Google Local Services Ads, which is essentially pay-per-lead lead generation, has been touted as the new hotness in digital advertising.
If fact, just go perform a few quick searches on "local services ads for law firms," and you'll quickly see how it's the next most shiniest thing in digital advertising.
After all, these ads show up at the very top of search engine result pages (the ads above the ads), have reviews, and a little Google Screened check mark. But are these ads living up to the hype?
Here's a recent post I was sent from a lawyer on Facebook:
Seems like it would be tough to make those economics work.
Like most things in digital advertising (read life), if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But also like most things advertising, what works for some doesn't work for all. So, if you have some extra marketing budget, you might give it a try.
In theory, paying per valid lead, as opposed to click, shifts some of the risk from advertiser to platform. In truth, in my experience, with respect to historical cost per click versus pay per lead programs, it doesn't make much of a difference. But don't take my word for it, run some tests yourself.
For the rest of you, just remember that Google is a publicly traded mostly one-trick pony. They sell advertising. Ultimately, they don't really care whether you recognize a return on your ad spend, so long as you keep paying for advertising. Whether clicks, leads, or potentially revenue sharing in the future, maximizing ad revenue is their trick.
Have you been running LSAs at your law firm? Willing to share? Hit the comments.
On April 22, 2025, Google sent an email updating Local Services Ads Additional Terms for Providers: Subject: Action required: important updates to Local Service Ads Additional Terms Many people are arguing that lawyers cannot participate in Local Services Ads, as this would constitute a per se violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct related to […]
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