How would you like your law firm to rank above organic results, pay-per-click ads, and Google My Business listings? It’s possible with Google Local Services Ads (LSAs).
Signing up for this new service for attorneys will certainly provide a marketing advantage, but of course it comes at a hefty cost. With LSAs, your sponsored picture ad appears at the very top of Google’s search page and prospective clients are directed to a Google landing page with your firm’s contact information, professional credentials, reviews, and other promotional facts about your legal services.
One of the best features of LSAs is the Pay-Per-Lead pricing, which means you only pay for qualified leads. The prospective client must be from your predefined geographic region and practice area. The only way for a prospective client to connect is through a call tracking number which records the phone conversation. You may dispute duplicate leads, or those that do not match your qualification criteria.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the benefits of Google LSAs.
SERP Lowdown
SERP is a search engine results page that appears in search engines, such as Google. As previously mentioned, LSAs show up as a strip of three ads at the very top of the SERP. This will maximize your firm’s online visibility for targeted practice areas, which will translate into more leads for your firm.
It’s no secret that most users never go beyond the first search result page. If your firm takes advantage of LSAs, and appears in the maps section along with an strong organic listing, you will dominate your competition.
Budget for LSAs
When you sign up for LSAs, you tell Google how many leads you want per week. Google uses this information to provide a recommended budget or monthly maximum. You have the flexibility to adjust your budget and will never pay more than your monthly maximum. Of course, there is a minimum cost per lead required to actively participate and Google will let you know what that is according to your market area.
Unlike the traditional Pay-Per-Click advertising, you only pay for each qualified phone call received from your LSA. This is referred to as Pay-Per-Lead pricing. Google provides your firm with a tracking phone number on your ad, which forwards to your business phone number. Google provides a dashboard so you may view the details of each lead and even listen to the initial recorded conversation.
Qualified Checks
Every firm using LSAs is required to go through a screening process as a quality control measure. To ensure that your firm, and every attorney working there, are qualified to offer the legal services you are advertising, your firm will need to pass business-level and business-owner background checks.
Your firm will receive the Google Screened badge on your LSAs to signal to clients that you are a trusted business.
Multiple Practice Areas
If your firm operates multiple practice areas, you have an option to set up an LSA for each. Simply indicate your top-level practice areas, and Google will suggest a list of sub-areas to target multiple competencies.
How You Rank
Many factors go into how your firm will rank with LSAs. For example, your office location’s proximity to the searcher, customer review status, and responsiveness to customers are taken into account as part of Google’s ranking system.
Because customer reviews and ratings are crucial to your LSA rank, Google requires that your practice have at least one review with a minimum 3.0 (out of 5.0) average rating. You can add reviews from your Google My Business account or receive reviews directly on your LSA profile.
Get Started With Google Local Service Ads
Because LSAs are relatively new for attorneys, now is the best time to get started. Law firms that take advantage of this opportunity will have a meaningful advantage over their competition as this product gains traction.
Adding LSAs to your marketing plan is the latest opportunity to stay ahead of the competition. Speak with us to learn how your law firm can leverage Google’s Local Service Ads to boost your online visibility and increase business.
