Law firms are among the local businesses who benefit the most from relatively small-scale efforts at digital advertising. People often turn to search engines when they have a legal problem, so well-structured PPC ads can be just the ticket a firm needs to capture a high-value lead and convince them that their services are better than all the rest.
Yet, knowing of the power of digital marketing, lawyers face stiff competition online, especially when it comes to PPC. In fact, legal-related terms like “mesothelioma” and “personal injury lawyer” regularly top the highest-cost PPC bids in both national and targeted regional markets.
So what is a small firm to do to keep up? They can start by heeding these 6 tips for an effective PPC campaign.
#1 Think Like a Customer
Many law firms get trapped in a marketing echo chamber, trying to imitate what their competitors are doing instead of thinking about how to better-connect with online audiences. While scoping out the competition is a definite must, you are better off keeping a closer eye on search patterns and habits.
A logical place to start would be an analytics engine such as Google’s own Analytics tool. This application will help you know vital facts about inbound traffic and PPC traffic alike, such as what search terms brought in the most people, when traffic volume tended to spike and how different search terms yielded different results in terms of conversions.
Even if you don’t currently have access to Google Analytics (Sign up! It’s free!), you can use other helpful tools like Google’s own AdWords Keyword Planner or Google Trends to give you an idea of what the biggest contributors to site traffic for your practice area are.
#2 Don’t Step in the Crossfire of High Bids, Go Long Tail Instead
With search terms like “mesothelioma” commanding dizzying bids almost near four digits, a law firm must be diligent about their PPC strategy if they don’t want to burn through their marketing budget too quickly.
If you notice that you’re getting outbid or that bid wars are getting too pricey, sidestep the issue with a long tail keyword. These search terms are less often used, but they also have a more captive audience because there’s less competition. So don’t be afraid to get obscure or creative with your PPC terms, such as saying “injured in a car accident lawyer” instead of “personal injury lawyer.”
#3 Think Locally and Tell AdWords About It
Some people are not aware how to properly configure their Geo-Targeting settings for AdWord campaigns. Instead of trying to approach a general swatch of the entire state, go granular with a more limited market. You can indicate specific city boundaries, county lines, zip codes or even a tiny radius to target only the people most likely to head to your office.
#4 Value Calls Over Clicks
Well-crafted landing pages are a must for PPC, but new mobile-centric features can allow you to more directly capture potential leads. Thanks to extensions like AdWord’s “Call” button or their practically brand-new “Call Only” campaigns, you can get someone on the horn and give them more specific information about your services, greatly increasing their chances of following up with an in-person appointment compared to a website visit.
#5 Tie Everything Together
Cross-channel marketing is the new buzzword du jour, but it actually means a whole lot more than the “synergies” and “artisanal hand-crafted” junk jargon of before.
What cross-channel essentially means is making all of your marketing efforts work together rather than against eachother. So if you have a solid organic, inbound SEO strategy, fold your reputation for knowledge into your AdWord Copy. If you have a successful social presence, use that audience to see what keywords could potentially lead to more clicks.
Be especially diligent about recycling catch phrases and unique selling prospects from paid advertising like print, radio and TV since these will be your most expensive but most broadly cast net, allowing people to recognize your firm and connect it to the PPC ad they find in front of them.
#6 Work Smarter, Not Harder
Leveraging actionable long tail keywords and keeping a close eye on your traffic patterns is a great way to gear your decision-making process towards productivity rather than spinning your tires trying to make money out of AdWord campaigns that aren’t working.
EverSpark Interactive can show you how to be even smarter with your Search Engine Marketing thanks to our Atlanta SEO capabilities. Take a look at our digital marketing services to learn more and get started today!
The post 6 Indispensable Google AdWords and PPC Tips for Law Firms appeared first on Atlanta SEO Company.