Good website optimization starts with great imagery. Images can drive traffic to your website by appearing on image search, and engaging visuals help website visitors remember you better.
This article will discuss the importance of image optimization for SEO and provide all the hacks necessary for taking advantage of its potential.
The discussion will start from a basic understanding of image optimization, such as its definition and importance in SEO, along with the stand-out benefits it offers.
We’ll then compare different image formats to determine which works best for your content and introduce several tools to reduce file size without compromising quality.
Image optimization is the process of manipulating digital images for better website performance. By changing its file format, size, color depth, location, and other web-friendly properties, the optimized image takes up less space but still gives a good visual result.
Additionally, properly naming image files and providing relevant alt tags give search engines more information to index websites. Ultimately, this image manipulation enhances user experiences and can increase website visibility in search engine results.
Using higher-resolution images yet maintaining load times will definitely bring in higher conversation rates which are crucial for successful SEO optimization on websites or applications.
Image optimization plays an important role in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is essential for websites to properly optimize their images in order to improve visibility on search engines like Google and Bing.
Image optimization involves boosting the quality of property pictures, illustrations, infographics, and diagrams to grab attention better from customers online. This process helps increase web page loading times when users visit a website or page which can impact user experience as well as SEO ranking factors.
In addition, image optimization also improves overall user engagement since webpages with good visuals draw more visitors than pages with dull visuals or none at all. With optimized images in place, you will get great visual content that not only pleases customers but also enhances your search engine rankings over time leading to more traffic.
When selecting the appropriate image format for a website, it’s important to know the pros and cons of each type, as well as determine which format is best suited for certain circumstances.
JPEGs are great for photos with large high-quality images that require some level of compression in order to reduce file size- especially if many colors are involved.
Meanwhile, subject or line art performs better with a PNG format: its lossless compression allows for the preservation of signs and edges while also providing transparent backgrounds if needed.
GIF files include a maximum palette of 256 colors and provide animation capabilities when other formats wouldn’t be suitable; however, the overall quality tends to be less idealistic.
Lastly, WebP shows promise over traditional formats due to its improved image compression technique which allows content over the same size faster.
Knowing which format works best When choosing the right image format, knowledgeable insight into the pros and cons of JPEGs, PNGs, GIFs, and WebPs effectively boosts website optimization when used by tech professionals.
When selecting an image format, there are a few important factors to consider. These include file size, compatibility across different browsers and devices, and whether the format offers lossless or lossy compression.
JPEGs are generally considered best for photography with lots of varying colors, while PNGs work well for images with fewer colors or which require much higher quality.
For high-speed loading times within the web browsers, GIFs and WebP formats can be used for simple artwork such as icons and logos.
Ultimately the selection process should take into account requirements while obtaining the smallest possible image size without compromising on image quality to maximize loading speed for visitors.
Selecting the right image format is an essential step in optimizing images for SEO. Different file formats have different advantages and should be chosen based on their format type, size, loading speed, compatibility, and storage needs.
JPEG is a widely used compressed format suitable for showcasing photographs taken by cameras while PNGs produce crisp graphics such as line art or logos because of their support for transparent backgrounds.
WebP is a new versatile format that offers all the benefits of the other popular file formats with smaller file sizes.
GIFs offer lossless compression that creates animation but is much larger than the other formats and thus not always recommended if saving disk space is a priority.
In decision making it’s important to consider factors like file size versus quality, target demographic.
Reducing image file size is an essential optimization hack for SEO. Optimized images are essential to improving website performance, which search engines take into account when ranking websites. Researchers have found that images larger than 250kb can actually decrease website speed and negatively impact a site’s score in the SERPs.
To successfully reduce image file size, one should employ techniques such as compression tools and plugins, resizing and cropping (to pixels rather than inches), minimizing metadata content, and lazy loading techniques (where media loads online when viewing the reach).
Such efforts make total page load time faster for mobile users across all networks; imperative as most web searches now originate from mobile devices.
Techniques to Reduce Image File Size
Alt text (or alternate text) refers to descriptive text associated with an online image that assists technologies such as screen readers to interpret visual information.
