Forward
When you realize how PPC can assist you in upgrading your legal profile and in obtaining new clients, you will know that this online tool can greatly improve your standing online. This booklet was written to give you general information about Pay-per-Click advertising – advertising that can lend not only to your credibility but to your bottom line. To learn more about PPC, you first need to define it.
Beginning the Journey
The Definition of PPC
PPC is a popular term that stands for pay-per-click – a marketing model where advertisers pay each time that someone clicks on their ad in the Good search results. Instead, of trying to motivate people to click on their site organically, advertisers purchase the “visits.”
As a result, search engine ads are one of the most popular features of PPC. Search engine ads enable legal advertisers to bid for the placement of an ad in a search engine’s sponsored links. When an Internet user searches for a keyword that is associated to a legal service offering, PPC ads appear.
For instance, if you bid on the keyword “Personal Injury lawyers,” your ad may show up at a top spot on the results page of Google. The listing is noted by the word “Ad,” which appears next to your web address.
How PPC Helps You Earn Money
When someone clicks on the ad and visits your website, you have to pay the search engine a small advertising fee. However, if your PPC campaign is working as it should, that charge is trivial. That is because, if the visitor converts to a client, that visit is worth far more money to you than what you paid for advertising. For instance, if you pay $4 for a click, but you receive $20,000 in eventual income, it is well worth the investment.
How Legal Marketing Firms Can Help
That is why firms, such as Authority Legal Pro, in California, spend a great deal of time on developing a winning PPC campaign for their lawyer clients. Not only do marketing firms research and select the keywords, they also organize the keywords for marketing purposes. Marketing firms, such as Authority Legal Pro, place keywords in ad groups as well as set up PPC landing pages to optimize conversions.
Using PPC Correctly
The search engines, in turn, reward advertisers, who produce smart and relevant targeted PPC campaigns by charging less for clicks, which also leads to higher profit. That is why it is important to know how to use PPC correctly.
Google AdWords – How It Is Used in PPC Campaigns
Google AdWords, which is used for PPC, is the most popular PPC ad system worldwide. The platform that features AdWords allows legal firms to create ads that appear in the Google search results.
How AdWords Ads Are Chosen
AdWords is well known for operating on a PPC model. That is because account holders bid on specific keywords and pay for each click on the related ads. Every time a search is begun, Google selects the AdWord advertisers that will be displayed on the search results page. The top contenders are shown, based on various factors, including the amount of the keyword bid and the relevance of each keyword.
The Advertiser’s Ad Rank
The legal firms that are displayed are based on each advertiser’s ad rank. This metric is figured by multiplying the CPC bid, or the highest bid amount the advertiser wishes to spend, and the quality score (a value that is assessed by an account’s click-through rate, landing page quality, and relevance).
Therefore, this type of model permits the top advertisers to reach potential clients at a cost that meets their budgetary requirements. You might look at PPC then as a type of auction that begins with a query.
How Ads Are Displayed
When an individual searches for a specific legal service on Google, the search engine surveys the AdWords advertisers and decides whether or not an “auction” will occur. If an advertiser or advertisers are bidding on keywords that are considered relevant to a search query, an “auction” begins.
However, the keywords are not considered search queries. Instead, specific keywords may be entered into the “auction” process for a broad range of queries – depending on the match type. Advertisers, in turn, bid on keywords after identifying the keywords they want to use and how much they are willing to spend. From this activity, they create a group of keywords that are used for online ads.
Google’s Input
Google, in response, inserts a keyword from a grouping that it decides is the most relevant. It also looks at the maximum bid that the ad user has specified. Only one entry is permitted into each search query for each account.
The Maximum Bid Amount and the Quality Score
Google looks at two major factors to determine where your legal ad ranks in the search results – the maximum bid amount and the quality score. Therefore ad rank equals the cost-per-click (CPC) bid times the quality score. The quality score is the metric that is used to determine the relevancy and usefulness of your ad to the user. Therefore, the higher the score, the better.
