Why Non-Google PPC Matters for Law Firms

With Google dominating the search engine market, you may be wondering if any non-Google PPC advertising still matters. The short answer? Yes. Keep reading to learn more.

Approximate Read Time: 5 Minutes

Google undoubtedly commands the global search engine market share. As such, many lawyers are guilty of thinking Google Ads PPC (pay-per-click) is all that matters to a PPC marketing strategy. On the other hand, experienced marketers know that Google isn’t the only answer. A wise advertiser appreciates the importance of Google Ads while recognizing that other PPC advertising solutions can also play an integral role in expanding an effective digital advertising strategy.

It is important to reiterate that this article is not intended to cast doubt on the importance of Google Ads or diminish the value Google PPC presents to a law firm. In fact, Justia routinely emphasizes the importance of Google Ads for law firm clients that want to create a robust search engine marketing plan. Nonetheless, while Google Ads is often the cornerstone of effective PPC advertising, it is certainly complemented by non-Google options that help you reach new clients across various platforms.

In this post, we’re taking a look at a few of the reasons law firms should explore the benefits non-Google advertising options also present for helping a firm achieve its growth goals.

Social Media Advertising: Reaching Potential Clients Where They Are

Google Ads PPC allows you to target searchers who are actively looking for representation or legal information through Google Search queries. However, most people also do not spend their free time searching on Google all day. That is not the case with social media.

Approximately seven-in-ten Americans use social media for various reasons. This is a massive increase from the estimated 5% of American adults that were using social media just 17 years ago. Moreover, Americans spent more than 1,300 hours on average on Social Media in 2020 and global usage statistics indicate that most internet users spend 147 minutes (or two hours and 27 minutes) daily on social networking. Thus, it can reasonably be said that people are sitting idly scrolling through their chosen social media platforms.

With non-Google PPC advertising options, such as Facebook Ads and LinkedIn Ads, you can reach those people exactly where they are spending their free time. This is a benefit not presented by search ads through Google Ads PPC.

We do not necessarily recommend casting a wide net across every social media advertising option in hopes of connecting with a potential client. Instead, law firms should carefully consider the demographics of their ideal clients to determine which platforms would allow for better connections with this target audience.

For example, according to data shared by Hootsuite, 56.6% of Facebook’s ad audience is men and the network is most popular with older millennials aged 35-44.

However, in certain demographics, such as women aged 16-24, Facebook is the favorite platform of only 7.3% of survey respondents. This indicates traditional Facebook Ads may be a better choice for law firms that find their clients typically are in their 30s and 40s, and perhaps even whose clients are more often male, but not a firm that primarily serves younger individuals.

Likewise, LinkedIn has a reputation for being a professional social network. Data suggests that a high percentage of LinkedIn users earn more than $75,000/year and 45% of the platform’s users are in upper management.

Thus, if you have a business-focused practice working with generally established professionals and entities, LinkedIn Ads may present a better advertising opportunity for your firm than Facebook Ads.

In addition to performing demographic research to determine which social platforms may present the most advertising value for your law firm, we also suggest taking advantage of available filters and targeting options for your ads to ensure you are targeting your ads to reach these ideal clients. For example, Facebook allows ad targeting based on location, demographics, interests, and more, while LinkedIn targets audiences based on locations, job functions, education, and more!

Related Post: Facebook Retargeting v. Google Ads Remarketing for Lawyers

Finally, it is important to note that you are not limited to standard PPC advertising on some of these social networks and can also see a strong return on investment through remarketing ads on Facebook and other platforms.

For instance, Facebook Retargeting helps you reach users who have already taken specific actions on your law firm website. This reminds people who have previously shown an interest in your firm that your practice is well-equipped to handle their legal matters.

As an added bonus, Facebook Retargeting also allows for remarketing in certain practice areas where Google prohibits remarketing ads! For instance, Google’s advertising policies prohibit targeted ads based on financial status, which in turn prevents many bankruptcy attorneys from leveraging remarketing on the platform. Google has policies that similarly impact many major practice areas, including personal injury, criminal, immigration, and family law attorneys. Facebook does not place these same limits on its remarketing program, making it that much more effective for lawyers.

If you are interested in learning more about what remarketing with Facebook can do for your law firm, contact our Justia Amplify team for a free consultation.

Other Search Engines: Connecting With the Non-Googler

You cannot argue that Google has the lion’s share of search engine traffic. However, they are not the only player in the game.

On a Windows PC browser (Microsoft Edge/Internet Explorer), Bing, not Google, is the default search engine. In June 2021, Bing visits peaked at over one billion users. It currently still holds 6.72% of the search market share in the United States, followed by Yahoo at 2.92%.

This means there are searchers out there who are not using Google as their primary search engine but instead seek information via a search engine that incorporates Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads). The Microsoft Advertising search network includes Bing and Bing operated sites (such as MSN), Yahoo and Yahoo operated sites, and more!

The usage percentages may look small in comparison to Google, but the numbers are not negligible. Microsoft Search Network data indicates its audience includes 118 million unique users in the United States commanding 37.5% of the PC market share and representing 7.2 billion monthly searches.

Therefore, Microsoft Advertising still represents a strong advertising solution for law firms seeking to expand with new leads. Additionally, as more law firms and other businesses emphasize a Google Ads-only approach to PPC advertising, the Microsoft network may offer a less competitive environment that is easier on a law firm’s budget while still offering a strong ROI.

Our Justia Amplify team is well-versed in the advertising opportunities presented by Microsoft Ads. You can contact us to learn more about how this non-Google PPC opportunity can help your law firm grow.

New Platforms: Expanding Your Horizons

In an industry where visibility is key to connecting with clients (they can’t hire you if they don’t know you exist), advertising across various platforms can help you diversify your marketing strategy and reach more potential clients.

While the main players in the PPC advertising game are usually big brands that you have heard of, search engines and large social media platforms are not the only places you can run PPC advertisements. Instead, you can try advertising on less traditional PPC platforms that still receive traffic from users who are likely to be high-value leads for your firm.

For example, Quora is a question-and-answer website that allows users to collaboratively share information. People are commonly seeking legal information online and may very well look for answers through Quora. Businesses can also leverage Quora Ads to connect with this audience of people who are actively searching for an answer to a question in their industry.

Final Thoughts: Why Do You Care?

For most law firms, Google Ads PPC should be the foundation of your PPC marketing efforts. However, other PPC platforms are not obsolete and can help you further expand your marketing efforts to reach potential clients in new channels and uniquely targeted ways.

If you are ready to start building a robust PPC advertising plan, our team can help. Contact us today to learn more.

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