Law Firm Local Service Ads

How can Local service calls help your law firm?

Local Services Ads (LSAs) help lawyers generate more phone calls from high-intent clients by placing their firm at the top of Google search results with a “Google Screened” badge, displaying their phone number, reviews, and practice areas, and charging only for valid leads.

Our LSA service

• Full account creation & Google verification
• Optimized LSA profiles focused on trust and conversion
• Managed budgets under pay-per‑lead models
• Lead filtering and dispute systems for quality control
• Geo and practice-specific targeting strategies
• Dashboards and ROI-driven reporting
• Competitive intelligence and ongoing optimization

Monthly Fee: $1000.00 + State Tax

We Require:

Third-party answering services for hot transfer – please review this section for engagement with Google’s LSA.

What is the difference between PPC and LSA?

PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

• Payment Model: You pay each time someone clicks your ad—whether or not they contact you.
• Placement: Ads appear in Google Search results, usually at the top or bottom of the page.
• Lead Control: You send traffic to a landing page or website, and must convert visitors yourself (form fills, calls, chats).
• Tracking Required: You must install call tracking, form tracking, and set up conversions manually.
• Keywords: You choose and bid on specific keywords.
• Check out our law firm marketing PPC services today.

LSA (Local Services Ads)

• Payment Model: You pay only for actual leads—usually a phone call or message from a potential client. While there is a text message option, we optimize LSA for calls, as most lawyers do not have dedicated support staff to reply to text messages promptly.
• Placement: Ads appear above PPC ads with a “Google Screened” badge, showing your name, reviews, and a call button.
• Lead Delivery: Google sends the lead directly (via call or message) without going to your website.

LSAs excel at capturing high‑intent calls right at the search moment, and elevate this with data-driven targeting, review management, and rigorous performance tracking.

Summary

Feature	PPC	LSA
Pay Model	Pay-per-click	Pay-per-call
Traffic Goes To	Your website/landing page	Direct phone call
Conversion Control	You handle conversion on your site	Google connects you directly to the lead
Tracking Setup	Manual setup needed	Google Dashboard
Ad Position	Below LSAs, in regular ad slots	Top of page with “Google Screened” badge
Geo Targeting	Included and Excluded Geo Locations	Included and Excluded Geo Locations
Keyword / Topics	Keywords, and Negative Keywords	Categories, and Sub-Categories of law

How long does it take on average to validate lawyer LSA profiles?

On average, it takes 2 to 5 weeks to fully validate a lawyer’s Local Services Ads (LSA) profile, depending on how quickly the required documents and verifications are completed.

Key Steps in the LSA Validation Process:

1. Lawyer Verification (1–3 days)
   – Firm name, address, phone number, website.
2. License Verification (2–7 days)
   – Bar license must match the lawyer’s name and be active in the state(s) served.
   • The image of the lawyer must match the one on their license, or be detectable via AI.
3. Background Check (7–14+ days)
   – Handled by Pinkerton (Google’s partner). Includes identity and criminal background check for the attorney and possibly firm owners.
4. Insurance Verification (if required) (2–5 days)
   – May include general liability or malpractice coverage.
5. Google Screened Approval (1–3 days after all documents are approved)

Google may change the phone number in your LSA Profile

Google uses your law firm’s Google Business Profile and the associated phone number when validating the information provided in the LSA validation process. We have seen Google change the phone number associated with the validated profile, based on the phone number that is associated with the information either on the Bar license or insurance.

This can happen several months after your LSA has been showing in Google.

This phone number can be updated by contacting Google’s LSA team, and:

• Validating The LSA account number
• Validating the new phone number goes to the firm
• Providing an email that states the account number and our wish to update the phone number to the one we are providing.

We use a call tracking number to gain visibility into which calls are LSA calls. If you are using Mycase, Clico, or Lawmatics, we can use Callrail to directly integrate this information into your case management software for marketing attribution. You can then understand which LSA calls resulted in cases and track LSA ROI month-over-month.

Keeping LSA Calls “On-Topic” so Google Stays Engaged — at a glance

1. Answer fast (≤ 2 rings).
   Your dedicated receptionist answers promptly, signaling to Google’s AI that the call is legitimate and client-focused.
2. Ensure callers don’t have to go through a voicemail prompt or a directory to connect with an attorney or a paralegal.
3. Clarify the legal issue immediately.
   The receptionist asks, “Thanks for calling [Firm Name]. What type of legal matter can I help you with today?”
   – They then select the caller’s response from a drop-down menu that matches your LSA ad categories (e.g., “Criminal Defense,” “Bankruptcy,” “Estate Planning”).
4. Ensure AI hears a match.
   When the caller states one of the pre-mapped categories within the first 30–45 seconds, Google’s algorithm recognizes the topical alignment and counts the lead as valid.
5. Transfer seamlessly.
   The receptionist places the caller on a brief hold, then hot-transfers them to an available attorney, preserving both call context and engagement.

Result:
With fast answers, accurate intake, and smooth hand-offs, your dedicated receptionist helps ensure Google recognizes each call as a relevant lead—protecting your LSA budget and lead quality.

Engagement is the #1 factor in making Local Service Ads work.

When a prospective client calls your firm through a Google LSA, the first 30–45 seconds of the call are crucial. That’s because Google’s AI is actively listening to determine whether the conversation matches the legal service advertised. If the call doesn’t clearly reflect the ad’s intent, you risk losing credit for the lead.

To ensure every call is handled properly—and Google recognizes it as valid—we require all firms to use a professional answering service.

These services are trained to:

• Answer within two rings
• Promptly verify the caller’s legal issue
• Use category-aligned scripting
• Transfer calls smoothly to attorneys

We Require

Third-Party Legal Answering Services for Hot Transfer

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

Lawmatics integrations with answering services

• Answering Legal

Maxing Out Your Weekly LSA Budget

To get the best results, we also recommend maxing out your weekly LSA budget during your firm’s peak call hours. When paired with strong engagement, this positions your ads at the top, drives more qualified leads, and ensures Google sees your account as highly responsive—keeping your cost-per-lead low and your call volume high.

LSA Resources

• Google’s requirements for lawyers and law firms
• Local service ads and Local SEO with Mike Goldstein