Should Lawyers Use A PPC Agency? Pros & Cons of DIY Google Ads

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) generally refers to Google Ads or Adwords. It can refer to advertising on other channels like Facebook or LinkedIn, but we will stick to Google Ads in this article. PPC for lawyers is best executed by a law firm advertising agency, as law firm PPC is complex and requires both subject matter knowledge and technical skill in digital advertising. Here at Marketlytics, our founder worked as a lawyer, thus we have the subject matter expertise to understand the law and also the technical digital marketing skills and experience to design winning campaigns. Google Ads are the easiest way to get leads, prospects and clients for law firms but it can also become a huge vacuum sucking money from the business without proper diligence and time spent on the campaign.

Why Should Lawyers Use PPC Ads?

Google Ads relies on keyword targeting. The “search intent” that this advertising can generate is why Google Ads is suitable for legal services. Because the users of Google are actively searching for solutions, by providing them with answers to their queries, clicks are converted to phone calls and for submissions. However, the profitability of this type of advertising heavily depends on the Cost-Per-Click (CPC) and conversion rates. Where the cost is excessive, certain areas of law may benefit from Facebook Advertising or using LinkedIn if it is for transactional matters. Google Ads is capable of handling both litigious and transactional matters as campaign objectives. A purely litigious firm is relegated to only using Google Ads and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), so from a digital marketing perspective, every practice should market transactional work as part of their services, or be forever limited in their reach and traffic sources.

What is a PPC Agency?

A PPC Agency is an agency that is a provider of Google Ads management. They provide setup and diligence maintenance of Google Ads and ensure you get the maximum return for the relevant goals you focus on. However, not all are equal, and we are not talking about Google Partner status, which, although nice to have is not as important as subject matter expertise. We have a lawyer, Clarence Ling, supervising and running these activities, allowing for better performance for your budget on average then a layman digital marketer.

Are There PPC Agencies That Specialise In Lawyer Advertising?

Yes, there are at least six players in Australia, and four we consider as top agencies, including us. Our difference is that the owner of this agency is a lawyer, trained by the top PPC and Analytics Experts in the world, with real, demonstrated experience in PPC. The unique value proposition therefore is that we are run by a hardcore digital marketer who worked as a lawyer, not a practising lawyer who does digital marketing on the side, nor a law graduate who specialises in digital marketing for lawyers. We are hardcore, elite advertisers who can reliably design a campaign that converts.

Pros And Cons Of Using A Lawyer PPC Agency

The advantages of using specialists are compelling. They have more exposure to the law. They understand legal terms. They have more insight to the legal process. They are more experienced, and thus know what works and what doesn’t. The main disadvantage of using a lawyer PPC agency is that they will never be exclusive to your law firm without an exclusivity fee. As these are niched agencies, their appeal is working for multiple law firms. That’s why you hire them, for their industry experience and tailored approach.

The reason why marketing your law firm yourself is not effective, is because you think like a lawyer.

The law is about avoiding and minimising liability. Marketing is about seeking opportunity.

These are very different modes of thought, and I think like a marketer whilst having worked as a lawyer, and that is why we get you better results!

~ Clarence Ling, Marketlytics

How Do I Choose A PPC Agency?

We strongly think you should choose a PPC Agency run by a lawyer, like Marketlytics. Clarence Ling was a generalist lawyer, twice published on topics including intellectual property. This wide breadth and exposure to the law is so rare, it makes Marketlytics unique. There was a lawyer who is a marketer before Clarence, but he is still a Special Counsel and not a hardcore digital marketer like Clarence. There is also a law graduate who specialises in digital marketing, but he never finished his graduate diploma in legal practice or practised in law. His exposure to the law is thus lesser than Clarence. Furthermore, Clarence was trained by foremost leaders in the PPC and Analytics industry, he is more up to date and hardcore than any of his competitors. Clarence has achieved $6.85 Cost Per Conversion reliably in a legal niche, where some keywords cost $110 or more per click! If you’re not impressed, you don’t understand the gravity of this statistic! This is expert bid management & optimisation, avoiding expensive keywords and focusing on keyword phrases that will bring profits to our client.

