A Google Ads click on "home security company" costs $45.65, 22 times the $2.06 paid for the median home security keyword. Home security clicks average $4.60, 58% less than the $10.82 average across 23 industries, but the searches from people ready to buy a system cost many times more.
Analysis of 485 home security keywords · Google Ads Keyword Planner, September 2026
Key Findings
- 1.A Google Ads click on "home security company" costs $45.65, 22 times the $2.06 median home security keyword, followed by "security home alarm system" at $43.52 and "security cameras for business" at $43.25.
- 2.A click on a home security Google Ads keyword costs $4.60 on average, 58% less than the $10.82 average across 23 industries, placing home security 19th of the 23.
- 3.Home security Google Ads keywords that signal buying intent cost $9.71 per click on average, against $2.32 for research searches.
- 4.A click on a home security keyword costs $2.84 on Microsoft Ads against $5.12 on Google Ads for the same keywords, 44% less.
- 5.Home security advertisers in Colorado pay 22% more per Google Ads click than the national price for the same keywords, while California pays 10% less.
Summary
Two people search Google on the same evening. One types "ring camera", looking at a doorbell camera they can install themselves; that click costs an advertiser $2.08. The other types "home security company", ready to have a monitored system installed; that click costs $45.65.
Cost per click, or CPC, is what an advertiser pays each time someone clicks its ad in Google's search results, whether or not that person buys. For a security company, it decides how many potential customers a monthly budget can reach. The gap between those two searches is the whole story of home security advertising: device shoppers are cheap, system buyers are expensive.
On average, home security clicks are affordable. A click on a home security Google Ads keyword costs $4.60, 58% less than the $10.82 average across 18,477 keywords in 23 industries, and half cost $2.06 or less. The searches for a company or an installed alarm system cost up to $45.65, 22 times the median.
What we measured
In September 2026 we collected Google Ads Keyword Planner prices for 485 home security keywords with a cost per click above zero, each searched at least 2,900 times a month in the US. For those keywords we calculated the average, median and spread of cost per click, and compared home security with 18,477 keywords across 23 industries. We also collected state-level prices for the 25 largest US states, and Microsoft Ads prices for the 346 keywords priced on both platforms.
Cost per click is Google's estimate of the average price an advertiser pays for one click on an ad shown for that search. The median is the middle keyword: half cost less, half cost more. The volume-weighted average counts each keyword by how often it is searched. Buying searches are keywords that show the searcher wants to buy or hire, such as a company or a system; research searches look for information. Each state is compared with the national price of the keywords priced in that state.
Company and system searches cost many times the median
The most expensive home security keywords all come from people choosing a provider or a full system: "home security company" at $45.65, "security home alarm system" at $43.52, "security cameras for business" at $43.25, "home alarm systems" at $36.86 and "alarm system" at $36.80. Keywords that signal buying intent average $9.71 a click, more than four times the $2.32 for research searches.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 485 home security keywords · Google Ads Keyword Planner, September 2026
| Keyword | CPC | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|
| home security company | $45.65 | 3,600 |
| security home alarm system | $43.52 | 110,000 |
| security cameras for business | $43.25 | 2,900 |
| home alarm systems | $36.86 | 8,100 |
| alarm system | $36.80 | 12,100 |
| home security companies | $36.04 | 6,600 |
| alarm companies | $33.01 | 4,400 |
| fire alarm monitoring | $32.11 | 2,900 |
| vivint alarm system | $27.51 | 2,900 |
| vivint home security system | $26.73 | 3,600 |
| best home security system | $25.54 | 33,100 |
| apartment security system | $25.29 | 2,900 |
These searches are expensive because of what follows them. A monitored alarm system usually comes with a monthly contract, so one new customer is worth years of payments to a security company, and companies bid accordingly. A shopper comparing doorbell cameras buys a device once, and the retailers bidding on those searches earn far less per sale.