AdWords and PPC
Performing PPC marketing via AdWords is helpful, as it triggers more traffic, which leads to more clicks. How frequently your PPC ads appear in the search results will depend on the keywords and match types you choose. Therefore, when conducting PPC marketing activities, you want to focus on the following:
Keyword relevance – It is important to create relevant keyword lists, ad texts, and tight keyword groupings.
Quality score – The quality score is the rating made by Google of the quality and relevance of your chosen keywords, PPC campaigns, and landing pages. Advertisers with higher quality scores pay less for more ad clicks.
Landing page quality – Producing an optimized landing page with relevant content and a call to action will assist you in obtaining more qualified leads.
PPC Keyword Research
While conducting keyword research for PPC can take a good deal of time, it is also vital to your success in getting bona fide leads. After all, your whole PPC campaign is based on choosing the right keywords. Therefore as an AdWords advertiser, it is essential to constantly expand and refine your keyword listing.
That is where we can help at Authority Legal Pro. We know that you cannot perform keyword research only one time. Otherwise, you will miss out on discovering thousands of worthwhile low-cost, long-tail and relevant keywords that can drive a great deal of traffic to your legal website. To make sure that your keyword list is a winner, the PPC experts at Authority Legal Pro make sure that the keyword list is relevant, extensive, and expansive.
Making a Keyword Selection
Naturally, you do not want to pay for web traffic that is not interested in your legal services. Instead, you want to find keywords that will trigger a higher number of PPC clicks – clicks that will also lead to a higher click-through rate and cost-effective cost per click. In turn, you will realize an increase in revenue. Therefore, any keywords that are selected should be closely associated with your legal service offerings.
Long-tail Keywords: Why They are Important
When keyword research is performed, you should include frequently searched terms in your legal niche as well as long-tail keywords, or keywords that are more specific but used less frequently. That is because long-tail keywords comprise more of the search-driven traffic. When long-tail keywords are used, you will not pay as much because they are less expensive.
Grow Your Keyword List and Make Adaptations
It always pays to refine and expand on your PPC campaigns. That way you can constantly grow your list and adapt it as necessary. When you partner with a company that provides responsive web design, SEO, and PPC, you can manage your ad campaign with greater clarity.
Establishing a PPC Campaign
Once you have set up your PPC campaign, regular account activity is a necessity, as it is one of the greatest indicators of success. That means you should work with a PPC ad agency that regularly analyzes PPC performance and makes the following modifications, as needed:
Adding new keywords – Expand your PPC’s reach by continuing to add keywords that are relevant to your legal practice.
Including negative keywords – Include terms that are non-converting to enhance your PPC campaign’s relevance and reduce wastes in spending.
Reviewing expensive keywords: Take a look at costly keywords that are not giving you a good return on your ad dollar and get rid of them, if necessary.
Dividing ad groupings – Improve your quality score and click-through rate (CTR) by dividing ad groupings into smaller and more relevant groups – groups that assist you in developing targeted landing pages and ad text.
How PPC Can Work for You
The Google Display Network (GDN) makes up the biggest ad network that features text on the Internet. This network, which is made up of millions of sites, allows advertisers to display ads to a broad audience range – a range that uses one of various target alternatives. If you wish to make the most of your display ads and stay within your AdWords budget, you need understand some basic information along these lines.
The Goal of Pay-per-Click (PPC)
Pay-per-Click’s advertising model enables you to place ads on an ad platform and remit a payment to the platform’s host whenever the advertiser’s ad is clicked. Therefore, the objective of PPC, or a PPC ad, is to draw a visitor to a site so he or she will click to the advertiser’s site. Once the visitor lands on the site, the goal is to get him or her to complete an activity, such as requesting a service or setting an appointment.
Real-time Bidding (RTB)
A major ad service, such as Google AdWords, operates by using real-time bidding (RTB). Therefore, the ad inventory is sold in an automated auction the employs real-time information. Each time an ad spot comes up on a SERP or search engine results page, an auction instantaneously takes place for the searched word or keyword. A combination of factors, including the quality of the ad and bid amount, will determine the winner, or the advertiser who will assume the top spot in a SERP.