Currently, search engines use alt attributes for both the signal of a web page’s relevancy and to help classify images; hence making it an essential SEO element.
Furthermore, enabling visually impaired people to access digital content without a barrier also makes it critically important for ADA compliance.
Alt text (also referred to as “alt tags” or in some areas, “image descriptions”) are used by search engines to understand the purpose of images and how they relate to other content on a page.
Writing effective alt text is important for improving image SEO since search engine bots cannot interpret visual information on their own.
Good guidelines for writing effective alt text include avoiding key phrases that could potentially be associated with different topics; describing what it is rather than what it looks like–abstract language should be avoided and only relevant keywords should be used; keeping the description brief, but descriptive enough so that bots can comprehend the nature of the image accurately.
When optimizing images for SEO, the file name plays an important role. Using unique and descriptive words that use relevant keywords can help maximize the search visibility of image files on search engines.
While it’s a good idea to include an informative or keyword-relevant title when uploading an image, at the same time it is worth ensuring you use low-case words with underscores (or hyphens) rather than spaces to separate each word within your titles, as blank space can cause compatibility issues.
In addition, all other characters aside from alphanumeric should be avoided in order optimally replicate extended Latin versions of said characters and enhance cost-effectiveness.
Image captions and descriptions can offer numerous SEO benefits for websites. By utilizing these optimization techniques, website owners can help create more engaging content and make their pages more easily searchable for indexing by search engines.
Additionally, proper image labeling allows users to access information pulled from an accompanying caption or description that may provide further context to the raw visual elements of the webpage.
Enhancements in this area will also improve customer reach as visitors quickly and effectively discern what a page has to offer without having to actually view all images in their entirety.
Ultimately, properly formatted image labels lead to an improved user experience across any given web platform which will likely result in increased web traffic from organic sources seeking additional clarifications on various topics covered through such illustrated works.
Using image captions and descriptions is an easy and effective way to increase the visibility of your content for search engine optimization (SEO).
Writing good, descriptive captions that include relevant keywords can help boost engagement with website visitors.
Best practices for writing image captions include:
When possible, make reference to parts or subjects located within the image. Lastly, use active language free from hyperbolic phrasing that readers may not understand quickly.
Including relevant keywords in image descriptions is a basic step for optimizing images for SEO that can often be overlooked. When done correctly, this will provide further context for both the search engine and the user to understand what an image contains.
This ultimately helps increase your chances of appearing in SERPs when these terms are searched.
It’s important to select specific and accurate words that directly describe the contents of the picture as opposed to using too many general or unrelated words. Focus on natural descriptions rather than keyword stuffing; make sure each word chosen serves a purpose.
Image Sitemaps are XML files used to inform search engines about the location and information of all the images present on a website.
Images that have been indexed can appear in related image searches. Having Image Sitemaps for your site is one of the essential image optimization hacks for improving SEO, as it helps ensure that every important image gets found by Google bots when crawling pages, therefore significantly increasing its chances of showing up in relevant searches.
Furthermore, such an XML file allows you to add extra valuable data associated with images on your web pages and provide their direct URLs without relying on navigation links.
Image Sitemaps are an invaluable tool for SEO. Utilizing image sitemaps can help search engine crawlers discover and index images on a webpage to use them in image search results.
To maximize the positives of utilizing this resource, there are a few tips that should be followed when optimizing Image Sitemaps for SEO: Include both images and videos in the same sitemap but have separate tags within each type; provide detailed file names and alt text with relevant keywords; list high-quality thumbnails with precise dimensions and use original URLs if reusing material from other sources.
Further, it is helpful to link images properly using anchor links whenever possible as well as submitting key information regarding downloads through special tags (download size or expiration).
Optimizing image loading speed leveraging optimized images and their respective sitemaps can help websites quickly serve them to users, with faster speeds providing a better experience for the user coupled with improved SEO rankings.
By offering fast image loading times users, particularly mobile users, will enjoy smooth scrolling and seamless page loads which in turn reward your website organically (and naturally).
Caching and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are optimization techniques that can significantly improve image loading speed and search engine ranking. The Caching involves temporarily storing a copy of the image on the user’s web browser, so the same time isn’t spent fetching it every time it is requested.
