Do you want more leads for your law firm? Do you want to be in control of your leads with an easy-to-use dashboard? If you answered yes to either of these questions then Local Service Ads might be for you. So, what exactly are Local Service Ads and how can you utilize them to get the most possible leads?

What are Local Service Ads?

Local Service Ads (LSAs) are an easy way for customers in your area to find your firm and connect directly with your business. When a potential client selects your Local Service Ad, they can click your ad to give you a phone call or they can send you a message. Both ways make it quick and easy for a potential client to be able to get in touch with you in their time of need. For example, when you google “Criminal Defense Lawyer San Diego.” The first results you see on the desktop site will be the Local Service Ads at the top (the 3 pictures at the top of the page see below), making them an easy way to get in front of your competitors. LSAs can produce impressive results. For example, one of our clients received 40 leads in December 2021 with a total spend of $7,000. Ultimately, they paid around $180 per lead, a much lower cost than most paid media can deliver.

The first step of signing up with Local Service Ads is creating an account. To set up an account click here. It will ask you to provide your state, zip code, and job category (what kind of leads you would like to receive more of). Once you see that you are eligible, the next step is to sign up with a Gmail account. Google will make you go through two rounds of background checks proving that you are a real law firm. You are able to see where your account is in the process by logging in and viewing your progress at any time. By logging in, you can easily see what has been approved and what is to come. Once the background checks have been completed, the next step is to make sure your account is set up for success. 

Tip #1: Utilize Your Dashboard

Once your account is created, Google will provide you with a dashboard. The dashboard is very easy to use and friendly for all tech-savvy or not-so-tech-savvy users. This is where you are able to change your budget, view your leads (and listen to the recording of the calls), change what areas you are targeting, add photos, change your office hours, turn messaging on or off, etc. There are many easy-to-use features. Once your dashboard is set up, you can always reach out to a Local Service Ads representative if you run into any questions by calling 650-260-5700. Google rewards users by keeping them in the top three if you use the LSA dashboard by making updates with your budget, taking notes about the leads, managing leads, collecting Google reviews, etc. So be sure to take full advantage and utilize your dashboard to its fullest potential.

Tip #2: Double-Check Your Budget

Google will suggest a starting budget for you given your location and the services you offer. You are able to adjust your budget at any time, depending on how many leads you want and how much money you want to spend each week. If you are running out of budget, you could drop to the bottom of the list or out of the top 3 LSAs. When you run completely out of budget, Google moves you to the bottom of the list and removes the “Google Screened” badge. If you increase your budget, it will resolve this issue. Your LSA ad placement will move back up and the badge will be added back to your profile.

Tip #3: Don’t Underestimate Google Reviews

Google Reviews is one of the top-ranking features to help you show up in the top 3 LSA results. If you receive a lead through LSAs and it turns into a case, ask the client to leave you a review through the Local Service Ads platform, instead of going directly through Google My Business. By having more LSA reviews than your competitors, you have a better chance at showing up before them.

Tip #4: Take Managing LSA Leads Seriously

The number of leads you will get from using LSAs depends on where your firm is located, how much your budget is, and how many competitors around you are advertising with LSAs. Many of our clients have tremendous success with LSAs while some don’t see the results they wished. 

Some things to keep in mind about managing your leads are:

  •  When you receive a call, utilize the LSA dashboard to take notes about the call. Google audits everyone’s dashboard every 30-60 days. When they log into your account, they want to see that you are actively using the dashboard how they would like you to. By utilizing the notes feature, you are showing Google you are active in the dashboard.
  • If you miss a call through LSAs, make sure to call them back ASAP. One of the other top-ranking features is the timing of how quickly you get back to someone. A way to make sure you don’t miss a call could be to turn the notifications on in the LSAs app.

You can click here to view more about managing your leads.

Tip #5: Use Caution When Disputing Leads

An awesome advantage of LSAs is you only pay per lead you receive. You are also able to dispute leads for a number of reasons including:  

  • Job not served (not on your profile)
  • Location not served (not on your profile)
  • Wrong number or sales call (not a customer)
  • Spam or bot (not a human)
  • Duplicate lead (customer contacted you twice)
  • Incorrect business (lead does not belong to you)

Something to keep in mind is, if you dispute too many leads, Google may penalize your account. Be sure to accept some calls that are of good quality, even if you don’t take them as cases because it tells Google that you are willing to pay for them. 

Here is more information about how to dispute leads.

Want to Learn More?

If this piece of information left you thinking that Local Service Ads might be right for you, contact us at Market My Market so we can help you get your account set up and start to see some leads come through.