Local Strategies for Workers Compensation Lawyers
Generating high quality workers comp leads is no easy task. Workers comp lead generation is incredibly competitive, and can get expensive – fast. It is also highly localized. Workers comp leads look for law firms in their general vicinity. Yet many law firms lack an effective local marketing strategy for their work comp leads. In this article, we will look at some local advertising strategies that you can begin using today to drive more workers compensation leads to your firm.
Develop your Google profile and get reviews
If you do not have a Google My Business profile setup already, you should get on it immediately. This will allow you to appear on Google Maps and cater to local workers comp leads. If you already have a profile, make sure it is complete. Fill in all relevant information. Include photos and posts.
Most importantly, develop a local review strategy. Consider that the average consumer reads 10 online reviews before making a decision and that 88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations. Reviews are particularly important for lawyers. Workers comp leads want to know that a lawyer is competent to handle their case, has done so before, and that the firm is trustworthy.
Getting former clients to leave reviews is not always easy. Once they have their benefits or settlement in hand they tend to be mentally done with their case. Some firms can get reviews through friendly email reminders. Others give clients printed instructions. Still others must incentivize the process. One effective strategy is to give clients a small gift card after leaving a positive review.
Local Google Search Ads
Google is a lawyer’s best friend. Workers compensation leads that are actively looking for an attorney tend to search for and research firms on Google. The problem with paid legal ads on Google, however, is that the costs can quickly add up. Average cost-per-clicks (CPCs) are among the highest of any industry. Yet by restricting your ads to local markets, you will likely face less competition and acquire better workers comp leads.
Experts often advise creating a tiered bidding radius around your firm. For instance, at 5, 10, or 15 miles. You then optimize your keyword bids based on the radius, decreasing the further you move away. So, you could have something like this:
- 5-mile radius – increase bids by 50%
- 10-mile radius – normal bid range
- 15-mile radius – decrease bids by 25%
Note that you not only need to learn the basics of Google Search Ads, but you also must create user-friendly and relevant landing pages that are consistent with the text of your ads. The best option for busy lawyers is often to hire a digital marketing agency and designer to handle the process for them.
Local ad extensions
Ad extensions are a difference maker. They expand your ads with additional information, allowing you to list more reasons for potential clients to contact your firm. And the best part is they do not cost more to use.
There are many different types of ad extensions but for the purposes of local advertising you will want to incorporate a select few.
Location extensions help work comp lead generation campaigns succeed
Research suggests that local searches for location targeting are increasing some 130% per year. Location extensions display your business address, phone number, and map marker along with the text of your ad. These extensions are particularly useful for the purposes of generating workers compensation leads. Potential clients are more likely to contact and retain a firm that is located near their home.
Call extensions
Most local searches occur on mobile devices. Using a call extension allows a user to click directly on your phone number to contact your firm. Call extensions significantly increase clickthrough rates (CTR). This means that more workers comp leads will contact you firm simply because you included your firm’s number.
Dynamic sitelink extensions
Dynamic sitelinks use AI to tailor extensions for your ads based on user data. These extensions give ads contextual relevance and increase CTRs.
Local publications
Every city has a variety of local publications. These include things like neighborhood newspapers, industry publications, and even local themed blogs. Contact them to see how you can be featured in the publication. Perhaps you could contribute information or statistics on workers comp law. Be sure to include your contact information and links to your website.
Localized Facebook ads
Facebook advertising, like any major social media platform, can be tricky for law firms. Users that will encounter your ads may not be in the market at the time that the ad appears. Yet Facebook ads still have a place in any workers comp lead generation strategy.
Facebook allows you to create highly targeted legal lead generation campaigns. In addition to targeting users based on their interests, you can run ads within a limited geographic area. These ads are cost-effective and can go a long way towards keeping your firm in the forefront of the minds of workers comp leads.
City-specific + niche webpages
You have likely visited a website and scrolled to the bottom only to find a seemingly unending list of links to webpages that focus on specific cities and niches. This is an incredibly effective but underutilized SEO strategy and is especially useful for businesses that provide local services like law firms.
To be sure, this strategy requires a lot of work. Each page must include information about the city as well as the services that you provide. For example, suppose you are interested in workers comp lead generation and are located in San Francisco. You might create pages titled “Workers comp lawyer San Jose,” or “Workers comp lawyer Oakland.”
Local guide pages
Keeping with the geographic and niche strategy, consider creating guides for potential clients in your city. For example, workers comp leads may spend time reading up on workers comp law in your state prior to looking for an attorney. You might create a guide like “California laws on workers comp,” to provide value and establish trust with prospective clients.
There are countless local marketing strategies that your firm can use to find and convert more workers comp leads. Start with some of the strategies discussed above and expand your efforts as your caseload continues to grow.