- "Anwalt Strafrecht" (criminal lawyer) reaches around 9,900 searches per month nationwide, "Strafverteidiger" (criminal defense lawyer) and "Rechtsanwalt Strafrecht" (attorney criminal law) around 3,600 each; together that is well over 10,000 specific searches.
- Upper bids for general criminal law terms are mostly €11 to €14; local "nearby" searches are similarly expensive.
- With up to 3,600 searches, Berlin is the largest regional market studied, ahead of Hamburg with 1,300 and Cologne with 880.
- The highest bids are in sexual offense law, white-collar criminal law and criminal appeals on points of law; however, the peak values are based on very small volumes.
People looking for a criminal defense lawyer are usually under pressure: a summons, a house search, a penalty order. These searches are particularly valuable for law firms, because there is a specific proceeding and an urgent need behind them. At the same time, the market is highly divided, by region, by offense and by whether someone is looking for a lawyer or just gathering information.
We measured the Google search market for criminal law and criminal defense in June 2026: nationwide, in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, and by offense group. The analysis shows where demand lies, what clicks cost and in which submarkets law firms compete for particularly valuable cases.
We evaluate representative search terms per market segment
The analysis is based on keyword data on search volume, competition, bid estimates, regional demand and seasonal fluctuations. The analysis period is June 1 to 30, 2026.
Many similar search terms belong to the same search cluster. We therefore did not add up the volumes, but evaluated them based on representative terms and thematic market segments.
Nationwide, there are well over 10,000 specific criminal law searches per month
| Representative keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt strafrecht | 9.900 | Medium | 3,63–13,46 € |
| rechtsanwalt strafrecht | 3.600 | Medium | 3,41–13,41 € |
| strafverteidiger | 3.600 | Medium | 3,43–12,12 € |
| pflichtverteidiger | 1.900 | Medium | 2,39–7,94 € |
| fachanwalt für strafrecht | 1.300 | Medium | 2,89–11,86 € |
| fachanwalt strafrecht | 880 | Medium | 2,90–11,26 € |
| strafanwalt | 390 | Medium | 3,57–12,86 € |
| kanzlei strafrecht | 140 | Medium | 2,01–11,49 € |
The general search cluster reaches around 9,900 searches per month nationwide. The clusters for criminal defense lawyer, attorney, specialist attorney and court-appointed defense lawyer come on top. Because of overlaps, they cannot be added up exactly, but the data shows a nationwide market with well over 10,000 specific searches for criminal law and criminal defense lawyers per month.
Google rates competition for the core terms mostly as medium. Bid estimates are nevertheless high, mostly around 12 to 14 euros for top ad positions.
Local searches are a market of their own with equally high value
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt für strafrecht in der nähe | 1.000 | Medium | 2,12–11,08 € |
| anwalt strafrecht in der nähe | 720 | Medium | 2,83–13,60 € |
| rechtsanwalt strafrecht in der nähe | 720 | Medium | 2,04–11,63 € |
| strafverteidiger in der nähe | 320 | Medium | 1,81–9,88 € |
| strafrecht anwalt in der nähe | 320 | Medium | 2,18–13,13 € |
| fachanwalt für strafrecht in meiner nähe | 70 | Medium | 1,68–11,63 € |
The largest "nearby" cluster alone reaches around 1,000 monthly searches. The price level hardly differs from general criminal law searches: local searches are just as economically relevant and belong in dedicated ad groups with a clear reference to the firm's location.
Berlin is the largest regional market; Hamburg searches directly for the defense lawyer
| City | Largest local search cluster | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | anwalt strafrecht berlin | 3.600 | High | 4,14–10,29 € |
| Hamburg | strafverteidiger hamburg | 1.300 | Medium | 2,14–9,94 € |
| Cologne | anwalt strafrecht köln | 880 | Medium | 1,80–9,41 € |
Berlin is by far the largest regional market studied; local search volume is well above Hamburg and Cologne. In Hamburg, "Strafverteidiger Hamburg" with 1,300 searches is larger than "Anwalt Strafrecht Hamburg" with 880. Cologne reaches around 880 monthly searches for the general lawyer search and around 590 for "Strafverteidiger Köln".
Berlin
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt strafrecht berlin | 3.600 | High | 4,14–10,29 € |
| strafverteidiger berlin | 720 | Medium | 3,64–8,51 € |
| rechtsanwalt strafrecht berlin | 480 | Medium | 4,33–10,36 € |
| strafrecht berlin | 260 | Medium | 3,81–8,53 € |
| bester anwalt strafrecht berlin | 170 | High | 3,63–7,12 € |
| fachanwalt strafrecht berlin | 140 | Medium | 4,32–8,49 € |
| pflichtverteidiger berlin | 90 | Medium | 3,50–7,14 € |
Berlin has the highest local search volume and the strongest competition. Besides the general lawyer terms, there are relevant submarkets for criminal defense lawyers, specialist attorneys and court-appointed defense lawyers.
