Let’s get straight to the heart of the matter. Too many times do we see non-descriptive ads popping up in the first position for broad searches like, “Texas Accident Attorney” with headlines that say nothing about specific services or practice areas. When someone searches “Texas Accident Attorney,” they want results that match as closely as possible with both what they need and the context of their situation. Paying $50+ per click to show an add with “Jon Doe Law Firm – Houston, TX” without any call to action information or extensions is, all in all, a waste of money – certainly not the most efficient spending.
Let’s come back this idea of context. Why are people searching, how are they searching, from where are they searching, and what is the problem that people need solved, are all question you should consider when creating your AdWords campaigns. It can be easy to forget the human element of marketing while working in a technical application like AdWords. Always remember the end consumer. Put yourself in their shoes. Being empathetic and catering towards what people need in that moment will bring your campaigns more success down the road.
Google knows this just as well as any of us. That is why they have adapted features and new capabilities to their AdWords campaigns as trends move and times change. For example, I wrote in my last article about the mobile-first revolution that we are living in and how it has inspired many of Google’s most recent changes. Stats show that more searches are done on mobile than on desktop even when desktop computers are available, so Google rolled out text messaging ad extensions. Last year, Google also announced their move to ETA’s (expanded text ads) to optimize search results for mobile devices. These updates combined with other features like sitelink and location extensions provide incredible contextual targeting opportunities for reaching people as they want to be reached. Now, this is all nitty gritty and a little more on the technical side. What does all of this mean for your practice?
Let’s say that you handle DUI cases and decide that you want to run some ads. Before you run a broadly targeted ad that displays, “Jon Doe Law Firm – Texas DUI Attorney,” consider your audience and who would be searching for your services. When people search for DUI attorneys, they may have just been pulled over and probably not at a convenient time of the day. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. You are worried, scared, and playing out all the worst-case scenarios in your head. Most of all, you need an answer fast. What would it mean to you that when you search for a “Houston DUI attorney” an ad pops up with the option to text a “Houston DUI Attorney” that has 24/7 service. The ad has links to DUI FAQ’s to answer your immediate questions, and you can call for help right now. This type of ad provides much more value to this person in the context of their situation.
The DUI example is an easy one to talk about, but this same philosophy applies to all practice areas. Think again about the why, when, where, how, and what behind your clients’ decisions. The whole purpose behind targeting the context of a person searching is that you are reducing the mental friction that stands between them seeing your ad and converting on your website. When someone sees a brand name, they may wonder “Can this person help me?” They then read the second ad which serves them local help with answers, a relevant headline, and it provides contact options for immediate help. Which ad would you click on?
Using Google AdWords is so much more than just advertising – it is customer service. Seek first to add value in the moment that someone sees your ad, and then help them along the way to converting as a client.
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