Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Let’s discuss two types of search results: organic versus pay-per-click, or PPC. Organic search results rely on your website content and the code behind it, plus other techniques on the more technical-side, to get you to the top of search results. PPC, on the other hand, lets you pay to be featured on search engine result pages.
PPC has been reported to be more successful in attracting page viewers over the short term, although other processes have more longevity. Ideally, it’s best to have a solid page that is optimized for search engines, backed with a marketing effort that targets social media and other outlets, combined with PPC efforts to achieve maximum visibility for your law firm online.
It’s a multi-pronged attack, but once you learn the logic behind each process, it all makes sense.
How PPC Works
In order to use PPC, you must bid* on the keywords you want to target. For lawyers, it is good practice to bid on keywords that are geographical; for example, if you’re a lawyer based in Dallas, TX, it’s in your best interests to bid on keywords that include “Dallas.” It’s highly unlikely that a woman seeking a divorce lawyer who resides in New York is going to be interested in hiring a lawyer based in Texas; utilizing local keywords lets your most likely leads find you much more easily and weeds out clients that you won’t be able to help, thus saving you further time and money.
An experienced marketing organization is your best bet for this type of campaign. These professionals can monitor your results and will be able to choose the best keywords for your legal niche and target customer base to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.
Benefits of Pay-Per-Click
PPC provides you with nearly-instant results for your investment; your site will likely see a boost in visitors almost right away once you implement PPC. It’s a quick way to generate new leads and attract clients away from un-sponsored competitor links.
Your marketing manager will be able to see where visitors are coming from, what keywords get the most attention and provide the most cost-effective solution, and use that information to help you get the most possible leads.
*Some organizations don’t use a bidding process; they will establish a flat rate; however, the big operators who offer PPC all currently operate on a bid-based model.
