Google Local Service Vs Traditional Ads

In the past Lawyers have made a big splash in the world of advertising, from catchy nicknames to ridiculous local commercials advertising in this space has become a long-forgotten art form. Just like most things, their effectiveness began to fade into obscurity leaving a vacuum of creativity. That example is only really applicable to personal injury attornies but to be fair those are the only ones people still remember. 

It’s time to step up the game and no I don’t mean filming yourself with exploding cars and flying bald eagles behind you. As badass as that is, it just doesn’t work anymore. We are in the age of instant gratification and 6-second attention spans. People have seen better content on a more consistent basis now than ever before. Social media and streaming channels have taken on a mind of their own and are growing into something most people don’t or don’t care to understand. That makes advertising in these spaces, shaky at best. In the current climate, you’re not just competing for attention with your competitor, you’re competing with the entire internet just to be seen. 

Think about this, according to the American Bar Association, there are 1,327,910 licensed attorneys in the United States as of 2021. If only half of them advertise, no matter their specialty or location that is half a million pieces of content out there for the internet to potentially see. I say potentially because that’s what impressions are, there’s no guarantee your audience will see it, or interact with it. There is an even smaller chance it will result in a paying client for you.  

There are two ways to approach marketing in your space these days. Marketing for brand awareness in the hopes that someone remembers your name, jingle, and services or marketing for results with Google local service. Google has stepped up its game and made the second option not only viable for lawyers but downright necessary. 

These next 4 points will walk you through what, why, and how using their new product called Google Local Service can help you expand and scale your practice. 

1. Be visible at the top of Google Search Results
   1. Digital real estate is king and Google owns the kingdom. It’s no secret Google places paid ads at the top of their pages, after all that is their highest revenue-generating stream. With a business like yours that is only searched when needed, it’s vital you’re at the top of that page. Google places Google Local Service ads above general search ads and organic content. In this case, it pays to be first.

2. Connect with potential customers themoment they search for your services
   1. Picture this, you’re getting divorced, you’re injured in a car or work accident, you’re being sued, or uncle sam is coming back for the money he’s owed. Guess where all those roads lead to and FAST? To you, a lawyer. No matter what you specialize in there will always be people looking for your services. There is no question about it, people need lawyers and they will call someone the moment they need it so will they call you or will they call your competition? That’s entirely up to you and your reputation.

3. Build brand trust with the Google Guaranteed badge
   1. Trust is everything, and you’ve probably spent a lot of time and money building it with your clientele. So here’s your chance to show off those 5-star reviews and how many years you’ve been practicing. Google Local Service showcases these stats by giving you a badge, promotion, and a profile page, which together help you build a great online reputation that gives your potential clients the confidence that you’re the one they need and they’re not better off calling Saul.

4. Only Pay for leads related to your business and the services you offer
   1. Traditional ads like Google search can cost you thousands of dollars upfront, a crazy ad on tv or streaming channels will cost you even more with an even smaller chance of return on investment. They cant guarantee an ROI because they’re not priced on results, they’re priced on impressions. With this service, you pay per lead, which comes in the format of a phone call. Isn’t that nice? Only paying for leads not promises? Welcome to profitable advertising.

What’s the cost? With Google Local Service, you only pay for leads related to your business or the services you offer. Here’s how it works: You set a weekly budget that limits the total number of leads you receive in any given week. You may get a different number of leads from day to day, but you never spend more than your designated weekly budget. You have the ability to immediately dispute leads if you receive a lead that’s not valid. You only pay if a customer calls, books, or messages you directly through your ad.

So what’s the caveat? It works, it’s inexpensive, and you’re at the top of Google. 

Well, the only thing holding you back is the registration process and the ads management themselves. Getting approved means Google is vouching for you and your practice. Earning the badge or the screened check mark means being in compliance with their rules and regulations. Secondly, setting up the ads and managing the back end of the platform is best left to the professionals. Hiring an experienced ad agency should help you accomplish both of those things and get you up, running & scaling in no time.

If you’ve heard enough and you’re ready to get started with Google Local Service and finally use an advertising option tailored for lawyers contact my full-service web development and marketing agency NerdStuds. First, let’s see if it is a viable solution for your practice through a Google audit for FREE. After we will help you earn the coveted Google badge or screened checkmark by helping you with the thorough application process. Once approved you’re ready for Google Local Service ads, and if you haven’t guessed by now. We help with that too.

Fill out the form below and let’s get started!