CDNs are networks of distributed servers that allow images to load faster from the server physically closest to their location, enabling your webpage with these optimized images to respond quickly to user requests even from different geographical locations.
While using a CDN requires an additional cost, implementation will give you and your users much quicker access to content around the world – ultimately better SEO performance during page queries as well as an improved UI/UX experience for your website visitors.
Responsive image design is a popular technique to optimize images for faster loading times and improved user experience on mobile devices.
This involves displaying a web page’s images at various resolutions depending on the size of the device they are being viewed on.
This allows all parts of an image to be properly viewable, regardless if it’s being used on a laptop or small mobile phone, while also significantly reducing load time since only part of the original image will need to be loaded into a device’s browser memory.
Lazy loading and progressive loading are two simple yet effective techniques to improve image loading speeds for improved SEO performance.
It ensures only images above the fold (the area of a web page that can be seen without scrolling) load on page visit, while other contents (including images below the fold) are deferred until they actually enter the user’s viewport or simply when scrolling down.
As a result, instead of your entire page being large and clunky due to a bulky serving of images, only those above the fold appear fast and clean leaving a great impression on users.
Implementing image optimization hacks effectively can considerably impact the SEO of an online website. From optimizing image formats for web crawlers to compressing file sizes to utilizing captions and descriptions, there are several steps involved in styling an eye-catching and well-optimized website.
Furthermore, through employee techniques such as caching, content delivery networks, responsive images or progressive loading one can drastically improve page speeds leading to better utilization of crawler resources.
All these practices result in improved rankings that complement earning organic web traffic powered by search engine websites. So, now is the time to start executing the optimizations recommended in this article to increase your website’s search visibility today!
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Whether you’re a life coach or a business coach, you need a steady flow of leads to stay profitable. It’s not enough to post on social media. No matter how popular you become, being well-liked and even loved doesn’t guarantee clients.
For coaching businesses, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can be a powerful way to attract high-intent leads – people actively looking for transformation, accountability, and clarity. But you can’t just throw some ads up on Google and expect results. You need a strategy that uses the right targeting, messaging, and structure to avoid expensive lessons in trial and error.
In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of building cost-effective PPC campaigns designed specifically for coaches who want conversions, clients, and growth.
The first step to creating any high-performing PPC campaign is identifying what your potential clients are searching for online. PPC ads show up in search results (Google, Bing) and social media feeds (Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok) based on the phrases users type into the search bar when looking for content.
To get your ads seen by your ideal clients, you’ll need to tap into their innermost thoughts – like a burned out executive searching TikTok at 2:00 a.m. for “how to find my purpose” or “how to get a promotion.” You’ll want to target searches that indicate the user is unhappy and is looking for a solution that coaching can help them achieve.
Not all keywords are equal. You’ll get more leads that convert by targeting keywords that indicate a user is ready to take action. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, and Ubersuggest to find keywords with strong intent. High-intent searches might include phrases like:
· Business coach for entrepreneurs
· Life coaching to reduce stress
· Life coaching to find my purpose
· How to grow my small business fast
· Career transition coaching
These and similar phrases related to your coaching business will be the foundation for your paid ad campaign on any platform.
The customer journey consists of three stages that lead someone into the buying stage:
· Stage 1: Awareness. The prospect is aware they need help, but they don’t know exactly what they need or how to get it.
· Stage 2: Consideration. The prospect has named their problem and are actively looking for a solution.
· Stage 3: Decision. The prospect knows they want to work with a coach, and they’re in the process of deciding who to work with.
If you’re running a full marketing campaign with email marketing, you’ll want to run ads that address leads in all three stages. The people you capture in stages one and two will need to be nurtured over time through email. Leads you capture in stage 3 can be more easily turned into a paying client faster. If you aren’t capturing emails yet, only target leads in stages two and three for the best results.
No matter what type of coach you are, your ideal clients will have a variety of goals and pain points. Not everyone will share the same concerns or desires. For example, some business owners want to grow their business and open new locations, while others want to build a stronger team or increase their revenue. Some life coaching clients want better relationships while others want to find their life purpose. When you run ads, your target market needs to think, “this ad is for me.” Generic copy won’t cut it.
