What is PPC?

PPC stands for pay-per-click advertising; it is an online advertising model where advertisers run ads on search engine platforms such as Google or Bing and pay a fee when someone clicks on the ad. At the top of any search engine, digital advertisements display at the top of the results page. PPC campaigns help drive traffic, ramp up sales, and create brand awareness. Every time your ad is clicked, sending visitors to your URL, you pay the search engine a fee. When your PPC campaign is optimally designed, Google rewards you, dropping your costs below the competition, increasing your ROI.

Easy to use for customers 

Research indicates that customers searching for services on Google, Bing, or other search engines will click on paid ads more often than other forms of digital advertising. Experts believe PPC is successful because your ads only show when someone is actively looking for your services. Furthermore, since searches are conducted to find the best candidate to represent the client’s needs, the searches are highly relevant and relate back to the advertisements. Thus, search results’ inherent need and success tie directly back into the data that PPC ads are clicked on more frequently than other forms of digital ads. 

Simple to navigate for advertisers

An active audience is the most significant advantage of PPC campaigns. Your message is executed and available to any who seek your services, so the nature of PPC is “I have what you’re looking for, click here.” Giving the searchers precisely what they’re hunting for is the key to driving traffic and converting qualified leads.

Uncomplicated for search engines

PPC allows search engines to cater to searchers and advertisers at the same time. The searcher provides the user base and the advertiser’s compiled call to action creates the revenue stream. The search engine’s function is to provide the most relevant results at the top of the search results page. In combination with a highly targeted advertising channel, search engines offer a flood of new leads directed to your goods and services.  

How will PPC help your law firm?

PPC marketing is one of the fastest ways that attorneys generate high-quality leads. Unlike organic SEO, PPC is a quick and targeted approach to digital advertising. The legal industry is highly competitive and standing out from the slew of other law firms can be tricky, but PPC allows you to target your lead when they search for your services. In combination with other Swell services, your law firm’s PPC campaign can be highly successful. SEO in union with PPC will boost your paid search and allow for a broader net to cast on a SERP (search engine results page). For instance, if your PPC and SEO align to form a perfect union, you can appear on the SERP not once but up to three times; paid results, organic map pack results, and organic results. 

Holding several slots on the front page of search engines is a powerful way to stand out and be accessible to your future leads. Visibility not only builds trust and reliability for your brand it also gets you more URL traffic and higher conversion rates.

3 Common PPC campaign mistakes

It’s important to be thorough. Frequently with PPC campaigns, mistakes are made across the board. The ad spend can be thousands of dollars, which if your firm’s PPC campaign is not working, this ad spend is all for nothing. Let’s go over the most common mistakes made with PPC campaigns. 

1. Improper conversion tracking

A lot of firms don’t correctly track their conversions from PPC campaigns. Your data will let you know many vital statistics to guide your firm’s campaign appropriately. Tracking, when done correctly, will allow you to understand the exact ROI you’re getting from your PPC campaigns, which keywords are performing best, and which ads are getting the most clicks. Aside from the built-in tracking that Google or Bing offers on their platforms, lawyers need to track emails and phone calls. 

Staying organized is critical when it comes to data. We recommend keeping a google sheet or excel doc up to date with information such as; all the leads you’ve contacted, what the results were, and if they converted. This can serve as a database of what’s working for your firm and why. 

2. Lack of dedicated landing pages

Dedicated landing pages are essential to a profitable PPC campaign. By funneling the customer towards a specific form to fill out, you’re removing any distractions from the visitor so that they can focus on the call to action. Why can’t you route your leads to your URL? The issue with linking to your website is the number of options. The individual can click anywhere and will often get distracted and leave the website altogether. Dedicated landing pages create a space where qualified leads convert. 

A landing page will include a set of features that make it unique. 

• No navigation
• A tracked phone number
• Brief testimonial
• Clear CAT (call to action)
• Homogenous copy on ads and landing pages

3. Inferior location targeting

Most attorneys target customers who are located in the same city as their firm, though there are reasons you may target other locations. Make sure you’re targeting the area you want, and even though this might sound like a no-brainer, it’s a widespread problem. Many firms make the mistake of casting too large a net and not being specific enough with their targeting. Make sure you’re only targeting the exact locations needed to bring in the most qualified leads. If your location targeting is off base, you’re wasting valuable time and resources, so make sure to adjust whenever needed. 

 Is your law firm struggling with PPC campaigns? We have a team of dedicated experts ready to help you succeed. Give Swell Services a try today.