Google Ads For Lawyers 2024

Google Ads for Lawyers 2024: Navigate High Costs & Attract Your Ideal Clients

Google Ads can be a powerful tool for lawyers to attract new clients, but it’s no secret that the legal industry faces unique challenges with this platform. High cost-per-click (CPC) rates and the need to target specific practice areas can make Google Ads seem daunting. This guide will walk you through strategies to optimize your campaigns, control costs, and reach your ideal clients.

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Understanding the Challenges: Google Ads for Lawyers

1. High Competition & CPC: The legal field is highly competitive online, leading to expensive keywords. Bidding wars can quickly drain your budget without guaranteeing results.
2. Client Specificity: You’re not just looking for any client; you need those seeking family law, will writing, divorce settlements, or deceased estate services. Broad targeting won’t be effective.
3. Regulatory Hurdles: Advertising legal services often comes with stricter regulations than other industries. Understanding these is crucial for compliance.

Crafting a Winning Google Ads Strategy for Lawyers

1. Laser-Focused Keyword Research:

• Long-Tail Keywords: Instead of “lawyer,” target “family lawyer Melbourne” or “estate planning attorney Sydney.”
• Negative Keywords: Exclude terms like “free legal advice” to avoid irrelevant clicks.
• Research Tools: Use Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to discover the most relevant keywords for your practice areas. These are not always as simple as ‘Family Lawyer’, there’s nuances involved that can determine whether you just receive low quality leads or end up spending far too much per lead.

2. Highly Targeted Campaigns:

• Location Targeting: Refine your targeting to specific cities or regions where you operate. This shouldn’t always be your closest city, state or even national. It’s important to understand how Google Ads targeting works and where best to target.
• Demographic Targeting: Consider age, income level, and other demographics relevant to your services. This is not always possible through Google Ads settings and should instead be completed via the way in which you craft your campaigns with keywords, your landing page experience and the information presented.
• Ad Schedule: Show ads only during hours when potential clients are likely searching.

3. Compelling Ad Copy:

• Highlight Expertise: Showcase your specialization in specific practice areas.
• Use Strong Calls to Action (CTAs): “Free consultation,” “Book your appointment,” etc.
• Ad Extensions: Add sitelinks, call extensions, and structured snippets for more information.
• Filter Method: Use this space to set expectations or even filter out undesirable requests and enquiries.

4. Optimized Landing Pages:

Here’s an example of a ‘high quality landing page’ this is a law firm based in Melbourne, Australia.

• Relevance: Ensure the landing page matches the ad’s promise and uses the same keywords.
• Trust Signals: Testimonials, client logos, case results, and professional certifications.
• Clear CTAs: Prominent buttons for “contact us” or “request a free consultation.”
• Clear Direction: Ensuring the only options available for potential clients are to call or submit an enquiry form provide them with a clear path forward.

5. Budget Management & Bidding Strategies:

• Set a Strict Budget: Define a daily or monthly limit you’re comfortable spending. We would suggest that you begin with at least $50 per day per campaign that you create, this is based on the average CPC of Lawyer related terms on Google Ads.
• Consider Automated Bidding: Strategies like Target CPA or Target ROAS can help optimize your spending. Target CPA can be determined once you’ve had your campaign live for at least 15-30 days. We suggest that you begin with maximize clicks to generate data initially.
• Regularly Monitor Performance: Pause underperforming keywords and adjust bids as needed. Review your search terms within your Google Ads account as these are what potential clients are searching, keywords are then triggered based on the Search Term.

Commonly Asked Questions by Lawyers about Google Ads:

• Are Google Ads worth it for lawyers? Yes, but they require careful management and targeting to be effective.
• How much should I spend on Google Ads? It depends on your goals and competition. Start small and scale up as you see results. As above, we suggest you begin with at least $50 per day per campaign.
• Can I do Google Ads myself, or should I hire a professional? Both are options. If you have the time and expertise, you can manage campaigns yourself. If not, consider hiring an agency specializing in legal marketing. We have assisted many Lawyers with Google Ads, across Australia and internationally.

Beyond the Basics

• Local Service Ads (LSAs): These ads appear at the top of search results for local services. Consider if they’re relevant to your practice.
• Remarketing: Target users who have previously visited your website with tailored ads.
• Video Ads: Create informative videos about your services and run them on YouTube.

Remember:

• Compliance: Be mindful of legal advertising regulations in your jurisdiction.
• Data Tracking: Use Google Analytics to analyze website traffic and conversion data.
• Continuous Optimization: Google Ads is an ongoing process. Test different strategies and continuously refine your campaigns for the best results.

BONUS TIPS

Ensure that you’ve completed the following list of important items that will assist with your overall marketing efforts;

1. Claim or create your Google My Business profile, ensure that you have completed all available fields, including contact details, business description, images, and trading hours. Encourage previous clients to leave a review for you. We would suggest that you pursue reviews aggressively until you have at least 100 reviews.
2. Create all required Social accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & YouTube. You do not need to create content for these, it is suggested that you setup an automated method to post content to all platforms once monthly to remain active. These assist with your overall SEO efforts and also allow for more ownership of online real estate.

If you require assistance with the above or any other marketing efforts, please contact us here.