A promised number of leads or cases
No one controls how many people hire a lawyer in a given month. A promised volume usually means something is being hidden.
Choosing a manager
Business Lawyer PPC: How to Choose Someone to Run Your Google Ads
A business law practice is easy to advertise badly. The searches look appealing, such as "business attorney near me" or "small business lawyer for contracts", but they come from people with very different needs: a founder who wants an LLC filed, a partner in a dispute, a seller facing a closing, a tenant looking at a lease. The managers who handle your account will decide which of them you pay for, what the ads say about your firm and how the calls are counted. This page is written for a partner or firm administrator who is interviewing managers, including us, and it says what good answers sound like. PPC for business lawyers works best when the firm, not the vendor, controls what the paid ads say.
What is different about law firms
Why Business Lawyer Google Ads Management Differs From Other Industries
Lawyer advertising is regulated by each state, usually through rules based on the American Bar Association's model rules, and state bars differ on specifics. Typical concerns include misleading statements, comparisons you cannot substantiate, claims of specialization or certification, how past results and client reviews may be described, required disclaimers and labels, and what an ad may say about fees. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. Your firm must read its own bar's current rules, and it is worth asking the bar or an ethics advisor when something is unclear.
Platform policies add a second layer. Google has requirements for advertisers in some regulated fields and runs a verification program for Local Services Ads in legal categories, where eligibility depends on the practice area and location and includes checks of bar status. Microsoft and Meta have their own ad review. Read the current policy pages, because they change, and expect some ads to be disapproved and need rewording.
Business law has features that shape an account. Matters are often higher in value and less urgent than emergencies such as arrests or injuries, but the searches that matter come from people with a deadline: a contract to sign, a dispute that has just started, a deal closing next month. Intake requires a conflict check before anyone shares confidential details, so forms should collect only a name, contact information and a brief description, and should say clearly that sending a message does not create an attorney-client relationship. That is a matter for your firm's own policy, not for a marketer to decide.
Lastly, be careful about lead services. Many bars restrict paying for referrals or purchased leads, and some treat certain lead generation arrangements as a rules question. We do not sell or buy legal leads; we manage ad accounts you own, and the platform bills you directly for ad spend. Any manager you hire should be able to explain that structure.
Finally, ask how the manager thinks about search terms in this field. Searches such as "business lawyer", "small business attorney", "contract lawyer", "LLC operating agreement lawyer", "partnership dispute attorney" and "lawyer to help me sell my business" each describe a different engagement. The same account will also attract searches you never want to pay for: free legal forms, online document services, law school and textbook queries, job seekers, and people looking for help with matters outside business law. A manager who reads the search terms report every week and removes those themes, rather than relying on automation to do it, usually protects the budget better than one who only watches the average cost of a click.
The interview
Questions to Ask a Google Ads Manager and What Good and Bad Answers Sound Like
You can take this table to any interview. Weak answers are not always disqualifying, but missing ones usually are.
| Question | A good answer | A worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the ad account and the data? | The firm owns it, you have administrator access and the manager works under it | The manager runs it in their own account and you receive reports only |
| How will you handle our bar's advertising rules? | We read your state's current rules, draft conservatively and send ads and pages to your attorney for approval before launch | We have lots of law clients, so we know what works, with no mention of approval |
| What do you count as a conversion? | Calls of a certain length, form submissions and, where you can share it, consultations booked and matters retained | Clicks and impressions, or total leads without a definition |
| How do you separate practice areas? | Separate campaigns for formation, contracts, disputes, transactions and so on, each with its own page and budget | One campaign with every legal term in it |
| What do you do about irrelevant searches? | Review search terms regularly and add negatives for forms, jobs, students and unrelated legal issues | The system handles that automatically |
| What will you promise about results? | Nothing about cases or numbers; only a clear process and regular reports | A specific number of leads or a set cost per lead |
| How do you treat testimonials, results and the word "specialist"? | Only as your bar permits, with required disclaimers and your attorney's sign-off | We use the strongest claims our other clients use |
| What are the contract terms? | Month to month or clearly explained, with no penalties for leaving | Long minimums and a fee to export your data |
| What do I pay you versus the platform? | A management fee to the manager and ad spend billed by the platform to you | A single bundled number that hides how much goes to ads |
| How will intake and confidentiality be handled? | Forms limit what is collected, disclaimers are present and calls are recorded only with proper notice | We collect as many details as possible to qualify leads |
Questions from law firms
What Business Law Firms Ask Before They Hire
What is business lawyer PPC?
