PPC and Local Service Ads for Law Firms: Best Practices and Common Mistakes

Episode Summary: In this episode of Legal Marketing Happy Hour, host Elisza Lambert sits down with Jim Hayes, Chief Revenue Officer at Above the Bar Marketing, to discuss how law firms can get the most from their paid advertising strategies. Jim breaks down the key differences between pay-per-click (PPC) and Google Local Service Ads (LSAs), explains why a hybrid approach is often the smartest investment, and shares the most common mistakes law firms make when launching campaigns. The conversation covers intake processes, negative keywords, budget planning, and how to protect return on ad spend in a highly competitive legal market. Key Timestamps: 00:01 – Show Introduction 02:05 – PPC vs. LSAs: how they appear and how firms are charged 06:12 – Which types of law firms benefit most from LSAs and PPC 10:40 – Why hybrid ad models matter for sustainable results 13:22 – Biggest mistakes firms make with PPC campaigns 17:30 – The importance of negative keywords and keyword match types 21:55 – Best practices for intake teams handling PPC and LSA leads 28:33 – Why fast human response is critical for ad-driven leads 33:45 – Recent Google updates and the future of AI-driven ads 37:20 – What a healthy monthly ad budget looks like for law firms 43:15 – The two most important fixes every firm should make immediately About the Show: Legal Marketing Happy Hour is a podcast dedicated to helping law firms grow smarter, faster, and more profitably. Hosted by Elisza Lambert, the show features tactical insights and candid conversations with industry leaders on the strategies that drive results in today’s legal marketing landscape.