{"id":44660,"date":"2026-06-08T10:42:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T00:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/?page_id=44660"},"modified":"2026-06-08T11:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T01:00:10","slug":"sunshine-coast-search","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/sunshine-coast-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunshine Coast Search Demand"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"44660\" class=\"elementor elementor-44660\" 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+ Sunshine Coast service keywords for 28 months. Demand held flat through 2025, then fell 44% in 2026 \u2014 plus what it costs to compete, by industry.\">\n  <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/sunshine-coast-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\/sunshine-coast-search\/\">\n  <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"After a flat year, Sunshine Coast search demand fell off a cliff\">\n  <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"80+ Sunshine Coast keywords, tracked monthly Jan 2024\u2013Apr 2026. Demand was flat to 2025, then fell 44% \u2014 and the region's property-search boom has unwound. Plus ad-cost benchmarks by industry.\">\n  <meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\">\n  <meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"After a flat year, Sunshine Coast search demand fell off a cliff\">\n  <meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Sunshine Coast local-service search demand fell 44% in 2026 after a flat year. Full demand + ad-cost benchmark across 21 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 * SUNSHINE COAST 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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}\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); 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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\": \"Sunshine Coast Search Demand Report (2026) | DNHQ Research\",\n      \"description\": \"We tracked 80+ Sunshine Coast service keywords for 28 months. Demand held flat through 2025, then fell 44% in 2026 \\u2014 plus what it costs to compete, by industry.\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/sunshine-coast-search\/\",\n      \"creator\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Digital Nomads HQ\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/\"\n      },\n      \"temporalCoverage\": \"2024-01\/2026-04\",\n      \"measurementTechnique\": \"Google Keyword Planner search volume and top-of-page CPC via DataForSEO\",\n      \"variableMeasured\": [\n        \"Monthly local-service search volume\",\n        \"Top-of-page cost-per-click (AUD)\"\n      ],\n      \"isAccessibleForFree\": true\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Article\",\n      \"headline\": \"After a flat year, Sunshine Coast search demand fell off a cliff\",\n      \"description\": \"We tracked 80+ Sunshine Coast service keywords for 28 months. Demand held flat through 2025, then fell 44% in 2026 \\u2014 plus what it costs to compete, by industry.\",\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/sunshine-coast-search\/\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Digital Nomads HQ\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/\"\n      },\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Digital Nomads HQ\"\n      },\n      \"datePublished\": \"2026-05-01\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n      \"itemListElement\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 1,\n          \"name\": \"DNHQ Research\",\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 2,\n          \"name\": \"Sunshine Coast\",\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/sunshine-coast-search\/\"\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n  <\/script>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"dn-scope\">\n\n  <nav class=\"container dn-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/research\/\">DNHQ Research<\/a>\n    <span class=\"dn-breadcrumb-sep\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>\n    <span class=\"dn-breadcrumb-current\">Sunshine Coast Search Demand<\/span>\n  <\/nav>\n\n  <header class=\"container dn-page-hero\">\n    <p class=\"dn-descriptor\">\n      <span class=\"dot\"><\/span>\n      DNHQ Research \u00b7 Sunshine Coast demand benchmark \u00b7 May 2026\n    <\/p>\n    <h1 class=\"dn-page-title\">After a flat year, Sunshine Coast search demand fell off a cliff<\/h1>\n    <p class=\"dn-page-lede\">\n      Search demand for the Sunshine Coast's local services barely moved\n      between 2024 and 2025. Then, in 2026, it fell 44%, leaving it well\n      below where it started two years ago. We tracked more than 80\n      Sunshine Coast service keywords across 21 industries, month by\n      month, from January 2024 to April 2026. This is what happened to\n      demand, what it costs to compete for it, and why the timing lines\n      up 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 the Coast 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>The Coast 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\">Sunshine Coast search demand fell 44% 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\">\u221244%<\/p>\n              <p class=\"dn-stat-card-label\">drop in Sunshine Coast 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\">+2%<\/span><\/div>\n              <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Net vs 2024<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">\u221243%<\/span><\/div>\n              <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Industries tracked<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">21<\/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\n            Sunshine Coast service keywords, \"plumber sunshine coast\",\n            \"mortgage broker sunshine coast\", \"dentist sunshine coast\"\n            and the like, across 21 industries, from January 2024 through\n            April 2026. Then we compared like-for-like windows:\n            January\u2013April 2026 against January\u2013April 2025.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>Demand fell 44% year-on-year.<\/strong> Unlike the\n            capital cities, the Coast didn't boom first, demand was\n            essentially flat from 2024 to 2025 (up just 2%), then dropped\n            off a cliff in 2026. By April 2026 the tracked categories\n            were running about 43% below their early-2024 level. It's one\n            of the steepest single-year declines we've measured in any\n            market.