How Does PPC Advertising Work for Lawyers?

PPC advertising, or “pay-per-click” advertising, is a digital advertising model used to funnel traffic to relevant websites usually through a search engine; in PPC advertising, the advertiser pays the publishing network a certain amount each time the ad is clicked on. Google Ads is one of the most common PPC ad providers, although Bing (Microsoft) Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads are just a few other popular PPC networks.

PPC Ads can be particularly useful in the legal industry.

The important thing to note about people searching for legal representation is that they often have very little knowledge of the industry. Unfortunately, they are unlikely to be familiar with more than a few keywords and will use those keywords in search engine research. Due to the minimal nature of law-related keywords, PPC legal ads tend to be expensive as many firms are competing for popular terms. However, the payout can make it worth it.

According to WordStream, “lawyer” and “attorney” are two of the most expensive PPC keywords.

In fact, these words generally cost over $100 per click. According to marketing expert Robert Ramirez, a law firm could easily find themselves spending $50,000 to $100,000 a month on PPC ads. The reason these keywords are so expensive to incorporate into PPC ads is that there are so few words that potential clients know to search for, and every lawyer in the same geographic area is bidding for use of those words in their ads. This jacks up the prices and can make PPC ads particularly expensive for law firms and attorneys.

PPC can be pricey, but if done right can be extremely effective.

It is important to note that depending on budget, PPC ads might not be for everyone. However, if you can afford PPC advertising and choose to do so, this method of marketing offers valuable benefits. Perhaps most notably, PPC ads offer immediate exposure of your offerings to potential clients. Results tend to happen quickly, and the time commitment is shorter than other methods of marketing. However, all of this does not come without effort.

A PPC ad campaign does not run itself; it is important to frequently check how these ads are performing.

It is important to check on your PPC ads at least once a week. If you have not received any clicks, it is possible that you did not bid high enough for the keywords used. Otherwise, it might be possible that the ad is targeting the wrong words. If the PPC ad is getting clicks but does not lead to conversions, it is possible that the landing page where the ad takes potential clients needs more work.

It is important to note that a PPC ad should always link to a relevant landing page, even if this requires building a new landing page from scratch for the purposes of the ad. If a potential client clicks on a PPC ad and is taken to a page that is too general or specific but not relevant to them, they will leave again and search out another law firm; this presents a waste of a click.

Consider consulting a PPC ad expert.

PPC ads can be high-yield but also high-risk. Before investing in them as a part of your marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to talk to a PPC ad consultant. There are many companies that focus on helping law firms and other clients maximize their PPC ad potential, as well as monitor PPC campaigns to assess what is and isn’t working. This is a great way to ensure that you save as much money as possible in PPC advertising while pursuing the highest yield. To learn more about PPC advertising for law firms and attorneys, reach out to a PPC ad professional.