Legal PPC is extremely expensive because the competition is so high. Luckily for attorneys looking to advertise using search engines, Google Ads has one option that allows lawyers to decrease their lead cost while getting a higher volume of phone calls (which are extremely valuable for most law firms).

This is the call-only ad format, an ad that is shown to mobile users that highlights your firm’s phone number. When users click on the ad, instead of being redirected to your landing page (like a regular search ad), the choice to call your phone number pops up on their mobile device.

Many people will use desktop devices to search for an attorney purely because it is a big decision, even in today’s mobile age, but around 30% of people are still using their smartphones to make the search, and that percentage increases when people urgently need legal services (for example, if they were charged with a DUI or injured in a motorcycle accident or about to lose custody of your child). Call-only ads are something lawyers should pay attention to, not only because a significant chunk of their clientele is searching for them on smartphones, but also for a few other important reasons:

‍

Call-only ads eliminate a step in the conversion process

Call-only ads take the middleman (your website) out of the equation and put you directly in contact with leads. Instead of having them click on your ad, direct them to a landing page with more information, and then direct them to call you, you just have them click your ad and get them on the phone. (Now, we’re not saying a fantastic website is unnecessary and you should only run all call-only campaigns, because there are many people who will want more information before taking the step to call you. However, testing may reveal that call-only ads can be extremely profitable for you if added to your marketing mix.) A study by Invoca showed that more than 30% of people searching for a phone number online look for less than sixty seconds before giving up and moving to another company. Call-only ads make it easier for people to find you.

‍

Call-only ads reveal high intent which brings your lead cost down and your ROI up

People who call your firm are at least somewhat interested in retaining your services – they don’t just call to chat. Phone calls reveal high intent users. Most likely, people who are calling are users who have a problem that they think you might be able to solve, and they’re either calling to see if their case is the type of thing that you handle or to set up a consultation. Either way, a call from someone who wants to talk about their case is much better than a click from someone who is comparing lawyers or just surfing the web for legal advice. Your conversion rate goes up, your lead cost drops, and your ROI goes up, all because you have higher quality leads.

‍

Call-only ads give you a better chance to close

Websites and landing pages are static. Analytics can tell you a lot, but you can’t know what the user was thinking and feeling about your firm as they were exploring your site, if they misinterpreted or misunderstood something that was written, or what questions they had that might have gone unanswered. With phone calls, someone from your firm (you, or the person you have answering the phones) can respond to callers’ specific questions and concerns in a way that encourages them to hire you. You have a better chance of persuading someone, and you can also give them more information than they might find on a landing page.

‍

How do I create a call-only ad?

See our step-by-step tutorial on creating call-only ads by viewing our video episode on this topic here.