It is pay per click advertising for a business law practice, mainly Google Ads, where the firm pays for clicks or calls when people search for services such as contract review, formation, disputes or business sales. The ads, pages and tracking are managed according to your bar's rules and your intake process.
How much does business lawyer Google Ads management cost?
Our management fee is $895 a month for one platform, $1,595 for two and $2,295 for three. Ad spend is separate and paid directly to the platform. There is no setup fee and no contract. How much to spend depends on what a retained client is worth and how many matters you can take.
Will you promise us a number of clients?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. We cannot predict how many people will search, call or hire a firm. We can show what was spent, which searches were bought and how many calls and forms resulted.
Can the ad say we are the leading business law firm?
Check your bar's rules before using any superlative, specialist or comparative claim. Many states restrict them or require proof. We write conservative copy, and your attorney should approve it.
Can you use our client reviews or case results?
Only as your state allows, with any required disclaimers. Rules vary on testimonials and past results, so we do not publish them without written approval from the firm.
Should we try Local Services Ads?
Where Google offers a business law category in your area, it is worth considering. It involves screening of the firm and its attorneys, and the cost and process are different from search ads. Check eligibility directly, because it changes.
What should the contact form ask?
As little as scheduling requires: name, phone, email and a short description, with a clear statement that submitting it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Never invite confidential details before a conflict check.
How quickly should we respond to new inquiries?
As fast as your firm can while staying within your intake rules. Business owners usually contact several firms, and the first thoughtful reply often gets the consultation. A set routine for who answers matters more than the ad.
What mistakes do firms make when they hire a manager?
They accept reports that count clicks, skip the ethics review, let the manager own the account, or give the whole practice one campaign. Another is judging results in weeks when matters take longer to retain.
Red flags
Warning Signs When Interviewing a Manager
No mention of the bar's rules
If the conversation about copy skips advertising rules and approval, the firm ends up carrying the risk alone.
Account kept in the manager's name
You should be able to log in, see the spend and take the account with you if you leave.
A report made of clicks and impressions
Ask for calls, forms, consultations and retained matters. Activity counts alone cannot tell a good month from a bad one.
Bundled pricing with no ad spend breakdown
Management fees and ad spend are different things. You should see both and know where each goes.
Lead resale or referral fees
Buying leads or paying for referrals may violate your bar's rules. Ask for the structure in writing and consult your ethics counsel.
One campaign for every practice area
A founder looking for an LLC and a partner in litigation are not the same searcher. Separate them.
After you choose
A Sensible First 60 Days With a New Manager
Hand over access and rules
Give the manager administrator access to the account or help create one in the firm's name, and share the bar rules and any internal approval steps.
Agree on the conversions
Decide which events count: calls over a set length, completed forms, consultations booked and matters retained, and how each will be recorded.
Approve the first campaigns in writing
Review the paid ads, landing pages and form disclaimers before anything goes live, and keep a record of what was approved.
Listen to a sample of calls
Check that intake handles callers well and that the calls tracked match the ones your staff received.
Review the search terms together
Look at what people actually typed and decide which practice areas to expand, narrow or drop.
Set a monthly review
Meet briefly each month to look at consultations and retained matters by campaign, and note changes so the next report is easy to follow.
Keep exploring
Google Ads for Related Businesses
Want the organic side or the lead side too? See getting more leads, buying leads, lead generation programs, SEO, internet marketing, and best keywords for business lawyer.
Get in Touch
Interview Us Before You Decide
Bring your questions and your bar's advertising rules, and we will answer plainly, including what we will not do. Call 610-825-4363 or email hello@getphound.com.