{"id":44616,"date":"2026-06-08T09:39:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T23:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/?page_id=44616"},"modified":"2026-06-08T10:59:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T00:59:46","slug":"melbourne-search","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/melbourne-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne Search Demand"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"44616\" class=\"elementor elementor-44616\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fa0636e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"fa0636e\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e18d4d8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"e18d4d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en-AU\">\n<head>\n  <meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n  <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1\">\n  <meta name=\"description\" content=\"We tracked 80+ Melbourne service keywords for 28 months. After a 2025 surge, Google search demand has nearly halved \u2014 plus what it costs to compete, by industry.\">\n  <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/melbourne-search\/\">\n  <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\">\n  <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_AU\">\n  <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DNHQ\">\n  <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/melbourne-search\/\">\n  <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"After a 2025 surge, Melbourne search demand has nearly halved\">\n  <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"80+ Melbourne service keywords, tracked monthly Jan 2024\u2013Apr 2026. Demand peaked in March 2025, then fell 39% year-on-year. Plus ad-cost benchmarks by industry, and Melbourne vs the national average.\">\n  <meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\">\n  <meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"After a 2025 surge, Melbourne search demand has nearly halved\">\n  <meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Demand for Melbourne local services peaked in March 2025, then fell 39% YoY. Full demand + ad-cost benchmark across 20 industries.\">\n\n  <link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\">\n  <link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\" crossorigin>\n  <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Barlow+Condensed:wght@400;500;600;700;800&family=Inter+Tight:wght@400;500;600;700&display=swap\">\n\n  <style>\n\/* ============================================================\n * MELBOURNE SEARCH DEMAND & AD-COST BENCHMARK, 2026\n * All styles scoped under `.dn-scope`. Self-contained file.\n * Design mirrors the State of AI Search report for consistency:\n * same tokens, typography scales, and TOC pattern.\n * ============================================================ *\/\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Brand tokens \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n:root {\n  --dn-ink: #002A45;\n  --dn-paper: #F7F5F0;\n  --dn-paper-warm: #E5E0D5;\n  --dn-muted: #6B7785;\n  --dn-rule: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.12);\n  --dn-rule-soft: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.06);\n  --dn-blue: #86A4EF;\n  --dn-blue-dark: #6985BA;\n  --dn-yellow: #FDE39C;\n  --dn-yellow-dark: #F5C238;\n  --dn-green: #CDFFB6;\n  --dn-green-dark: #87D259;\n  --dn-red: #F78E8D;\n  --dn-red-text: #D9645F;\n  --dn-display: \"Barlow Condensed\", \"Oswald\", \"Arial Narrow\", sans-serif;\n  --dn-ui: \"Inter Tight\", \"Inter\", system-ui, -apple-system, \"Segoe UI\", sans-serif;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Reset (scoped) \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope, .dn-scope * { box-sizing: border-box; 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padding-right: 32px; }\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Descriptor (eyebrow) \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope p.dn-descriptor,\n.dn-scope .dn-section p.dn-descriptor {\n  display: inline-flex;\n  align-items: center;\n  gap: 8px;\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 11px;\n  font-weight: 700;\n  letter-spacing: 0.18em;\n  text-transform: uppercase;\n  color: var(--dn-ink);\n  margin: 0;\n  line-height: 1.4;\n  max-width: none;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-descriptor .dot { display: none; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Breadcrumb \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb {\n  padding-top: 80px;\n  padding-bottom: 24px;\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 13px;\n  letter-spacing: 0.04em;\n  color: var(--dn-muted);\n  display: flex;\n  align-items: center;\n  gap: 8px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb a {\n  color: var(--dn-muted);\n  text-decoration: none;\n  transition: color 0.15s;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb a:hover { color: var(--dn-ink); }\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb-sep { color: var(--dn-muted); opacity: 0.5; }\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb-current { color: var(--dn-ink); font-weight: 600; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Hero \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-page-hero {\n  padding-top: 32px;\n  padding-bottom: 48px;\n  max-width: 880px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-page-title {\n  font-family: var(--dn-display);\n  font-size: clamp(36px, 5vw, 60px);\n  font-weight: 700;\n  line-height: 1.02;\n  letter-spacing: -0.02em;\n  text-transform: uppercase;\n  color: var(--dn-ink);\n  margin: 20px 0 0;\n  text-wrap: balance;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-page-lede {\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: clamp(17px, 1.6vw, 20px);\n  line-height: 1.5;\n  font-weight: 400;\n  color: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.8);\n  margin: 24px 0 0;\n  max-width: 720px;\n  text-wrap: balance;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Body layout, TOC sidebar + content \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-body-grid {\n  display: grid;\n  gap: 32px;\n  grid-template-columns: 1fr;\n  padding-bottom: 64px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-body-grid > * { min-width: 0; }\n@media (min-width: 1024px) {\n  .dn-scope .dn-body-grid {\n    grid-template-columns: 220px 1fr;\n    gap: 48px;\n  }\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 TOC sidebar \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-toc { display: none; }\n@media (min-width: 1024px) {\n  .dn-scope .dn-toc {\n    display: block;\n    position: sticky;\n    top: 24px;\n    align-self: start;\n    max-height: calc(100vh - 48px);\n    overflow-y: auto;\n    padding-right: 8px;\n    padding-top: 100px;\n  }\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-label {\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 12px;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  letter-spacing: 0.22em;\n  text-transform: uppercase;\n  color: var(--dn-muted);\n  margin: 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-list {\n  margin-top: 16px;\n  display: flex;\n  flex-direction: column;\n  gap: 4px;\n  border-left: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n  padding-left: 14px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item {\n  display: flex;\n  align-items: baseline;\n  gap: 8px;\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 14px;\n  line-height: 1.35;\n  color: var(--dn-muted);\n  font-weight: 500;\n  text-decoration: none;\n  padding: 8px 0;\n  transition: color 0.15s, opacity 0.15s;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item-n {\n  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  font-size: 11px;\n  color: var(--dn-muted);\n  letter-spacing: 0.04em;\n  flex-shrink: 0;\n  width: 18px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item:hover { color: var(--dn-ink); }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item.active,\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item.active .dn-toc-item-n {\n  color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n  font-weight: 700;\n}\n\n\/* TOC mobile button + overlay *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-mobile-btn {\n  display: flex;\n  align-items: center;\n  justify-content: space-between;\n  width: 100%;\n  padding: 14px 18px;\n  background: #FFFFFF;\n  border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n  border-radius: 12px;\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 14px;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  color: var(--dn-ink);\n  cursor: pointer;\n  margin-bottom: 24px;\n}\n@media (min-width: 1024px) { .dn-scope .dn-toc-mobile-btn { display: none; } }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-mobile-btn:hover { background: var(--dn-paper); }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay {\n  display: none;\n  position: fixed;\n  inset: 0;\n  z-index: 999;\n  background: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.94);\n  padding: 24px 20px;\n  overflow-y: auto;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay[data-open] { display: block; }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay-close {\n  background: transparent;\n  border: 1px solid rgba(247,245,240,0.4);\n  color: var(--dn-paper);\n  padding: 8px 14px;\n  border-radius: 999px;\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 13px;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  cursor: pointer;\n  margin-bottom: 24px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay a {\n  display: flex;\n  align-items: baseline;\n  gap: 10px;\n  padding: 12px 0;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(247,245,240,0.12);\n  color: var(--dn-paper);\n  text-decoration: none;\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 15px;\n  font-weight: 500;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay a .dn-toc-item-n { color: rgba(247,245,240,0.5); }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Main content column \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-content { max-width: 760px; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Generic section \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-section {\n  padding-top: 56px;\n  padding-bottom: 16px;\n  scroll-margin-top: 24px;\n  border-top: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section:first-of-type { border-top: none; padding-top: 8px; }\n@media (min-width: 1024px) {\n  .dn-scope .dn-section:first-of-type { padding-top: 80px; }\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section-h {\n  font-family: var(--dn-display);\n  font-size: clamp(26px, 3.2vw, 38px);\n  font-weight: 700;\n  line-height: 1.05;\n  letter-spacing: -0.015em;\n  text-transform: uppercase;\n  color: var(--dn-ink);\n  margin: 14px 0 24px;\n  text-wrap: balance;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section p {\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: 16px;\n  line-height: 1.65;\n  color: var(--dn-ink);\n  margin: 16px 0 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section p strong { color: var(--dn-ink); 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}\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card::before {\n  content: \"\";\n  position: absolute;\n  inset: 0;\n  background: radial-gradient(circle at 100% 0%, rgba(245,194,56,0.10), transparent 55%);\n  pointer-events: none;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card-main {\n  display: flex;\n  flex-direction: column;\n  align-items: flex-start;\n  gap: 4px;\n  position: relative;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section p.dn-stat-card-value,\n.dn-scope p.dn-stat-card-value {\n  font-family: var(--dn-display);\n  font-size: clamp(88px, 14vw, 156px);\n  font-weight: 800;\n  line-height: 0.9;\n  letter-spacing: -0.04em;\n  color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n  margin: 0;\n  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n  text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.02);\n  max-width: none;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section p.dn-stat-card-label,\n.dn-scope p.dn-stat-card-label {\n  font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n  font-size: clamp(15px, 1.4vw, 18px);\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.35;\n  color: var(--dn-ink);\n  margin: 12px 0 0;\n  max-width: 34ch;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card-meta {\n  margin-top: 32px;\n  padding-top: 24px;\n  border-top: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n  display: grid;\n  grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));\n  gap: 18px 24px;\n  position: relative;\n}\n@media (min-width: 640px) {\n  .dn-scope .dn-stat-card-meta { grid-template-columns: repeat(4, minmax(0, 1fr)); 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padding: 32px 0; margin-top: 48px; }\n.dn-scope .dn-footer p { font-family: var(--dn-ui); font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.55; color: var(--dn-muted); margin: 0; max-width: 880px; }\n.dn-scope .dn-footer a { color: var(--dn-muted); text-decoration: underline; }\n\n<\/style>\n\n  <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Dataset\",\n      \"name\": \"Melbourne Search Demand Report (2026) | DNHQ Research\",\n      \"description\": \"We tracked 80+ Melbourne service keywords for 28 months. 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A year on, it has nearly halved. We tracked\n      more than 80 Melbourne service keywords across 20 industries, month\n      by month, from January 2024 to April 2026. This is what happened to\n      demand, what it now costs to compete for it, and why the timing\n      lines up so neatly with the arrival of AI search.