{"id":19691,"date":"2021-06-17T10:31:19","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T14:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gutenberg-atl.staging.breakingmedia.com\/legal-innovation-center\/?p=19691"},"modified":"2021-06-17T10:31:19","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T14:31:19","slug":"local-service-ads-vs-ppc-whats-right-for-your-law-firm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/legal-innovation-center\/2021\/06\/17\/local-service-ads-vs-ppc-whats-right-for-your-law-firm\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Service Ads VS. PPC – What\u2019s Right For Your Law Firm?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Online advertising for lawyers can be scary enough, but when change happens, things seem more unstable than ever. The recent introduction of Google\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are the Differences Between LSA and PPC?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Google\u2019s 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.\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local Service Ads for Lawyers<\/strong><\/h5>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pay Per Click For Lawyers<\/strong><\/h5>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Will LSAs Replace PPCs?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.\u00a0 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\u2019s <\/span>Google My Business<\/span><\/a> account.\u00a0 Experts who have studied the success of LSAs find these results:<\/span><\/p>\n