I am managing a personal injury law account where CPCs are regularly hitting $100+. It is becoming unsustainable for the client. Aside from improving Quality Score, what unconventional tactics are you using to lower your costs while still maintaining a steady flow of high-quality leads?
3 answers
In high-ticket niches, you have to look beyond search. We’ve had success moving a portion of the budget into "Video Action" campaigns on YouTube targeting specific "In-Market" audiences. The CPC is a fraction of what you pay on the Search Network, and the intent is still very high. Also, look into your ad schedule; often, the CPC spikes during business hours, but we find high-intent leads searching late at night when the big firms have exhausted their daily budgets. This strategy has cut our average cost per lead by nearly 30% this year.
Do you think that using highly specific long-tail keywords still works in 2024, or has "Close Variant" matching made that strategy essentially obsolete for legal niches?
I recommend focusing heavily on local service ads (LSAs) if you are in the legal space. The cost per lead is often much more stable than traditional auction-based PPC.
Totally agree, Natalie. LSAs are a game-changer for local businesses. The "Google Screened" badge adds a layer of trust that standard text ads just can't match.
Thomas, close variants have definitely made it harder, but long-tail keywords are still useful for intent. I recommend using "Exact Match" with a massive list of negatives to force the algorithm to stay relevant. It’s tedious but saves thousands in wasted spend.