Online advertising for lawyers can be scary enough, but when change happens, things seem more unstable than ever. The recent introduction of Google’s Local Services Ads (LSAs) for legal professionals might be causing you to wonder if you should alter your game plan, stop using PPC Ads (pay-per-click), and shift over to LSAs (local service ads). Although the new LSAs have serious advantages, PPC ads may also be beneficial for various reasons. Before you make a move, consider the following points.
What Are the Differences Between LSA and PPC?
Google’s PPC and LSAs are both currently available for attorneys. Although LSAs have been around a while, only recently has this option opened up for legal businesses. Local service ads allow lawyers to gain new leads, paying only for quality texts and phone calls from prospective clients. PPC ads will cost you when a consumer simply clicks on your listing. It may appear as if LSAs would be the preferred option for limited budgets and better search results. Does the new opportunity to use LSAs mean that PPCs are no longer relevant? Not necessarily, because both types of ads can be effective and every law firm is different.
Local Service Ads for Lawyers
Previously known as Google Home Service Ads, LSAs are ads that favor local businesses. LSAs appear above organic search results and they appear above PPC ads. An LSA includes basic business details about your law firm, such as contact information, average review score and operating hours. LSAs offer pay-per-lead, so your law firm only pays when a potential client sees your ad then calls you. The call must last at least thirty seconds, and if the call is an irrelevant one, you can get credited. This is different from PPC ads, where you pay for a consumer click, even if there is no conversion. LSAs require a background check for each attorney in the law firm.
Pay Per Click For Lawyers
Pay per click advertising allows your law firm to pay only when someone clicks on your ad. This makes it essential to write a compelling, action-oriented ad that propels a consumer to take the next step when browsing search results, and PPC ads can generate a good amount of traffic.
PPC Ads are somewhat like LSAs similar to LSAs, except that a PPC ad is more limited and does not require attorney background checks. Another key element of PPC ads is that they appear lower on Google’s search results than LSAs.
Will LSAs Replace PPCs?
For larger law firms with big budgets and solid name recognition, PPCs can work well. For smaller law firms, LSAs can be successful and quite cost-effective. There are some searchers who may see an LSA for a law firm, but go on to visit a website before making a decision. LSAs were not created to replace PPC ads or compete with them. The two ad campaigns can run at the same time, or one can run while the other is temporarily paused. Each ad campaign has its own dashboard and app, with the LSA being connected to the company’s Google My Business account. Experts who have studied the success of LSAs find these results:
- Organic search results gather the most clicks, although their numbers drop when LSAs are displayed.
- Organic position #1 gets the highest number of clicks.
- Reviews are the largest factor for clicks in local search results.
- LSAs gain 13.8% of local Search Result clicks.
- The emergence of LSAs definitely affects the number of clicks for each other SERP type.
- When LSAs are in place, over 25% of all clicks are on paid ads. When LSAs are missing, this number is slightly over 14%.
Why People Click
According to a 2018 study, people who click on LSAs are highly influenced by review rating, page position, and the Google Guaranteed rating. The business name and availability of their services are also in the top five. For PPCs, the top reason people click is that company’s page position, along with the compelling content included in the ad.
More Than Clicks
Clicks are only one data point of many. Looking at a chart of clicks alone can be misleading because the primary goal is to gather quality leads and increased business. The data simply assists in decision-making and determining how the end goals will best happen. When determining a budget for LSAs and PPCs, remember that:
- Google allows every LSA client to get a shot at the top of the results page. Even if you concentrate your budget on LSAs, other businesses will get a turn at the top.
- Look not only at the most clicks; look also at most leads and quality clients gathered from the ads used.
- Using LSAs means your local input and client reviews will be even more crucial to your marketing success.
- The big entrance of LSAs means the cost of PPC ads may decrease.
- LSAs allow your law firm to pay only when a client call lasts at least thirty seconds.
Optimize Your PPCs
To make your PPC ad campaigns work best, consider these steps:
- Direct consumers to a landing page, not a home page.
- Confirm that your page structure supports a call to action
- Ensure that your paid ad searches and landing pages are relevant to search intent
- Improve landing page experience
- Maximize the use of contact forms
Optimize Your LSAs
Here are some tips to boost the effectiveness of your LSAs:
- Fill out your Google My Business profile fully
- Add appointment links
- Complete a “service area” page to gain more leads
- Create a consistent brand
Each Law Firm is Different
Law firms are anxious that their budget for LSAs are at odds with their PPC budget and vice versa. These worries cause further angst that perhaps the law firm should simply overhaul the whole advertising strategy and start from scratch. Resist the temptation to do this, and remember that Industry averages are only one data source, and your law firm is not average. Because every law firm is different, the information on PPC and LSA ads doesn’t translate across the board, and the results are different for each law firm. What may work well for a chunk of the industry may not work right for your company, so it is essential to work within goals that are tailored for your law firm’s unique characteristics.
Conclusion
The latest trends can cause business owners to overreact, but remember to examine the data. A new LSA campaign may or may not affect your PPC strategy. Your PPC data may look halfhearted, but your ads may actually be transforming to greater efficiency. LSA and PPC strategies do not have to be enemies. Local Service Ads tend to reach an audience of individuals who are quick to click, and Pay-Per-Click Ads may reach a more methodical group of potential clients who are searching for your memorable law firm name. Remember to optimize your law firm for both PPC and LSA strategies and be sure to get expert marketing advice before you jump into any new advertising strategy.
This Week’s Digital Marketing Action Step:
- Review and digest the newest data from your recent ad campaigns.
Annette Choti graduated from law school 20 years ago, and is now the CEO & Owner of Law Quill, a legal digital marketing agency focused on small and solo law firms. Law Quill is the only legal digital marketing agency that provides unique, SEO-optimized content, pre-packaged content, and courses for lawyers to learn SEO themselves through Law Quill Academy. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so different from the legal field if we are all being honest. Annette can be found on LinkedIn or at annette@lawquill.com
