Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is one of the best ways to get your law firm in front of more prospective clients with enticing, click-worthy ads. But the effectiveness of your ads depends on a variety of factors — from your targeting and keyword strategy, to your average Click-Through-Rate (CTR) and conversions.
Understanding average CTR, Cost-Per-Click (CPC), and other important metrics will help you assess whether your ads are reaching the right audience and generating new leads. In this guide, we’ll cover the industry standards for ad performance and how to improve your ads for better results.
Law Firm Ads Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Key Performance Metrics (KPIs) are numerical values used to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaign performance. These metrics can vary widely depending on the platform but for the sake of measuring the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns, we suggest you focus on the following metrics:
Impressions
“Impressions” refer to the number of users who have viewed your ad, whether in the Google search results, social media, or as a display ad on a website. Impressions measure your ad visibility rather than engagement — a user does not need to click the ad for it to count as an impression. A high number of Impressions means that a lot of people are seeing your ad.
Clicks
“Clicks,” on the other hand, refer to how many times your ad has been clicked on. Typically, a user will click on your ad and this leads to a landing page on your website. A Click is a valuable action because it brings a user one step closer to becoming a potential lead. A high number of Clicks means that a lot of people are clicking on your ad, usually with the goal of learning more about your firm.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR is a law firm marketing KPI that measures the percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it in their search results or social feed. A high CTR indicates that your ad is effective in capturing the attention of your audience.
According to an industry report, the average CTR on Google Ads for the legal industry is about 6.4%. This is lower than in other industries, like Arts and Entertainment (13.04%) or Real Estate (9.20%).
Cost Per Click (CPC)
Cost Per Click (CPC) is reported in your ad’s analytics and represents the monetary cost incurred each time someone clicks on your ad.
A high CPC can be indicative of high competition for your chosen keyword(s). In the legal industry, multiple law firms bidding on the same keywords can increase the CPC value.
A low CPC means reduced competition or less expensive keywords. Assuming your conversion rates are strong, this can lead to a higher ROI.
The average CPC for the legal industry is around $8.94 USD.
Conversion Rate
Conversion Rate measures the percentage of clicks on your ad that then result in the user taking a desired action, like scheduling a consultation or submitting a form. Conversion rates indicate the overall effectiveness of your campaign in generating new leads.
You can improve your conversion rate by ensuring your ad copy aligns with the content on your campaign landing page, and that the call to action (CTA) on the landing page compels users to take action. It’s best to monitor your conversion rate(s), test different strategies, and improve results over time.
Sources report that the average conversion rate on ad clicks for law firm ads is around 5% ( WordStream’s 2024 survey reports 6.9%; First Page Sage’s 2025 report indicates 3.9%). Conversion rates can vary widely by practice area and ad type.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) measures the amount of revenue generated compared to the amount of money you’ve spent on your ad(s).
Compared to ecommerce businesses, calculating ROAS for a service-based business can be a bit more difficult because your ads don’t directly relate to product sales. But if you determine how much revenue you’ve earned via new clients as a result of your ads, you can calculate ROAS.
Calculating your ROAS is valuable because it helps assess profitability.
The average Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) for law firms engaging in digital advertising is approximately 4:1. If you are generating 4 times or more in revenue than your total ad spend, you are making a healthy margin!
Quality Score
According to Google Ads, Quality Score is “an estimate of the experience that users have when they see your search ads and the quality of their experience once they reach your landing page.” You can monitor your ad Quality Score in your Google Ads account.
A higher ad Quality Score usually leads to better ad performance — including higher/better ad positions and lower costs.
How to Improve Your Law Firm KPIs
If you want to improve your ad metrics, resulting in more traffic and leads for your law firm, then you’ll need to learn these optimization tips. After 10+ years in the business of law firm SEO and PPC, we know a thing or two about how to run great law firm ads!
Implement these strategies to improve the effectiveness of your PPC ads:
1. Increase impressions with the right keywords
If you’re running Google Ads, use the Keyword Planner tool to identify high volume keywords that pertain to your business, including your location and services. Focus on keywords that reflect a user’s intention to seek out legal services. By finding the right keywords — particularly those with high search volume — you increase the opportunity for more impressions.
2. Improve your CTR with optimized ad copy
Write your ads so they highlight the main selling points your law firm has to offer. For example, if you have a proven success rate, offer “no obligation” consultations, or bring certain accolades to the table, mention these. Write a headline and description that contain your focus keywords(s), and include a CTA that entices clicks.
3. Drive more conversions with landing page improvements
Make sure that the landing page your ad points to is fast, mobile-friendly, and contains content that aligns with the focus of your ad. You can improve your conversion rate by including clear CTAs, trust-building client testimonials, and easy-to-use contact forms. The goal is to make it super simple for prospective clients to know 1) what you offer and 2) how to contact you.
4. Maximize your ROAS by tweaking your ad strategy
Review your ad analytics on a regular basis. This is the only true way to monitor performance and identify areas for improvement. Calculate your ROAS for each of your ads, then allocate more budget to your highest performing ads. You might need to tweak (like update the ad copy or keywords) your lower-performing ads to get better results. Experiment with different bidding strategies and audience targeting to reach a wider and/or more relevant audience and improve your return on investment (ROI).
We get it — monitoring and optimizing your ad metrics is a significant undertaking! If you’re new to ad analytics, or simply can’t be fussed with the time it takes to manage complicated ad campaigns, you’re in luck. At Hennessey Digital, we specialize in fully-managed, optimally effective ads for legal professionals like you!
From keyword research to ad setup to management and reporting, we’ve got all your bases covered. Rest easy knowing your ad budget is being put to good use and that your ad metrics are above the standard! Contact us to learn more about our PPC Management services.
