Online advertising has changed how law firms connect with potential clients. But with more platforms and ad types than ever, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Should you run Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) as part of your advertising strategy? What about traditional pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns?
The short answer: It depends on your goals, your practice area, and how much control you want over your marketing strategy. Let’s break it down.
You’re used to seeing both LSAs and PPC ads on your Google search engine results pages. They look like this.
Local Service Ads are ads that appear at the very top of Google’s search results when someone looks for a service provider—like “personal injury lawyer near me.” They’re prominently displayed, feature a green checkmark to show you’re Google Screened, and highlight your reviews, business hours, and contact info.
Local Services ads were originally rolled out in 2018 for home-related services, like plumbers and electricians. In 2020, Google expanded the product to legal ads. They have become a popular way to boost law firms’ visibility on Google search engine results pages. They’ve also become increasingly competitive.
To build and run LSA campaigns, law firms must get “Google Screened.” This involves several steps, including:
A third-party service, Pinkerton, handles the background checks for LSAs. This process can take two to three weeks and your ads will go live only when the process is complete.
LSAs operate on a pay-per-lead model. You’re charged when someone contacts your firm directly through the ad—either by calling or messaging you.
LSAs are:
Simple: You don’t need to create ad copy, landing pages, or manage keywords.
Trust-building: The Google Screened badge adds credibility.
Lead-driven: You only pay for actual contacts, not clicks.
But they’re not plug-and-play. You’ll need to go through a screening process, provide business documentation, and keep your profile updated, and keep the 5-star reviews coming in.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising refers to paid search ads that appear above or alongside organic search results. With Google Ads (formerly AdWords), you bid on keywords like “car accident lawyer Chicago.” When someone searches that term, your ad might appear, and you pay when they click. Unlike the pay-per-lead model used by LSAs, PPC ads charge you for each click on your ad.
RELATED: Creating and optimizing effective PPC campaigns for law firms
PPC ads are labeled ‘Sponsored’ on a Google search page. They can appear above and below the search results.
Google Ads offers a self-managed account through which you can create and run your own PPC campaigns. It’s a flexible, data-rich platform—but PPC requires consistent management to perform well. If you’re not paying attention, you can blow your budget on unqualified clicks. You (or your marketing partner) will need to have to:
While both LSAs and PPC are great advertising tools, you should understand how they differ from each other so you can make the right choice for your firm.
| Feature | LSAs | PPC |
| Placement | Top of Google’s search engine results page (above PPC) | Just below LSAs and the local map pack, also on the sidebar |
| Payment model | Pay per lead | Pay per click |
| Level of control | Limited | High |
| Setup complexity | Moderate (requires verification, review generation) | High (requires careful campaign setup, keyword selection, landing page creation, etc.) |
| Performance tracking | Moderate | High |
| Common use case | Local lead generation for a broad practice area | Lead generation that focuses on specific, targeted terms |
If you are seasoned with running paid campaigns for law firms, then you have probably noticed that the number of PPC ads showing above fold has gone down from four to one. Why the change? That top spot is now occupied by Local Services ads.
LSAs are best if you want to reach consumers who are ready to make the call and connect with a law firm without much shopping around. The ad itself is a shortened version of the law firm’s profile. A customer can either click on one of those listings to read more about the practice areas and reviews, or can just hover over it and click to call.
With LSAs entering the scene, and fewer PPC ads showing above the fold, there is now increased competition for that one prime spot below the LSAs. If you’re running PPC ads, you will have to be very creative with your ad and bids to secure that spot.
With PPC ads, you can choose to manually bid and set your own limits or choose automated bids so the system can bid on your behalf. However, Google ads does not mandate a bid ceiling. In the legal industry (and specifically in practice areas like personal injury) this has led to competitors bidding higher and higher for certain high-traffic keywords.
While Local Services ads also gives you an option to manually bid or choose automatic bidding, it also has a bid ceiling. This allows you to control how much you pay for each call and helps control the cost per lead.
With PPC ads, you have more freedom to design your own ads, choose your own keywords, set negative keywords, and play around with the different elements of the campaign.
Local Services ads are more automated. There is a system-generated format in which all ad listings show. You can choose your practice areas and pick subcategories, but there is not much control on the exact searches that your listing might show on.
However, unlike PPC ads, LSAs do allow you to dispute the calls if you get a call from someone who is not calling about the subcategories you’ve chosen and get a refund.
PPC ads are like their name suggests: you pay every time someone clicks on your ad—even if they aren’t interested in your services.
For LSAs, you only pay when someone calls your firm by clicking on the phone number. This lead may or may not end up being a client, but what you see as cost per lead is now significantly decreased. Here’s what we are seeing with our own clients using both PPC and LSA ads.
Successful paid campaigns rely on different elements. Factors determining ad rank in PPC include:
On the other hand, LSA’s ranking is based on your proximity to potential customers, your reviews, your responsiveness, your business hours, and your bid. You need to continually nurture positive reviews on your Google Business Profile and respond quickly to your LSA leads. This requires a commitment, albeit not as rigorous one as managing PPC campaigns.
RELATED: Digital marketing for law firms: Our comprehensive guide
Often, yes.
LSAs and PPC aren’t rivals—they’re teammates. LSAs grab attention at the very top of the page. PPC gives you flexibility and insight. Running both means:
More chances to appear in search results
Smarter use of budget (LSAs for volume, PPC for precision)
Better coverage across different types of searches
Think of LSAs as your billboard and PPC as your scalpel. One draws attention. The other gives you control.
While LSA and PPC ads might seem like opposing options, these two tactics can complement each other. If you’re ready to implement a paid advertising campaign, consider these factors:
Having clarity in terms of how many leads you expect out of this effort and what you are willing to pay per lead will help determine if you should choose one tactic over the other, or go for a combination of both.
For example, a small law firm advertising in a small location with capacity to sign five cases a month would likely benefit from an LSA campaign. Larger firms in a competitive market with the capacity to sign 30 clients per month would benefit from a combination of both.
Even if you set the top bid and have every other box checked, your ad listing may not be eligible to show up in the top spot. LSAs rotate regularly, so all law firms who meet the criteria get their day in the sun. If you’re wondering where your ad is, just be patient. Do not go by the success of a short time period and abandon your LSA campaign.
While PPC campaigns are more complex, they are more predictable and controllable. They provide more autonomy with managing the campaigns and this in return gives you consistency.
You can count on PPC ads to show even when Google inevitably bumps off your LSA so other firms have their turn. Sometimes, the key is to run both types of campaigns to give you consistent coverage.
LSAs reach an audience who are ready to click and make contact with your firm. However, PPC ads attract those who like to spend some time learning about the law firm before picking up the phone.
If you are targeting a smaller town with less competition, a PPC campaign with broad targeting might be best for you. If your firm is in a densely populated area with high competition, you could invest in both LSA and PPC to reach both audiences.
If you’re ready to invest in a paid advertising campaign, consult with experts who take the time to crunch your specific data and make your law firm a personalized plan.
LaFleur’s experienced paid advertising and content marketing specialists stay up to date on all the marketing trends and strategy so you can focus on your clients and cases.
If you’re ready to implement an effective, affordable, and wide-reaching paid campaigns for your law firm, contact us today by completing this brief online form or calling us directly at (888) 222-1512.
Ad Rank. Google https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1752122?hl=en