Updated for 2025
Need Cases Now? Paid Search Ads May be the Answer!
According to industry analyses, over 60% of people looking for legal services click paid ads when those ads match their search intent. With paid search, you control:
- Which keywords trigger your ads (e.g. “divorce lawyer near me,” “personal injury attorney in Phoenix”)
- Which geographic areas your ads will appear in
- Your daily budget, bids, and ad schedule
- The landing page and messaging users see after clicking
- Which platforms and ad formats you use (search, display, video, etc.)
What are the Pros and Cons of Paid Ads?
Pros:
- Fast visibility and lead flow (your ads can go live in hours, though it does take time and data in order to optimize your campaign)
- Precise targeting (by location, device, time, audience traits, interest, browsing activity, etc.)
- Measurable performance (cost per lead, conversion rate, ROI)
- Ability to test messaging, ad formats, and landing pages continuously (A/B testing is key to running highly efficient and successful paid campaigns!)
- Know your exact CPA/CAC
Cons:
- They can be expensive, no doubt. With Google Ads for example, there is a high cost per click (legal has the most expensive keywords of any industry),
- If not optimized properly, ad spend can be wasted on low-quality or even irrelevant clicks (you get this with companies who don’t understand legal or just use a ‘set it and forget it’ method of paid ads management).
- Ad fatigue and diminishing returns over time (this is why it’s important to constantly monitor all ad campaigns and create new ones regularly)
- Most ad prices continue to increase each year
What Type of Paid Ads Can (and should!) My Law Firm Run?
There are many different places your law firm can run ads on in 2025. The key is using the ones that match your goals and are best for the budget you have. In a perfect world, you use multiple channels to maximize the efficiency of your marketing campaigns!
Google Search Ads (Text Ads)
The most popular type of ad for attorneys, Search Ads appear near the top of search engine results when users type on Google.
Bing Search Ads
Similar to Google Ads, but these run of course on Bing’s search engine.
Google Local Services Ads (LSAs / Google Screened)
Appear at the very top of local results, these have been a top producer of leads and cases for firms that can get visibility on LSAs. You pay per lead, rather than per click, which makes it super attractive.
Display Ads / Banner Ads
Visual (image, rich media) ads placed across third-party websites or apps via display networks or programmatic platforms.
Programmatic Display / Real-Time Bidding (RTB)
Automated bidding and placement across many publishers, optimizing toward audience criteria. This is something that all of the biggest players in the industry use. For example, Morgan & Morgan spends millions of dollars on programmatic ads and they do it for a reason (it works when done correctly!).
YouTube Video Ads
Pre-roll, mid-roll, or in-stream video ads that reach viewers on YouTube.
CTV Video Ads
CTV streaming platforms (Roku, Fire TV, etc.)
Meta Ads [Facebook & Instagram]
Run ads on Facebook and Instagram through Meta. Image, video, carousel, or lead-form ads targeted by demographics, interests, and behaviors.
LinkedIn Ads
While not right for all firms, some firms can absolutely benefit from LinkedIn Ads. Sponsored content, InMail, or display ads targeted by profession, industry, and company size (useful for corporate / business law niches)
Twitter / X Ads
Twitter might not be not right for all firms, but depending on the clients a law firm may be targeting, X ads can produce leads. Promoted tweets or video ads that appear in user timelines or search results.
TikTok Ads
Visual or video ads oriented to niche audiences (less common but can support brand awareness in certain niches). This is a growing channel and it’s not just for young people anymore! And now that it’s here to stay in the U.S., it’s one to consider.
Native Advertising / Sponsored Content
Ads that mimic the look and feel of editorial content (e.g. “Sponsored article” on publisher sites).
Search Syndication / Partner Text Ads
Exposing your text ads on partner search sites or non-Google search portals beyond core engines.
Retargeting / Remarketing Ads
These are ads shown to users who previously visited your website or engaged but did not convert (can be applied across search, display, social, video channels). It’s one of the lowest price paid ads that exist and it shouldn’t be ignored.
Audio / Podcast Ads
Ads served in podcast episodes, streaming music platforms (Spotify, Pandora, etc.)
