Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising remains one of the most powerful marketing tools for getting in front of potential clients exactly when they need legal help. Whether your law firm specialises in family law, personal injury, or commercial litigation, a well-managed PPC campaign can drive high-intent traffic to your site and generate qualified enquiries quickly.
But PPC is more than just bidding on keywords, especially in the legal market, where CPCs are high and competition fierce. We strive to get the very best out of PPC for our clients through meticulous research and paying attention to the little things that make all the difference in reach.
Understanding Your Audience
Before diving into the campaign setup, it’s vital to know who you’re targeting. Legal services are often localised and deeply personal. Are you aiming to attract individuals seeking a divorce solicitor in Bristol or small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) needing commercial contracts in Birmingham?
Segment your audience based on the following:
- Legal need (e.g. family, criminal, conveyancing, wills & probate)
- Location (postcode-level targeting is now more effective with advanced geotargeting)
- Device usage (mobile vs desktop behaviour can differ significantly for legal enquiries)
Understanding this allows for message and bid customisation. For instance, urgent services like emergency injunctions require different messaging and ad scheduling compared to a service that is non-urgent, such as estate planning.
Keyword Research and Strategy
Careful keyword selection is the foundation of any successful PPC campaign. But with the rising cost of high-volume legal terms (some exceeding £20 per click in Q1 2025), it’s important to balance competitiveness with intent.
Four keyword types to include:
- Core service keywords: “Divorce solicitor London”, “Employment lawyer Manchester”
- Long-tail queries: “How much does it cost to write a will UK”
- Brand protection terms: To defend your firm name from competitor bidding
- Negative keywords: Filter out unwanted traffic such as “Free legal advice”
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and data from your own search query reports to refine your strategy.
Crafting Effective Ad Copy
Ad copy is your digital storefront; it presents what your law firm can offer in an easy-to-digest way. It must speak directly to the pain points of your potential clients while also complying with SRA advertising guidelines. It’s key to consider the differences between mobile advertising and desktop. Mobile users may respond better to imperative CTAs like “Call now for advice” rather than “Book a free consultation”.
Best practices include:
- Use benefit-driven headlines: “No Win No Fee Service”
- Include trust signals: “Regulated by the SRA Rated Excellent on Trustpilot”
- Highlight USPs: “Fixed Fees Same-Day Appointments Free Initial Call”
Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are now the default format for Google. These ads are designed to show more relevant messages to the right customers; enter different headlines and descriptions of your advert and Google will learn which performs best. Make sure to test multiple headline and description variations to improve ad strength scores.
Budgeting, Bidding and Campaign Structure
Setting the right budget is often where law firms go wrong. Whether you're running campaigns in Google Ads or Microsoft Ads, understanding how to stretch your budget while maintaining visibility is key to a successful PPC campaign.
Smart budgeting tips:
- Start with a monthly figure aligned to the value of a new client in that practice area (As an example, £1,000 per month for family, £2,500 per month for PI)
- Use location targeting to avoid wasting spending outside your service areas
- Allocate budget across multiple campaigns by practice area or urgency
Effective campaign structure:
- One campaign per legal service (e.g. family law, conveyancing)
- Ad groups by intent or sub-service (e.g. “divorce solicitor” vs “child custody lawyer”)
Tracking Measurement and Optimisation
Without tracking, you're flying blind. Ensuring that you are actively tracking the feedback of your PPC campaign is crucial. It’s important, now more than ever, to measure beyond just clicks.
Key tracking elements:
- Calls, form submissions, live chat interactions, and online bookings
- Call tracking: Use dynamic phone numbers to track calls by keyword and ad
Use Google Tag Manager to streamline implementation.
Optimisation tips:
- Review search term reports weekly to find new keywords and negatives
- Adjust your CPA or ROAS targets, if using smart bidding, to maximise your return on investment
- A/B test ad copy and landing pages regularly
PPC can be a highly valuable tool to draw in new clients for law firms, though costly, you can expect to see the benefits of PPC by applying the best practices above. Grounded in current trends and practical strategy, you can make PPC a predictable and scalable lead source for your firm.
Need some help optimising or starting your law firm’s PPC campaign? We can help!
Email us at sales@conscious.co.uk or give us a call at 0117 325 0200.