How Much Should I Pay For PPC Management?

For new accounts, there is sometimes a setup fee. This setup fee depends on the size of the account, but is usually at least 30% of the advertising budget or Ad Spend. A larger budget is not easier, it is harder to manage! The typical day-to-day management is usually at least $1,000 a month or a minimum 12.5% of Ad Spend. Nevertheless, just because an agency charges higher does not mean it is unjustified, sometimes fees are driven by expertise and ability to produce smarter, efficient campaigns. However, an agency should be able to produce a projection for you. We do so to demonstrate feasibility of a campaign and show you can achieve a positive return. Here is an example:

What Google Ads Best Practices Should My Law Firm Marketing Agency Be Following?

The most important thing they should be doing is be diligent. Many agencies are “set and forget”. You pay a retainer for continuous work and improvement, not for them to automate everything and just leave it there without checking and adjusting! You can check their activities by looking at the “Change History” in your Google Ads account. There should be a change at least every two weeks in a mature account, every few days or each week for a fresh account and a campaign that is just launched needs to be checked every few hours in the first day to make sure no severe mistakes like inflated budgets occur! The location settings should be “People in or regularly in your targeted locations” the geographical targeting, not “People in, regularly in, or who’ve shown interest in your targeted locations” because the latter will pick up people outside your targeted geography!

How Will I Know My Law Firm PPC Marketing Campaign Is Working?

You will know your PPC campaign is working when there are Conversions. These are phone calls or form submissions, and your agency needs to track these accurately to measure the data accurately. Visitors need to be tracked by both Google Ads and Google Analytics. The Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) needs to be reasonable, because it is your Cost-Per-Lead. There are many loss producing campaigns that produce loss not because there is no performance, but they are performing below a target that produces a profit.

How Do I Choose The Right Keywords For My Lawyer Google Ads Campaign?

The first step is to decide on relevant services you want to target. Following that, from your services, determine relevant questions related to your services. There are tools that can help you find your keywords, like KWFinder and Answer The Public. Typing in the Google Search Bar is a crude but valid way to find keyword suggestions from Google.

What Budget Should I Set For My Law Firm Google Ads Campaign?

This is honestly something an expert needs to advise you on. There is an effective range of budget to deliver positive returns. It cannot be too low or too high. A projection is the best way to decide your initial budget. It requires careful study of the major keywords and understanding of the profit margins of the firm. Here’s another example of our projections:

Projections are the first step to create data driven strategies!

How Long Does It Take Up To Set Up A PPC Advertising Campaign?

It depends on the size of the campaign. However, in our experience, two weeks to a month. We always take a month because we want to dedicate enough time to the platform, we want to be as precise as possible. The tracking and testing is also important, just to make sure the maximum potential of the advertising is realised.

What Is A Typical Cost Per Click For Lawyers?

The Cost-Per-Click of a keyword can vary greatly depending on niche and location. Have a look at some statistics from Google:

Now these are really generic terms, which you may or may not want to target, but you can see the costs can reach somewhere between $30-40 in New South Wales. Also, notice “commercial lawyer sydney” has a surprisingly low volume, but still isn’t cheap. Generally, higher volume keywords can have lower CPC if the demand is high and competition is not aggressive. It is not surprising for some keywords to exceed $100 per click.

Conclusion

PPC for lawyers is best left to a PPC Agency with real expertise. Clarence Ling worked as a solicitor and has wide exposure to many areas of law. He is a true hardcore digital marketer, not a wishy-washy marketer who is still a lawyer, and has more knowledge and experience of legal issues than a law graduate. We never set and forget, and we always do projections to make sure the campaign is feasible before starting! We take enough time to set up our campaigns and will maximise your returns. We always maintain best practises and constantly tweak for never ending maintenance and improvement. We use relevant keywords that are worth targeting to ensure an efficient campaign. If you want cutting edge and dedicated, diligent PPC, consider Marketlytics, who will give you an edge. Book a discovery call today!

All discovery calls are confidential