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>The timing points in one direction.<\/strong> The\n            break happens in 2026, the same window in which Google's AI\n            Overviews scaled across Australia, and our companion study\n            found AI Overviews now appear on roughly 38% of Sunshine\n            Coast search results. We can't prove causation from volume\n            data alone, and a regional market this size carries more\n            month-to-month noise than a capital. But the matched-window\n            comparison is robust, and the most plausible single driver is\n            the one reshaping every results page in the country: AI\n            answers are absorbing searches that used to be typed,\n            repeated, and 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\">Flat and choppy, then a clean break<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            Here is total monthly search volume across all 21 tracked\n            industries, every month from January 2024 to April 2026.\n            Demand bounced between roughly 28,000 and 51,000 a month\n            through 2024 and 2025, with seasonal spikes (a big one in\n            <strong>September 2025<\/strong>), then broke down to the low\n            20,000s right across 2026.\n          <\/p>\n\n          <div class=\"dn-trend\">\n            <svg viewBox=\"0 0 760 300\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Total monthly Sunshine Coast local-service search volume, January 2024 to April 2026. Bounces between about 28,000 and 51,000 through 2024-25 with a spike to about 63,000 in September 2025, then falls to about 20,000 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=\"180.5\" x2=\"744\" y2=\"180.5\" stroke=\"rgba(0,42,69,0.07)\" stroke-width=\"1\"\/>\n              <line x1=\"44\" y1=\"111.1\" x2=\"744\" y2=\"111.1\" stroke=\"rgba(0,42,69,0.07)\" stroke-width=\"1\"\/>\n              <line x1=\"44\" y1=\"41.6\" x2=\"744\" y2=\"41.6\" 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=\"183.5\" text-anchor=\"end\">20k<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"38\" y=\"114.1\" text-anchor=\"end\">40k<\/text>\n              <text class=\"axis\" x=\"38\" y=\"44.6\" text-anchor=\"end\">60k<\/text>\n              <!-- area + line -->\n              <path d=\"M44.0 122.2 L69.9 127.7 L95.9 90.0 L121.8 71.0 L147.7 125.8 L173.6 150.4 L199.6 144.9 L225.5 141.9 L251.4 144.6 L277.3 141.2 L303.3 151.2 L329.2 145.6 L355.1 124.4 L381.0 105.3 L407.0 72.0 L432.9 96.6 L458.8 136.6 L484.7 167.7 L510.7 161.7 L536.6 162.2 L562.5 30.0 L588.4 139.0 L614.4 172.0 L640.3 182.4 L666.2 164.2 L692.1 169.6 L718.1 149.7 L744.0 180.9 L744.0 250 L44.0 250 Z\" fill=\"#86A4EF\" fill-opacity=\"0.18\"\/>\n              <path d=\"M44.0 122.2 L69.9 127.7 L95.9 90.0 L121.8 71.0 L147.7 125.8 L173.6 150.4 L199.6 144.9 L225.5 141.9 L251.4 144.6 L277.3 141.2 L303.3 151.2 L329.2 145.6 L355.1 124.4 L381.0 105.3 L407.0 72.0 L432.9 96.6 L458.8 136.6 L484.7 167.7 L510.7 161.7 L536.6 162.2 L562.5 30.0 L588.4 139.0 L614.4 172.0 L640.3 182.4 L666.2 164.2 L692.1 169.6 L718.1 149.7 L744.0 180.9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#6985BA\" stroke-width=\"2.5\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/>\n              <!-- peak marker -->\n              <circle cx=\"562.5\" cy=\"30\" r=\"4\" fill=\"#F5C238\" stroke=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"\/>\n              <text class=\"ann\" x=\"562.5\" y=\"20\" text-anchor=\"middle\">Spike \u00b7 Sep &#8217;25 \u00b7 63k<\/text>\n              <!-- latest marker -->\n              <circle cx=\"744\" cy=\"180.9\" r=\"4\" fill=\"#6985BA\" stroke=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"\/>\n              <text class=\"ann\" x=\"744\" y=\"172\" text-anchor=\"end\">Apr &#8217;26 \u00b7 20k<\/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, 21 Sunshine Coast industries (80+ keywords). Source: Google Keyword Planner via DataForSEO. A smaller, regional market means volumes are reported in coarser buckets, so individual months are spikier; the matched January\u2013April comparison is the reliable trend.\n            <\/p>\n          <\/div>\n\n          <p>\n            <strong>The 2026 break is broad, not isolated.<\/strong> Of\n            the 21 industries we tracked, 20 recorded lower demand in 2026\n            than in 2025, the lone exception being Google Ads, off a tiny\n            base. When almost every category turns down together, in the\n            same window, it points to something happening at the level of\n            the search engine rather than 21 separate local markets all\n            cooling at once by chance.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 3: What the Coast 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 the Coast searches for<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">The demand league table<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            Average monthly searches in the January\u2013April window of each\n            year, for 2024, 2025 and 2026, with the year-on-year change at\n            each step. Read a row left to right and you can watch most\n            categories hold or rise into 2025, then fall away in 2026.\n            Pest control, web design and the trades lead by volume on the\n            Coast; the smallest categories swing wildly on tiny numbers,\n            so read those with caution.\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>Pest Control<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,320<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,365<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">3,465<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+1%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221221%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Web Design<\/td><td class=\"num\">3,930<\/td><td class=\"num\">4,895<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">2,463<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+25%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221250%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Plumbers<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,273<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,928<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,985<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+29%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221232%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Real Estate<\/td><td class=\"num\">14,000<\/td><td