PPC for Law Firms
Law Firm PPC Measured in Signed Cases
With Google Ads and Local Services Ads today, you get to the top of the search results page. We handle this for law firms using call tracking, careful negative keywords and intake reviews so that we can trace every dollar spent to consultations or signed cases.
In short
Law firm PPC means pay per click advertising using mostly Google Ads search campaigns and Local Services Ads that bring your law firm up ahead of other organic listings when people search for lawyers. When clicks and calls are carefully tracked right through intake to when clients sign, then you can weed out keywords that cost you money and do not result in new business.
What We Run
Google Ads for lawyers, built around intake
Paid search is a component of GLP's marketing efforts for law firms and falls within the scope of the Consulting CMO engagement that we take on. We design and run these components.
Search
Google Ads search campaigns
Campaigns are divided into different practice areas and specific case types. Exact match and phrase matching is used for key terms that sign cases; ads that closely match searches are used as well and we also have mobile call assets included.
Pay per lead
Local Services Ads
Google Verified profile setup, practice areas and service areas, review requests, hours that match when you answer, and disputes on leads that don't qualify.
Waste control
Negative keywords
A starting list for legal accounts plus weekly search term reviews. Job seekers, students, free-help searchers and the wrong practice area get blocked early.
Measurement
Call and form tracking
Campaign calls are tracked along with keywords; we track form submissions directly back to their source as well and then send signed cases back to Google Ads so that bidding improves based on cases rather than clicks.
Landing pages
Pages that convert
We have a special page for each campaign: quick loading, designed for phones first, prominent location of the phone number at the top and content that speaks directly to search intent. These pages are often developed in collaboration with our website team.
Intake
Intake review
Answer rates, missed calls, after hours coverage and how quickly people receive replies to their forms: paid clicks that ring and then go silent at the end are the most expensive leads a company can acquire.
Search Ads vs LSA
Google Ads search vs Local Services Ads
Google Local Services Ads for lawyers and regular search ads look similar to the searcher but work very differently. Google explains the LSA program in its Local Services Ads help center.
| Feature | Google Ads search | Local Services Ads |
|---|---|---|
| You pay for | Clicks | Leads (calls and messages) |
| Placement | Top and bottom of results | Above the search ads on many legal searches |
| Keywords | You choose them, and the negatives | Google matches you by practice area and location |
| Ad copy and landing page | Yours to write and test | Your profile: reviews, photos, hours, practice areas |
| Screening | Standard ad policies | License check and background checks for the Google Verified badge |
| What drives results | Keyword choice, bids, ad relevance, landing page | Proximity, reviews, responsiveness and business hours |
LSAs generally provide lower cost local calls that work well in practice areas that Google supports; however, you have less control as to when they trigger. On the other hand, search campaigns offer greater control and reach for cases that LSAs don't cover. We run both depending on what fits and we judge success based on cost per signed case rather than cost per lead.
Getting LSA leads to sign
Answer your phone. Google says that responsiveness and business hours affect how often LSAs show up and missing calls for an LSA is also costing you leads you paid for. Also ask every customer who has signed with you for a Google review. Lastly, mark each lead on the LSA dashboard as either booked or not so that the data stays clean.
Performance Max
Performance Max for law firms: proceed with care
Performance Max campaigns run across search ads on Google, YouTube, display ads, Gmail ads, Discover ads, and also Maps. Google's automation decides how to allocate the budget for this campaign. It works well for some companies. But for law firms there are three common issues they face with Performance Max campaigns:
- It finds the cheap conversions. If the campaign is told to get form fills, it will find form fills, including spam and people who were never going to hire a lawyer.
- It can spend on your brand. People already searching for your firm by name were likely to call anyway.
- Less control. Placement and search term visibility are more limited than in a search campaign, which makes waste harder to spot.
We won't start using Performance Max until we have a steady flow of signed cases or qualified consultations showing up as conversions in Google Ads. We will then test it against paid search results using a fixed budget and compare cost per signed case.
Negative Keywords
The searches you should never pay for
Broad legal terms pull in a lot of people who will never hire your firm. A starting list for most law firm PPC accounts blocks searches like these, then grows each week from the search terms report.
- Jobs and careers: "lawyer jobs", "paralegal salary", "law clerk hiring", "how to become a lawyer".
- School: "law school", "LSAT", "bar exam", "law student internship".
- Free help, when you don't offer it: "free legal aid", "pro bono lawyer", "legal aid society". Some firms do want these; we ask first.
- Do-it-yourself: "forms", "template", "how to file without a lawyer", "self-help".
- The wrong practice area: a PI campaign showing for "workers comp" or "slip and fall at work" in a state where you don't take those cases.
- The wrong side: "defense attorney" in a plaintiff campaign, or "for employers" in an employee-side employment campaign.
- Places you don't serve, and other firms' brand names unless you have chosen to bid on them.
- Information searches with no hiring intent, like "definition" or "statute of limitations wiki". These are better won with content and SEO.
Call Tracking and Intake
Most legal leads are phone calls. Track them.
Completing forms is easy to tally; most legal matters begin with a phone call and often reporting for pay-per-click (PPC) stops right there. We set things up like this:
- Call tracking uses phone numbers that vary according to the source for tracking calls and knowing which campaign and keywords generated each call. Where recording is permitted by law in your state, recordings show how the calls were handled during intake.
- Call assets and calls from ads counted as conversions only when they last long enough to be a real conversation.
- Offline conversions. When a lead becomes a consultation or a signed case in your CRM or intake log, that result goes back to Google Ads. Google calls this offline conversion import and enhanced conversions for leads. Bidding then optimizes for cases instead of clicks.
