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A Guide To PPC Competitor Analysis in Paid Search

Samuel Edwards
|
October 13, 2022

Paid search is a powerful resource for businesses for enhancing their growth and reaching out to their customers with any barrier in between. It is an essential digital marketing tactic for those who want to drive more (but relevant) traffic to their websites.

There are numerous ways of driving traffic to your website and improving your website’s ranking in search engines. However, they are time-consuming and need time to nurture. Whereas the paid search advertising has proven to be efficient and quick – ideal for those who need instant growth and results.

Companies Spent on Google Ads

Marketers spent around $106.5 billion on paid search advertising in 2019; this amount is projected to grow to $132 billion by 2022. They have good reason for spending such exorbitant sums of money. An overwhelming number of buyers prefer to make purchases after seeing a paid ad suggestion, while 75% of people say paid search ads make it easier for them to find what they need.

That’s enough motivation for businesses to start investing in the right strategy. However, to get real results from your PPC campaigns, it is crucial to know how your PPC competitors are using this advertising resource.

When done right, paid search or PPC competitor analysis can make your paid search ad campaigns more effective and fruitful.

If you want to enhance your business’s online presence quickly, dive in to find out how paid search can help you achieve that goal.

How Does Paid Search Work?

Paid search is a simple yet effective advertising technique used by marketers to place ads on the Search Engine Results Pages. They pay only for the engagement they receive through those Google ads.

Paid search marketing allows marketers to advertise on SERPs through pay-per-click (PPC) or pay-per-view (PPV) means. Whereas the organic search results work with SEO to make websites rank higher that a competitor domain in the SERPs.

PPC is a huge driver

It is proven to be more successful than other strategies used by marketers as over 74% of brands claim that paid search marketing has been a massive driver for their businesses. And 79% claim it to be highly beneficial for them.

The world is moving towards automation, making businesses more efficient and smart. Today, technology allows marketers to sit and watch while the tech-enabled algorithms bring relevant customer data to them. Paid search is also an essential part of this automation drive.

Here is how it helps your business grow exponentially in no time:

  1. Produces fast results
  2. Generates more qualified leads for your business
  3. Provides more measurable results
  4. Improves brand recognition
  5. Proven to be prodigious for local paid search
  6. Works as a budget-friendly option

According to the stats, Google ads reach over 80% of the internet audience across the globe. As a result, there is no doubt about the efficacy of paid search marketing and its potential to help businesses grow. However, none of this is possible without proper market research and robust PPC competitor analysis. Therefore, let’s dive in to explore these aspects.

This guide will help you understand:

  • What is paid search competitive analysis?
  • How to conduct a PPC competitor analysis?
  • What tools can help you in conducting an accurate competitor analysis?

Paid Search Competitive Analysis And How To Do One

Whether you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, or market leader in your industry, a PPC competitor analysis plays a crucial part in making your marketing strategy successful. Moreover, it is vital to identify the right marketing tactics based on industry trends. This is key to building a budget-friendly marketing model that fulfills your business’s needs.

A PPC competitor analysis is the foundation for any form of marketing, and paid search advertisement is no different. It harvests digital consumer insights into your strategy, helping you make informed decisions for your paid search marketing strategy.

A regular PPC competitor analysis is supposed to be performed regularly to help you outsmart your PPC competitors every day by coming up with better Rankings and ROIs. However, tracking every move of your competitors is crucial, but focusing too much on them and forgetting about the customers is never good.

Knowing your rivals is vital for your paid search strategy, but replicating everything they do isn’t! So, here are a few things that a Paid Search Competitive Analysis helps you recognize:

  • Who your competitors are
  • Their performance on the SERPs
  • Their highest ranking keywords
  • Where you stand in the market compared to them
  • Type of clientele they have
  • PPC strategies they use
  • Target search page location
  • Branded keywords they use
  • Their level of engagement
  • The automated bidding rules they have implemented
  • Products they offer
  • Competitor’s domain’s keyword portfolio
  • Their bidding strategies
  • The advertiser’s ad extension usage
  • What their landing pages look like on the competitor domain

Wondering How To Conduct A Paid Search Competitor Analysis?

There are many methods and a vast array of intelligence tools available online for evaluating competitor exposure in paid search and PPC advertising. It is possible to retrieve PPC data on keyword performance, keyword volume, and average position through these resources. You can even find out how long your competitors run their ads for, when they were first and last seen, along with the landing pages they are directed to.

Most of these competitor intelligence tools offer tiered plans with monthly premiums, while some are available for free.

Key Features To Look For When Choosing Between PPC Competitor Analysis Tools

Google Ad Insights

All PPC competitor analysis tools have unique features. Chances are that you’ll need a couple of them to carry out a 360-degree analysis since none of the tools offer all-in-one functionality. Some of these software are built explicitly for PPC competitor analysis, while the rest can also work for broader digital marketing purposes.

