22 – $37.06 | 10 | 4 |
| CUNA | $3.92 – $37.72 | 415 | 22 |
| Credit Union Times | $20.84 – $93.97 | 49 | 18 |
| Currency Marketing | $3.84 – $10.48 | 2 | 1 |
| EHS Design | $59.23 – $174.95 | 100 | 40 |
| Financial Management Solutions | $7.53 – $49.76 | 291 | 6 |
| FMS | $82.17 – $246.37 | 291 | 74 |
| JCDI | $2.41 – $16.62 | 18 | 1 |
| LKCS | $10.40 – $73.15 | 84 | 13 |
| Market Rates Insight | $3.32 – $18.97 | 5 | 1 |
| NewGround | $1.54 – $13.24 | 21 | 1 |
| Online Banking Report | $20.42 – $53.08 | 275 | 33 |
| ProfitStars | $335.00 – $728.26 | 3,370 | 511 |
| The BA Group | $16.55 – $82.80 | 54 | 16 |
| Third Degree Advertising | $20.95 – $145.57 | 91 | 27 |
| Weber Marketing Group | $24.78 – $91.86 | 234 | 26 |
Common Terms Used to Target Banks & Credit Unions
| Keyword | Cost/Click | Searches/Day | Clicks/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| credit union marketing | $0.54 – $0.66 | 97 | 7 – 10 |
| credit union advertising | $0.82 – $1.00 | 20 | 6 – 8 |
| credit union website | $0.39 – $0.49 | 220 | 1 |
| bank marketing | $0.50 – $0.62 | 493 | 17 – 24 |
| bank advertising | $0.66 – $0.82 | 330 | 4 – 6 |
| bank merchandising | $0.56 – $0.68 | 6 | 1 |
| bank marketing plan | $1.08 – $1.32 | 11 | 3 – 4 |
| bank consultant | $0.67 – $0.83 | 220 | 12 – 16 |
| bank branding | $0.51 – $0.63 | 20 | 1 |
| bank brochures | $0.57 – $0.69 | 24 | 1 |
| bank promotions | $0.65 – $0.81 | 493 | 22 – 31 |
| bank design | $0.48 – $0.58 | 493 | 1 |
| bank architecture | $0.40 – $0.50 | 97 | 1 |
| bank branch design | $2.34 – $2.88 | 7 | 0 |
| financial marketing | $0.90 – $1.10 | 603 | 7 – 10 |
| financial branding | $0.83 – $1.01 | 11 | 0 |
| financial advertising | $0.66 – $0.82 | 120 | 7 – 9 |