\n    <\/p>\n  <\/header>\n\n  <div class=\"container dn-body-grid\">\n\n    <nav class=\"dn-toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\">\n      <p class=\"dn-toc-label\">On this page<\/p>\n      <ol class=\"dn-toc-list\">\n        <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#headline\" data-toc=\"headline\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">01<\/span>The headline number<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#curve\" data-toc=\"curve\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">02<\/span>The demand curve<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#demand\" data-toc=\"demand\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">03<\/span>What Melbourne searches for<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#cost\" data-toc=\"cost\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">04<\/span>The cost to compete<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#national\" data-toc=\"national\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">05<\/span>Melbourne vs the nation<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#actions\" data-toc=\"actions\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">06<\/span>What to do about it<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#cta\" data-toc=\"cta\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">07<\/span>Methodology &amp; more<\/a><\/li>\n      <\/ol>\n    <\/nav>\n\n    <div>\n      <button type=\"button\" class=\"dn-toc-mobile-btn\" id=\"toc-mobile-btn\">\n        <span>Jump to section<\/span>\n        <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u25be<\/span>\n      <\/button>\n\n      <div class=\"dn-content\">\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 1: Headline \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n        <section id=\"headline\" class=\"dn-section\">\n          <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>01 \u00b7 The headline number<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Melbourne search demand fell 39% in a year<\/h2>\n\n          <div class=\"dn-stat-card\">\n            <div class=\"dn-stat-card-main\">\n              <p class=\"dn-stat-card-value\">\u221239%<\/p>\n              <p class=\"dn-stat-card-label\">drop in Melbourne local-service search demand, Jan\u2013Apr 2026 vs the same window in 2025<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-stat-card-meta\">\n              <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Year before (24\u219225)<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">+31%<\/span><\/div>\n              <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Net vs 2024<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">\u221220%<\/span><\/div>\n              <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Industries tracked<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">20<\/span><\/div>\n              <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Months of data<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">28<\/span><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n\n          <p>\n            We pulled monthly Google search volume for 80-plus Melbourne\n            service keywords, \"plumber melbourne\", \"mortgage broker\n            melbourne\", \"seo agency melbourne\" and the like, across 20\n            industries, from January 2024 through April 2026. Then we\n            compared like-for-like windows: January\u2013April 2026 against\n            January\u2013April 2025.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>Demand fell 39% year-on-year.<\/strong> And that drop\n            is sharper than it looks, because it followed a boom: the\n            same basket of searches had <em>grown 31%<\/em> from 2024 to\n            2025 first. So Melbourne ran up to a demand peak in early\n            2025, then gave it all back and more. By April 2026, demand\n            sat about 20% below where it started in early 2024, and\n            roughly half its 2025 peak.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>The timing is the interesting part.<\/strong> That\n            inflection, peak in early 2025, steady decline through 2026,\n            tracks almost exactly with the rollout of Google's AI\n            Overviews across Australia. Our companion study found AI\n            Overviews now appear on 37% of Melbourne search results. We\n            can't prove causation from volume data alone, and some of the\n            fall is likely a normalisation after an unusually high 2025\n            plus the periodic revisions Google makes to its volume\n            figures. But the most plausible single driver is the one\n            reshaping every results page in the country: AI answers are\n            absorbing searches that used to be typed, repeated, and\n            clicked.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 2: The curve \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n        <section id=\"curve\" class=\"dn-section\">\n          <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>02 \u00b7 The demand curve<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">The boom, the peak, and the slide<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            Here is total monthly search volume across all 20 tracked\n            industries, every month from January 2024 to April 2026. The\n            shape tells the whole story: a climb through 2024, a spike to\n            a <strong>March 2025 peak of about 161,000 searches<\/strong>,\n            then a sustained decline to roughly 79,000 by April 2026.\n          <\/p>\n\n          <div class=\"dn-trend\">\n            <svg viewBox=\"0 0 760 300\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Total monthly Melbourne local-service search volume, January 2024 to April 2026. Climbs to a peak of about 161,000 in March 2025, then declines to about 79,000 by April 2026.\">\n              <!-- gridlines -->\n              <line x1=\"44\" y1=\"250\" x2=\"744\" y2=\"250\" stroke=\"rgba(0,42,69,0.18)\" stroke-width=\"1\"\/>\n              <line x1=\"44\" y1=\"181.8\" x2=\"744\" y2=\"181.8\" stroke=\"rgba(0,42,69,0.07)\" stroke-width=\"1\"\/>\n              <line x1=\"44\" y1=\"113.7\" x2=\"744\" y2=\"113.7\" stroke=\"rgba(0,42,69,0.07)\" stroke-width=\"1\"\/>\n              <line x1=\"44\" y1=\"45.5\" x2=\"744\" y2=\"45.5\" stroke=\"rgba(0,42,69,0.07)\" stroke-width=\"1\"\/>\n              <!-- y-axis labels -->\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"38\" y=\"253\" text-anchor=\"end\">0<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"38\" y=\"185\" text-anchor=\"end\">50k<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"38\" y=\"117\" text-anchor=\"end\">100k<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"38\" y=\"49\" text-anchor=\"end\">150k<\/text>\n              <!