How Can Law Firms Profit from Using Local Service Ads?

In this post, you will learn how your law firm can become profitable using local service ads (LSA), and show up at the top of Google’s local organic search results.

What Are Local Service Ads?

Local Service Ads, also known as LSA, are a type of ad that, when displayed, appears at the top of the search results above traditional pay-per-click advertising.

LSA can also be shown in Google’s Local 3-pack search results; if present, it shows as the first result of 4.

LSA has a green check mark next.

All local search ads say Google Verified, Google Guaranteed, or Google Screened.

What types of businesses can run LSA?

Local service ads (LSA) are not available in every industry. Currently, they cover 70 types of small businesses.

What LSA categories are available for lawyers and law firms?

Here are the legal categories for LSA as of 09/01/2024:

• Bankruptcy Lawyer
• Business Lawyer
• Contract Lawyer
• Criminal Lawyer
• DUI Lawyer
• Estate Lawyer
• Family Lawyer
• Immigration Lawyer
• IP Lawyer
• Labor Lawyer
• Litigation Lawyer
• Malpractice Lawyer
• Personal Injury Lawyer
• Real Estate Lawyer
• Tax lawyer
• Traffic Lawyer

How is LSA different from PPC?

PPC – With traditional pay-per-click advertising (PPC), you pay for clicks on your ad that appears in Google’s search engine results. These clicks do not guarantee a phone call or a contact form submission.

PPC clicks are sent to your website, either to a landing page or an organic page.

With PPC, you pay for all clicks to your ads regardless of whether there was a call, form fill, or conversion.

LSA – Local Service Ads do not drive traffic to your website; they drive action via a phone call or form fill.

With Local Service Ads, you pay for advertising that drives a contact to your law firm. The difference is that you are not paying for clicks without conversion but only for phone calls and form files.

Google’s LSA requirements for lawyers and law firms

LSA requires that you have a validated Google Business Profile and at least three reviews of your law firm.

Google requires lawyers to upload a headshot. The lawyer’s headshot is shown next to the ad.

The firm must be vetted by Google, which means the firm must provide:

• Criminal Background Check
• Insurance Check
• Validated Google Business Profile (GBP)
• 3 GBP Reviews

What are the benefits of LSA for lawyers?

Law firms receive a great return on investment as the advertising they are spending will only provide a call or contact form fill, vs. traditional PPC, which does not guarantee contact with a prospect!

Local Service Ads have the highest visibility on Google’s local search engine result pages:

LSA appears above traditional PPC Ads

LSA can appear in Google’s Local 3-Pack and, if present, is above all the Google Map Pack results.

Local Service Ad Strategy

Ensure you have selected all the correct LSA categories for your firm.

Ensure you answer the phone within two rings. We have seen firms with long voice mail prompts and a significant drop-off of calls within the first 30 to 60 seconds. This happened within the voice prompts of their telephone system. Only six out of forty-six LSA calls, at a cost of $ 211.00 per call, were answered. This cost the firm $8,229.00, which they were not even aware was happening.

Google listens with AI for 30-45 seconds to ensure it delivers topically relevant ads. It is critical to ask the question of the prospect quickly. If you don’t do that quickly, you risk being billed for ads and prospects who may not be relevant. This happens when you discover, after Google’s listening period, that the prospect is not calling about an area of law you practice.

Engagement is the number one element that you need with LSA calls. If your firm is not answering the calls in a timely fashion, we recommend an answering service such as:

Mycase Integrated answering services

• Answering Legal
• LEX Reception
• Ruby

Clio Gro integration with answering services

• Answering Legal
• Ruby
• Telewizard
• Veta Virtual receptinist
• Abbey Connect
• Alert Communications
• Back Office Betties
• PatLive

Max out your bid by week or month when possible.

Only run ads during business hours when you can answer calls.

Make sure to turn off local service ads when you are on vacation, or can’t receive or respond to calls and completed form submissions.

When you follow the above strategy, Google will increase or maintain the number of impressions your law firm’s local service ads have.

Google wants to send leads only to attorneys who engage with their leads (who answer their phone quickly, during Google’s listening period).

Google can decrease impressions when the phone is not answered promptly and the area of law is not discussed within the first 30-45 seconds of the call.

Listen to our companion podcast episode today to learn more about this LSA strategy.