How the Process Starts
An auction begins the instant a person makes a search engine search. Each ad that is displayed is based on the keywords that have been bid for inclusion in the ad. To get involved in the auction process, an advertiser uses the tools on a platform, such as AdWords, to create ads and decide where and when the ads will display.
How AdWords Accounts Are Organized
Accounts are normally divided into campaigns to make management or reporting simpler. The campaigns are further separated into ad groupings that feature keywords and relevant ads. The keywords sit in the center of PPC, linking advertisers to the search queries of users. Therefore, keywords operate as general abstractions of a large range of search queries, some of which may be irregular, due to misspellings.
Matching Keywords to Queries
A query, in essence, is the actual word that a user types into a search box of a search engine while a keyword is the word a marketer uses to target users by matching their queries. Depending on the keyword match types, advertisers can match queries with near precision. For instance, an advertiser can elect to match keywords with search queries in exact terms, or permit some variation. This variation maybe represented by words order, different spellings, or the addition of other words.
Why Adding Negative Keywords to the Mix Helps
It is also good to include negative keywords, which prevents ads from being displayed by queries containing negative keywords. This is helpful in avoiding irrelevant traffic.
Preparing the Ads for Display
Besides choosing the keywords for your ad campaign, you need to prepare the ads for display. The ads are featured together within ad groupings that target shared keyword sets. They are also organized by frequently used themes. These ads are the ads that will be displayed if an auction is won. Therefore, it is essential that the ad is displayed correctly.
The Ad’s Format
A pay-per-click (PPC) ad usually features a headline, followed by the URL for a website, and the ad’s description. On a SERP, the display ad can show up at the bottom or top of a page. That is why it is a good idea to test various versions of an ad’s copy to see what copy performs well. A service, such as Google AdWords, supplies ad extensions that enhance the looks of display ads too.
Types of Ad Extensions
Extensions may be defined as sitelink extensions or call extensions. While sitelink extensions feature added links to various pages on a website, call extensions display a phone number that can be called during a firm’s regular business hours.
Enhancing Your Firm’s Visibility Online
Ad extensions work because they enhance an ad’s visibility, making it more engaging to users while displaying more information.
Making a Spending Decision
When participating in an auction, an advertiser must decide how much he or she wants to spend on a specific keyword. This is accomplished by using bids at the keyword or ad group level, or budgeting at the campaign level.
Why Placing a Bid Is Better
A budget that is set at the campaign level can be exceeded daily, but cannot be overspent by the month. Therefore, the budget should be established according to your particular account strategy. Bids offer a more concise way to control spending.
Determining a Bid Amount
While all ad groups must have bids, the keyword level type bids override ad group level bidding. Because of the RTB system, the amounts paid by advertisers is based on the activities of competitors and ad ranking – not solely on the optimum bid amount.
Ad Placements
As a result, there is more to winning an auction than acquiring the highest bid. Search engines also consider other factors to decide which ads should be placed at the top on the SERPs. For instance, Google reviews the following:
The amount of the bid.
The context of the search – such as the time of day and the type of device being used by the visitor.
Format influence – whether the ad features extensions, meant to underscore the appearance of the ad.
Quality score.
Factoring in the Quality Score
The quality score is the metric that is used to determine an ad’s relevance. The factors for this rating include the following:
The historical CTR, or click-through rate.
The relevance of a keyword to the ad.
The relevance of the ad and keyword to the search engine query.
The quality of the landing page.
Creating Relevant and Engaging Ad Copy
Because ad relevance is imperative, a high quality score will lead to a reduced cost per click (CPC). Search engines normally penalize advertisers who place bids on keywords that possess low quality scores by rarely displaying the ads. This is done even if the advertiser has bid higher on a keyword. That is why including relevant and engaging copy that features volume keywords is important to PPC success.