-- area + line -->\n              <path d=\"M44.0 103.2 L69.9 108.7 L95.9 109.7 L121.8 104.8 L147.7 99.4 L173.6 106.5 L199.6 94.5 L225.5 112.0 L251.4 113.3 L277.3 101.4 L303.3 122.7 L329.2 135.8 L355.1 91.3 L381.0 72.1 L407.0 30.0 L432.9 55.2 L458.8 59.3 L484.7 109.4 L510.7 121.6 L536.6 118.2 L562.5 33.5 L588.4 131.0 L614.4 163.0 L640.3 173.5 L666.2 145.0 L692.1 140.7 L718.1 115.3 L744.0 142.6 L744.0 250 L44.0 250 Z\" fill=\"#86A4EF\" fill-opacity=\"0.18\"\/>\n              <path d=\"M44.0 103.2 L69.9 108.7 L95.9 109.7 L121.8 104.8 L147.7 99.4 L173.6 106.5 L199.6 94.5 L225.5 112.0 L251.4 113.3 L277.3 101.4 L303.3 122.7 L329.2 135.8 L355.1 91.3 L381.0 72.1 L407.0 30.0 L432.9 55.2 L458.8 59.3 L484.7 109.4 L510.7 121.6 L536.6 118.2 L562.5 33.5 L588.4 131.0 L614.4 163.0 L640.3 173.5 L666.2 145.0 L692.1 140.7 L718.1 115.3 L744.0 142.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#6985BA\" stroke-width=\"2.5\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/>\n              <!-- peak marker -->\n              <circle cx=\"407\" cy=\"30\" r=\"4\" fill=\"#F5C238\" stroke=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"\/>\n              <text class=\"ann\" x=\"407\" y=\"20\" text-anchor=\"middle\">Peak \u00b7 Mar &#8217;25 \u00b7 161k<\/text>\n              <!-- latest marker -->\n              <circle cx=\"744\" cy=\"142.6\" r=\"4\" fill=\"#6985BA\" stroke=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"\/>\n              <text class=\"ann\" x=\"744\" y=\"134\" text-anchor=\"end\">Apr &#8217;26 \u00b7 79k<\/text>\n              <!-- x-axis labels -->\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"44\" y=\"270\" text-anchor=\"start\">Jan &#8217;24<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"355\" y=\"270\" text-anchor=\"middle\">Jan &#8217;25<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"666\" y=\"270\" text-anchor=\"middle\">Jan &#8217;26<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"744\" y=\"270\" text-anchor=\"end\">Apr &#8217;26<\/text>\n            <\/svg>\n            <p class=\"dn-trend-cap\">\n              Total monthly search volume, 20 Melbourne industries (80+ keywords). Source: Google Keyword Planner via DataForSEO. Peak March 2025 \u2248 161,000\/mo; April 2026 \u2248 79,000\/mo (\u221251% from peak).\n            <\/p>\n          <\/div>\n\n          <p>\n            <strong>This is not a quiet seasonal dip.<\/strong> Fifteen of\n            the 20 industries we tracked recorded a demand spike during\n            2025, and then declined into 2026. The peak months cluster\n            around March, May and September 2025, after which almost\n            every category turns down together. A synchronised,\n            cross-industry fall like this points to something happening\n            at the level of the search engine itself, not 20 separate\n            local markets all cooling at once by coincidence.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 3: What Melbourne searches for \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n        <section id=\"demand\" class=\"dn-section\">\n          <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>03 \u00b7 What Melbourne searches for<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">The demand league table<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            Here is the demand behind those percentages, written out in\n            full: average monthly searches in the January\u2013April window of\n            each year, for 2024, 2025 and 2026, with the year-on-year\n            change at each step. Read a row left to right and you can watch\n            it happen, almost every category climbs into 2025, then falls\n            back in 2026. Cleaning and pest control lead by volume, with\n            web design, mortgage broking and the trades close behind; the\n            marketing and professional categories are smaller, but, as the\n            next sections show, far more expensive to compete in.\n          <\/p>\n\n          <div class=\"dn-domain-table scrollx\">\n            <table>\n              <thead>\n                <tr class=\"grp-row\">\n                  <th><\/th>\n                  <th colspan=\"3\">Avg monthly searches<\/th>\n                  <th colspan=\"2\">Year-on-year change<\/th>\n                <\/tr>\n                <tr class=\"hdr-row\">\n                  <th>Industry<\/th>\n                  <th class=\"num\">2024<\/th>\n                  <th class=\"num\">2025<\/th>\n                  <th class=\"num\">2026<\/th>\n                  <th class=\"num\">2024 &#8594; 2025<\/th>\n                  <th class=\"num\">2025 &#8594; 2026<\/th>\n                <\/tr>\n              <\/thead>\n              <tbody>\n                <tr><td>Cleaning Services<\/td><td class=\"num\">17,200<\/td><td class=\"num\">24,725<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">14,125<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+44%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221243%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Pest Control<\/td><td class=\"num\">15,583<\/td><td class=\"num\">15,853<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">9,250<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+2%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221242%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Web Design<\/td><td class=\"num\">5,888<\/td><td class=\"num\">8,293<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">7,818<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+41%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u22126%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mortgage Brokers<\/td><td class=\"num\">12,660<\/td><td class=\"num\">20,100<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">7,663<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+59%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221262%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Plumbers<\/td><td class=\"num\">8,583<\/td><td class=\"num\">10,488<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">7,131<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+22%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221232%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Real Estate<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,550<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,800<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">4,900<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+6%<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+2%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Lawyers<\/td><td class=\"num\">6,775<\/td><td class=\"num\">10,170<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">4,808<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+50%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221253%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Painters<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,403<\/td><td