You’ve set up your law practice, now comes the time to position it as a leader in the field and get those leads in. An effective option for a quick turnaround is going for Google Ads. Although you may hear all kinds of slogans to trick you into spending fortunes on them, i.e., “SEO is dead” and likes, there are ways to create your campaigns in a way that is smart and will bring in better clients. Whereas Google Ads work very well, it is very easy for them to become a money pit if not handled correctly. To make the most of your Google Ads spending, here are three key techniques… and a bonus strategy specifically useful for law firms.
🎯 Google Ads That Hit the Mark
We have put together this list of tips based on our expertise and experience, but as you implement them, you should also know that they are most effective together and that it might take a short while to see results. We also recommend consulting with SEO experts to knock your strategy out of the park.
This said, practice makes perfect, so don’t give up. So let’s get straight to the point and check the strategies out.
1) Be Diligent with Your Keywords and Bid on Exact Matches
Are the right people getting your ads? It is not uncommon to take it for granted that ads will be displayed to the audience you are targeting based on your keywords. However, it is hardly the case. When you check out your search terms report on Google Ads, you can see how well they pair with your audience.
So, the charts will show you how well the users’ search terms matched with your keywords.
There are three types of matches:
- Exact match. 95-100% word match. The search term will be either a plural form or a misspelling of your keyword.
- Broad match. This is completely outside of your keyword. So, if you are bidding on “personal injury lawyer,” the search term might be personal injury lawyer in Birmingham, Alabama.
- Phrase match. The match here is with words within the phrase; it’s an adaptation.
A sharp eye says, then, that the way to get increased conversion rates is to only bid on exact matches.
How do we do that? Filter the search terms by clicks to see which are generating the most clicks. Scan through the search terms and download them to a spreadsheet to focus on exact matches. This way, you will see an increase in conversions based on real user data and laser focus your efforts to save Google Ads spending.
👉 Related: Should You Advertise on Google Ads?
2) Use Specific and Long-Tail Keywords in Google Ads
Long-tail keywords are made up of three or more words. They are very specific and focus on the express intent of the user. Therefore, they attract customers with more potential.
For example, if you are promoting your legal services for motorcycle accident victims, instead of choosing “motorcycle accidents” as your keywords, you might try “legal services for motorcycle accident victims” to bring in clicks from users with that exact intention.
3) Ignore Google Ads’ Automated Recommendations
While Google Ads has good intentions, it can cross the line as far as its recommendations and interactions. If you are new to the Ads world, these tools can cause more harm than good. As with anything, though, some are more relevant than others and might actually work. Here are three recommendations that we suggest you gently decline.
Switching to Broad Match Strategy
Google Ads has been pressuring customers to try the broad match strategy. As we have detailed above, this is not the smartest option to create a meaningful customer base which will give you a better ROI.
Creative Best Practice Assessment
Google AI now automatically provides assessments for videos and notifies when one is missing. The problem with this lies in the exact concept of what they are trying to promote: automation. AI can give creativity a nudge, but savvy marketers or business owners will know better than anybody what kind of creative practice they want to implement.
Turning on Automated Recommendations
Having bad recommendations (such as the ones mentioned above) automatically implemented without your knowledge? No, thank you. And since we’re on it, you should also check your automated settings from time to time to see that nothing has been accidentally activated.
Bonus Note: Supplement Your Google Ads Campaigns
An increased Ads spend that only brings in temporary customers ends up being precisely that: an expense rather than an investment. However, there is a lot you can do to reduce your Google Ads expenses and make the most of organic results. Organic search and ranking have many benefits, including:
- It is virtually expense-free.
- Therefore, it delivers impressive ROI.
- It boosts credibility.
- Relevance skyrockets.
- Other channels benefit from it as it is part of a coherent campaign.
Organic results are free listings that appear because they are relevant to a customer’s search terms. In reality, when you break them down, they are more than just relevant per se. There is a whole science behind it called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. So, The results are based, indeed, on relevance, but also on the incoming links, domain authority, and strategic content curated/created by SEO-savvy marketers.
The right content can also position a law firm as an authority in its field or region. People often disregard ads because they want “the real thing,” not what someone paid for them to see. Hence, they click on the first results after the sponsored ads that pop up after their query. These are believable, and the customer feels like they are in good hands. So, what are you waiting for to get yourself among the SEO greats and establish your firm?
👉 Related: 3 SEO Tips to Help You Rank Higher on Google
Partner up with an SEO Firm and Marvel at the Results
Alpha Co. Marketing and Media is a leading digital marketing agency whose one of their main focuses are lawyers and law firms. Since we are based in Houston, we serve customers both in English and in Spanish (we know our audience). Our mission is to leverage digital assets to provide online marketing solutions that increase revenue for our legal clients. As we build brand equity, we strive to boost inbound leads and sales and increase our clients’ profit.
