Key Mistakes to Avoid in Your Law Firm PPC Campaign
By PaperStreet on August 1, 2022 in Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
As you set up your first law firm PPC campaign, you will not only want to consider the suggestions we’ve already mentioned, but also common mistakes that firms often make. Avoiding the following errors will help you to improve your conversions.
PPC Mistake #1: Using Your Homepage as a Landing Page
Create a landing page for every ad! Do not just lead your users to your homepage. Yes, it is easier to point users to your home page, but your copy will probably not convert. Most likely, your homepage is not a good first impression for a specific topic area.
The landing page should have a headline that matches your keyword phrase. Your ad copy sells your business, directing the user to your landing page, and the contact form gives the client a reason to call or connect with you.
Creating specific landing pages tailored to your campaign – or even directing the user to the appropriate practice area page – will bring you more conversions.
PPC Mistake #2: Failing to Install Analytics
Make sure you install analytics on all landing pages. We recommend Google Analytics, as it syncs with Google Ads. Failure to install any analytics will lead to poor data. You will have click metrics and conversions from Google Ads, but if you have no analytics on your page, then you’ll be missing out on key information. For example, you will not know how long people are staying on your pages, where they are going next, the bounce rate, and if there are any errors. For bonus points, make sure you install remarketing and click tracking conversions on downloads and video plays.
PPC Mistake #3: Failing to Monitor Your Campaign
Not paying attention to your law firm’s Google Ads campaign on a weekly basis is one way to mess up. In a perfect world, you would check daily, but that can be time consuming and not cost effective. However, you should check at least weekly. Bid prices can change constantly, new ads should be tested, quality scores should be checked and conversions should be monitored. There is always something you can be doing to improve.
PPC Mistake #4: Setting Expectations Too High
Think that you can sign new clients for a few dollars per click in a highly competitive field? Think that every visit to your website should convert? Think that spending $500 a month will lead to millions in new cases? Sorry, but you need to set realistic expectations. Your law firm’s PPC campaigns will be doing well if you get above a 2% click thru rate (above 5% is doing really well). If you convert above 6% you are also doing well, but some campaigns can convert as high as 25% or more. It all depends on the quality of your campaign and number of competitors. However, keep in mind that not every click will convert. You need to look at the data in total and figure out how many clicks need to convert to make your campaign work for you.
PPC Mistake #5: Broad Matching Your Phrases
Yes, you can use broad match. Yes, it sometimes can be used effectively. But more often than not, it is waaaaaay too broad. If you type in “tax report” as a broad match phrase, then you will end up targeting users who ask, “how do I report a tax cheat” – probably something you are not targeting. Instead you may want “how to file a tax report” as a phrase match. Overall, if you use broad match too much, you will end up spending your budget on clicks that will never convert. If you do use broad match, make sure your ads are very specific. Also, make sure you update your negative keywords.
PPC Mistake #6: Ignoring Negative Keywords
You need to check on adding negative keywords. Most campaigns are bidding on extraneous phrases that won’t convert. This wastes your budget. Add in negative keywords to help your campaign narrow its focus.
PPC Mistake #7: Setting Outrageous Bid Amounts
Yes, it stinks, but due to the competitive bidding process, bids in certain areas are above $100 a click, which means if you just get one click a day, you are spending $3,000 a month. It equates to $3,000 for 30 visits. If you’re spending $36,000 a year you may actually want to consider a content marketing campaign. While it may take longer to see results, in the long term, your content should rank high and outperform the PPC ads.
As you can see, managing an attorney PPC campaign is a doable yet complicated task. If at any point you need to hand over the reins – or you simply need some consulting – contact PaperStreet’s PPC team and let us know how we can help.