You’ll need to run a different ad campaign aimed at each client avatar. To get the most conversions, you’ll need to reach one avatar at a time. Speaking to one avatar in your ads and landing page copy allows you to go deep into their needs, fears, hopes, worries, and concerns. The more specifically you can connect with people, the more likely they are to convert.
To figure out what your ideal clients want, think about their struggles and the potential keywords they might be searching on various platforms. For example, a lot of people are unhappy at work. In this case, potential keywords they might be searching for include:
· How to find a job that doesn’t suck
· How to handle conflict at work
· How to win respect at work
Once you know the pain points you want to target, craft your messages so they speak to emotional triggers. People respond to a sense of urgency (“Burned out? Don’t wait”), personal growth promises (“Find your life purpose in 90 days”), and emotional relief (“Stop second-guessing yourself”). Speak to where your ideal client is right now and show them you can take them where they want to be.
Using this information, you’ll craft ads with headlines, copy, and corresponding landing page copy that speaks directly to your ideal clients. For example, your ads might look like this:
Problem/Keyword search: How to find a job that doesn’t suck
Ad headline: Hate Mondays? Let’s Fix That.
Ad copy:
You spend 90,000 hours of your life at work. Shouldn’t more of them feel fulfilling? Learn how to reconnect with purpose and enjoy what you do. Book your free clarity call now.
Problem/Keyword search: How to handle conflict at work
Ad headline: Tired of Office Drama? Here’s Your Way Out
Ad copy:
Learn strategies to set boundaries and manage work conflict like a pro. Click for a free strategy session.
Problem/Keyword search: How to win respect at work
Ad headline: Feel Invisible at Work? Let’s Change That
Ad copy:
You’ve got the skills. You put in the hours. But the recognition never follows. Sound familiar? Respect isn’t about being louder – it’s about confidence, clarity, and strategy. Book your free consultation and finally be recognized for your full value.
Just like each of your ads target a specific avatar, your landing pages need to do the same. Don’t send traffic to your homepage. Your landing page should reflect exactly what your ad promised.
If your ad says, “Executive Coaching for Burnout Recovery,” then the landing page should address burnout, speak directly to executive professionals, and offer a call-to-action (CTA) for a discovery call.
Effective landing pages consist of the following elements:
· A dedicated page made just for your ad
· A seamless transition from ad to landing page
· A clear headline that addresses the pain point directly
· Testimonials or results from real clients if possible
· A strong CTA, like “Book your free 30-minute breakthrough session”
· A clickable phone number or link to book a call immediately
Remember, you’re not selling coaching services. You’re selling a better version of your prospect’s life. Make sure your copy reflects that.
Coaches often underspend on ads, thinking they can game the system with just $5/day. That’s not an effective strategy. What you may not realize is that setting a low budget actually reduces the number of people who see your ad. Your ad visibility increases the more you spend.
Start with a modest, but meaningful budget of at least $1,500-$2,000 per month. The good news is your cost per click (CPC) will be significantly lower than other industries, like legal and insurance. However, if you’re not sure how to set a PPC budget or handle bidding strategies, hire a professional PPC agency to manage your ads. It’s the easiest way to avoid costly mistakes.
Your ads should target the right people at the right time.
First, think about your ideal client who is looking for your services.
Who hires coaches? Usually, it’s:
· Entrepreneurs who feel stuck or overwhelmed
· People who want to start a business, but don’t know where to begin
· Mid-level professionals seeking career growth
· High achievers facing burnout
· People at a personal crossroads (divorce, job loss, mid-life crisis, etc.)
Once you pinpoint who might be looking for your services, you’ll need to choose the right advertising platforms. Your main options are:
· TikTok Ads
· Instagram Ads
· Pinterest Ads
Advertising on each of these platforms comes with pros and cons – some are specific to coaching services. For example, while Pinterest is likely cheaper than Google, Pinterest leads might not be committed. However, TikTok and YouTube users frequently search for solutions to specific problems.
