How to choose between manual and automated bidding strategies?

Understanding Manual vs Automated Bidding in Digital Advertising

In the highly competitive legal industry, having a strong digital presence is essential. One of the key aspects of running effective pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns lies in choosing the right bidding strategy. As a law firm, selecting between manual and automated bidding can significantly affect the performance and return on investment of your Google Ads or other paid media efforts. This article explores the benefits and drawbacks of both strategies, helping you make an informed choice based on your objectives, budget, and resources.

What Is Manual Bidding?

Manual bidding is a strategy that allows you to have complete control over how much you’re willing to pay for each click. You can set individual bids for specific keywords, ad groups, or placements, giving you the flexibility to make decisions based on your own historical data and expectations.

For legal practitioners managing niche campaigns—such as personal injury or family law—manual bidding can offer precise budget control. However, this approach requires consistent monitoring, data analysis, and ongoing adjustments to perform optimally.

When Manual Bidding Is Suitable for Law Firms

Manual bidding works well when granular control is a priority. If you have a limited number of keywords or a very specific geographic focus, this method lets you customise your bids down to the finest details.

It is particularly advantageous in the following situations:

• You have in-house expertise or a dedicated team managing your PPC campaigns.
• Your campaigns are highly targeted, using exact match keywords tailored to legal services.
• You are focusing on high-value cases where you can calculate acceptable cost-per-click thresholds.

What Is Automated Bidding?

Automated bidding uses machine learning and Google’s algorithms to adjust your bids in real time. These strategies aim to maximise results based on specific goals such as conversions, clicks, or impression share. Options within automated bidding include strategies like Maximising Clicks, Target CPA (Cost-per-Acquisition), Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), and Enhanced CPC (Cost-per-Click).

For a law firm aiming to generate a consistent flow of leads without the daily task of managing bids manually, automated bidding can offer measurable efficiencies.

Benefits of Automated Bidding for Legal Campaigns

Automation offers several advantages, especially for firms that lack the time or internal resources for manual campaign management. For example, targeting a high conversion rate for wills and probate services can be achieved more effectively with Target CPA bidding if proper conversion tracking is in place.

Other key benefits include:

• Time savings due to reduced manual oversight.
• Real-time adaptation to changes in auction dynamics and competition.
• Improved performance consistency over larger, more complex campaigns.

Challenges of Each Strategy

While manual bidding provides control, it also demands time and expertise. Without regular attention, your campaigns risk underperforming due to outdated bids or changing market trends.

On the other hand, automated bidding relies on accurate data and historical performance to work effectively. If your campaign lacks sufficient conversions or has poorly defined tracking, automation may not produce the desired results. Additionally, less control over individual bids can make it harder to optimise for high-value clients or cases.

How to Decide What’s Right for Your Law Firm

The decision between manual and automated bidding should align with your law firm’s marketing goals, resources, and the complexity of your campaigns.

If your primary objective is to optimise lead quality and you have a tight set of keywords with high intent—such as “corporate solicitor in London”—manual bidding can give you that targeted control. It is particularly useful when you know exactly what each lead is worth and want to fine-tune performance manually.

Conversely, if volume and efficiency are your goals, and you’re dealing with broader practice areas like conveyancing or employment law, automated bidding might deliver better results. Automation is often more effective once you’ve built up sufficient historical data and have conversion tracking configured correctly.

Combining Manual and Automated Strategies

In many cases, a hybrid approach can yield the best outcomes. For instance, you might start a new campaign with manual bidding to establish a performance baseline and then switch to automated bidding once you’ve gathered enough data. Alternatively, Enhanced CPC can be used as a middle ground—allowing manual bid inputs while enabling Google to adjust them slightly based on predicted performance.

Final Thoughts

For solicitors and law firms, the right bidding strategy depends on a careful balance of control, efficiency, and data availability. Manual bidding offers precision for those with specific targets and the capacity to manage campaigns actively. In contrast, automated bidding can provide scalable efficiency and competitive adaptability, especially when campaigns become more complex.

Ultimately, the most effective approach is one supported by clear marketing objectives, robust tracking systems, and a willingness to test and adjust over time. Whether you opt for manual, automated, or a combination of both strategies, having a strong understanding of each method will allow your firm to make smarter, data-driven advertising decisions.