Hamburg
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| strafverteidiger hamburg | 1.300 | Medium | 2,14–9,94 € |
| anwalt strafrecht hamburg | 880 | Medium | 3,32–10,96 € |
| strafrechtler hamburg | 480 | Low | 2,21–9,77 € |
| fachanwalt strafrecht hamburg | 170 | Medium | 2,12–8,99 € |
| rechtsanwalt sexualstrafrecht hamburg | 170 | Low | 2,37–36,47 € |
| kanzlei strafrecht hamburg | 110 | Medium | 1,46–9,17 € |
After Berlin, Hamburg is the second-largest market studied, with comparatively high demand for the direct term "Strafverteidiger" (criminal defense lawyer). Sexual offense law forms a small but above-average expensive submarket here.
Cologne
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt strafrecht köln | 880 | Medium | 1,80–9,41 € |
| strafverteidiger köln | 590 | Medium | 1,51–7,80 € |
| rechtsanwalt strafrecht köln | 320 | Medium | 2,36–10,52 € |
| bester anwalt strafrecht köln | 140 | Medium | 1,00–6,20 € |
| fachanwalt strafrecht köln | 90 | Medium | 1,59–10,85 € |
| pflichtverteidiger köln | 30 | Medium | 1,57–9,67 € |
Cologne has a clearly defined local market, but is below Berlin and Hamburg in search volume and price level.
Every offense forms a submarket of its own
Bodily harm
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt körperverletzung | 480 | Medium | 1,97–9,17 € |
| rechtsanwalt körperverletzung | 140 | Medium | 1,57–10,94 € |
| anwalt gefährliche körperverletzung | 20 | High | 3,15–13,43 € |
Bodily harm is one of the largest specific offense clusters. Bids are slightly below general criminal law searches and rise with more serious charges.
Juvenile criminal law
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt für jugendstrafrecht | 320 | Medium | 1,77–9,26 € |
| anwalt jugendstrafrecht | 210 | Medium | 2,13–8,02 € |
| rechtsanwalt für jugendstrafrecht | 110 | Medium | 1,81–9,90 € |
Juvenile criminal law has a market of its own with several hundred specific lawyer searches per month. The general term "Jugendstrafrecht" (juvenile criminal law) reaches around 2,400 searches, but is more information-oriented. The economically relevant part consists of the terms that explicitly look for a lawyer.
Fraud offenses
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt betrugsfall | 320 | High | 2,62–8,63 € |
| anwalt für betrug | 170 | High | 2,51–7,66 € |
The fraud market has relevant volume and high competition. The maximum bids are nevertheless below general criminal law searches.
Drug offenses and BtMG (Narcotics Act)
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| btmg anwalt | 110 | Medium | 2,43–12,10 € |
| anwalt für drogendelikte | 90 | Medium | 2,84–20,40 € |
| anwalt btmg | 50 | Medium | 5,32–25,39 € |
| anwalt drogen | 50 | Medium | 3,04–12,15 € |
| rechtsanwalt für drogendelikte | 30 | Medium | 6,32–32,41 € |
Drug offenses are a smaller but above-average valuable submarket. For individual terms, upper bids reach more than 25 or 30 euros.
Sexual offense law has the highest bids in the dataset
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| strafverteidiger sexualstrafrecht | 390 | Medium | 5,79–100,37 € |
| rechtsanwalt sexualstrafrecht | 140 | Medium | 10,96–561,95 € |
| fachanwalt für sexualstrafrecht | 90 | Medium | 5,75–572,33 € |
| anwalt 184b | 20 | High | 8,69–101,18 € |
| 184b anwalt | 10 | High | 44,36–876,19 € |
Sexual offense law shows the highest bid estimates in the entire dataset. However, maximum values of several hundred euros are based on very small and fluctuating amounts of data and are not typical costs per click or ones to be expected permanently.
Regardless of these outliers, the lower bid ranges and the competition already show that sexual offense law is one of the economically most valuable segments of criminal law. The largest specialized term reaches around 390 monthly searches, so there is measurable nationwide demand.
