For most people (and businesses), the need for an attorney is a rare occurrence. However, both individuals and businesses have one thing in common in reference to lawyers: when they need an attorney, they need one right now.
It is that urgency which lends PPC campaigns the advantage when it comes to marketing attorneys online.
PPC? What exactly is it?
PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click advertising, and it is just what it sounds like. You run ads on both Google’s search engine and associated websites, and when someone “clicks” on your ad to visit your firm’s website, you pay for that click.
Your next question is probably “How much does a click cost?”
Seems simple, doesn’t it? But you can get the sense of the complexity by comparing it to the question “How much does a house cost?” Of course for the second question, you understand that it depends on a wide variety of factors, and there is no one price. Such is the case as well, with the cost for clicks.
However, to highlight the 3 main factors:
Competition
How much are other law firms willing to pay?
Quality Score
Essentially, Google is judging the value to the user. Here’s a simple way of looking at it: when a viewer clicks on your law firm’s ad, they should find a page on your firm’s website that instantly relates to their search term. In addition, they should encounter content that is relevant to them at that time, and a website that overall is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Not to mention that it should present your firm and your attorneys in a positive light.
Ad Position
Where does your ad fall? Is it the first one viewers encounter? Is it lower on the page? Do viewers have to go to the next page of search results to see it? There is a direct relationship at work here. The more prominent your position, the more clicks — and, generally, the greater the cost.
So should you pay whatever it takes to appear in the prime spot? Not necessarily. What you want to do is balance out the cost versus the results. And there will be no one answer. Sometimes you may want to appear in the prime spot; sometimes it may make more sense to appear lower down in the hierarchy.
Isn’t PPC for law firms really expensive?
What if you don’t have a huge budget? Is this out of reach? Absolutely not. However, it does take skill to navigate these shark-infested waters to get through to the potential clients you want to connect with. It all comes down to control.
While there are many independent contractors and agencies that will offer to do PPC for your law firm (and in fact, you could do it yourself), you have to be careful. It is extremely easy to throw a huge amount of money at Google without getting a proportionate amount of results as measured by client intake.
A true PPC agency for lawyers will know not only the landscape of the legal industry, but will also have a deep knowledge of and experience with the Google system — something that is not only complex, but is also changing on a regular basis.
To name just a few of the criteria over which you have control in Google Ads:
- Timing – Day of the week, as well as time of day
- Location – You can target by city name, ZIP Code, radius, etc.
- Demographics – Age, Gender, Income, Parental Status & more
- Devices – Computer, Tablet, Phone
Pacing – You can weight your ads toward the beginning of the month, spread them evenly through the month, or many other options
Of course, these are extremely simplified versions of just a few of the specifications you can set and control via the Google Ads system. Within each category, there are many sub-settings.
It pays to hire a professional law firm PPC agency
Just like any other specialty, in this arena, knowledge is power. Do your research and find a PPC company with experience working for attorneys. You’ll be glad you did. Ready to find out more? Request a free consultation.
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