The Attorney Marketing Blog

Can Google Adwords and Yahoo Sponsored search bring you new clients? For most attorneys….

No.

And I say no because as more and more people become familiar with what these products are (ads), more and more of these folks are ignoring them - particularly if the search phrase they type in gives them the results they were looking for.

Want proof? Then look at the image below. It’s from a recent study that mapped users eyes when using google. It shows exactly what they look at….and what they don’t.

Not many are are even looking to the right where your ads are placed, are they?

They are looking at the “natural” search results.

So, we have thousands of attorneys either spending their own time creating and managing these ad programs….or paying someone else a princely sum to do it for them.

And is it bringing potential clients to your website? A small trickle, perhaps.

Granted, if your bid is high enough so that your ad appears at the top of the page (in the colored box) you’ll get a lot of eyeballs and a lot of clicks. But you’ll blow through your daily ad budget in no time and your monthly ROI will be in the toilet.

At the end of the day, it might be wiser to invest in your website….so it shows up where your potential clients are going to be looking - on the left - in the natural search results.

When that’s accomplished, then invest in PPC campaigns. Why?

In my next post, I’ll reveal the “why” and what happens when a strong website is backed-up by a PPC campaign. It’s an interesting look at human behavior.

Most solo-practices and small firms represent clients in a number of areas. A firm might practice in the Divorce and Family Law area, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury.

Many attorneys would consider it a given because in order to pay the bills and earn a living, you have to.

But when it comes to marketing a practice, these law firms market themselves as a “jack-of-all-trades” practice.

For instance, in an earlier post, I mentioned that many attorneys advertise in multiple headings in the local yellow pages.

That’s a great idea….but they use the same ad for each heading - that’s a bad idea.

Here’s an example - let’s say you’re an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, represent clients in Divorce and Family Law, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury, and uses the yellow pages to market your practice.

If a potential client in Birmingham is looking for a personal injury lawyer and starts cruising through the yellow pages and see your ad which highlights Divorce and Family Law, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury, that potential client quickly moves on to the next ad.

Why is that? Because that potential client wants an attorney that can help with a PI issue, not an attorney that can help with Divorce, Family Law, Criminal Defense and PI.

Bottom line, they want and need to see an ad that flat-out shows them, here’s an attorney that specializes in PI. Give them an ad that provides that, in the right format, and you win.

Why Search Engines are Just Like The Yellow Pages

When it comes to websites, Google, Yahoo and MSN are very much like the Yellow Pages….Here’s why.

The search engines wander the Internet looking for information they can use and present to their clients - those looking for information about a particular subject.

Though instead of paging through the yellow pages like a potential client, they page through your website - on a regular basis.

And when they visit, they try to “find out” what your site is about.

They “read” your websites content, figure out it’s an Attorneys site, and that you have numerous practice areas, such as Divorce and Family Law, Criminal Law and PI.

They wander around your site a bit more, note that information….and then take it back to HQ.

So, let’s say you’re that same attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, and your websites content equally covers what you offer - Divorce and Family Law, Criminal Defense and PI.

Each month, Google, Yahoo and MSN users type in “Personal Injury Lawyer In Birmingham Alabama” - in fact, there’s a couple hundred searches a month on that phrase, or slight variations of it.

So Google, Yahoo and MSN dive into their files and present search results (websites) that are the most pertinent to that request.

Unlike the Yellow Pages though, where you’re guaranteed a placement, the search engines only show results they know match the users request.

If you’re that Birmingham attorney, I mentioned above, you’re in good shape, right? Your website is good. It’s clean and attractive. And it has solid content. You’re all set.

Unfortunately, no, you’re not.

Google, Yahoo and MSN have been to your site, noted what you do….and treat it the same way a potential client that uses the yellow pages -

They ignore it. Why? Because his websites content covers Divorce and Family Law, Criminal Defense and PI.

The Search Engines want to provide the most relevant search results, and his site is just like his yellow page ad….it equally covers everything he does.

So, his website is buried in the search results on page 5 or 6, and not one of those potential clients will ever see that he helps personal injury victims.

There are two options he can look at that will solve this problem.

The first option (it’s the the easiest and least costly) - sit down and figure out what part of his practice he enjoys the most (and where he can make a good living). Is it Divorce and Family Law, Criminal Defense or PI. Once he determines that, he devotes at least 90% of his websites content to that practice.

The Search Engines will love him….and reward him. Within 3 months, he’ll be getting clients, from the Internet, for that practice area.

The second option is a bit more time intensive and requires a greater investment.

First, redo his existing website and devote 100% of the content to the one particular practice area he wants to focus on.

Then build two additional websites, each one focusing on the other practice areas he specializes in.

If done professionally, the second option will result in his original website dominating the search engine rankings for that particular practice area within 3 months.

The other two sites will dominate the search engine rankings in their prospective practice areas within 12 - 18 months.

Is the second option cheap? Nope.

Is it Rewarding? Yep.

In fact, it’s a very effective way to perhaps double or triple your firms revenue.

Treat it as a long term investment in the growth of your practice…and you’ll find it a little easier to make the leap.

The Yellow Pages suck. I hear it every day….I read about it every day.

And it’s from every type of business you can think of.

And for Attorneys that use the yellow pages, the complaints are becoming a loud roar and many are canceling their ads.

But for many practice areas, that can be a huge mistake.

Why? Because your potential clients are STILL using this resource to find an attorney when they need one.

Here’s a breakdown of where the “average” law firm get new clients in today’s market:

• Referrals - an average of 50%
• Internet - an average of 30%
• Yellow Pages - an average of 20%

Look at the numbers. The fact is that your potential clients still use the yellow pages/yellow books.

So why doesn’t it work like it used to?

One reason, and it’s obvious - the Internet has taken a large bite out of the Yellow Pages effectiveness.

The second reason - your ad sucks.

And it’s not just yours. Just glancing through my own yellow pages reveals just how bad the ads are.

Everyone one of them looks the same…..and says the same thing. Your ad just blends in with all the others.

And there are a large number of attorneys that have ads in mutliple categories…and use the same ad for each, which is a definite no-no.

Hell, it’s no wonder they don’t get any phone calls from those ads.

Here’s what they should be doing with their Yellow Pages ad….

First, make the ad different. The human eye is trained to recognize differences, and in a book where all the ads look alike, the one that looks different will “catch” the human eye. Make your ad different, and you’ll “catch” the human eye - you know, the people looking for an attorney to help them.

And two, make sure you grab them by the neck….and make them pay attention to your ad. And you do that by talking to them….not at them. If the Headline for a Divorce Attorney ad in the Atlanta yellow book reads….

Atlanta Divorce Attorney….

The ad is “talking at them”.

If the ad said…..

Are You Thinking About A Divorce?

the ad is talking with them. It’s asking a question. Ask a potential client a question and you’re halfway home.

And lastly, the rest of your ad must answer the potential clients main question - and that question is “what are you going to do for me?” Are you going to “listen to them”? Are you going to promptly return their calls? Are you going to make sure they and their children are protected?

If the potential client can’t see the benefit that you offer, i.e. what’s in it for them, you will not get the client.

Getting clients from the yellow pages still works…if you do all three of these things correctly. Do that, and you’re competitors won’t get the client….you will.