class=\"num\">6,286<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">4,426<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+43%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221230%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Pilates<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,123<\/td><td class=\"num\">5,318<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">3,421<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+29%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221236%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Accountants<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,618<\/td><td class=\"num\">5,754<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">3,401<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+25%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221241%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Electricians<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,981<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,698<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">2,814<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+58%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221240%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>SEO Agency<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,698<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,948<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">2,625<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+83%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221247%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Vets<\/td><td class=\"num\">5,573<\/td><td class=\"num\">3,286<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">2,216<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221241%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221233%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Buyers Agents<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,675<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,275<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">2,200<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+36%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u22123%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mechanics<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,914<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,279<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,779<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+19%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221222%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Yoga<\/td><td class=\"num\">3,006<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,511<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,595<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221217%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221237%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Digital Marketing<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,525<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,400<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,395<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+57%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221242%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Air Conditioning<\/td><td class=\"num\">758<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,000<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,200<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+164%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221240%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Google Ads<\/td><td class=\"num\">458<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,239<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">713<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+171%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221243%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Paid Marketing<\/td><td class=\"num\">249<\/td><td class=\"num\">406<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">241<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+63%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221241%<\/td><\/tr>\n              <\/tbody>\n            <\/table>\n          <\/div>\n          <p class=\"dn-cap\">Average monthly searches in the January\u2013April window of each year, Melbourne-qualified keywords. Source: Google Keyword Planner via DataForSEO.<\/p>\n\n          <p>\n            <strong>A few categories held the line.<\/strong> Real estate\n            (+2% in 2026) and buyers' agents (\u22123%) barely moved, and web\n            design (\u22126%) was close behind, the property and web-build\n            categories proved the most resilient to whatever pulled the\n            rest down. At the other extreme, mortgage broking (\u221262%) and\n            law (\u221253%) more than halved, both high-consideration\n            categories where an AI Overview can plausibly answer the\n            opening research question (\"how much can I borrow\", \"do I\n            need a will\") before anyone clicks.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>The biggest 2025 booms became the biggest 2026\n            busts.<\/strong> Air conditioning (+164% then \u221240%), Google\n            Ads (+171% then \u221243%) and SEO (+83% then \u221247%) all spiked\n            hard and fell hard. Treat any single year's volume as a\n            moment in a cycle, not a baseline, the planning lesson at the\n            end of this report.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 4: Cost to compete \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n        <section id=\"cost\" class=\"dn-section\">\n          <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>04 \u00b7 The cost to compete<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">What a Melbourne click costs<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            Demand is only half the picture, the other half is what it\n            costs to capture it. Here is the average cost-per-click\n            (top-of-page, AUD) for each industry's Melbourne keywords.\n            The marketing-services categories (highlighted) are the most\n            expensive clicks in the city by a wide margin.