Most home security clicks are cheap
Home security ranks 19th of 23 industries by average cost per click. The middle half of home security keywords cost between $1.08 and $4.45 a click, and the most common price band is $2 to $5, which holds 138 keywords. 11.5% of home security keywords cost $10 or more, and the most expensive 10% start at $11.95.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 485 home security keywords · Google Ads Keyword Planner, September 2026
| CPC range | Keywords | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $1 | 106 | 22% |
| $1 to $2 | 130 | 27% |
| $2 to $5 | 138 | 28% |
| $5 to $10 | 55 | 11% |
| $10 to $20 | 33 | 6.8% |
| $20 to $50 | 23 | 4.7% |
Weighted by how often each keyword is searched, the average rises to $5.95, because some very busy searches, such as "security home alarm system" at 110,000 searches a month, sit near the top of the price list. The single most searched keyword, "ring camera", is searched 368,000 times a month and costs $2.08. Demand peaked in October 2025 and was lowest in April 2026, with 1.22 times as many searches in the peak month.
Colorado pays 22% more than the national price
Among the 25 largest states, Colorado is the most expensive for home security clicks, 22% above the national price of the same keywords, followed by Indiana (15% above) and Georgia (14% above). California and New York are the cheapest at 10% below, with Wisconsin at 9% below.
| State | vs national price |
|---|---|
| Colorado | +22% |
| Indiana | +15% |
| Georgia | +14% |
| Wisconsin | -9% |
| New York | -10% |
| California | -10% |
Microsoft Ads charges 44% less for the same searches
For the 346 home security keywords priced on both platforms, a click on Microsoft Ads, which shows ads on Bing search, costs $2.84 on average against $5.12 on Google Ads, 44% less. For the expensive company and system searches, that discount is worth many dollars per visit.
What this means for home security companies
Separate device shoppers from system buyers. Camera searches such as "ring camera" cost about $2 a click and bring people who plan to install a device themselves. Company and system searches cost $25 to $46 and bring people ready to sign up for monitoring. Put them in different campaigns, with different offers and landing pages, and judge the expensive ones on cost per signed contract.
Put your strongest offer, such as free installation or a free quote, on the buying searches, and use cheaper research searches to build remarketing lists. Plan for the autumn peak, expect to pay more in Colorado, and copy your best campaigns to Microsoft Ads, where the same keywords cost 44% less.
A google ads agency that splits buying searches from research searches keeps the $45 clicks for the customers who sign.
Embed this research
Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.
<iframe id="sd-home-security-google-ads-cpc" src="https://www.suffdigital.com/embed/data-studies/home-security-google-ads-cpc" width="100%" height="600" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:12px" loading="lazy" title="Home Security Buyer Searches Cost Up to $45.65 per Google Ads Click vs a $2.06 Median - Suff Digital"></iframe>
<script>window.addEventListener("message",function(e){if(e&&e.data&&e.data.sdEmbed==="home-security-google-ads-cpc"&&e.data.height){var f=document.getElementById("sd-home-security-google-ads-cpc");if(f){f.style.height=e.data.height+"px";}}});</script>
<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/home-security-google-ads-cpc">Home Security Buyer Searches Cost Up to $45.65 per Google Ads Click vs a $2.06 Median - Suff Digital</a></p>
Cite this study
Suff Digital. (2026). Home Security Buyer Searches Cost Up to $45.65 per Google Ads Click vs a $2.06 Median. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/home-security-google-ads-cpc
Home Security Buyer Searches Cost Up to $45.65 per Google Ads Click vs a $2.06 Median - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/home-security-google-ads-cpc
Frequently asked questions
Related studies
- PPCPersonal Injury Lawyers Pay $195.73 per Google Ads Click vs $1.68 for Auto Dealers
- PPCMicrosoft Ads Clicks Are Estimated to Cost 70% Less Than Google Ads on the Same Keywords
- PPCNo Auto Dealer Google Ads Keyword Costs $10 or More per Click
- PPCVA Home Loan Searches Cost $83.63 per Google Ads Click vs $10.58 for the Average Mortgage Keyword