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In some ways, a law office is just like any other type of business. You pay your electric bill to keep your doors open, try to get new clients, and worry about your quarterly budget. However, in many others, it is like nothing else. One way your business is unique is when it comes to the way you market yourself online. There are many challenges when it comes to paid advertising (also referred to as PPC) for those in the law industry, like you.

One of the most notable is that law-related keywords are extremely expensive. This isn’t just a feeling you have; the keyword “personal injury lawyer in NYC” has a cost-per-click (CPC) of $212! This is because there is such high competition, even if you aren’t in a major city like New York. So, how can a personal injury lawyer with a $3,000 monthly budget compete against a recognized law firm with ten times the budget? We’ll tell you! It is all about getting the right Leads, which is difficult to obtain without the right approach.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

#1 Keywords that have less demand will save you money

This is a fantastic way to use less budget, while still bringing in new, qualified Leads. Let’s go back to the example above. If you are only bidding on keywords that cost over $200 each, you won’t get very much bang for your buck. Your budget will be spent quickly, and then you’ll be invisible. The obvious solution is to not pay several hundred dollars per click if you don’t have the budget. Sure, those keywords have more demand, but you can still obtain qualified searches with keywords that have less demand and hence lower CPC. Look for alternative keywords that will still generate traffic and qualified leads that have less demand. For example, an average “personal injury lawyer near me” will cost you $115 CPC, however, “slip and fall settlements” has a $19 CPC.

#2 Create specific Ads for specific audiences

You aren’t trying to attract multiple audiences with the same ad, are you? Oh no! This will never bring great results. Someone searching for “divorce lawyer near me” would like to see an add with the location name on the title, and someone looking for “how can a divorce lawyer help me” should get an ad with an FAQ or another type of informational page. On that note, keep in mind that you want to send your traffic to the right landing page if you offer multiple practice areas. A must to have on the landing pages is your phone number, a live chat icon if you offer it, a contact form option if available and an FAQ link in case the users want more information. Your ad extensions should always match your ads. By making your ads relevant, you keep your CPC low and don’t waste money on people looking for something else altogether. Beyond just saving money, you are also creating credibility on your ads by using all your ad extensions. In the same previous example, you want to make sure that if someone searches for a “divorce lawyer near me” you need to show your location extension and office locations site link. This will add more value to your ad, and by the extent to your law firm as well.

For example, “Local divorce lawyer” is your search term, and the ad shows the location, hours and in the headline, it has your search term:

#3 Focus on call conversions

It’s important to keep the big picture in mind. You don’t just want clicks, you want new clients. That is where adding call extensions will be beneficial. You can make your law firm accessible at any point by using these and by placing bid adjustments to show more often than any other ad extensions you might have. You may even want to try call-only campaigns; clicks are about 25% more expensive, but conversion rates on call-only campaigns are significantly higher.  Below is a real-life example:

This type of campaign should have a keyword approach focused on urgency, like “I need a personal injury lawyer now” or “need divorce lawyer asap.” If you don’t answer calls after business hours, you can create alternative ads that say things like “fill out our contact form” instead of “call now.” That way, you don’t miss out on the Lead.

#4 Highlight your benefits and make your ads reliable

Keep in mind that when someone is searching for a law firm, there is usually something big at stake for them. Maybe they are trying to keep custody of their children, protect a business, claim an injury, or trying to get a job back.

That is why your ads need to sound reliable and reduce any risk on their part. Project confidence with your ads!

To achieve this, here are some examples that  you can use in your ads to show reliability:

• Free consultations
• Flat-rate pricing (so there are no surprise fees later on)
• Number of cases won
• Success Rate
• Combined years of experience
• Achievements awarded to the firm

For example, the ad below has low-risk features by showing the ratings and it has a 90% success rate.

Vs. this add does not project reliability and is very generic.

#5 Use Negative Keywords

This is a basic checklist on a Google Ads campaign, however, you would be surprised that about 90% of the lawyers White Shark Media has worked with did not have negative keywords when they were onboard. Many new clients were losing thousands of dollars on a competitor’s search terms or irrelevant traffic that was meant for another practice. Negative keywords are important because it will save you lots of money and it will improve the overall quality of your traffic.

For example, if you do “family law” but do not offer adoption family law, you want to make sure your add doesn’t pull out people looking for adoption. Negative keywords will save lots of time to the user and end the advertiser. It’s better for everyone!

It seems simple when laid out like this, but these five things will make a huge difference to your firm. By following these tips, you can advertise very effectively, even if you don’t have a competitive budget by going after keywords that have less demand. Remember, your ad is your most important representation in Google/Bing, so they must be relevant to your audience by making more custom ads. And of course, attorneys need a high volume of calls, so always ensure your ads and your strategy are focused on making yourself accessible via telephone. Be sure that your ads boost the confidence of the searcher, and always filter out negative keywords you don’t want to show for.