You might be surprised to learn that TikTok is a gold mine for coaching businesses. It’s not just an app for teens. Over 71% of TikTok’s users are between 18-34 years old, and 32% are 25-34 years old.
Unlike other platforms, TikTok doesn’t function like a typical social media platform where the purpose is to build a community. It’s more like an outreach platform and people are constantly discovering new content creators. The algorithm’s goal is to get as many people watching content for as long as possible. To achieve this, users are given content based on their interests, not just from people they follow. You don’t need followers or viral content to get seen. Each video stands alone in the algorithm and has an equal chance at getting attention.
People use TikTok to find insights and advice on just about everything you can imagine, including personal and business-related situations. While you can run ads on TikTok without a following, it helps to have an established account with solid content. You’ll build more momentum this way, and you can boost your native content to earn more trust across the platform.
Additionally, TikTok ads can target users based on hashtag interactions. People use hashtags on TikTok to find content more than any other platform. If you’re not advertising on TikTok, you’re missing out on clients.
Coaching clients aren’t impulse buyers, and they need to see your face and personality to know if they want to work with you. Wherever you run ads, you can expect people to click on your account to check you out. You’ll get more conversions by publishing short, engaging videos that show your authenticity and provide inspiration and support.
Whichever platform(s) you choose to advertise on, make use of custom audiences to target your potential leads as specifically as possible.
Everyone wants clarity, but not everyone wants to pay for it. That’s why you need to block certain searches using negative keywords. You don’t want your ads to show up for people who are just curious, looking for freebies, or looking for unrelated services. They’ll just click on your ads, waste your ad budget, and potentially waste your time if they sign up for a free call.
Suggested negative keywords for coaches include:
· Free coaching session
· Coach training program (these people want to be coaches, not hire one)
· Sample coaching questions
· Coaching worksheets pdf
Defining these and similar negative keywords will keep your clicks high-quality and your cost per lead low.
It can be exciting to see how many people are viewing and clicking on your ads, and there is a time and place to assess impressions and clicks. However, unless you’re focused on optimizing your ads, forget click-through rates (CTR) and look at how many calls you’re getting booked, how many contact forms are being submitted, and how many email addresses you’re collecting through your lead magnet downloads.
It’s crucial to know which campaigns are bringing you results so you can cut the ones that aren’t working.
People don’t usually buy high-ticket coaching packages the first time around. They need time to research, investigate, and consider their options. You might get some clicks and email signups from your ads that don’t turn into paying clients right away. That’s where remarketing comes in.
Set up ads on Google and Facebook to follow users who have already clicked on your ads and visited your website. Since these ads will be displayed only to people who have already interacted with your brand, you can use different value points to engage them, like testimonials, free guides, and limited-time offers.
Facebook retargeting options are pretty specific compared to other platforms. Since Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta, you can target people who have interacted with your Instagram page, too. You can even upload a list of your existing email subscribers from your segment that hasn’t yet converted and target them with relevant ads.
At PPC.co, we help life and business coaches run PPC campaigns that turn clicks into clients. Whether you’re scaling a coaching business or launching your first program, we’ll help you connect with the people actively searching for your services.
Contact us today for a free consultation and let’s start turning your ads into paying clients.
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Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising isn’t an optional marketing accessory – it’s a serious tool for law firms that want measurable results fast. Whether your practice areas involve personal injury, criminal defense, family law, federal crimes, or estate planning, PPC gives you access to leads who need your services now. But throwing money at Google and Facebook without a plan will only drain your budget. If you’re tired of seeing competing law firms outrank you, this guide is for you.
Let’s explore the 10 key aspects of PPC campaigns that will bring you paying clients without wasting your ad spend.
PPC only works if you get the foundation right. That means finding keywords and phrases that your ideal clients type into search engines when they need help. If you choose the wrong keywords, you could end up wasting your ad spend fast. Law firm PPC is highly competitive and one of the most expensive PPC markets around. Small mistakes can cost a lot of money.
To get this done, use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Google Autocomplete, and Semrush to get a list of 30-50 keywords related to your location and practice area.
