Google Ads for personal injury lawyers

Let’s start with monthly searches for Tampa Bay metro area provided by Google. Have in mind that the keywords in this report are not final; I always start conservatively to minimize wasteful spending, and once we see what’s working and what’s not, we will scale it. The keywords presented here are by no means final, but they work well to illustrate the potential of Google Ads Search for Tampa Bay personal injury law firms.

Data below include keywords, average monthly searches for Tampa Bay metro, cost per click (CPC) estimates, and level of competition for each keyword.
 

As you can see, keyword searches range from general personal injury lawyers to more specific ones, such as auto accident lawyers and slip and fall attorneys. Keywords can - and will be - adjusted depending on law specialization you want to concentrate on.

Let’s move on to the next data from Google: performance forecast for the keywords from Step 1.

As you can see, Google predicts 40 conversions (leads – phone calls, emails, contact forms) per month for Tampa metro area. Average cost per action (CPA, or lead) is estimated to be $230 for a total cost of $9,300.

Several important points I would like to stress:

• Although these data come straight from Google and are based on historic data and performance, reality is often different from estimates. At any rate, Google data is a good starting point.
• I published a study aggregating CPA (cost per acquisition, or lead) for injury law firms. It’s worth at least browsing through it to get an even deeper understanding of what to expect and to get familiar with industry standards.
• CTR (click-through-rate, or how often people click your ad) of 1.4% seems low. From my experience, I would expect it to be higher, closer to 2.0-2.5%. In this case the number of leads would almost double.
• Average CPC (cost per click) seems on the low end. On the other hand, Google uses 5.32% Conversion rate (percentage of clicks that turn into a lead), which, based on my experience, is also conservative. With proper campaign setup and website optimization for leads, I would expect at least 10% conversion rate, and would aim even higher. I’ve had Google Ads Search campaigns with 40% conversion rates. It takes knowledge, experience, proper Analytics setup, data, website optimization for leads, A/B testing, and continuous campaign monitoring and adjustments based on incoming data, but, as one popular Stoic book argues – obstacle is the way. Perseverance does pay off.
• In this forecast, Google uses Maximize Conversions bidding strategy, which does exactly that – maximizes the number of conversions/leads without taking cost per lead into account. From my experience, this strategy isn’t optimal; I would recommend using other smart bidding options – Target CPA, where you set the maximum you are willing to pay per lead, is my favorite and works really well. The downside is that it takes a month and 30-50 conversions for Google algorithms to have enough data to make this strategy work.

Let’s see what happens to cost per action (lead, or CPA) and number of conversions (leads) when conversion rate is a) 5.32% (original Google forecast), b) 10% (realistic), and c) 15% (doable).

As you can see, the number of conversions (leads) is directly proportional to conversion rate, and average CPA, or cost per lead, is inversely proportional to conversion rate.

In general, higher conversion rates are achievable through reliance on data, campaign optimization and adjustment, and website optimization for conversions.
 

I will not pretend to know what each lead is worth to you. I can guestimate based on my personal injury case value research, but it will be just that – an estimate. To accurately calculate return on investment, I would need to know a) your closing ratio (% of leads converting into clients), and b) average settlement payout to you. 
 

For our intents and purposes, let’s assume A) 20% of leads convert into customers, and B) average value of the customer is $15,000 to you (this depends on settlement averages and your winning rate, but these are the numbers only you can plug in at this point for more accurate calculations).

Our assumptions:

1. Closing ratio = 20% (1 in 5 of your leads becomes your client)
2. Average value of your client = $15,000
    

ROI measures the overall profitability of an investment relative to its total cost. It tells you how much net profit you earned for every dollar invested, considering all associated costs. This is the bottom-line metric for any business.

ROI = (Revenue from Investment−Total Cost of Investment)/ Total Cost of Investment ×100%

• Revenue from Investment: The total income generated as a result of the investment (e.g., total fees earned from cases generated by Google Ads campaigns).
• Total Cost of Investment: All costs associated with the investment. For a Google Ads campaign, this would include both the money spent directly on ads (Ad Spend) and D2CEBL fees.

Assumptions:

• Closing ratio = 20% (lead to client rate)
• Average value per client = $10,000
• 3 scenarios with different conversion rates (5.32%, 10% and 15%)
• D2CEBL monthly fee = $2,000

ROI (per lead)

ROI (total)

ROAS specifically measures the gross revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. It focuses solely on the effectiveness of the ad spend itself, without accounting for other costs like agency fees, cost of goods sold, or overhead. It’s an excellent metric to show efficiency of your advertising campaign.

ROAS = Revenue Generated from Ads/Advertising Spend x 100%

• ROAS is often expressed as a ratio (e.g., 5:1) or a percentage (e.g., 500%).   
• Revenue Generated from Ads: The total income directly attributable to the advertising campaign.   
• Advertising Spend: The total amount spent directly on the ads (e.g., Google Ads cost).  

We’ll use the same data provided by Google that we used in ROI calculations, with the same assumptions.