As of early 2018, the average CPC for legal AdWords on Google Display Network amounted to 0.72 U.S. dollars, whereas the same keywords on search cost 6.75 U.S. dollars per click, becoming the most expensive keyword on Google Search Network in the measured period. In comparison, the second spot belonged to finance & insurance keyword which cost half as much. How much does Google make on advertising? Google search advertising is the largest source of revenue for the company as it accounts for roughly 70 percent of total profits. In 2018, Google generated more than 96 billion U.S. dollars through its search properties. In the same period, Google network properties, including AdMob, AdSense and AdManager generated close to 20 billion U.S dollars, bringing in total ad revenues of 116 billion in 2018. It makes for quite an impressive result taking into account that the entire Google segment of Alphabet brought in slightly over 136 billion dollars in total revenue that year.

As of January 2025, Amazon's market capitalization surpassed 2.4 trillion U.S. dollars, making it the most valuable internet company by market capitalization worldwide. Second-ranked Alphabet had a market capitalization of approximately 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars. Social networking company Meta Platforms (née Facebook Inc.) ranked third. Facebook is the leading social network worldwide and has successfully taken advantage of the increasingly mobile online environment. Amazon's position in the market Amazon is one of the biggest internet companies worldwide by revenue. It generates profit from its position as the world's largest online retailer. In 2023, the company's net sales revenue amounted to 574.78 billion U.S. dollars. The e-commerce giant's net revenue, generated through online stores, was 231.87 billion U.S. dollars. Google and its most profitable services Google, with the parent company Alphabet inc, generates its revenue mainly from advertising. The company uses its advertisement services, such as Google AdWords – which takes advantage of Google searches and appears as small advertisements next to search results – and Google AdSense, which generates advertisements based on a user's search history and location, among others. Advertisements based on AdSense appear across Google-owned sites, including YouTube and Google Finance. The online company also profits from the development of Android OS, licensing, and mobile apps. In 2024, Google’s total revenue amounted to 348.16 billion U.S. dollars.

During a survey among advertising and marketing agencies in Brazil concluded in early 2024, over ** percent of responding firms included social media management among their most profitable services. Nearly ** percent mentioned paid media management, including handling Google Adwords and Facebook Ads. According to the same study, recommendations and direct contact were among the most effective client acquisition tactics according to Brazilian ad agencies.