Radio Ads (Terrestrial / Digital)
Traditional AM/FM radio spots or digital radio (e.g. iHeartRadio) to reach local audiences.
Connected Audio / Streaming Ads
Ads in streaming platforms (e.g. Spotify, Pandora, or smart speaker radios).
TV / Cable / OTT Ads
Local or regional spots on traditional TV or OTT (over-the-top) streaming platforms.
Out-of-Home (OOH) / Digital Billboards
Digital or static billboards in high-traffic areas, bus stop displays, transit ads.
Print Ads / Print Insertions
Local newspapers, legal journals, magazines (often integrated with offline campaigns)
Sponsorships / Event Advertising
Sponsoring local community events, legal seminars, webinars, trade shows, with branding or ad placements. You probably have seen larger advertisers become sponsors of local professional and college sports teams, for example.
Email Sponsorship / Newsletter Ads
Paying to appear as a sponsor or ad in third-party newsletters or curated email lists
Paid Listings / Legal Directories
Featured placements in attorney directories (Avvo, FindLaw, Justia, etc.) or local “legal services” aggregator listings. These can often help you rank better both in Google search and in Answer Engines.
Affiliate / Lead Network Ads
Partnering with lead generation networks or affiliates that pay to send you potential legal clients (charged per lead or revenue share).
Wondering how iLawyer Can Help Your Firm?
You can count on iLawyer to create a great paid search strategy that works with your budget. And if your budget is too small and we don’t think it will work, we would rather tell you and say no than to just take your money.
Here’s a simplified roadmap of what we do when running paid search campaigns for law firms:
- Define your goals & budget: e.g. cost per new client, monthly lead targets, total spend cap.
- Keyword & audience research: focus on high-intent terms (e.g. “accident lawyer near me,” “file bankruptcy cost”) and relevant audience segments.
- Choose ad channels wisely: select a mix (search, display, retargeting) that fits your target clients.
- Create compelling ad copy & creatives: Weak ads are often the reason paid campaigns fail! With iLawyer, we do our best to make sure you have great ads that emphasize benefits, guarantees, calls to action, credentials, reviews.
- Develop matching landing pages: The right landing page will help give you the best chance of winning in the world of paid ads. Bad landing pages often mean your campaign will fail. At iLawyer, we ensure message match, trust signals, clear forms or calls, and mobile optimization to help give you the best chance of “winning”.
- Set up tracking & conversion measurement: Attribution and tracking is incredibly important to any paid campaign. This means call tracking, form tracking, analytics, CRM integration.
- Launch and monitor closely: When first launching a campaign, the initial days are critical. This means we adjust bids, pause non-performers, etc.
- Continuously optimize: All great campaigns involve continuous testing. This means testing messaging, creative formats, audiences, landing page variants, etc.
- Scale what works: When you have a healthy paid budget, this allows us to test and identify multiple channels. Then we can shift more budget into higher-performing channels while getting rid of the weak ones.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How soon can I expect leads after launching a paid search campaign?
Most clients start seeing leads within the first week (sometimes the very first day!). But most campaigns take 4–8 weeks to stabilize and allow for optimizing the campaigns and show reliable cost per lead performance.
Which ad type is best for legal services?
This completely depends on many factors, including budget, how fast you need cases, your competitors, what cases you are going after, and what your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) is.
Is it better to run all ad types at once or start narrow?
Start with a core channel (like search + retargeting). Once you have positive ROI and data, expand into display, video, social, and other formats. This will depend on the budget you have and what your competitors are doing.
How much should a law firm spend on paid search?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. This will depend on what kind of cases you want, what geographic area you are in and how much your competition is spending.
Which type of paid ads produce the lowest CPA/CAC?
This depends on many variables. But, that’s what makes iLawyer Marketing the best paid ads agency for law firms. We will conduct an analysis of your current marketing spend and give you advice on what is working bests for law firms across the country. There is no one generic answer and this should be customized to your needs, your market and the competition you face.
Need Help or Have Questions? Call iLawyer Today!
Don’t put off calling us, otherwise you further delay getting higher quality leads and new signed cases for your firm. Our team is highly experienced, incredibly talented and manages millions of dollars in ad spend for law firms. We know how to win, and we want to win for you!