Did you know that 72% of people looking for a lawyer hire the first one they speak to? So how can you get the attention of clients? Where will they find you?
The answer: the internet. The internet is increasingly becoming the go-to tool for people who want to find the services of a layer, even above family and friends.
To stand out, you’ll need a competitive edge over other lawyers offering similar services, and the competitive edge is PPC for lawyers.
Curious to learn more? Learn how it works and some of the best tips by reading our following guide.
PPC for Attorneys 101
Pay-per-click is an important part of a digital marketing campaign but is often underused in legal marketing. PPC consists of online advertising that will pay the advertisers each time a potential client clicks the ad.
You’ll pay for each click, meaning there’s no charge to run your ad. If there are no clicks, your law firm won’t be charged.
You can run PPC advertising on many platforms, but Google will likely be your best choice. Google is the most popular search engine, with over 3.5 billion searches a day.
Here’s how a PPC campaign works: you’ll place ads on your host that will target your search interest. Your goal is to obtain potential clients through these clicks by engaging them online and then driving them to your services.
The host will then place your ads in front of people that are more likely to click on them when they appear on their search engines results page.
PPC for law firms means that you’ll find the right clients at the right time—when you’re both looking for each other.
Why Attorneys Should Use PPC
The legal market is a competitive one, and it’s becoming increasingly online-driven. People will use the internet to find great lawyers near them, whether it’s through online searches or social media.
Because people will be able to find lawyers instantly, you need to have a strong brand established online. Having a website often won’t be enough. You’ll need to stand out in the search results.
When you use PPC campaigns on Google, your ads will show up at the very beginning of search results pages. So, when someone searches for a local lawyer near them, your name will come up at the top. You’ll even be above top organic results.
You’ll get your brand and face out there from the moment the results pop up onto the page. And even better, you’re not paying to be there – you only pay when that person clicks your ad.
Planning Your Law Firm PPC Campaign
Now that you have a general knowledge of how PPC could work for your law firm, let’s cover what planning a law firm PPC campaign could look like.
Like you would with any marketing plan, you’ll need to develop a roadmap for your PPC strategy to ensure you don’t waste time and money.
Focus on the following in your PPC plan:
- Marketing goals: list your firm’s goals for now and the future
- Analyze the competition: identify competitors and use SWOT to find out where gaps in the market exist
- Budget: Determine how much you’ll spend on your PPC campaign, including your starting amount
- Schedule: Decide how long you want your PPC campaign to run and what your regular evaluation schedule will look like
- Management: decide who leads the initiative and who supports
Your most successful PPC campaigns will result from complete attention during the beginning of the process. When you take time to design a well-thought-out PPC plan, you’re much more likely to attract your ideal clients.
Best Practices for Law Firm PPC
What to make the most out of your Google ads campaign? Use the following PPC best practices not generate the most success out of a PPC campaign for your law firm.
Follow Google’s Rules
Google only lets you have one text ad per website appear in search results. Open one account for your advertisements.
You’ll want to follow all the rules that Google lays out for your advertisements. You won’t be able to fool its software.
Remember that your ultimate goal is conversion. When you follow Google’s rules, you won’t be at the risk of penalties or limitations to your site’s visibility.
Optimize Your Website
All digital ads for lawyers ultimately lead the viewer to your law firms’ website. Even the best PPC ad won’t help much if your website doesn’t function well and have an appealing design.
Make sure that your website features engaging and educational content to attract clients. You want to show that you’re up to date with the industry.
Balance a beautifully designed and functioning website with SEO practices so search engines can find it. This means using keywords appropriately, liking helpful pages within your site, and following Google’s technical rules.
Use a Dedicated Landing Page
If you’re looking to really distinguish yourself, consider using a dedicated landing page for your PPC campaign. Rather than having Google just direct users to your website, you’ll take them directly to a customized sales pitch.
What’s special about a PPC landing page is that you don’t have to worry about optimizing it for SEO. The page aims to convert not to rank.
Therefore, you won’t have to think about keywords or the length of the page. You can focus on selling your legal service to the person who was interested in your firm based on the paid ad.
On your landing page, don’t be afraid to highlight how long you’ve been in business, relevant case results, and your certifications. Your PPC landing page is all about selling your brand.
Leveraging PPC for Lawyers
Make a lasting first impression on clients by using PPC for lawyers. If you’re the first lawyer you interact with, during the searching process, you may just be the last.
If you’re ready to take your law firm’s marketing to the next level and want to incorporate PPC into your marketing strategy, contact us today. We offer free website audits and can help you establish a solid plan to attract customers.