If you want a full-fledged resource that provides comprehensive PPC competitor analysis, covering as many metrics as possible, here’s what you need to look for.

Choose a tool that allows you to explore:

1. Keyword Insights

You should be able to explore the most valuable and least valuable keywords, current and past keywords, which your competitors are using or have used in the past. Also, you need to know the unique or overlapping keywords to understand the PPC competition and the opportunities that your competitors are missing out on.

2. Ad Copy Insights

You need to track ad copy changes, which occurred in the past or the ones that are happening currently. Ad copies are one of the hardest things to get right. Therefore, you need a tool that provides accurate past and present data.

3. Ad Group Insights

You need to observe closely how your competitors have structured their ad accounts so that you won’t have to start from scratch when you build your business’s ad account.

4. Context And Guidance

When dealing with large packets of data, it can be overwhelming to find the information you need. Therefore, you need a tool that provides you with context and advice when exploring competitor analytics. You should look for tools that offer KEI and AEI guidance as they set the data in a helpful context for marketers.

5. Landing Page Insights

Most tools don’t pay much heed to landing page analytics. However, it is the core of any PPC or Paid Search campaign because once the paid ad diverts clicks to the landing page, it decides if the prospects will convert or not.

You need to study if PPC competition are creating effective User Journeys that convert. Paid search is not always data and increased traffic; once the leads are directed to the landing page, the creative, design, interface, and copywriting of the page dictates the rest.

6. Clear User Interface

Functionality is considered as the core of any PPC or Paid Search campaign. You need a tool that offers a clear and easy-to-understand interface. The information or data provided should be intuitive, well-defined, organized, clutter-free, easy to access, and approachable through simple navigation.

PPC Competitor Analysis Tools used by Digital Marketers

In this guide, we have picked out five excellent target search competitor analysis tools to help businesses and marketers make informed decisions. The list includes PPC competitor analysis tools and some others that have a broader functionality and work for various other research purposes.

1. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is one of the most commonly used tools for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It is great for backlink and keyword research. However, it also has a decent functionality for PPC and Paid search competitor analysis, which serves as supplementary benefits for the SEO experts while providing keywords analysis that works for PPC.

You can find a comprehensive toolbar of exclusive features on Ahrefs’s dashboard and the “Paid Search” option on the bottom of that toolbar.

Working with Ahrefs for paid search competitor analysis allows you to explore:

  • PPC keywords
  • Top ranking Ads
  • Top ranking landing pages
  • Ads history

Ahrefs provides accurate research data and has excellent SEO capabilities for looking up organic rankings in search engines, backlinks, and keyword data analysis. However, its PPC and paid search functionality are also commendable but secondary.

Pricing: Ahrefs is a paid tool with a subscription of $99 monthly premium.

2. SpyFu

SpyFu comes with concrete and an almost complete set of PPC and paid search competitor analysis features. It allows you to explore any domain, look up your competitors, keywords, keyword groupings, PPC keywords, and so much more.

Some of the key features of SpyFu include:

  • Kombat (shared Paid Keywords)
  • Most profitable ads and Keywords history
  • Google Ads advisor

It is widely used for PPC and paid search competitor analysis worldwide to develop robust marketing strategies.

A critical feature of SpyFu “Google Ads Advisor” gives recommendations for the most profitable keywords based on data retrieved from your competitors. Moreover, it enables marketers to browse their competitors’ Google Ads campaigns and check out their split test results.

Pricing: SpyFu is a paid tool available for marketers at a premium of $39 per month, which can go up to $299 per month for extra features like multiple user accounts and API access.

3. SEMRush

SEMRush is somewhat similar to Ahrefs. It is a comprehensive digital marketing tool. It is widely used for numerous purposes when it comes to competitor analysis. The SEO features are unbeatable, but this resource supports PPC and paid search analysis as well. Therefore, some of its relevant features come in handy for conducting a paid search competitive research.

Marketers can use the “Advertising Research” feature of SEMRush to conduct their paid search analysis. Here are a few competitor features that you can examine with this tool:

  • Ad copies
  • Ad history
  • Position and position changes

SEMRush can provide adequate research results for SEO and paid search even though SEO is its core functionality. However, the PPC competitor analysis tools come in handy when you need insights into competitors’ PPC campaigns.

Pricing: SEMRuch is a paid tool with a starting premium of $99 per month.

4. Search Monitor

Search Monitor helps you track ads across various locations and devices. The tool offers two primary services:

  • Brand protection
  • Competitive insights

Since it is built for competitor analysis, you can easily monitor your competitors’ bids, content, landing pages, FTC compliance, PPC benchmarks, product listing ads (PLA), and more.

Pricing: It is a paid tool with a $599 monthly premium. There is no free trial either, but you can get in touch with their sales team to get a demo.

5. Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo is a fantastic competitive intelligence tool for Paid Search and PPC. It allows you to enter any competitor’s domain and lookup their content. with this tool, you can easily discover:

  • Their most shared content
  • Filtered content by format
  • networks that are driving the most traffic and shares
  • who sharing your competitor’s content
  • exportable list of sharers

Most people prefer to enjoy their alerts features, which enable you to set up alerts. These alerts will notify the marketers about PPC competitors’ and their own brand’s updates.

Wrapping Up

Paid advertising isn’t easy or cheap. In fact, the PPC competition can be fierce! That’s why businesses are always on the lookout for ways to maximize their ad spend, get an ad ranked higher and get more value for PPC investment.

PPC competitor analysis is a reliable way to enhance your ads’ effectiveness as it informs your campaigns on what you are up against.

Understanding the metrics, finding the right intelligence and PPC competitor analysis tools, and then conducting a successful Paid Search Competitor Analysis can make a world of difference to building your next PPC campaign.

So follow the tenets defined in this guide, and make informed decisions when choosing the best PPC competitor analysis tools for you. This is key to curating a robust Paid Search Marketing strategy based on your accurate competitor analysis.

Author
Recent Posts

Samuel Edwards

Chief Marketing Officer

Throughout his extensive 10+ year journey as a digital marketer, Sam has left an indelible mark on both small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises alike. His portfolio boasts collaborations with esteemed entities such as NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Price Benowitz LLP, a prominent law firm based in Washington, DC, and the esteemed human rights organization Amnesty International. In his role as a technical SEO and digital marketing strategist, Sam takes the helm of all paid and organic operations teams, steering client SEO services, link building initiatives, and white label digital marketing partnerships to unparalleled success. An esteemed thought leader in the industry, Sam is a recurring speaker at the esteemed Search Marketing Expo conference series and has graced the TEDx stage with his insights. Today, he channels his expertise into direct collaboration with high-end clients spanning diverse verticals, where he meticulously crafts strategies to optimize on and off-site SEO ROI through the seamless integration of content marketing and link building.

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Author

Samuel Edwards

Chief Marketing Officer

Throughout his extensive 10+ year journey as a digital marketer, Sam has left an indelible mark on both small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises alike. His portfolio boasts collaborations with esteemed entities such as NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Price Benowitz LLP, a prominent law firm based in Washington, DC, and the esteemed human rights organization Amnesty International. In his role as a technical SEO and digital marketing strategist, Sam takes the helm of all paid and organic operations teams, steering client SEO services, link building initiatives, and white label digital marketing partnerships to unparalleled success. An esteemed thought leader in the industry, Sam is a recurring speaker at the esteemed Search Marketing Expo conference series and has graced the TEDx stage with his insights. Today, he channels his expertise into direct collaboration with high-end clients spanning diverse verticals, where he meticulously crafts strategies to optimize on and off-site SEO ROI through the seamless integration of content marketing and link building.

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Samuel Edwards
|
June 11, 2025
How to Get Coaching Leads Through Cost-Effective PPC Campaigns

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.

Everything begins with keyword research

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.

Understand the customer journey

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.

Define multiple client avatars for ideal targeting

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.

Your ad copy should target one avatar at a time

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:

Ad #1 Example

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.

Ad #2 Example

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.

Ad #3 Example

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.

Use dedicated landing pages optimized for conversions

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.

Be generous with your budget

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.

How to target the right people at the right time

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:

·  Google Ads

·  TikTok Ads

·  Instagram Ads

·  Pinterest Ads

·  Facebook Ads

·  LinkedIn Ads

·  YouTube 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.

Don’t skip TikTok Ads

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.

Negative keywords will weed out freebie seekers

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.

Track conversions (not vanity metrics)

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.

Run retargeting ads to catch the ones who got away

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.

Ready to fill your calendar? Partner with PPC.co

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.

‍

Timothy Carter
|
June 11, 2025
This Mini-Guide Will Help You Build Better PPC Campaigns for Your Law Firm

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.

1. Perform in-depth keyword research

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.

Focus on long-tail keywords

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.

2. Create solid landing pages

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.

The elements of a good landing page

A good landing page will encourage the user to call your law firm right away. To accomplish this, you need the following elements:

A visible phone number

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.

Trust signals

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.

Compelling copy

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.

A call to action (CTA)

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.

3. Set a realistic, but generous budget

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.

4. Run your ads at the right time

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.

5. Target specific locations

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.

6. Use negative keywords

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

7. Track your conversions

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.

8. Use remarketing to capture more leads

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.

9. Use Google Ads Assets (formerly Extensions)

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.

10. Partner with a PPC agency

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.

Ready to get more qualified leads from your PPC ads?

At PPC.co, we help law firms build high-performance PPC campaigns that convert clicks into paying clients. If you’re tired of wasting your money and want results you can see, contact us today for a free consultation. We won’t just bring you traffic – we’ll get you qualified leads who need your help now.   

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