Writing the Ad Copy
By contacting a web design business that features PPC services, you can initiate a campaign that will give you the following edge, especially when writing ad copy:
Mix emotional copy with personalization. This is done by identifying the client and learn what he or she prefers or dislikes. Evoking emotion also causes a would-be client to click your ad.
Underscore the ad’s headline. Because people recall the beginning or end of an ad more easily, the headline and end of an ad are the most important parts of the content. Therefore, make sure the headline stands out and add a post script at the end.
Make your copy resonate. Repetition is compelling in an ad – as long as it is presented in compelling way. This can be done by creating a slogan or developing a memorable call-to-action (CTA). The copy must not only be unique, it must also present you brand message so it is memorable.
Repurpose your marketing message over similar media channels. Make use of other sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. You can also share your message through emails or digital PR.
Use remarketing lists for search ads or RSLAs. RSLAs enable people who have previously visited your site to view ads that feature a broader set of keyword phrases.
Targeting an Audience – Optimizing Your AdWords Campaign
Selecting the right keywords will permit you to display ads to the right audiences. To optimize your advertising campaign, you also have to consider the following targeting alternatives:
The device of the user – laptop, mobile phone, notebook, or desk top.
The location.
The time and day of a search.
The demographics.
Varying the Ad Copy
By taking this initiative, advertisers are able to target people, for instance, who use their mobile phones during the daytime hours or people who are between 25 and 35 years old, and reside within a certain radius. The above targeting alternatives are invaluable, as they permit advertisers to vary the ad copy so it performs better for certain users.
Increasing Traffic Control
Remarketing tools also enable the display of ad copy that is more specific to an audience. In turn, more specific ads can be used to eliminate or target past visitors who engage in follow-up searches. Bids are designed so they can be adjusted automatically for the selected keywords – all based on targeting alternatives. As a result, advertisers enjoy more traffic control and are able to spend money that attracts a larger intake of cases.
Clicks to Conversions: What You Should Know
The main point of practicing the above steps is to obtain clicks – clicks that transform into conversions. Conversions, by definition, are the actions that advertisers want site visitors to complete after clicking on a display ad. It is essential to track these conversions to check on the progress of your PPC campaign. This information also tells you how many conversions are responsible for paid searches.
Examples of Conversions
Some common examples of conversions include the following:
Buying a legal service
Signing up for a newsletter on a site
Phoning a legal firm
Tracking Conversions
The AdWords platform regularly tracks conversions by using a snippet of code that is inserted into the source code of a conversion page – normally reached after conversion, such as a “thank you” page. This page is used to collect the conversion data.
Assigning Conversions
Conversions can be somewhat tricky to track. For instance, conversions, such as phone calls, usually occur offline rather than take place online. As a result, they take more time to set up. Also, conversion pathways are more complex, as they entail more actions than when an ad is clicked and a purchase is made. In turn, the paths frequently include multiple searches and site visits. Therefore, website designers, who set up PPC, must determine how to assign conversions when AdWords ads are clicked.
Faster-than-Lightning Results
All the above efforts are indeed worth your while as PPC enables legal firms to boost their intake of cases in a fast amount of time. For instance, PPC enables the user to realize the following advantages:
A quick entry into online activities is featured.
Results are simple to measure and track.
PPC works well with other marketing channels.
When PPC is employed, it provides a wealth of helpful marketing information.
7 Reasons Why PPC Is Good for Business
PPC impacts a business’s initiatives positively. If you have not incorporated the use of PPC in your online marketing campaign, you probably are losing a great deal of valuable traffic and earnings. Marketers can make a case to lawyers on the use of PPC by presenting the following facts:
1. PPC Contributes to a Legal Firm’s Overall Practice Goals. This reason, in and of itself, is one of the most compelling reasons to use PPC type advertising. Not only can you PPC increase brand exposure, it enables you to produce increased leads. Nearly any kind of conversion can be tracked using PPC as well.
Support Your Marketing Goals from Beginning to End
In this age of thought leadership and content use, PPC can serve the middle of the marketing and sales funnel. This can be done way of ad content downloads, app downloads, or newsletter sign-ups. Therefore, PPC supports your goals from the time a web user becomes aware of your ad to the time he or she becomes a client.