Remember that PPC keywords will differ from general keywords used to get traffic to your website. You’re paying for each click, so for PPC, you only want to target keywords that indicate the user is likely to become a paying client. High-intent keywords are the ideal target, like “DUI attorney” or “drug charge defense attorney.” These phrases indicate the user is facing charges and needs an attorney now.
Use long-tail keywords related to your practice areas. These are phrases like, “how to beat a DUI charge in [state],” “how much does a child support lawyer cost in [county]?,” and “what should I do after being arrested for [offense]?”
Long-tail keywords are less likely to be cannibalized by your other paid ads, AI-generated summaries, and featured snippets. They’re also more likely to send you hot leads who become clients.
When a user searches for the phrase “how to beat a DUI charge in California,” the algorithm will know the user’s zip code, and will serve them ads for local DUI law firms who have successfully optimized their ads for DUI-charge-related phrases.
Avoid generic keywords, like “lawyer in [city].” While there’s a possibility someone searching for a generic lawyer might need your services, there’s also a chance they’re looking for someone outside of your practice areas. It’s not worth wasting ad spend to find out.
Understand that optimizing your ads for certain searches doesn’t necessarily mean using those exact words in your copy. For example, to optimize for the search “DUI attorney near me,” you’d use the phrase “DUI attorney” and include locations by city name, county, or zip code. You don’t need to include the words “near me” because ad algorithms interpret those words as a command to return local results. Google is good at discerning intent from searches.
Your PPC ads should direct users to a specific landing page created just for that ad. Don’t send people to your home page because it will make conversions harder. Home pages are too generic and will break the user’s sense of continuity and flow.
Each landing page should be specifically relevant to the user’s search query. For example, if your ad talks about services related to divorce, clicking should send users to a web page that outlines your divorce-related services.
Most attorneys create one page for every practice area and send paid ad clicks to those pages. This strategy is good since it serves visitors regardless of their origin. However, in order to track PPC ad conversions, it helps to have landing pages that don’t show up in search results and only get shown via ads. All you need to do is make a copy of your practice area pages, give them friendly URLs, and use them for your ad destinations.
A good landing page will encourage the user to call your law firm right away. To accomplish this, you need the following elements:
Your landing pages serve one purpose: to get users to call your law firm. With that in mind, make sure your phone number is visible on every page above the fold, preferably in your header. To make it clickable use the following markup:
<a href="tel:1234567890">(123) 456-7890</a>
Use this markup for every instance of your phone number throughout your website so mobile users can click to call. This seemingly small convenience will get you more leads.
People need a reason to trust you, so include client testimonials, previous settlement wins, Google and Trustpilot reviews, and links to your Avvo or Martindale profile.
Your copy should aim to convert clicks into leads that either contact you via phone, a contact form, or chat bot. Don’t be wordy – mention your specialty, location, what makes you different, and instruct people to contact you now. For example, your drug charge landing page might state you have 20+ years of experience and that you offer free consultations. Copy doesn’t need to be long to be compelling. For law firms, shorter is better – people don’t have time to read an essay when they’re just trying to get help.
Your CTA should be visible above the fold and on every page throughout your website. It should be clear, short, and direct. For example, tell visitors to call you for a free case evaluation.
Paid ads only work when you’re willing to spend money. If your daily budget isn’t high enough, your ads won’t get served to many people. To increase your impression share and therefore increase ad visibility, you need a good ad Quality Score and a decent budget. Higher bids can push your ads into favorable positions, which can increase your click-through rate (CTR) and generate more conversions.
Legal keywords can cost more than $100 per click, so you need to invest in your ads. However, if you’re doing ads on your own, start with a conservative budget and ramp up once you identify the campaigns that are converting. If you’re working with a reputable PPC agency, you can go all-in from day one without worry.
Even though lawyers typically pay more per lead than other industries, PPC ads are still considered a low-cost, effective form of marketing. Compared to other options, paid ads are cost-effective and excellent for capturing relevant leads immediately. As long as your ads are running, you’ll get clicks to your website.
When you identify your high-performing ads, cut the fat and pause keywords or ads that are underperforming and reallocate that money to your winners. PPC ads need to be managed weekly to ensure optimal performance.
