Law firms often rely heavily on referrals – and for good reason. Referrals come with an implicit endorsement, making clients more likely to hire you. In fact, some firms get so many referrals that they hardly need to spend on advertising. However, referrals can be inconsistent.
To avoid feast-or-famine, build a steady intake pipeline using digital channels in addition to referrals. Diversifying marketing (Google Ads, SEO, Local Service Ads, etc.) paired with an optimized intake process can provide much more consistent case flow and growth.
Market Fit & Budget
Before investing in online marketing, assess whether your market and firm are well-suited for it. Generally, firms have better success in large, higher-income areas with ample search volume. Consider these factors:
Market Size & Income
Larger populations and higher average incomes usually produce more searchers and higher client budgets, making ads more cost-effective. Very small or low-income markets may struggle to sustain profitable campaigns.
Budget
Competitive practice areas (PI and criminal) often require substantial spend to win clicks. For example, industry data shows the average CPC in legal is about $6.75. Many agencies recommend daily budgets in the hundreds or thousands for sustained results. Small budgets may exhaust too quickly or fail to reach needed volume.
Online Reputation
A strong online presence (e.g. Google Maps rating ~4.5+ stars) boosts conversion and lowers ad costs. Google’s Local Service Ads (LSAs) prioritize firms with high ratings.
Close Rate
If your firm signs a high percentage of cases (e.g. 75%+), each lead is more valuable. If most leads don’t convert, paying for traffic will be unprofitable.
Firm Commitment
Marketing requires dedication. Firms that clearly set growth goals, collaborate with their marketing team, and are flexible on cases and budgets tend to succeed. Make sure your team is ready to act on leads day and night (no “attorney who will call you back later” without a set time).
If your situation scores low on several of these, your ROI on paid search/SEO may be low. In that case, focus on intake best practices (below) until your market or budget improves.
Building a Robust Intake Process
Even the best ads will fail if the intake process lets leads slip away. A strong intake ensures every marketing dollar counts. Follow these best practices:
24/7 Bilingual Answering Service
Use a 24/7 legal answering service (bilingual if needed) as a virtual receptionist. This ensures no call is missed outside business hours. Many injury claims and criminal arrests happen at night or on weekends, so around-the-clock coverage captures leads competitors lose.
In fact, 33% of firms report gaining an extra 1–2 leads per week from outsourcing intake, and 43% save 1–5 hours a month on admin. One expert notes that leaving calls unanswered when your office is closed is essentially leaving money on the table. A live 24/7 service also improves ad performance by allowing your firm to bid more aggressively (knowing leads will be answered anytime).
Immediate Booking with Commitment
When a lead calls or chats, the goal is to schedule a committed appointment, not just promise a callback. Internet leads are shopping around – if you say “we’ll have the attorney call you,” many will simply call another firm. Instead, book a specific date and time for an intake meeting or call.
Getting something on the calendar (even if tentative) moves the prospect closer to signing. It also triggers any CRM reminders or no-show workflows you have set up. This shows urgency and care, and gives the lead confidence that you’ll call back. Ideally, offer the earliest practical slot and stick to it; if the attorney isn’t available then, still make a firm commitment.
Payment Plan & Card on File
In criminal defense, clients often pay retainers or installment fees. Offering flexible payment plans (via credit card) meets client needs: 70% of legal consumers want payment plan options. At booking, capture a credit card on file and explain a cancellation fee (e.g. $50).
Requiring payment up front (even a small deposit) dramatically improves show-rates. As one business guide notes, clients are much more likely to keep appointments if they have already paid or left payment details. Collecting payment details or deposits when scheduling appointments serves several purposes: it weeds out low-intent callers, reduces no-shows, and protects you from wasted time. You can then securely charge the first installment or deposit immediately when the case is signed, ensuring your retainer is paid up.
Thorough Qualification
Ask key questions on the first call to ensure the lead is a fit: location (is the incident in your service area?), case type (e.g. DUI, felony, car accident, etc.), basic facts (were they charged? injured? on a certain date?), court dates, and whether they can handle your fee (with payment plan options). Confirm they have a future court date or accident with a potential claim (not something already expired). This screening prevents wasting time on unqualified or conflicted cases.
One-Call Close (when possible)
Aim to minimize handoffs. If possible, have the intake rep or staff attorney handle qualification and the initial consultation in one appointment. That way, you collect all info and the retainer at the same time. If not, at least make the sequence short: one detailed intake call (collect info and book) followed by one in-person or Zoom consult to sign the client. Multiple back-and-forth calls increase drop-offs
Implementing these steps creates a lean intake funnel. In summary, qualify quickly, book immediately, and finalize with a signed retainer/deposit.
A polished intake script should:
(1) confirm fit
(2) schedule the next meeting
(3) collect a payment commitment. This approach reduces no-shows and administrative waste.(For example, requiring a credit card or deposit upfront is widely recognized as an effective no-show.)
In other words: one call and one appointment (with paperwork) can turn a web lead into a client.
