A Google My Business listing is an essential marketing tactic to generate personal injury leads. Service-orientated businesses like personal injury firms need to reach local consumers. Unlike other marketing strategies, a Google My Business listing is free and can help your law firm rise to the top of local search results, which generate lots of personal injury leads!
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business (GMB) is essentially a separate listing on Google for local businesses. When the user enters a search term, Google will display local businesses that are relevant to the user’s search term. There are two primary ways that Google will display GMB results to personal injury leads. First, when the user searches for a type of business in a specific city. For example, “personal injury lawyers in Dallas.” The search results will include the top-ranking organic websites for that search term, paid ads, and local business results.
The second involves Google using location data from the user’s device. Personal injury leads may simply search for “personal injury lawyer” or “personal injury lawyer near me.” Google will display GMB results within close proximity to the user’s physical location.
How Google My Business Can Help You Get Personal Injury Leads
Google My Business is a powerful tool for personal injury lawyers. Personal injury law is incredibly competitive. Firms often invest thousands every month into paid ad campaigns and search engine optimization (SEO) services. The legal industry consistently ranks among the highest in cost-per-clicks (CPCs) due to stiff competition and the fact that legal services are higher ticket items. Personal injury law related keywords are typically on the high end with the top CPC for “Houston Maritime Attorney” reportedly costing $1,090.
With a GMB listing, you can generate local personal injury leads and perform well in Google searches without spending any money. A GMB listing is free and will show up above the main search results. If you build out your GMB listing with photos, blogs, and other relevant information, as well as garner good reviews from clients, you will experience a significant increase in local high-quality personal injury and auto accident leads.
Setting Up a Google My Business Listing
To set up a GMB listing, you will first need to create a business account on Google or login to your existing account. Once that’s done, you can search for your firm to see if a listing already exists. You can search using your business phone number or business address, or your business name and city. If you find a listing for your business, you can simply click on the link that says, “Own this business?”. If you do not find a listing for your business, you will need to create a new GMB listing.
The next step is to fill in your firm’s information on your GMB listing, such as your firm’s name, contact info, and business category. Google will walk you through this process. Try to add as much information as you can as it will help you get more personal injury leads.
Verify Your Google My Business Listing
After you create your GMB listing Google requires that you verify your listing. There are several different ways to do this. You can choose to receive a verification email, phone call, or postcard. The process can take up to two weeks to complete. Google may offer instant verification, but the options is not always available. You will receive a code or verification message. From there you simply log into your account and enter the code or click the link to verify your listing.
Why Good Customer Reviews on Your Google My Business Listing are Important
In a world where social proof increasingly serves as a catalyst for consumer decisions, good reviews are everything. Personal injury leads want to know that their lawyer is competent, trustworthy, and will get them the best settlement possible. A website may promise all these things but these assertions pale in comparison to even a single 5-star review.
In addition to guiding consumer decisions, getting good reviews on your GMB profile serves another important purpose. Having good reviews can improve your performance in the search rankings. For example, personal injury leads may search for “best personal injury lawyer near me.” Google will only display GMB listings for firms that have a history of receiving good reviews from clients (4+ stars).
To start getting reviews on your GMB listing, you will need an established process. You should make your clients aware of your GMB listing and give them an incentive to leave a review. Some common methods that personal injury law firms use to increase awareness include sending out emails, texts, or postcards with the URL to your GMB listing.
This will be enough to get some clients to leave reviews, but many others will need some sort of incentive. For instance, some firms offer small gift cards in exchange for leaving a review. This small investment is well worth it.
No matter what you do you will inevitably run into a dissatisfied client that leaves a bad review. As frustrating as this can be, it is important to remain professional and promptly post a response. Many prospective clients take the time to read the reviews. A courteous response in the face of a potentially disparaging review provides transparency and can earn the trust of personal injury leads.
Local Service Ads
Google offers paid local service ads that are ideal for service orientated businesses such as personal injury law firms. These ads are displayed above the standard local business results when users search for services in their area. Local service ads are cheaper than standard PPC advertising campaigns and are a great way to stand out to prospective clients in your area. Note that Google’s local service ads are often associated with a firm’s GMB listing but the ads are separate feature from GMB.
If you do not currently have a GMB listing, set one up today to start generating quality local personal injury, auto accident, and work comp leads. If you already have a GMB listing, make sure it is complete and work on getting positive reviews to boost your performance in the search rankings.