White-collar criminal law combines small volume with high case value
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| anwalt wirtschaftsstrafrecht | 170 | Medium | 3,63–62,69 € |
| wirtschaftsstrafrecht anwalt | 170 | Medium | 3,63–62,69 € |
| anwalt für wirtschaftsstrafrecht | 110 | Medium | 3,21–49,91 € |
| wirtschaftsstrafrecht kanzlei | 110 | Medium | 2,00–100,85 € |
| fachanwalt wirtschaftsstrafrecht | 40 | Medium | 4,42–149,45 € |
White-collar criminal law has a relatively small search volume, but exceptional economic depth. Upper bids range from around 50 to just under 150 euros. Here too, the peak values should be read with caution because of the low volumes. But the price level shows that law firms in this segment compete for particularly valuable cases.
Small specialty segments reveal a specific procedural situation
| Segment | Representative keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal appeal on points of law | strafrecht revision | 320 | Medium | 1,31–101,64 € |
| Traffic criminal law | verkehrsstrafrecht anwalt | 90 | Medium | 2,50–10,10 € |
| Criminal defense in general | anwalt strafverteidigung | 70 | Medium | 4,84–15,82 € |
| House search | anwalt hausdurchsuchung | 20 | Low | 1,22–4,15 € |
| Penalty order | strafbefehl anwalt | 10 | High | 4,77–11,40 € |
The criminal appeal on points of law stands out with an upper bid of more than 100 euros. However, the term is used both when looking for a lawyer and for information. Traffic criminal law, house searches and penalty orders have smaller volumes. Because there is a specific procedural situation behind them, the individual search can still be very valuable.
For court-appointed defense, we separate information from lawyer searches
| Keyword | Searches per month | Competition | Top-of-page bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| pflichtverteidiger | 1.900 | Medium | 2,39–7,94 € |
| pflichtverteidigung | 170 | Low | 1,08–5,29 € |
| anwalt pflichtverteidiger | 30 | High | 2,88–14,10 € |
With 1,900 monthly searches, "Pflichtverteidiger" (court-appointed defense lawyer) is one of the largest independent topic clusters. The lower price level suggests that a large part of the demand is information-oriented: users are looking for requirements, costs or the possibility of getting a court-appointed defense lawyer. The explicit combination "Anwalt Pflichtverteidiger" (lawyer court-appointed defense) has less volume, but a significantly higher bid.
Specialization determines the price level more than the region
General criminal law search
The most important general search terms reach upper bids of approximately 11 to 14 euros.
| Keyword | Upper bid estimate |
|---|---|
| anwalt strafrecht | 13,46 € |
| rechtsanwalt strafrecht | 13,41 € |
| strafverteidiger | 12,12 € |
| fachanwalt für strafrecht | 11,86 € |
| anwalt strafrecht in der nähe | 13,60 € |
Main regional markets
| City | Upper bid estimate of the largest cluster |
|---|---|
| Berlin | 10,29 € |
| Hamburg | 9,94 € |
| Cologne | 9,41 € |
For the maximum bid, the main regional terms are slightly below the nationwide general market.
Specialized market segments
| Market segment | Maximum top-of-page bid estimate |
|---|---|
| Sexual offense law | over €500 |
| White-collar criminal law | up to €149.45 |
| Criminal appeal on points of law | up to €101.64 |
| Drug offenses | up to €32.41 |
| Criminal defense in general | up to €15.82 |
| Bodily harm | up to €13.43 |
| general criminal law search | approx. €12–14 |
The extreme values are maximum values from the Keyword Planner in small search clusters. They show the order of magnitude of competition, but are not a stable average CPC. For planning, what counts is what a case in the respective practice area is worth to your firm.
Conclusion: the profit lies in specialization
The Google Ads market for criminal defense lawyers is large, economically attractive and much more specialized than many other practice areas. "Anwalt Strafrecht" (criminal lawyer) reaches around 9,900 monthly searches nationwide, "Strafverteidiger" (criminal defense lawyer) and "Rechtsanwalt Strafrecht" (attorney criminal law) about 3,600 each. Added to this are relevant markets for specialist attorneys, court-appointed defense lawyers, local providers and specific charges.
- General upper bids are mostly between 11 and 14 euros; local searches are similarly in demand and similarly expensive.
- With up to 3,600 monthly searches, Berlin is the largest regional market studied; Hamburg reaches around 1,300 in the largest local cluster, Cologne about 880.
- Particularly high bids are found in sexual offense law, white-collar criminal law and criminal appeals on points of law.
- Bodily harm, juvenile criminal law, fraud and drug offenses are independent submarkets.
- Searches for court-appointed defense lawyers have high volume, but are partly more information-oriented.
The greatest profit contribution comes from campaigns that run your areas of focus as separate submarkets, each with a matching landing page and a budget based on the value of the case. We describe how we build campaigns for law firms in Google Ads for lawyers.
