Selling your legal services is a difficult job, especially when you have no skills in online marketing. In fact, almost half of small law firms don’t even have a website. One major part of your job is advertising yourself so they can find you, and PPC can help.
What is PPC, though? PPC, or pay-per-click marketing, is a type of internet marketing where you pay every time one of your ads is clicked. In exchange, your business is granted ad space on an internet platform.
Here’s how to get the most out of PPC for lawyers and why it’s so important.
1. Work On Your Ad Copy
The importance of PPC for lawyers is that it can pull people to the content of your choosing. You can direct them to your services page, your contact page, or articles on your website.
As such, take the time to work on your ad copy to sell yourself to potential clients. Make yourself stand out and tell them why they should choose you over the competition. It helps to include some kind of call-to-action, such as telling them to contact your team if they’ve recently encountered legal trouble.
Keep in mind that this content also represents your brand. Don’t make up figures or promise something you can’t provide.
2. Focus on Keywords
Even though PPC and SEO are different ways to advertise a brand, they both require keyword optimization. Keywords are those relevant terms that help connect people with your law firm. PPC marketing for lawyers relies on these keywords to raise your ranking on whatever platform you’re using.
For example, Facebook ads will connect you to certain audiences based on what people post about and search. If they recently mentioned needing a lawyer or searched for attorneys near them, you may show up on their feed at some point.
One of the most common mistakes lawyers make in their content is keyword stuffing. Using something like “divorce lawyer” once in a short blurb is more than enough. Too much repetition or forced keywords can hurt your content more than it helps.
3. Try Google Ads Keyword Planner
There are keyword planners online that can help compare your content to a competitor’s content. Google Ads Keyword Planner is one such option that can find new keywords and show you their popularity online.
Additionally, the Keyword Planner will show you an estimate of how much it’ll cost to use each keyword. It’ll come in handy when budgeting and deciding what to put in your ads.
4. Target a Specific Audience
Many ad campaigns suffer if they don’t target certain audiences. While you can certainly advertise your legal services to everyone in your area, it may prove expensive. Additionally, you’ll find much more success aiming for a specific client persona.
Gather as much information as you can about your ideal potential client. Find out where they live, their challenges in life, and whether or not they can afford your services.
You can then use this data when buying ad space by making your ads only show up for certain individuals. That way, you won’t have to pay for clicks that won’t lead to new clients.
5. Market and Budget by Season
Calculating how much to spend on your ad campaigns is a necessary part of any budget. You need to balance how much you put into it with how much you hope to profit.
Like most other forms of advertising, PPC for law firms is affected by season. You need to know the best times to invest more money and when to lower your spending.
For example, most people don’t bother seeking lawyers out before and during the winter months. Beforehand, they’re preparing for the events. During the events, they’re busy with family.
People start the search back up as soon as the holidays are over. That’s when you invest more in PPC marketing.
6. Monitor Ad Performance
PPC for lawyers can make a big difference in how quickly you acquire new clients. However, it most likely won’t produce these results on your first try. Part of online marketing is monitoring your performance and making adjustments over time.
Google Analytics is one such platform that lets you know which ads are performing well. If something isn’t getting clicks, you can compare it with your other ads to see what’s working and what isn’t.
7. Choose Advertising Space
There are a lot of PPC opportunities out there these days. It seems like there’s an advertising platform for every type of legal search imaginable. We always want to focus on where you get the most visibility and where your best clients exist.
Two of the most common platforms for lawyers to consider are Google and Facebook. While Facebook is popular as it allows you to build your brand, Google is the top platform for getting traffic with high intent, meaning people actively looking for a lawyer to assist them.
8. Go Mobile
Everyone has a smartphone these days, so it would be a waste to ignore mobile ad opportunities. In fact, most of Google’s search traffic comes from mobile devices.
Catering to mobile means changing how your ads look and function. A smartphone’s screen is a different shape than a computer screen, so your ads should change to fit its dimensions. Additionally, shorter copy works best on mobile devices since people won’t have to scroll to read the whole thing.
You should also make sure your website is mobile-friendly since those clicks will lead directly to your content.
Try Out PPC for Lawyers
PPC for lawyers is one of the many ways to generate new clients. It’s perfect for reaching people who may not be actively searching for legal help but may need it in the future. You also only spend money on it if it’s successful at its job.
upFirm was created to help small law firms develop a steady stream of high-quality leads. Our marketing strategies include law firm PPC, SEO, and more. Contact us to learn about everything we can do to help you succeed.
