How to handle PPC for multi-location law firms?
How to Handle PPC for Multi-Location Law Firms?
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a powerful tool for driving targeted traffic to a legal firm’s website. However, for multi-location law firms, managing PPC campaigns presents unique challenges. Tailoring campaigns for varied geographic areas, practice areas, and competitive landscapes requires a more nuanced approach. Mastery of strategy, structure and optimisation is essential in order to gain visibility and deliver a strong return on investment.
Understand the Local Intent Behind Search Behaviour
PPC campaigns for law firms must account for local user intent. Potential clients typically seek legal representation nearby, and their search queries often reflect this. For instance, a user looking for a solicitor in Manchester will likely include the location in their search. Therefore, your campaign must closely align ad copy, keywords and landing pages with each office location’s geography and legal services offered.
Begin by conducting keyword research specific to each location. Identify high-value keywords that reflect both legal service terms and the relevant local area. For example, “divorce solicitor in Birmingham” or “personal injury lawyers London”. Geo-specific long-tail keywords offer higher intent and lower competition, maximising your cost-efficiency.
Structure Campaigns Based on Office Locations
Organising your PPC account structure around each office location ensures greater control, precision, and ad relevance. Creating separate campaigns for each city or region enables you to adjust bidding strategies, allocate budgets proportionally, and tailor ad copy and landing pages individually.
Ensure each location-specific campaign includes tightly themed ad groups based on service areas. For example, your Manchester campaign might include ad groups for ‘employment law’, ‘family law’ and ‘property disputes’, all linked to pages targeting those services in the Manchester region.
Create Dedicated Landing Pages for Each Location
Sending clicks from ads to your firm’s main homepage will often result in missed conversions. Multi-location law firms must create bespoke landing pages for each location and ensure they match the search intent and ad copy.
These pages should include local staff profiles, office addresses with integrated Google Maps, testimonials from local clients, and specific legal services available from that office. Additionally, maintaining NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistency across your site and linking landing pages with your Google Business Profile for each office aids both PPC quality scores and local SEO performance.
Use Geo-Targeting and Geo-Modifiers Effectively
Geo-targeting in Google Ads enables you to serve ads to users based on their location or search intent. Be sure to target the cities or postcodes relevant to each office. In areas where offices are close together, location exclusions can minimise wasted spend on overlapping coverage.
Geo-modifiers in keyword targeting, such as adding town or county names, combine with geo-targeting to reinforce your relevance. Use both approaches in tandem for comprehensive reach and improved click-through rates.
Tailor Ad Copy to Local Audiences
Your ad copy should speak directly to the local user’s needs. Referencing the city or region in the headline or description helps boost click-through rates and shows potential clients that you offer services in their area.
Use calls to action that reflect urgency and availability, such as “Book a Free Consultation in Leeds Today” or “Speak with a Local Family Law Specialist”. Highlight accreditations, case outcomes, or years of service in the specific location to build trust quickly.
Monitor Performance by Location and Optimise Continuously
Tracking your PPC performance separately for each location is key to identifying what’s working. Monitor key metrics such as conversion rate, cost per lead, click-through rate, and bounce rates by area. This allows strategic allocations of budget based on return and reveals where messaging, ad placement or landing pages might need refinement.
Use tracking tools like Google Tag Manager and conversion tracking to confidently attribute leads to the appropriate campaigns. For larger firms, integrating CRM tools can streamline the lead tracking process and support more advanced attribution modelling.
Leverage Local Extensions and Google Business Profiles
Utilising ad extensions can improve visibility and deliver more relevant user information. Location extensions automatically link your ads to your Google Business Profile, ensuring users see a nearby office with working hours, reviews and directions.
Ensure each office location has an optimised and verified Google Business Profile with up-to-date information. This not only supports paid search visibility but offers a strong boost to overall local search presence and click-through performance.
Scale Responsibly and Maintain Compliance
Running PPC for a multi-location law firm can quickly become overwhelming without adequate processes and oversight. Use campaign templates and naming conventions within your platform to maintain consistency. Regularly audit campaigns to review spend allocation, identify underperforming areas, and ensure all copy remains compliant with legal advertising standards.
Additionally, law firms must be mindful of advertising restrictions imposed by regulators such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Avoid any language that could be interpreted as misleading or guarantee-specific outcomes. Ensure your ads are reviewed regularly to remain compliant as regulations evolve.
Final Thoughts
Managing PPC for a multi-location law firm demands careful planning, regional customisation and continuous optimisation. Effective campaign structure, localised ad copy, and strategic use of landing pages and geo-targeting are all essential for maximising conversions and minimising wasted budget. When executed correctly, PPC can deliver a consistent stream of highly qualified leads directly to each of your offices and build lasting brand equity across key regions.