\n          <\/p>\n\n          <div class=\"dn-pagetype-block\">\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Paid Marketing<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:100%;background:#F5C238\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$98<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">SEO Agency<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:48.1%;background:#F5C238\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$47<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Digital Marketing<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:47.0%;background:#F5C238\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$46<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Plumbers<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:45.4%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$45<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Lawyers<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:35.1%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$34<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Buyers Agents<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:31.3%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$31<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Air Conditioning<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:30.3%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$30<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Electricians<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:30.1%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$30<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Mortgage Brokers<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:29.1%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$29<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Google Ads<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:23.9%;background:#F5C238\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$23<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Painters<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:23.1%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$23<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Web Design<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:22.5%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$22<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Pest Control<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:21.3%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$21<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Real Estate<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:15.9%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$16<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Accountants<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:15.8%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$15<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Cleaning<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:13.4%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$13<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Mechanics<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:9.2%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$9<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Vets<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:5.3%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$5<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Pilates<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:4.1%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$4<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Yoga<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:3.6%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$4<\/span><\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"dn-chart-legend\">\n              <span class=\"dn-chart-legend-item\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#F5C238\"><\/span>Marketing services<\/span>\n              <span class=\"dn-chart-legend-item\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#6985BA\"><\/span>$25+ per click<\/span>\n              <span class=\"dn-chart-legend-item\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#86A4EF\"><\/span>$15\u201325<\/span>\n              <span class=\"dn-chart-legend-item\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span>Under $15<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n\n          <p>\n            <strong>\"Paid Marketing\" clicks cost $98 each, the priciest\n            in Melbourne<\/strong>, followed by SEO ($47) and digital\n            marketing ($46). Agencies bidding on their own category face\n            the most expensive auctions in the city, which is exactly why\n            organic and AI-citation visibility matters so much for\n            marketing firms: every click you don't have to buy at $50\u201398\n            is margin. At the other end, fitness and wellness (Pilates\n            $4, yoga $4) and pet care (vets $5) are cheap to advertise,\n            their challenge is demand and differentiation, not click cost.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 5: Melbourne vs national \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n        <section id=\"national\" class=\"dn-section\">\n          <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>05 \u00b7 Melbourne vs the nation<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Where Melbourne is dearer, and where it's a bargain<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            Is Melbourne an expensive place to advertise? It depends\n            entirely on the category. We compared each industry's\n            Melbourne cost-per-click to the national average. Fourteen of\n            the 20 cost <em>more<\/em> in Melbourne; six cost\n            <em>less<\/em>. Green means Melbourne is cheaper than the\n            national average, a relative bargain.\n          <\/p>\n\n          <div class=\"dn-domain-table\">\n            <table>\n              <thead>\n                <tr><th>Industry<\/th><th class=\"num\">Melbourne<\/th><th class=\"num\">National<\/th><th class=\"num\">\u0394<\/th><\/tr>\n              <\/thead>\n              <tbody>\n                <tr><td>Paid Marketing<\/td><td class=\"num\">$98.14<\/td><td class=\"num\">$25.84<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+280%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mechanics<\/td><td class=\"num\">$9.04<\/td><td class=\"num\">$4.02<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+125%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Accountants<\/td><td class=\"num\">$15.46<\/td><td class=\"num\">$10.17<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+52%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Vets<\/td><td class=\"num\">$5.23<\/td><td class=\"num\">$3.55<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+47%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mortgage Brokers<\/td><td class=\"num\">$28.60<\/td><td class=\"num\">$20.35<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+41%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Yoga<\/td><td class=\"num\">$3.54<\/td><td class=\"num\">$2.59<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+37%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Pilates<\/td><td class=\"num\">$4.06<\/td><td class=\"num\">$3.07<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+32%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Cleaning Services<\/td><td class=\"num\">$13.15<\/td><td