class=\"num\">5,650<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,660<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221260%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221271%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mortgage Brokers<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,815<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,943<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,603<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+62%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221245%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Vets<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,888<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,780<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,490<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u22126%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221216%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Electricians<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,335<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,925<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,443<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+44%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221225%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Painters<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,715<\/td><td class=\"num\">2,335<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,373<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+36%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221241%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Lawyers<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,655<\/td><td class=\"num\">5,920<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,333<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+258%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221278%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mechanics<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,790<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,633<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,250<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u22129%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221224%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Dentists<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,513<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,718<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,133<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+14%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221234%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Pilates<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,383<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,678<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">1,055<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+21%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221237%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Accountants<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,260<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,475<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">888<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+17%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221240%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Air Conditioning<\/td><td class=\"num\">418<\/td><td class=\"num\">808<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">730<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+93%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221210%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Yoga<\/td><td class=\"num\">1,208<\/td><td class=\"num\">958<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">713<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221221%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221226%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Cleaning Services<\/td><td class=\"num\">945<\/td><td class=\"num\">958<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">595<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+1%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221238%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Buyers Agents<\/td><td class=\"num\">623<\/td><td class=\"num\">623<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">478<\/td><td class=\"num\">0%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221223%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>SEO Agency<\/td><td class=\"num\">133<\/td><td class=\"num\">470<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">263<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+253%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221244%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Digital Marketing<\/td><td class=\"num\">175<\/td><td class=\"num\">175<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">140<\/td><td class=\"num\">0%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221220%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Google Ads<\/td><td class=\"num\">30<\/td><td class=\"num\">70<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">113<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+133%<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+61%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Paid Marketing<\/td><td class=\"num\">5<\/td><td class=\"num\">10<\/td><td class=\"num strong\">3<\/td><td class=\"num up\">+100%<\/td><td class=\"num down\">\u221270%<\/td><\/tr>\n              <\/tbody>\n            <\/table>\n          <\/div>\n          <p class=\"dn-cap\">Average monthly searches in the January\u2013April window of each year, Sunshine Coast-qualified keywords. Source: Google Keyword Planner via DataForSEO.<\/p>\n\n          <p>\n            <strong>Real estate is the story of the table.<\/strong> In\n            early 2024 it was comfortably the Coast's biggest search\n            category at about 14,000 a month, the tail end of the\n            pandemic-era sea-change property frenzy. By early 2026 it had\n            fallen to 1,660, down roughly 88% in two years. Whether that's\n            the property market itself cooling, AI answering more of the\n            \"how's the market\" research, or both, it's the clearest single\n            move in the dataset.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>Almost everything else fell in 2026 too.<\/strong>\n            Web design (\u221250%), mortgage broking (\u221245%) and accounting\n            (\u221240%) all dropped sharply after holding up in 2025. Be\n            careful with the smallest rows, lawyers (+258% then \u221278%),\n            SEO (+253%) and Google Ads swing violently because they sit on\n            just a few hundred searches or fewer, where Google's volume\n            buckets round hard. The big, stable categories, pest control,\n            the trades, vets, are the reliable signal, and they're all\n            pointing down.