- Missed call alerts and a simple weekly report: calls, answered, consultations, signed.
Our CMO Agent can watch these numbers every day and flag missed calls and wasted spend, and operational intelligence follows cases after intake.
Bar Advertising Rules
PPC ad copy is attorney advertising
Every state regulates lawyer advertising, most of them based on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Short ad copy makes it easy to slip.
- Model Rule 7.1: no false or misleading statements. "We win every case", "maximum compensation guaranteed" and unverifiable "best lawyer in town" claims don't belong in a headline.
- Model Rule 7.2: limits on calling a lawyer a "specialist" or "certified" without certification by an approved body, and a requirement to include the name and contact details of a lawyer or firm responsible for the ad.
- Past results and reviews used in ads or on landing pages often need a disclaimer next to them in your state.
- Some states require "Attorney Advertising" labels, filing copies of ads, or keeping records of every version. Your state bar's rules decide.
When writing ads and pages we don't promise results and we highlight any content that requires disclaimers. Approval in the end is still handled by the firm, we are a marketing firm and not ethics advisors.
Measuring Results
Cost per signed case is the number
It's useful to look at Cost Per Click (CPC) and Cost Per Lead (CPL) when you want to manage your campaigns from day to day. But they don't really tell you if the campaign is worthwhile overall. To find out that, you need to take total spending and divide that by the number of cases signed during the same time period.
Let's look at an example with some hypothetical numbers. One campaign spends $6,000 every month and generates 40 inquiries and forms. Of those, 12 people move on to consultations and 4 of them actually sign up. So the cost per lead is $150 and the cost per signed case comes to $1,500. Another campaign that costs $90 per lead gets one client out of that same budget of $6,000. This cheaper looking option turns out to be the pricier one.
That is why we report both, and why we move budget between campaigns monthly based on signed cases. Try the math with your own numbers in the ROI calculator, and see how to set a law firm marketing budget.
PPC or SEO?
PPC buys you visibility right away and stops when your budget runs out. On the other hand, Law firm SEO and AI search optimization take months but continue working even after you stop working on them. Most law firms perform best by using both approaches: using paid search for urgent and valuable keywords while organic ranking builds up over time and then shifting budget towards organic results as that side grows stronger. Data from PPC campaigns also tells you which specific terms lead to signing new clients; this information guides SEO efforts on what to target.
How We Start
From audit to a clean account
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Account and tracking audit
We take a look at your Google Ads and LSA accounts along with setup for conversions and tracking of calls. We also review recent search terms. If you haven't been advertising yet, we will do some research into keywords and bids related to your marketplace. Start with a free audit first.
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Fix measurement
This includes conversion actions counting actual phone calls as well as form submissions; call tracking based on source is also important along with being able to route consultations and signed cases back into Google Ads.
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Rebuild the structure
Campaigns by practice area and case type, match types and negatives, ads that match the search, and landing pages for each campaign.
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Launch and review weekly
Search terms, budgets, call answer rates and lead quality, reviewed every week. Changes are logged so you can see what moved and why.
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Report on signed cases monthly
Spend, leads, consultations and signed cases by campaign, with a recommendation on where the next dollar should go.
PPC performs best when integrated into a broader marketing strategy. Learn how it aligns with SEO, content marketing and your website on our law firm marketing overview, or let our Consulting CMO handle everything there. We also suggest you check out personal injury marketing if you're an injury lawyer.
Law firm PPC: common questions
Can't find what you're looking for? Talk to our team.
How much do Google Ads cost for lawyers?
Legal keywords are some of the most expensive in Google Ads, and the price depends on the practice area, the city and how many firms bid. Personal injury terms in large metros cost far more per click than estate planning in a smaller market. Google's Keyword Planner shows current bid ranges for your own keywords and location. The figure that matters more is what you pay per signed case, and that depends on your intake as much as your bids.
What is the difference between Google Ads and Local Services Ads for lawyers?
Google Ads lets you pay each time someone clicks on an ad; you choose keywords, write ads and direct traffic to a landing page. On the other hand, Local Services Ads cost you based on leads received: they appear above regular ads with the badge of Google Verified (previously called Google Screened) and send calls and messages directly to your business. LSAs need background and license checks first before they go live. Most businesses that run both kinds of ads notice that they perform quite differently in terms of quality of leads and we keep them separate to track this performance distinctly.
How long does law firm PPC take to work?
Advertising can start generating clicks as soon as it goes live. During the first month you learn what search terms work, which ones to block out, and how many consultations result from your ads. After collecting enough leads that have had time to convert, you should judge performance based on cost per signed case. This takes a couple of months for many legal practice areas.
Should a law firm use Performance Max?
Carefully, and usually not first. Performance Max spreads budget across Google's networks from one campaign and gives you less control over where ads show. For lawyers that can mean spend on your own brand name and lower-quality form fills. We start with search and Local Services Ads, and test Performance Max only when conversion tracking reports signed cases, not just form submissions.
Who owns the Google Ads account?
We suggest that your firm retain ownership of this account and we recommend that GLP have access too. This is so that historical data and information stays with you if you decide to switch agencies later on.
Do Google Ads have to follow bar advertising rules?
Yes. Paid ads are attorney advertising. State rules based on the ABA Model Rules 7.1 and 7.2 apply to headlines, descriptions and landing pages: no misleading statements, no promises of results and careful use of terms like 'specialist' or 'expert'. Some states also require disclaimers or filing for advertisements. The final approval for ad copy still rests with the firm.
Want to know what
your ads really cost?
Book a free strategy call. We'll look at your account, your tracking and your intake, and show you your real cost per signed case.
Or call Call (661) 388-5526