class=\"num\">$10.99<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+20%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Painters<\/td><td class=\"num\">$22.63<\/td><td class=\"num\">$19.00<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+19%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Lawyers<\/td><td class=\"num\">$34.45<\/td><td class=\"num\">$29.01<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+19%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Buyers Agents<\/td><td class=\"num\">$30.74<\/td><td class=\"num\">$26.11<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+18%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Digital Marketing<\/td><td class=\"num\">$46.17<\/td><td class=\"num\">$39.32<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+17%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Pest Control<\/td><td class=\"num\">$20.90<\/td><td class=\"num\">$18.23<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+15%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Air Conditioning<\/td><td class=\"num\">$29.71<\/td><td class=\"num\">$28.62<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+4%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Plumbers<\/td><td class=\"num\">$44.59<\/td><td class=\"num\">$46.22<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u22124%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Web Design<\/td><td class=\"num\">$22.13<\/td><td class=\"num\">$23.12<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u22124%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Electricians<\/td><td class=\"num\">$29.54<\/td><td class=\"num\">$36.49<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221219%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>SEO Agency<\/td><td class=\"num\">$47.23<\/td><td class=\"num\">$75.36<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221237%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Real Estate<\/td><td class=\"num\">$15.59<\/td><td class=\"num\">$27.50<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221243%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Google Ads<\/td><td class=\"num\">$23.44<\/td><td class=\"num\">$85.73<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221273%<\/td><\/tr>\n              <\/tbody>\n            <\/table>\n          <\/div>\n\n          <p>\n            <strong>The standout is \"Paid Marketing\", 280% dearer in\n            Melbourne<\/strong> than nationally ($98 vs $26), a sign of\n            unusually fierce agency-on-agency bidding in the city for a\n            small pool of high-intent searches. Mechanics (+125%) and\n            accountants (+52%) also run well above the national rate.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>But Melbourne is a genuine bargain in several big\n            categories.<\/strong> Google Ads management clicks cost 73%\n            <em>less<\/em> than the national average, real estate 43%\n            less, and SEO 37% less. For a Melbourne business in those\n            categories, paid search is meaningfully cheaper here than the\n            country-wide benchmark would suggest, worth knowing before\n            you set a bid cap off a national figure.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 6: Actions \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n        <section id=\"actions\" class=\"dn-section\">\n          <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>06 \u00b7 What to do about it<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Five takeaways for Melbourne businesses<\/h2>\n\n          <ol class=\"dn-actions\">\n            <li>\n              <strong>Stop treating search volume as a fixed baseline.<\/strong>\n              The same keywords grew 31% then fell 39% in two years. If\n              you sized your SEO or content investment off a 2025 volume\n              number, you over-bought; if you size it off an April 2026\n              number, you may under-buy when demand cycles back. Plan\n              against a multi-year trend, not a single snapshot, and\n              re-pull your category's volumes at least twice a year.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n              <strong>Assume AI is eating the top of your funnel, and\n              measure it.<\/strong> The synchronised decline across 20\n              industries, alongside AI Overviews now on 37% of Melbourne\n              results, means fewer informational searches are reaching\n              your site. Shift the goal from \"rank #1\" to \"be the source\n              the AI cites\", and start tracking AI-answer visibility, not\n              just classic rankings, so you can see what's really\n              happening above the fold.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n              <strong>Defend the resilient queries, they're where the\n              clicks still live.<\/strong> Property (real estate +2%,\n              buyers' agents \u22123%) and web design (\u22126%) barely declined.\n              These are transactional, provider-choice searches AI is\n              least able to answer. Whatever your category, identify the\n              equivalent \"ready to act\" and location-qualified terms and\n              concentrate your effort there, rather than on the explainer\n              content AI is absorbing.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n              <strong>Price your paid search against Melbourne, not the\n              nation.<\/strong> Costs swing wildly by category, Google Ads\n              and SEO clicks are far cheaper here than the national\n              average, while paid-marketing, mechanic and accounting\n              clicks are far dearer. Set bid caps and channel budgets off\n              the Melbourne figures in this report, not a generic\n              benchmark, or you'll mis-price both ends. It is how our team runs <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/google-ads-melbourne\/\">Melbourne Google Ads<\/a> for clients.<\/li>\n            <li>\n              <strong>If you sell marketing services, win organically, the\n              auction is brutal.<\/strong> Marketing clicks are the most\n              expensive in the city ($46\u201398). For an agency, every lead\n              earned through organic search, AI citations, content and\n              referrals is worth multiples of a bought one. Falling demand\n              plus rising click costs make owned visibility the highest-\n              ROI channel you have. It is the focus of our <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/seo-melbourne\/\">Melbourne SEO<\/a> work.