\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 Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast category with\n            enough advertiser data to report. On the Coast the priciest\n            clicks are in the trades and professional services, not\n            marketing.\n          <\/p>\n\n          <div class=\"dn-pagetype-block\">\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:100%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$64<\/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:83.3%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$53<\/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:48.0%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$31<\/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:47.4%;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:44.8%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$29<\/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:40.7%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$26<\/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:38.9%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$25<\/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:32.2%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$21<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Dentists<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:27.6%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$18<\/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:24.3%;background:#86A4EF\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$15<\/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:20.0%;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\">Cleaning<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:14.8%;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\">Real Estate<\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:12.1%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$8<\/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:10.7%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$7<\/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:8.6%;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:5.4%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$3<\/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:2.9%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.4)\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">$2<\/span><\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"dn-chart-legend\">\n              <span class=\"dn-chart-legend-item\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#6985BA\"><\/span>$30+ per click<\/span>\n              <span class=\"dn-chart-legend-item\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#86A4EF\"><\/span>$15\u201330<\/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>Plumbers ($64) and lawyers ($53) command the dearest\n            clicks on the Coast<\/strong>, followed by web design and\n            mortgage broking (~$30). At the other end, fitness and\n            wellness (yoga $2, pilates $3) and pet care (vets $5) are\n            cheap to advertise against. Note what's <em>missing<\/em>: the\n            marketing categories, Google Ads, SEO, digital and paid\n            marketing, returned no reliable cost-per-click for the Coast\n            at all. Too few advertisers bid on Sunshine Coast-specific\n            marketing terms for Google to report a rate, a useful signal\n            in itself about how thin that local market is.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/section>\n\n        <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 5: Coast vs national \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\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 The Coast vs the nation<\/p>\n          <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Where the Coast is dearer, and where it's a bargain<\/h2>\n          <p>\n            Is the Sunshine Coast an expensive place to advertise? It\n            depends entirely on the category. We compared each industry's\n            Coast cost-per-click to the national average. Nine of the 16\n            categories with data cost <em>more<\/em> on the Coast; seven\n            cost <em>less<\/em>. Green means the Coast 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\">Sunshine Coast<\/th><th class=\"num\">National<\/th><th class=\"num\">\u0394<\/th><\/tr>\n              <\/thead>\n              <tbody>\n                <tr><td>Lawyers<\/td><td class=\"num\">$53.18<\/td><td class=\"num\">$29.01<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+83%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mechanics<\/td><td class=\"num\">$6.82<\/td><td class=\"num\">$4.02<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+70%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Vets<\/td><td class=\"num\">$5.48<\/td><td class=\"num\">$3.55<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+54%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Mortgage Brokers<\/td><td class=\"num\">$30.27<\/td><td class=\"num\">$20.35<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+49%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Plumbers<\/td><td class=\"num\">$63.83<\/td><td class=\"num\">$46.22<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+38%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Web Design<\/td><td class=\"num\">$30.63<\/td><td class=\"num\">$23.12<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+32%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Painters<\/td><td class=\"num\">$24.83<\/td><td class=\"num\">$19.00<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+31%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Accountants<\/td><td class=\"num\">$12.79<\/td><td class=\"num\">$10.17<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+26%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Pilates<\/td><td class=\"num\">$3.46<\/td><td class=\"num\">$3.07<\/td><td class=\"num down\">+13%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Air Conditioning<\/td><td class=\"num\">$25.99<\/td><td class=\"num\">$28.62<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u22129%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Cleaning Services<\/td><td class=\"num\">$9.45<\/td><td class=\"num\">$10.99<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221214%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Pest Control<\/td><td class=\"num\">$15.49<\/td><td