The time your ads run matters; not every hour in the day is equal. There’s no need to advertise 24/7 unless you’re going to answer calls at 3:00 a.m. People might call you, get your voicemail, hang up, and call someone else in the morning. Even if you have a contact form on your website, someone who is stressed out and facing serious criminal charges may not go back to your site to look for an alternate way to contact you. They’ll go to bed and search for someone else in the morning.
So, what are the best hours to run ads? Most law firms see the most conversions during business hours and early evenings, so that’s when your ads should run in local time. Schedule your ads to run during peak hours for mobile searches. This is easy with Google Ads. To avoid paying for junk clicks, turn off your campaigns on holidays, weekends, or hours you aren’t available unless you have someone ready to take calls.
Location targeting is how you’ll get better conversions. You only want people in your local service area to see your ads, but you need to tell the ad platforms where you want your ads to be served.
Target high-value zip codes based on income, need, and proximity. If you work on a contingency basis, you might want to target people regardless of income since you’ll get paid if and when you win their case. However, if you don’t work with contingency fees, you need to be specific about your targets.
It’s equally important to exclude irrelevant locations from your ads. If you notice you’re getting clicks from neighboring states or areas you don’t serve, set your negative geotargeting rules to block them.
To get more clicks from relevant leads, use location-specific copy in your ads. Mention your city or county in the ad headline to catch people’s attention.
Negative keywords are your secret weapon for reducing wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks. Add negative keywords that would indicate a user is not searching for actual legal services. For example, standard words like “free,” “pro bono,” “advice,” “template,” “blog,” “forum,” or “DIY” are a good place to start. People searching for these words are unlikely to become paying clients.
Other negative keywords to include are phrases and words that:
· Indicate a person is just looking for information or resources, but they don’t need a lawyer
· Are related to legal areas outside of your practice areas
The back end of your PPC platform will track clicks, but you need to track leads. The easiest way to do this is by hiring a PPC agency to manage your entire campaign from top to bottom. However, if you’re running ads in-house, here are some tracking strategies:
· Use call tracking software. You need to know which ads are generating calls. Tools like CallRail and WhatConverts will show you exactly where your calls are coming from.
· Tie form submissions to campaigns. If you just collect general form data, you won’t know where people came from. Connect each form to the ad group or keyword so you can track clicks and conversions.
· Ignore vanity metrics. A high click-through rate doesn’t mean much if you’re not getting conversions. Focus on cost per lead and cost per signed case. If your CTR is exceptionally high compared to conversions, adjust your campaign until you get better results.
Remember that you can’t improve what you don’t track.
While some people will call right away, not everyone looking for legal help will convert immediately. People facing criminal charges are more likely to make immediate phone calls, but when the matter isn’t urgent, people tend to research their options for a bit. This is where remarketing comes into play.
Remarketing ads help you convert more leads by targeting individuals who have already interacted with your ad or website, keeping your law firm at the top of their mind. You can customize your ad based on the web pages they visited for an even more personalized experience. However, you should limit the frequency so your ad doesn’t follow them for weeks or months.
Google Ads Assets are one of the most under-utilized PPC features, but they’re packed with power that can help you generate more high-quality clicks that convert to leads. The most useful assets for law firms include:
· Lead form assets. If you want to advertise during non-business hours, lead form assets will allow users to fill out a form directly within the ad, skipping the landing page completely. This will allow you to gather leads after hours without disappointing users when you don’t answer the phone.
· Location assets. This will display your physical address, hours, phone number, and map with your ads, including on YouTube. You’ll need a Google Business profile to set this up.
· Call assets. This allows users to call you directly from an ad. It displays a click-to-call button for mobile users, and displays your phone number for desktop users. This only works on the Google Search Network.
If you want to enhance your Google Ads performance, Ads Assets are essential.
PPC isn’t something you want to wing, especially when each click can cost $100 or more. If you’re not getting leads, you need a better strategy. Managing legal PPC campaigns requires a lot of time, constant optimization, and a solid understanding of how to attract leads that will become clients. That’s where a PPC agency becomes your competitive advantage.
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