Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising for Personal Injury Lawyers

The field of Personal Injury Law can be very competitive, whether you’re in a small market or a big city. As one of the most high-demand service providers, personal injury lawyers face a ton of opportunities (in terms of new clients) if they can market themselves effectively.

If you’re a personal injury (PI) lawyer or operate a PI law firm, one way to get discovered by new clients is through Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising. This is a means of generating more traffic and leads with paid ads.

Learn the most effective PPC advertising strategies for personal injury lawyers — and how to implement them.

What is PPC Advertising for Attorneys?

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising is a type of digital marketing where you run online ads, whether in search engines (like Google) or on social media (like Facebook or Instagram) to drive traffic, phone calls, leads, etc. for your law firm.

It is called “pay per click” because you essentially pay a cost for each click on your ad, resulting in a visit to your website or landing page. The cost per click is determined by the competitiveness of the keywords and/or audience parameters you “bid” on.

PPC advertising is an effective form of marketing for personal injury lawyers because it allows you to 1) get laser-targeted on the types of clients you want to reach, 2) display your ads above the typical organic search results, and 3) generate leads faster than organic and/or traditional methods.

PPC advertising is a more advanced form of advertising than traditional marketing, though, so it’s important to learn the fundamentals, test your strategies, implement best practices, and adjust your campaigns over time.

Examples of PPC Ads for Personal Injury Attorneys

PPC advertising can be difficult to conceptualize if you haven’t noticed online ads before. Typically, you will see PPC ads in the Google Search results, and they will include a “Sponsored” tag. You might also see paid ads on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

Here are a few examples:

Get Started with PPC Ads

If you are new to PPC advertising, you will need to get set up with an advertising account for the platform you wish to advertise on. This could include Google Ads, Facebook (Meta) Ads, YouTube Ads, YouTube Ads, and so forth. Where you advertise will depend on who your target audience is, where they spend time online, and what your budget is for ads.

To get started, we highly recommend working with a trusted PPC advertising agency. They will get you set up with the appropriate platform(s) and will configure your campaigns based on your targeting strategy and audience.

Here is the standard process for getting started with PPC ads:

• 1. Sign up for an advertising platform (Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc.)
• 2. Define your target audience (age, location, interests, etc.)
• 3. Choose the right keywords (if using search engine ads); for Google Ads, use Keyword Planner to identify keywords
• 4. Write compelling ad copy and/or create ad images or videos
• 5. Design an optimized landing page or direct users to your main website
• 6. Set your budget and bid strategy
• 7. Launch the campaign
• 8. Monitor performance and track metrics

PPC Strategies for Personal Injury Lawyers

PPC advertising involves more than simply launching ads and letting them run; it requires continued monitoring and improvement. With that, there are several strategies you can implement to improve the results of your campaigns.

Set Specific Targeting Parameters

Many personal injury attorneys who get started with PPC advertising make the mistake of targeting broadly with their ads. And this is understandable, as you might assume that running ads to a larger audience means more opportunities for leads. Unfortunately, the result is usually higher competition and higher costs.

Instead, refine your target audience based on factors like location, age, and interests relevant to personal injury. On Facebook, leverage lookalike audiences (e.g. groups of users who share similar characteristics) based on your past clients.

On Google, use Negative Keywords to filter out irrelevant search terms so you’re not attracting leads for services you don’t actually offer.
H3> Write Click-Worthy Ad Copy

Make sure your ad copy (the content in your ad) conveys the benefits of your services and instills a sense of urgency for people to contact you.

Use the ad tagline and description to emphasize what makes your practice unique. For example, “Free, No Commitment Consultation”, “No Win/No Fee Structure”, “20+ Years Experience”, etc. Think of copy that will help your firm stand out from the other competitors/ads.

Direct Ads to Unique Landing Pages

Rather than direct users to your law firm website’s home page, instead include a link to a specific landing page that relates to the content in your ad. For example, if you’re advertising your services as a personal injury attorney in Chicago, perhaps the main heading on your ad landing page should be “Need a Personal Injury Lawyer? Hire Chicago’s Best.” or similar.

Be sure to include a clear call-to-action (CTA) that compels users to call you, submit a form, or otherwise learn more about your services. Adding past client testimonials to your landing can also help build trust with prospective clients.

Identify “High Intent” Keywords for Google Ads

The keywords you target for your Google Ads should indicate a strong intention of users looking to hire an attorney, rather than simply inquire about general legal topics. “High intent” keywords reflect specific search terms that indicate a user is ready to take action. These keywords often contain terms like “hire,” “near me,” “consultation,” or “lawyer for [specific issue]”.

By focusing on high intent keywords, your ads are shown to users with immediate needs, increasing the likelihood that they’ll click on your ad, visit your landing page, and reach out for your services. This also helps make the most of your ad budget by targeting people who are most ready to hire an attorney!

Be Realistic About Your Ad Budget

PPC advertising for personal injury law is not for those on a tight budget. That’s because personal injury law can be competitive, making the cost per click (CPC) higher than it might be for other industries or specialties. If you want great results from your ads, you’ll need to have a budget that can facilitate this type of reach.

Make sure your ad budget is realistic for your niche and market. Otherwise, a low budget may not be competitive enough to compete with other firms, especially if you’re targeting high-cost keywords. If you’re not sure what your budget should be, consult with a PPC marketing agency for help. They may advise that you consider a local approach to avoid competing on a national level, reducing your CPC.

Implement a Retargeting Campaign Strategy

Retargeting is a type of campaign that aims to display ads to people who have previously visited your website but didn’t take a desired action (like filling out a contact form or scheduling a consultation). Retargeting is a great way to get a second chance of converting a prospective client, long after they saw your original ad.

When you set up retargeting, you add a small piece of code called a “pixel” (for Facebook) or “tag” (for Google) to your website, which places a “cookie” in the user’s browser. This cookie allows you to show tailored ads to those users as they browse other websites, social media platforms, or even as they search on Google.

Add ‘Extensions’ to Increase Clicks

Google Ads offers something called “extensions” to add additional features to your ads. You can add call extensions and/or location extensions to make contacting you easier. You might also consider running Local Service Ads, which allow clients to contact you directly and gain a sense of trust with your reputable Google Badge.

Clients looking for immediate help often prefer firms that display multiple, easy-to-follow contact options.

Get Creative with Video Content

Instead of relying solely on content-based ads, up the creative appeal with video. Video ads can be more engaging and eye-catching than text ads, or even ads with text and images. Video is particularly effective when it comes to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Try creating short yet informative videos introducing your firm, addressing a common personal injury law-related topic, and/or sharing client success stories. End your video ad with a compelling CTA, like “Call us today at ###-####” or “Click below to schedule your free consult”.