5 Benefits of Law Firms Utilizing Local Service Ads (LSAs)

What if your law firm was the first thing potential clients saw on Google? If your name appeared even above the pay-per-click ads, you’d significantly boost your online exposure. This is possible with Google Local Service Ads (LSAs). 

Many law firms don’t much, or even anything, about LSAs, so miss out on this excellent opportunity for fresh leads. Here’s what you need to know about LSAs and five benefits your law firm can realize by using them. 

What are Local Service Ads (LSAs) for Law Firms?

Google Local Service Ads are usually referred to as LSAs. These first launched as a beta program in 2015, where Google only offered the service to a few types of businesses in certain U.S. and Canadian markets. More cities and specialties were added throughout 2018 and 2019, and LSAs have become a popular form of law firm advertising since around 2020. 

These are paid ads that appear on the Google search results page when someone is searching for a relevant local business. They will show up even before regular Google Ads. LSAs are unique in that they provide the name, phone number, and address of the business. The businesses listed in LSAs have also been carefully vetted by Google, so they aren’t open to everyone. 

What Law Firms Are Eligible for LSA?

When you set up your Local Service Ads account, Google will as you what area of the law your firm covers. This is because LSAs aren’t open to all law firms. Here is a list of the practice areas that are currently eligible for the program:

• Bankruptcy Law
• Business Law
• Contract Law
• Criminal Defense Law
• Disability Law
• DUI Law
• Estate Law
• Family Law
• Immigration Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Labor Law
• Litigation Law
• Malpractice Law
• Personal Injury Law
• Real Estate Law
• Tax Law
• Traffic Law

If your law firm’s area of practice isn’t on this list, it may be at some point. Google is always updating and adding to its advertising services. 

5 Benefits of Law Firms Utilizing LSAs

If you haven’t given Local Service Ads a try, here are five benefits to using this specific digital marketing strategy. 

1. Increased Visibility

When people do a Google search, especially one for a local business, they are most likely to click on one of the page’s top results. Local Service Ads appear at the very top of Google’s search results, before any other paid ads or the organic results. So, if your firm is running LSAs, you have a chance to get the most visibility. According to Google, businesses that run LSAs receive a 20% increase in leads, on average. 

2. More Targeted Advertising

Another major advantage of Local Service Ads for law firms is that they are highly targeted to your ideal client groups. You can set up your ads so that they only show for people looking for the services you provide in a specific area, such as a city or zip code. This ensures you aren’t wasting your advertising dollars on strategies that aren’t likely to bear fruit. 

3. Increased Trust

One of the most attractive things about LSAs is that businesses running them receive a badge next to their name indicating they’ve been “GOOGLE SCREENED.” The fact that the search engine giant has gone through this process and given your business a stamp of approval will help foster trust with prospective clients. This is one of the first steps in converting them to actual clients. 

4. Better Quality Leads

Because LSAs are so targeted, the leads your firm will receive from the ads will be of much higher quality than those you’ll get from other sources. People who click on your ad are clearly searching for the legal services you provide in your geographic area, so they are more likely to hire you. And LSAs include your phone number, which encourages a prompt contact. 

5. Greater Competitive Advantage

The legal industry is highly competitive. And many law firms have yet to discover Local Service Ads. If your competitors aren’t running LSAs, you will have a distinctive edge when it comes to your online visibility and generating quality leads. Even if your competitors are running LSA, you can differentiate your law firm by collecting positive feedback from clients and delivering superior service. 

Setting Up Your Google Local Service Ads

Setting up your Local Service Ads is similar to other ad campaigns. You follow the steps laid out by Google to create your account and publish your ads. One of the main differences is that you will need to get screened by Google, which is a free service. 

For lawyers, some of the requirements you’ll be asked to meet include:

• License Check
• Owner Background Check
• Business/Professional Background Check

If there are several attorneys at your firm, there will be a state bar license check for each one. 

Once you’ve completed this screening process, you will be asked to fill out your business listing information. This information includes:

• Business name
• Address with a link to Google Maps
• Phone number
• Practice areas
• Business hours
• Geographic area served
• General overview statement
• Headshots of the legal team
• Customer reviews

These are considered Pay-Per-Lead ads, meaning you pay for every qualified lead. The charges are automatic, so you will need to dispute any charges you believe aren’t valid. For most law firms, this lead generation strategy delivers excellent results. 

Don’t Have Time to Create Local Service Ads (LSAs)? Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing Can Help

Maybe all of this information has convinced you that your law firm needs Local Service Ads. But you may not have time to devote to LSAs or would rather place your law firm’s marketing in the hands of an expert. We get it and would be happy to help. 

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing specializes in helping law firms get found and chosen by their target clients in their local markets. We understand how LSAs work and can help integrate these into your overall digital marketing strategy. 

To find out more about how we can help your firm, call us today at (800) 864-1764 or contact us online. We offer a free internet marketing assessment and website evaluation to get started.