Maximizing Your ROI from Local Service Ads
By Drew Hansen on October 6, 2022 in Internet Marketing Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Expanded beyond estate and immigration law in late 2020, Google’s Local Service Ads have proven to be an effective marketing tool for law firms in most, if not all, practice areas. In this discussion, we will go over what Local Service Ads are, what kind of results can be expected, and some key points on how optimal results are achieved.
Can All Law Firms Utilize Local Service Ads?
Local Service Ads, or LSAs, are a relatively new addition to the portfolio of advertising offerings provided by Google. As with traditional Google Ads, LSAs are ads that show at the top of Google search results and can be interacted with by potential clients. Unlike Google Ads, however, LSAs work on a cost-per-call basis rather than cost-per-click, meaning that advertisers only pay when a call is actually received. As of Fall 2022, the list of available legal practice areas for Local Service Ads are:
- Bankruptcy
- Business
- Criminal
- Disability
- DUI
- Estate
- Family
- Immigration
- IP
- Labor
- Litigation
- Malpractice
- Personal Injury
- Real Estate
- Tax
- Traffic
What Kind of Results Do Local Service Ads Get?
Depending on the practice area, Local Service Ads have been shown to get tremendous results. This is particularly true for family and criminal law, where we have client getting anywhere from a few dozen to over a hundred calls per month.
Case Study #1
For one family law firm in Florida, we have gotten as many as 222 leads in a one-month span, with an average cost of about $72 per call.
Case Study #2
For a boutique law firm focusing primarily on family and criminal law in Maryland, we have gotten as many as 40 leads in a month, with an average cost of about $85 per lead.
Results will vary from firm to firm based on a number of factors, including location, budget, and practice area, but in most cases we see a good volume of calls coming into the firm.
What Practice Area is the Most Competitive?
Unsurprisingly, personal injury is by far the most competitive practice area when it comes to Local Service Ads. Even the smallest locations might have upward of 50 firms advertising at once. For that reason, we recommend patience when doing LSAs in that field. Having an ample budget and plenty of positive reviews is the best way to get the most out of LSAs for personal injury. Remember, too, that you only pay for what comes in.
How Can a Firm Increase the ROI of Their Local Service Ads?
Answer the Phone.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but studies show that 80% of callers that go to a law firm’s voicemail do not leave a message. Additionally, 42% of people will hire the first lawyer they speak with if they like them. Not only is every missed call potentially an opportunity lost, but it can negatively affect your LSA ranking with Google’s algorithms. If your firm does not have an answering service, make sure not to advertise outside of business hours.
Budget Matters.
Even if your ads are not spending the total allocated budget amount, the budget is one of the top-ranking factors when it comes to LSAs. With that in mind, do not be afraid to be aggressive with the budget. Even if the budget does spend completely, it means the firm had even more calls.
Importance of Reviews.
Reviews are another key ranking factor with LSAs. The more positive reviews your firm has, the more likely it is that Google will rank your ads higher up the page. Should also be noted that your firm must have at least one review to even run LSAs. It does not take much effort to leave a review, so odds are satisfied clients will have no problem doing that for your firm if asked.
Get Help.
Sifting through dozens of calls to see if a lead needs to be disputed takes time. Having a staff member or agency to handle this will save your firm time and money. At PaperStreet, we have saved clients thousands of dollars by assisting with this process as part of our management duties.
If your firm falls into one of the listed practice areas, you may be eligible to run Local Service Ads in your area. To find out if you are eligible or how you can start getting similar results, contact PaperStreet today for a free evaluation.
