One of the most challenging parts about digital marketing for a law firm is figuring out an Adwords plan. While every business needs to figure out a Google Adwords budget, lawyers have it more difficult than most. Attorneys work in a field where the average cost-per-click is often reported as one of the highest.

Google Adwords is a digital marketing tool that enables businesses to invest in certain words or phrases. With a daily payment, their website shows up above Google’s natural search results for a limited amount – and that amount is based off how often potential clients click on their link. Google Adwords campaign costs are determined by cost-per-click, which is how much a business pays when someone clicks on their link. For businesses like hair salons and restaurants, a cost-per-click may only be a couple of cents. For lawyers, keyword tools often quote rates of around $50 for just one click!

Why Would a Lawyer use Adwords?

With high cost-per-click (CPC) rates, it may seem shocking that anyone would want to invest in Google Adwords. Lawyers expect to see a great return on investment for any lead they receive from a CPC campaign. Just one lead may double as a referral source that attracts clients not targeted through Adwords. Even if a CPC campaign has less than 1% conversion – and most do – an attorney can still see returns coming at twice the amount they invested. Of course, not every campaign is a success. How does one account for expensive legal adwords?

Finding Your Target

You can simplify your law firm’s approach to Adwords if you think about it like your web design and SEO efforts. With those two marketing tools, you reach out to a targeted audience. These potential leads are often local and have a need for a particular service. For example, a medical malpractice attorney in Odessa, Texas, or a drug possession criminal defense lawyer in Auburn, Washington. With Adwords, many new lawyers make the mistake of paying for broad keywords like “lawyer” “criminal defense” and “personal injury attorney”. Not only are vague terms the most expensive to target, they are already claimed by larger, corporate firms that have the resources to be far more aggressive in their campaigns. Once you start looking into specific keywords, you will usually find the CPC dropping. If you live in a large city, it may not drop by much.

Enhancing Your Google Content

Most attorneys often forget how “Quality Score” can affect the cost of a CPC campaign. Quality Score is Google’s algorithm that determines your ad’s relevance, expected click rate, and landing page experience (Is your website optimized for mobile? Does it load quickly? Do users stay on the site?). Higher quality score benefits law firms by providing better ad positions and lower CPC rates.

Want to know how to improve your law firm website’s quality score and determine cost-per-click campaign best for your practice? Contact us at Market My Market today for a consultation.