class=\"num\">$18.23<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221215%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Buyers Agents<\/td><td class=\"num\">$20.57<\/td><td class=\"num\">$26.11<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221221%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Electricians<\/td><td class=\"num\">$28.58<\/td><td class=\"num\">$36.49<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221222%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Yoga<\/td><td class=\"num\">$1.86<\/td><td class=\"num\">$2.59<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221228%<\/td><\/tr>\n                <tr><td>Real Estate<\/td><td class=\"num\">$7.73<\/td><td class=\"num\">$27.50<\/td><td class=\"num up\">\u221272%<\/td><\/tr>\n              <\/tbody>\n            <\/table>\n          <\/div>\n\n          <p>\n            <strong>Lawyers (+83%), mechanics (+70%) and vets (+54%) cost\n            far more per click on the Coast<\/strong> than the national\n            average, the classic small-market dynamic, where a handful of\n            advertisers bid up a scarce pool of high-intent searches.\n            Plumbing ($64 vs $46) and mortgage broking ($30 vs $20) are\n            also notably dearer.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            <strong>But the Coast is a genuine bargain in several\n            categories.<\/strong> Real estate clicks cost 72% <em>less<\/em>\n            than the national average, electricians 22% less, and buyers'\n            agents 21% less. For a Coast business in those categories,\n            paid search is meaningfully cheaper here than a national\n            benchmark would suggest, worth knowing before you set a bid\n            cap off a country-wide 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 Sunshine Coast businesses<\/h2>\n\n          <ol class=\"dn-actions\">\n            <li>\n              <strong>Never size a budget off one year, the Coast swings\n              hard.<\/strong> Real estate alone moved from 14,000 to 1,660\n              searches a month in two years. A small, seasonal market like\n              the Coast whips around far more than a capital. Plan against\n              the multi-year trend, not a single snapshot, and re-pull your\n              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> Demand fell across 20 of 21 categories\n              in 2026, alongside AI Overviews now on roughly 38% of\n              Sunshine Coast results. Fewer informational searches are\n              reaching your site. Shift the goal from \"rank #1\" to \"be the\n              source the AI cites\", and start tracking AI-answer\n              visibility, not just classic rankings.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n              <strong>Every ranking matters more here, the volumes are\n              small.<\/strong> Many Coast categories sit on a few thousand\n              searches a month or fewer, so the gap between page-one and\n              page-two is the gap between a steady phone and a silent one.\n              Concentrate on the transactional, location-qualified terms\n              (\"[service] sunshine coast\", \"[service] [suburb]\") that\n              still convert and that AI is least able to answer.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n              <strong>Price paid search against the Coast, not the\n              nation.<\/strong> Costs swing wildly by category, lawyers,\n              mechanics, vets and plumbers cost far more here, while real\n              estate, electricians and buyers' agents are far cheaper. Set\n              bid caps and channel budgets off the Coast figures in this\n              report, not a generic national benchmark, or you'll mis-price\n              both ends. It is how our team runs <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/google-ads-sunshine-coast\/\">Sunshine Coast Google Ads<\/a> for clients.<\/li>\n            <li>\n              <strong>If you sell marketing services, the Coast is wide\n              open, and organic is the way in.<\/strong> There's so little\n              advertiser competition on Sunshine Coast marketing terms that\n              Google can't even report a click price. That's a thin paid\n              market, but it also means strong organic and\n              AI-citation visibility can own the category cheaply, before\n              anyone else bothers to compete for it. It is the focus of our <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/seo-sunshine-coast\/\">Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast-qualified\n            keywords across 21 industries, January 2024 to April 2026, via\n            Google Keyword Planner data (DataForSEO). Year-on-year figures\n            compare matched January\u2013April windows. The national CPC\n            baseline is the same country-wide figure used in our Melbourne\n            benchmark. A regional market reports volume in coarser buckets\n            than a capital, so individual months are noisier, lean on the\n            matched-window trend, not any single point.\n          <\/p>\n          <p>\n            This demand benchmark is the companion to our\n            <em>State of AI Search<\/em> work, the same Sunshine Coast,\n            viewed through what people search for and what it costs, rather\n            than what the results page now looks like. Read the full AI\n            search study, or get a free 10-keyword AIO audit on your own\n            Sunshine Coast 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\/melbourne-search\/\">Melbourne<\/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><\/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 the Coast 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>The Coast 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 Sunshine Coast Search Demand DNHQ Research \u00b7 Sunshine Coast demand benchmark \u00b7 May 2026 After a flat year, Sunshine Coast search demand fell off a cliff Search demand for the Sunshine Coast&#8217;s local services barely moved between 2024 and 2025. Then, in 2026, it fell 44%, leaving it well below where it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44665,"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-44660","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44660","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=44660"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44687,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44660\/revisions\/44687"}],"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\/44665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}