Criminal vs. Injury Intake Nuances
Criminal defense and personal injury intakes follow the same principles but differ slightly:
Criminal Defense: Often emergency-driven (DUI, assault arrests, etc.), so speed and commitments are vital. Always capture payment info for retainers. Explain your payment plan options if needed. Be prepared to answer urgent legal questions (bail, hearings). The goal is to book a consult and collect a deposit as soon as possible.
Personal Injury: Injury clients may have more complex cases but usually with an existing incident report or medical records, so cases can sign more quickly. You typically do not require a deposit at booking; contingency-fee signing happens after medicals and liability checks. Still, ask accident details (date, location, insurance, injuries) to ensure a viable claim. Once a case is qualified, move swiftly to drafting a contingency agreement.
Regardless of practice area, clear communication of next steps and follow-up reminders (via email/SMS) is important. Use your CRM to automate appointment confirmations and reminders to further reduce drop-offs.
Choosing Digital Marketing Channels
When and where to advertise depends on budget and goals:
Paid Ads (Google Ads & LSAs) vs. SEO
For immediate results, paid advertising is the fastest. Google Search Ads (PPC) and Local Services Ads can deliver leads within days of launch. SEO (content and website optimization) is a longer-term play – expect 6–12+ months to see significant organic traffic and cases.
However, SEO builds “equity”: once your site ranks, it will continue sending leads with less ongoing spend. If you ever stop your ads, leads dry up immediately; stopping SEO causes traffic and conversions to decline more slowly over time.
Budget Considerations
If you have a large budget, consider a full-stack approach: SEO + LSAs + Google Ads + CRM integration. If your budget is limited, prioritize wisely: LSAs are relatively easy to set up, or focus on Google Ads if you can manage them. LSAs (Google Screened) guarantee visibility for general queries (like “personal injury lawyer near me”) but give Google the control.
Google’s LSA algorithm ranks you mainly by review score and responsiveness (office hours, quick call picks), not by how much you pay. In practice, LSAs often yield mixed lead quality, so we recommend pairing LSAs with targeted PPC and SEO efforts.
Google Ads Best Practices
Use exact and phrase match keywords to target only relevant searches. For example, use [personal injury lawyer] or [DUI defense attorney] instead of broad terms. High-intent keywords (“car accident lawyer,” “felony defense attorney”) may cost $50–$100+ per click in big markets, but they convert at a higher rate.
Continually add negative keywords (e.g. “free,” “cheap,” unrelated subtopics) to prevent wasted spend. Extensions help too: call extensions (with increased bid modifiers) encourage clicks to call you directly (though those leads are often less pre-qualified than form submissions). Balance desktop and mobile targeting based on client behavior – many calls may come from mobile users on night shifts.
Local Services Ads (LSAs)
Google’s LSAs show at the very top for local intent queries. To use LSAs, sign up via Google’s platform (requires verification of your license, background checks, etc.). Google only shows LSAs for certain searches they deem “service-related,” so you can’t pick all keywords.
You should provide accurate service categories during setup. Remember, you pay per lead (phone call/message), not per click. LSAs work well if you have great reviews (5 stars, many Google reviews), because Google favors highly-rated firms. They are a great supplement, but not a replacement for targeted ads or SEO.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Optimize your website and content for your practice areas. Publish informative blog posts (e.g. “What to do if charged with DUI”), and ensure your site is fast and mobile-friendly. Build local citations and encourage client reviews. Realistically, organic SEO takes time, but it can become your highest-quality lead source long-term. Studies show SEO compounding over time leads to lasting traffic. If done well, even if you pause SEO later, your site will retain some rankings – whereas pausing ads stops leads immediately.
Building a robust tech stack is crucial. A CRM is mandatory for modern law practice marketing. Use a CRM to automatically capture leads from all channels (web forms, calls, chats) and to manage follow-ups. Integrate it with Google Ads (offline conversion tracking) so closed cases update back into your campaigns.
For example, tagging each lead and then marking it “signed” in your CRM lets Google Ads learn which keywords generate actual clients. This two-way data flow (ad → CRM → case management) can dramatically improve ad ROI by auto-optimizing toward high-quality leads.
Additionally, a CRM automates reminders (calls, appointments, emails), live chat on your website, and even web-based scheduling for consults. Finally, connecting your CRM to case-management software saves double entry and provides a full funnel view: you can calculate cost-per-case and adjust budgets to maximize profit. In short, every lead and case should be tracked end-to-end.
Conclusion
A diversified marketing strategy plus a tight intake process will give your firm stability and growth. Use paid search (Google Ads, LSAs) to bring in leads now, while building SEO for the future. Run your campaigns only if your intake is ready 24/7 – missed calls are lost cases. Train your intake team to quickly qualify, book, and capture payment commitment.
By following these strategies, you’ll create multiple, predictable case sources instead of relying solely on referrals. If you found this guide helpful, consider consulting a legal marketing specialist to tailor these tactics to your firm’s needs. Strong growth is possible when you combine consistent marketing with a streamlined intake and follow-through process.
Good luck!
