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The attorney advertising days of putting an ad in the Yellow Pages and watching the business flow in are over. Today, businesses - including law firms - must compete in the digital arena. Organic search is beneficial, but it is often not enough to create a steady influx of leads. Paid search techniques, such as pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, can help your practice achieve its growth goals. What do you need to know about PPC for lawyers?

Attorney Advertising: Conquering PPC for Lawyers

Here are 9 essential PPC tips:

1. Know Your Market - and Differentiate Yourself Within It

The competition for search engine traffic is fierce, especially for lawyers. Start with a competitive analysis: search for targeted keywords, especially local ones (e.g., personal injury lawyer in Delray Beach), to see which ads are displayed. This will give you the lay of the proverbial land - and help you see how you can differentiate yourself as a professional or a practice.

To do this:

• Highlight your key differentiators. In other words, what makes you better? Do you offer a complimentary consultation? 24-hour call line or customer service? Does your firm have award-winning lawyers? Do you have 1000 5-star reviews? Emphasize the benefits potential clients can expect if they choose you.

• Use ad extensions. These include call, location, callout, reviews, and site link, and using multiple extensions can help you take up as much space in the search engine results pages as possible.

• Make sure you have a clear CTA. Your call to action should prompt searchers to take a specific action. Make sure it relates directly to your ad. You must be abundantly clear what you want searchers to do.

2. Use Geo-Targeting Effectively

When people need a lawyer, they must have one in their own area. Targeting specific locations is essential in PPC for lawyers. This targeting doesn’t just mean using keywords like “accident attorney in Florida.” Even that is too broad. Which cities do you serve? Miami? West Palm Beach? Boca Raton?

In Google Ads, go to Settings and then Locations. Select your city, region, or post code. You can also go to Advanced Search and set a radius. There is no sense - and much wasted money - in targeting the wrong areas.

3. Align Your Ads to Searcher Intent

It is important that your ads are relevant to where searchers are in their “customer journey.” Say, for example, they search for a phrase like, “What do I do after I’ve been in a car accident?” Directing them to an FAQ page or an article on the subject is more effective than bringing them to a landing page where you tell them you’ll get them maximum compensation. It doesn’t align with their needs at this time.

On the other hand, if they search for, “Hire car accident lawyer in Miami,” they’re ready to take the next steps and perhaps schedule a consultation. Make sure your ads lead them to the right destination.

4. Prioritize Calls Over Clicks

A phone call is more potent than a click; it is more immediate, and leads are much more likely to convert. Use paid search to drive more calls to your firm/practice.

• Launch call-only campaigns. Instead of directing a searcher to a landing page, these ads use a phone number. People don’t have to take the extra step of going to the landing page, finding the number, and then calling. It’s much more streamlined, and they can connect directly with your firm.

• Use call extensions. Another way to get your phone number into the search results.

• Track your calls. Be sure to track your calls back to the source so you can evaluate how effective your strategy is. You can also see when the bulk of calls come in so you can optimize your ad spend during those times.

• Implement a 24/7 call answering service. People in crisis need to reach you outside of business hours. A 24-hour system can route calls to employees who can direct callers to the right resources. Having a lawyer on-call is also important so you can return calls promptly.

5. Incorporate Video Into Your PPC Landing Pages

Video dominates the digital world. Consumers want to receive information in this format, and further, it helps build trust. A landing page video could, for example, explain a complex legal issue in clear terms and give a face to your firm. Another great option is to create video testimonials; people trust their peers more than brands, at least initially. This will help them relate to the clients you have helped and build confidence that you can assist them.

6. Use Online Chat

Each client has individual needs and a unique situation; there are just some questions you can’t answer with a standard FAQ or video. Live chat gives people who need information a way to connect with you - even if they are not quite ready to make a call or schedule a consultation. And, of course, it can lead to those calls and consultations after the potential client has built a sense of comfort with your firm.

7. Use Display Ads to Build Your Brand

As mentioned earlier, you need to differentiate your brand. Why are you special, and why should people choose you to represent them? Effective branding builds awareness, trust, and relationships. Google’s Display Network allow you to place banner ads on ad-support sites all across the internet (but you can target which sites are most relevant for your needs). The cost-per-click is lower, and you’ll gain incredible visibility.

8. Track Your Efforts

Using analytics is important. For example, an ad may be generating all sorts of clicks. Great! But are people then bouncing off the landing page? You’re losing money in that case. You need to figure out what’s working, what’s not, and where your resources can be used optimally.

In many cases, simple A/B testing is enough. Does this call to action convert? What if we change the placement? The color? The wording? Run two versions of the ad to see which performs better.

Google offers a host of tools to help you analyze performance - and make critical improvements.

9. Try Bing

Google is the dominant force in the search market, to be sure, but 20% of the US market uses Bing. These searchers tend to be wealthier and more educated, so it is a niche segment you may want to target. It’s also less expensive in terms of PPC.

Today, effective attorney advertising strategies much include paid search. You need to use every tool at your disposal to increase visibility, traffic, and conversion rates. THAT Agency’s expert team is ready to help so you can focus on serving your clients. Contact us today.