2. PPC is Trackable. A major benefit of using PPC advertising is the fact that you can easily measure and track the ads via the AdWords platform. You only need to use the AdWords tool in combo with Google Analytics. In turn, you can view performance details, such as clicks, impressions, and conversions – all based on defined practice objectives.
No Guesswork Involved – You Can Easily See the Stats
As a result, there is no guesswork or mystery to PPC performance. You can readily see, by the stats, how your ad campaigns are doing, and what type of traffic you are receiving, all based on your allocated budget. You do not receive as clear as picture when you resort to other channels for advertising or marketing your legal services. By using PPC, you can clearly see what was spent and your end goals. You simply cannot track a billboard or magazine ad like you can PPC-based advertising.
3. PPC Provides a Quick Entry into the Marketplace. If you have not used PPC before and are behind your competition, you can quickly catch up once you implement a PPC ad campaign. This contrasts to SEO, which involves a more gradual process. Therefore, both PPC and SEO, as marketing models, complement one another. Once you launch AdWords for your PPC campaign, you will start seeing a marketing increase in traffic and your firm’s position on the web.
A User-friendly Platform for Finding Keywords and Writing Ads
The PPC platform is also user-friendly. Most of the work for your PPC campaign is done on the platform – all the way from keyword research to building out the campaign to writing the ads. You can get up and running in a short period. Most of the time will be spent on establishing conversion tracking and producing landing pages.
4. PPC Enables You to Exert a Great Amount of Control. When you implement PPC, you have control over a broad range of options for reaching potential clients. This begins with keyword researches and placements – both which allow you to select who to target or how restrictive you wish to be. Budget flexibility is another hallmark of a PPC campaign. This is nice, especially if you want to set aside a small amount of money for advertising at the start of your campaign.
Scale Up or Take a Short Break – It Is Your Choice
PPC allows you to establish an ad budget and bids and choose what exactly you wish to spend. If you want to see quick and positive results, you can also scale up, if you so choose. Conversely, you can also take a break from a campaign and pause for a while, stopping your ad spend. Other marketing campaigns do not offer this type of budget flexibility.
Determining Relevancy and Ad Placement
Google’s AdWords—the algorithm and auction—has the last say as to the placement of your ads and how much you will ultimately spend as compared to your legal competitors. Therefore, the relevance that results from your alignment of keywords and copy can either be a boon or a difficulty.
Pull an Ad If It Is Not Working
If issues do result though, you have the ability to make any needed edits and to optimize your ads while they are still running. Tests can be run daily as well. Also, if you do not like your ads, you can pull them immediately. This is a great benefit, especially when other mediums do not off this advantage.
5. You Can Easily Synchronize PPC with Other Marketing Channels. Content marketing rules in the digital marketing sphere, and therefore is the standard in online operations. Not only is the investment in unique content important, it is also essential to set up a leadership position online. By using the AdWords engine, you can drive visitors to your site more quickly and enhance your return on investment (ROI) on content.
Integrate PPC with SEO for the Best Results
Moreover, SEO and PPC work nicely together, as the opportunities for site traffic can frequently be attributed to the same audience. This audience is made up of individuals that depend on Google to locate information or legal services. In addition, the performance details on AdWords for impressions, clicks, and conversions can offer solid insights on specific keywords.
AdWords Remarketing
Further support is provided by AdWords remarketing – one way to maintain engagement on your website. Remarketing ads are designed for previous site visitors who left your site and have returned. By gradually shifting from traditional marketing techniques to methods that offer real-time data, you can easily stand out from the competition.
6. You Can Select from a Variety of Targeting Methods. Many PPC users and advertisers test their coverage to ensure they are getting the most for their money. Gaining brand exposure can be realized by targeting keywords via text ads through remarketing ads. This can be accomplished by viewing past behaviors and concentrating on specific demographics on GDN. By performing tests and sampling a mix of keywords, you can better leverage the keywords that you use.
