Google Ads for Lawyers & Law Firms

CPC, which stands for Cost Per Click, and PPC, which stands for Pay Per Click, represent an advertising model where you’re only charged if someone clicks on your advertisement.

Additional advertising models comprise:

• Cost Per Impression, under which you’re charged based on the number of times your ad is displayed, irrespective of whether it’s clicked.
• Cost Per Engagement, where charges apply when a user engages in a specific way with your ad, such as watching your video ad.

Google Ads primarily come in three different forms:

• Search Network Campaigns – Typically in text format, these ads appear on Google Search results pages when an individual searches for a product or service related to what you offer.
• Display Network Campaigns – Usually presented as images, these ads are visible on websites or apps frequented by your target audience.
• Video Campaigns – These are usually 6 or 15-second video ads that are displayed either before or during YouTube content.

There’s no specific period that you must run your Google Ads for. Google Ads provides flexibility when it comes to duration. You can run a campaign indefinitely or set a specific end date. It’s best to keep a campaign active for at least a few weeks to collect enough data for meaningful analysis.

However, remember that online advertising is a dynamic process. The effectiveness of your ads can change over time due to various factors, such as increased competition, market changes, or changes in search behavior. Therefore, regular monitoring, testing, and adjustment of your campaigns are essential for long-term success.

Google Ads for lawyers are displayed across a vast network of platforms and services, which provides you with a wide array of potential touch points for your target audience. Here’s a brief overview of the main areas:

• Google Search Network. These are the ads that appear on Google Search results pages. They’re typically text-based and are displayed when a user’s search query matches keywords you’ve bid on. This network also includes other Google sites like Google Maps and Google Shopping.
• Google Display Network. This network comprises over two million websites, videos, and apps where your ads can appear. Display Ads are usually image-based and can appear in various formats across the web, including within articles, on YouTube, in Gmail, and alongside other content.
• Google Shopping. If you’re selling products, your ads can also appear in Google Shopping results. While this might not directly apply to law firms, it’s a significant part of the Google Ads landscape.
• Google Video/YouTube. You can run video ads on YouTube and other Google Display Network sites that support video content. These can be standalone video ads or ones that play before, during, or after other YouTube videos.
• Google App Campaigns. App campaigns streamline the process for you, making it easy to promote your law firm’s app across Google’s largest properties, including Search, Play, YouTube, and the Google Display Network.

The beauty of Google Ads is its flexibility in terms of where and how your ads are displayed. This allows for highly targeted campaigns that reach potential clients wherever they are online. At Esquire Interactive, we can help determine which options are best for your Google Ads marketing strategy.

Google Ads operates with a hierarchical structure consisting of campaigns, ad groups, and ads.

• A Campaign is the broadest level and is where you set overarching parameters such as budget, networks where you want your ads to appear (like Google Search or Google Display Network), and start and end dates for your campaign.
• Campaigns consist of Ad Groups. Each Ad Group shares a set of targeting criteria and serves as a container for your ads. These Ad Groups allow you to segment your campaign into different categories or themes based on your services or types of clients. For instance, one Ad Group might focus on “patent law services” while another could concentrate on “trademark litigation.”
• The narrowest level is the Ads. These are the actual advertisements that users see. Each Ad Group can contain multiple Ads, which you can tailor to specific keywords or audience interests.

Google Ads Assets (formerly called “Extensions”) consist of extra text that Google sometimes shows in an Ad, such as clickable phone number links, links to reviews, or “callouts” such as “Free Consultation.” This additional text can be helpful as it provides more information about your firm to prospective clients.

Google Ads Smart Campaigns are a simplified version of the traditional Google Ads platform, designed to help small businesses set up their advertising campaigns in an easy and straightforward way.

AI-driven campaigns (e.g., smart, performance max, etc.) use Google’s machine learning algorithms to automatically manage and optimize your campaigns. They determine where and when your ads will appear based on your products or services and business goals.

No. While Google Ads Smart Campaigns offer a user-friendly and less time-consuming option for law firms, especially for those new to digital advertising, they may not always be the best choice. One reason is that Smart Campaigns might cost more in the long run and might be less effective than managed ad campaigns.

Smart Campaigns, while leveraging Google’s machine learning algorithms, offer a one-size-fits-all approach. They automate a lot of the process, and while this can simplify setup, it also takes away some level of control and granularity from your campaign strategy. This lack of customization and optimization can lead to higher costs per click and lower conversion rates.

Managed ad campaigns, on the other hand, allow law firms to have a more hands-on approach. This includes detailed keyword research, more targeted bidding strategies, and thorough performance analytics. A properly managed campaign allows you to optimize your ads for your specific target audience and goals, potentially leading to a higher return on investment. As a Google Ads agency with nearly two decades of experience, we highly recommend that attorneys avoid automated campaigns, as they often lead to a lower ROI.

Click one of the links below for more information about Google Ads and PPC Marketing:

• PPC
• Is PPC better than SEO?
• FirmLocal
• Google Analytics – Measuring ROI
• Google Screened
• Winning the Google Race

Converting a Google Ads Smart Campaign to a regular Google Ads campaign requires you to set up a new campaign from scratch, as Google doesn’t offer a direct “conversion” feature. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Login to Google Ads: Go to Google Ads and sign in with your account.
2. Navigate to Campaigns: On the left sidebar, click the “Campaigns” tab.
3. Click on “+ New Campaign”: This will allow you to set up a new standard campaign.
4. Select Your Goal: Choose the primary goal for this campaign, such as Sales, Leads, Website traffic, etc.
5. Choose Campaign Type: Select the desired type, e.g., Search, Display, Video, etc.
6. Set Campaign Parameters: Fill in settings like target locations, languages, budget, and bidding strategy.
7. Ad Group Setup: Create ad groups, select keywords or placements, and set bids.
8. Create Ads: Design your ads using the ad builder. Make sure to copy over any ad copy, URLs, and extensions from your Smart Campaign if you wish to reuse them.
9. Review and Launch: Double-check all settings and configurations, then click “Save and Continue” to launch your new standard campaign.
10. Pause the Smart Campaign: Navigate back to the “Campaigns” tab, find your Smart Campaign, and pause it to prevent both campaigns from running simultaneously and doubling your costs.
11. Monitor and Optimize: Regularly check the performance of your new standard campaign and make necessary adjustments for optimal results.

Remember, while AI-driven Google Ads campaigns automate many aspects, standard campaigns provide more control and customization, so you might need to spend more time monitoring and adjusting the latter. However, you won’t waste up to 80% of your marketing spend on ineffective Google Ads.