Ultimate Guide To Google’s Local service Ads For Lawyers

One of the essential aspects of running any business is brand awareness. As a lawyer, you work in one of the most innately competitive industries on the planet. There are possibly dozens of competing law firms and independent attorneys offering law services similar to your own in your local area. Seizing your local market takes an enormous amount of effort and research. 

Fortunately, with the help of Google’s local service ads , you can ensure your firm is one of the first search results a potential client sees when searching for legal services on Google.

What Are Local Service Ads(LSAs)?

Local Service Ads(LSA) is a Google pay-per-lead (PPL) product that has quickly increased its ads on the SERP across different businesses and services areas over the past year. This program is entirely different from general Google Ads, in which you are not paying for a click but rather a lead. 

The local service ads are the very first entries to appear on the top of the user’s screen, followed by the regular pay-per-click ads. The third section of the search results contains associated Google My Business listings.

When the Googler clicks on the ad, he can call the business or click on its name to view its entire profile.

The profile will list the service categories that the law firm handles, service area, background, highlights, and licensing information.

These new ads also display a business number, hours, reviews, and ratings. Google’s Local Service Ads(LSAs) go one step further to make sure they’re connecting prospects to the right advertiser.

1. Pay Only For The Lead

Google’s Local Service Ads(LSA) helps connect the right prospect to the right advertiser. It prevents the job mismatch that generally happens when a user searches for broad terms for a particular inquiry or an area outside their service zone. 

Unlike regular search ads, which are generally charged per click, Local Service Advertisers will only be charged for valid leads. Depending on the business and the industry, it only costs around $6 – 30 per lead. You can dispute the charge for credit if the lead is either fraudulent, spam, or invalid.

A law firm sets a weekly budget in the Google Local Service Ads app to pay for Local Service Ads. Spending occurs when a prospect takes action like text, call, or email.

2. Expands The Reach Of Your Regular Search Ads

Google Local Services Ads(LSA) aren’t meant to replace your traditional search ads or local organic listings. You will notice that these LSAs sit above the Paid Search ads and the Organic listings. 

Few prospects still turn to Google and expect to visit your website before deciding if you’re the best law firm that meets their requirements. Even if they don’t convert through LSA, your organic rank on the SERP and user reviews may convince people to convert later. Therefore, it is advised to continue the traditional paid search ads along with the Local Service Ads.

3. Easy To Manage

Advertisers know that ad testing and keyword research can be time-consuming and never-ending duties. Luckily, Google’s LSA requires neither! The Ads will automatically trigger when a potential client searches for as broad as “Lawyer” or specific as “estate planning lawyer.” The ad format will automatically be generated using information from your business profile.

4. Credibility Badge

Google’s Local Service Ads feature a credibility-type badge confirming that Google has vetted and verified the businesses listed on the platform. Local Service Ads for Attorneys require a background screening process, law license/bar number verification, and proof of insurance. Each LSA is connected to a Google My Business address, which must have at least one customer review and a minimum of 3.0/5 review score.

Google’s Local Service Ads are managed separately from the ads you create in Google Ads (AdWords) or Google Ads Express. Therefore you’ll need to create a new LSA account.

To set up an LSA account, you will have to confirm your business type and location here . Select your state and choose ‘Law’ as a job category. You will then be asked to choose the practice areas your firm specializes in. 

Once your eligibility is confirmed, You’ll be guided to create an account to manage your Local Service Ads. You’ll require the following information to complete the account setup:

1. Firm name
2. Phone number
3. Street address
4. Languages spoken
5. Owner’s name
6. Year founded
7. Website
8. State and zip code

Local Service Ads appears to be a cost-effective advertising option for many lawyers and law firms, especially since firms are billed per lead rather than simply for every click on the ad. Pricing for Local Service Ads may go up in the future as more and more law firms continue to advertise on this new platform. 

It’s crucial to have notifications turned on and reply promptly when the ads are live, even if you can’t take the specific case. Google attributes a quality score, and if you continually miss calls or fail to respond to the messages, your ad ranking will be affected.

LSA is an absolute no-brainer for Law firms who are willing to spend on advertising that converts. The most critical update about Google LSAs is, as of August 2021, Local Services Ads are no longer limited to certain practices like Immigration and Estate Planning. More practice areas have been added, including bankruptcy, family lawyers, Personal Injury law firms, and others who can use LSAs.

Lastly, the Ads are no longer exclusively available to law firms in San Diego and Houston but are open Nationwide.

Take your Law Firm’s Google Ads to the next level by hiring professionals like Oamii , who are experts in marketing law firms . Feel free to reach out to us by filling this form  , and we’ll guide you through all the steps needed to maximize your ROI with Google’s Local Services Ads for your law firm.