5 Tips on PPC Marketing for Attorneys

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a powerful tool for firms looking to grow their reach and drive traffic. However, many of our clients tell us that they find PPC to be overwhelming. There is such a range of factors to think about, platforms to use, and data to analyze that it can be hard to know where to begin. Here are 5 core aspects of PPC marketing for attorneys that you should focus on when they start developing PPC campaigns.

PPC Marketing for Attorneys

1. Be Very Specific With Your Goals

It’s essential to think about where you want to go with your PPC efforts and how they align with your firm’s larger objectives. Consider the following categories:

• Your firm – What do you offer, and how are your services different from other firms?
• Your prospects – Who are your potential clients and where do they spend time? What are you hoping they will do upon seeing your ad?
• Your budget – How much do you want to spend on these efforts? Do you have a monthly budget broken out? How much are you willing to pay for a new client?

2. Research a Comprehensive Keyword List

Keywords are the cornerstone of an effective PPC strategy. Take the time to properly research the right keywords for your campaign. Long-tail terms are great to go after because they are highly targeted and more cost-efficient than more competitive terms. In order to find these keywords, you should have a thorough knowledge of your audience and the questions that they have regarding legal services. Once you know the broad terms that are generally related, you can do further research to figure out some popular long-tail searches that are aligned with those phrases. For example, “how to find a personal injury attorney” or “where to find a family lawyer in [city]”. Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or HubSpot’s Keywords Tool.

3. Understand Your Competitors

Once you’ve identified your goals and keywords, spend time on a thorough competitive analysis. This can help you identify opportunities that you can take advantage of. Are other firms doing a better job highlighting their benefits? Are they leveraging the same keywords, or are there gaps that you can fill? What do their ads and landing pages look like, and how do they differ from what you have planned? Make sure you’re focusing on your primary competitors and not every firm that seems similar. Look for the firms that are really thriving in your sector and location.

4. Set Up Conversion Tracking

Implement conversion tracking from the very beginning of your PPC campaigns. This will help you to measure success as you go along. This way you’ll know which expenditures are actually driving the results you want. It’ll also help you to see where you need to tweak and optimize. Knowing which ads generate clicks, leads, downloads, etc. will help you to improve your PPC campaigns as well as learn more about your target market and continue to refine your messaging. Use a tool like Google AdWords Conversion Tracking or Google Analytics Conversion Tracking right from the beginning.

5. Never Stop Learning

As with many aspects of business, the more you put into PPC the more you will get out of it. PPC is highly dynamic and will continue to evolve, so you’ll need to be proactive about learning the latest updates. Make an effort to learn from experts and review tools that can help you with PPC. For example, as your campaigns get more sophisticated, a bid management tool that automatically optimizes your PPC campaigns could be helpful. Some bid management providers even offer a free trial that allows you to try out the solutions and see what might be a fit.

Takeaway:

The important thing to know about PPC marketing for attorneys is that it requires careful planning and monitoring to be successful. Close attention to where your PPC dollars are going and the results being driven will ensure that your paid advertising efforts pay off. Some firms find that they simply don’t have the bandwidth or skill set to devote the proper resources to PPC. If this is the case for your firm, talk to our paid advertising team. We can develop campaigns that drive prime targets for your firm directly to your website. Contact us today for a free consultation.