<\/li>\n          <\/ol>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 CTA \/ methodology \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n        <section id=\"cta\" class=\"dn-page-cta\">\n          <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>Methodology &amp; more<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">How we built this, and where to go next<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            <strong>Method:<\/strong> monthly Google search volume and\n            top-of-page cost-per-click for 80-plus Melbourne-qualified\n            keywords across 20 industries, January 2024 to April 2026,\n            via Google Keyword Planner data (DataForSEO). Year-on-year\n            figures compare matched January\u2013April windows. Dentistry was\n            tracked but excluded, the data source returned no volume for\n            its Melbourne terms, a gap rather than a finding. Some\n            close keyword variants share a reported volume, so absolute\n            totals are indicative; the trends and comparisons are robust.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            This demand benchmark is the companion to our\n            <em>State of AI Search<\/em> work, the same Melbourne, viewed\n            through what people search for and what it costs, rather than\n            what the results page now looks like. Read the full AI search\n            study, or get a free 10-keyword AIO audit on your own\n            Melbourne terms.\n          <\/p>\n          <div class=\"dn-page-cta-buttons\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/state-of-ai-search\/\" class=\"dn-cta-btn dn-cta-btn--primary\">\n              Read the AI search study <span class=\"dn-arrow-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n            <\/a>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/aio-audit\/\" class=\"dn-cta-btn dn-cta-btn--outline\">\n              Get a free AIO audit <span class=\"dn-arrow-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n          <div class=\"dn-related-research\" style=\"margin-top:30px;padding-top:22px;border-top:1px solid #e5e7eb;font-size:15px;line-height:1.75;\">\n            <p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;\">Compare other markets<\/p>\n            <p style=\"margin:0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/australian-search\/\">National roll-up<\/a> &middot; <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/sydney-search\/\">Sydney<\/a> &middot; <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/brisbane-search\/\">Brisbane<\/a> &middot; <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/perth-search\/\">Perth<\/a> &middot; <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/adelaide-search\/\">Adelaide<\/a> &middot; <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/sunshine-coast-search\/\">Sunshine Coast<\/a><\/p>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/section>\n\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"dn-toc-overlay\" id=\"toc-overlay\" role=\"dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\">\n    <button type=\"button\" class=\"dn-toc-overlay-close\" id=\"toc-overlay-close\">Close \u2715<\/button>\n    <a href=\"#headline\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">01<\/span>The headline number<\/a>\n    <a href=\"#curve\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">02<\/span>The demand curve<\/a>\n    <a href=\"#demand\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">03<\/span>What Melbourne searches for<\/a>\n    <a href=\"#cost\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">04<\/span>The cost to compete<\/a>\n    <a href=\"#national\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">05<\/span>Melbourne vs the nation<\/a>\n    <a href=\"#actions\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">06<\/span>What to do about it<\/a>\n    <a href=\"#cta\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">07<\/span>Methodology &amp; more<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <footer class=\"dn-footer\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n      <p>\n        \u00a9 2026 DNHQ. All rights reserved.\n        <em>The State of AI Search for Australian SMEs, 2026<\/em>\n        and its underlying datasets are the proprietary intellectual property\n        of DNHQ Pty Ltd. Search-volume and cost data sourced from Google\n        Keyword Planner via DataForSEO. Brief quotation permitted with\n        attribution; reproduction or redistribution without prior written\n        consent prohibited. Press &amp; licensing:\n        <a href=\"mailto:research@dnhq.com.au\">research@dnhq.com.au<\/a>.\n      <\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/footer>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<script>\n(function(){\n  var btn = document.getElementById('toc-mobile-btn');\n  var overlay = document.getElementById('toc-overlay');\n  var close = document.getElementById('toc-overlay-close');\n  if (btn && overlay) {\n    btn.addEventListener('click', function(){ overlay.setAttribute('data-open',''); document.body.style.overflow = 'hidden'; });\n  }\n  if (close && overlay) {\n    close.addEventListener('click', function(){ overlay.removeAttribute('data-open'); document.body.style.overflow = ''; });\n  }\n  if (overlay) {\n    overlay.querySelectorAll('a').forEach(function(a){\n      a.addEventListener('click', function(){ overlay.removeAttribute('data-open'); document.body.style.overflow = ''; });\n    });\n  }\n  var sections = document.querySelectorAll('section[id]');\n  if (sections.length && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) {\n    var obs = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries){\n      var visible = entries.filter(function(e){ return e.isIntersecting; });\n      if (!visible.length) return;\n      visible.sort(function(a,b){ return a.boundingClientRect.top - b.boundingClientRect.top; });\n      var id = visible[0].target.getAttribute('id');\n      document.querySelectorAll('.dn-toc-item.active').forEach(function(el){ el.classList.remove('active'); });\n      var link = document.querySelector('[data-toc=\"' + id + '\"]');\n      if (link) link.classList.add('active');\n    }, { rootMargin: '-20% 0px -60% 0px', threshold: 0 });\n    sections.forEach(function(s){ obs.observe(s); });\n  }\n})();\n<\/script>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DNHQ Research \u203a Melbourne Search Demand DNHQ Research \u00b7 Melbourne demand benchmark \u00b7 May 2026 After a 2025 surge, Melbourne search demand has nearly halved In early 2025, Google search demand for Melbourne&#8217;s local services hit an all-time high. A year on, it has nearly halved. We tracked more than 80 Melbourne service keywords across [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44614,"parent":44537,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-44616","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44616"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44675,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44616\/revisions\/44675"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}