Attract Both Leads and Current Clients to Your Legal Firm
By taking this approach, you can review what methods works the best and establish cost expectations on the limits set for CPC (cost per click) or CPA or (cost-per-acquisition) for AdWords targeting. Taking this stance allows you to contact people who are not in your audience as well as anyone who is already familiar with your legal brand. How big of net do you wish to cast? AdWords and PPC make it possible for you to make this choice yourself.
7. Receive a Wealth of Marketing Information. The information you receive while performing a PPC campaign goes past performance. The impressions, clicks and conversions you receive can also be used for strategizing your SEO marketing campaign and content marketing efforts.
Determine Your Share in the Legal Marketplace
You can also use display planner and keyword planner aids to locate your audience. Cross-reference your competition’s efforts as well with third-party tools, such as KeywordSpy. Doing so will enable you confirm what you are up against, as far as competition, and determine your share in the legal marketplace.
Making Projections
Run Your Own Cost Projections
If you are still not sure about the advantages associated with PPC advertising, now is the time to run a projection of the cost of AdWords, compared to the organic or paid sources you are currently using.
Compare the Costs and Savings
For instance, review the amount you will spend for PPC and AdWords management (it usually is at least $100 monthly to start) and factor in the cost of the content. Take this amount and compare it to the amount your currently spend for similar marketing activities, such as organic searches, social media, email, and marketing channels that are used offline.
Projecting Increased Traffic Costs
In addition, it is helpful to review current and projected conversion rates and check the traffic with display and keyword planner tools. By following this practice, you can see how much you would spend if you focused on increasing certain types of traffic – placing the traffic cost against what you would need to spend.
Take the Next Step
Excel in Your Optimization and Marketing Goals
PPC advertising is a proven, if not dependable, way for legal practices to realize fast and quality traffic and conversions. Considering the major benefits offered by this marketing model, you have more to gain than to risk. What’s more you can receive a wealth of information by using this approach – information that will allow you to excel in other optimization and marketing goals.
If you wish to increase your intake of cases, you need to include PPC, SEO, and digital PR in your online marketing plan. Make sure you use these marketing tools in collaboration with a website design that is both navigable and responsive. Combining all these components is necessary if you want to take your practice to a new level professionally and managerially.
Consult with a PPC Specialist
The above information is meant to give you a basic introduction to PPC – to pique your interest in the subject and activity. Your next step is to consult with a PPC ad specialist and web design and SEO firm, such as Authority Legal Pro.
Do this before you establish an AdWords account. By working with a specialist in the field, you can grade your account activities in key areas more easily – areas that include click-through rate, account activities, and quality score.
Work with a Company that Delivers Results
Get rid of any guesswork and make sure you are working with an SEO and PPC website design business that is fully versed in PPC. That way, you can implement a PPC campaign that will synchronize nicely with website building and SEO integration. Work with a company that will support these efforts by tracking your PPC ads and activities. When you are conducting a PPC campaign properly, all the metrics will fall into place.
Managing Your PPC Campaign
When this happens, you will find out if your PPC campaign is headed in the proper direction or if it needs to be refined. By collaborating with a company that features PPC services, you can also take a closer look at your data, which will give you some key insights. These insights will be based on the results you obtain from tracking of conversions, calls, and website performance.
How a Professional PPC Specialist Can Help Your Realize Your Legal Marketing Goals
By obtaining professional help, you can accomplish the following much more easily:
AdWords Management
Management of keyword bids
Improvement of your quality score
Expanding on campaigns
Keyword research
Monitoring conversions and calls
Campaign reporting
Creating and optimizing ads
Invest in Your Success
If you are a novice with respect to PPC, make an investment in your future success. Work with an ad and web design business that covers all your PPC and SEO needs and can help you create a website that is both navigable and lead-friendly.
Who to Contact
Are you ready to get started implementing a PPC campaign? If so, you can call or email Authority Legal Pro about its SEO and PPC services, both of which complement their website design and digital PR offerings. Give them a call now or email them for further details.