How Google Ads Can Bridge the Divide
Advertising, (or essentially prospecting for new clients, however put) has always been an important aspect for law firms, and the methods of marketing have been changing quite drastically in recent years.
Gone are the days where billboards and local TV slots can catapult a law firm to the prominence in their region. Indeed, if we look at the costs involved in traditional forms of law firm or law practice advertising – billboard space, print advertisements, electronic billboard advertisements, ads in local Yellow Pages phone directories (if they are even in existence any longer) , radio spots, a few TV commercials, Chamber of Commerce memberships, Bar Association memberships (pretty much mandatory and unavailable), and other networking group memberships – all are temporary. The minute you stop paying, your advertisement is pulled, and whatever results you may have experienced prior to that are now gone.
Not only are all of these advertising forms temporary, but they are also expensive (nothing is less than several thousand dollars to participate in), and many have dubious Returns On Investment (ROI).
Instead, lawyers must have a sound digital marketing strategy in order to remain competitive and relevant. Whereas all other forms of advertising are temporary and with minimal ROI, digital marketing’s returns can (and often do) last for months if not years and the marketing “funnel” through all other forms of digital marketing are directed – the website – can last a lifetime if maintained.
When it comes to engaging digital marketing in a serious and committed manner, there are a variety of tools that can assist law firms with their online marketing; and Google Ads is among one of the most common and most effective. Any law firm that is serious about improving their advertising should incorporate Google Ads into their strategy.
Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords) is a Google service that allows advertisers to pay for exposure in Google’s ad network and search results.
Essentially, you can pay for higher placement in local Google search results (so, for example, if someone looks up “law firm Fort Myers FL” your firm could come up at the top of all results and rule as the first result anyone would see). As for Google Ads advertising within Google’s vast network, this is where competing firms can display ad copy, audio or podcasts, video content, and product and service offerings on a pay-per-click basis.
How it works
Through advanced keyword analytics and algorithms, Google will display ads that are targeted towards certain demographics based on their search queries.
If a user clicks on the link for a specific ad, that advertiser will pay Google. The goal is that this will lead to more conversions which will ultimately bring in far more profit than the cost for the click. In the case of most law firms or even solo practice law offices, the potential for profit is clear – one new referral alone would be well worth the budget.
Advertisers utilizing Google Ads can choose how much they want to spend on Ads, allowing them to stay within any set budget parameters. A strong ad campaign means that law firms can minimize their advertising spend while maximizing their return per click. Thanks to Google Ads’ advanced analytics, these statistics are easily measurable so that any firm can see just how much they are making per click to determine how effective their strategy is.
Google Ads also allows users to specifically target certain potential customers, thus increasing their efficiency and decreasing their cost per click. Law firms can create different ad campaigns for both mobile and desktop users, making their sites more navigable based on the device that a customer is operating with.
They can also choose targets based on location, demographics, and time of day. It could be beneficial for lawyers to utilize location targeting during working hours when most people may be searching the web for legal help. This strategy allows their ads to be displayed at the most relevant times in their region which will lead to higher conversion rates.
Retargeting with Google Ads allows advertisers to continue to engage with people who have visited the website in the past or even purchased their products and services. It can be used in conjunction with location services, allowing ads to show up when they are in a specific region. Lawyers can take advantage of retargeting and remarketing by reminding their clients that they have provided exemplary service in the past and (of course) are still available for potential future legal matters.
Any law firm that seeks to grow its client base, grow case load, and increase profits needs to spend some time and money on Google Ads. It is the top targeting tool on the market and, when used correctly, is a surefire way to reach new levels of success. By helping to assist with a strong digital marketing strategy, Google Ads is truly a fantastic service for solo practice lawyers and law firms alike.