If you want predictable, high-quality leads, paid media is a core lever. For law firms, the two most common channels are Google Ads (search, Performance Max, YouTube, Display) and Facebook/Instagram Ads (Meta). They serve different purposes and work best at different stages of the client journey.
This guide explains how they differ, what they share, and how to pick (and combine) them to hit your intake goals—especially in personal injury and employment law.
Quick definitions (law-firm edition)
Google Ads (paid search & more).
Your ad shows when someone searches a query (e.g., “car accident lawyer near me”). You can also run YouTube and Display, but search is the workhorse for high-intent leads. Pricing is auction-based; you typically optimize to a target CPA with conversions tracked in GA4/Ads.
Facebook & Instagram Ads (Meta).
You push ads to audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviors, custom lists, and lookalikes. Great for awareness, education, and retargeting; can drive leads with the right offers/landing pages. Auction-based; billed by impressions with optimization toward your chosen objective (leads, conversions, traffic, video views).
Related channel you shouldn’t ignore: Google Local Services Ads (LSAs)—pay per lead, show above search ads, and are highly effective for many practice areas.
How they really differ for law firms
- Intent vs. audience
- Google Ads: Captures active intent. Prospects are literally asking for a lawyer now.
- Meta: Targets likely prospects based on profile/behavior. Great for planting the seed, nurturing, and staying top-of-mind.
- Speed to signed case
- Google: Fastest path from click → consult → retainer (if intake is tight).
- Meta: Often requires multiple touches (video, guides, testimonials) + remarketing to convert.
- Cost dynamics
- Google: Legal CPCs can be very high, but conversion rates are strong when pages and intake perform.
- Meta: Lower CPM/CPC, but lower average intent; conversion depends heavily on creative, offer, and follow-up.
- What each does best
- Google: High-intent capture (e.g., “wrongful termination attorney [city]”).
- Meta: Storytelling, proof, community reputation, retargeting past visitors/leads, promoting educational content (FAQs, case results videos).
- Compliance considerations
- Both must follow state bar rules. Keep claims accurate, use disclaimers, avoid misleading language, and ensure landing pages mirror ad promises.
What they have in common (and what you need for both)
- Full-funnel tracking: GA4 conversions + call tracking (DNI), form submits, chat starts; import signed-case outcomes from your CRM (Clio Grow, Lawmatics, Lead Docket).
- Testing culture: Creative, headlines, CTAs, audience/match types, landing pages.
- Quality creative & pages: Clear value prop, social proof, fast mobile load (<2s), simple forms, click-to-call.
- Reporting that matters: Cost per qualified lead, consult rate, cost per signed client, ROMI—not just clicks.
When a law firm should prioritize Google Ads
Choose Google (first) if you need intake now and can handle higher CPCs:
- You have practice-area landing pages per city (e.g., “Car Accident Lawyer — Dallas”).
- Intake answers within minutes (phone/text/chat), 7 days a week.
- You’re ready to run LSAs + Search with tight negative keywords and geo controls.
- You have budget to compete in your market (PI CPCs can be steep but profitable with strong conversion rates).
Great use cases: Car/truck/motorcycle accidents, premises liability, wrongful termination, wage/hour claims, discrimination/harassment.
When a law firm should prioritize Facebook/Instagram
Choose Meta (first or alongside search) if you want awareness, community presence, and remarketing:
- You already get site traffic but want to retarget non-converters.
- You want to educate via short videos (rights after a crash; steps after being fired unlawfully).
- You serve niche audiences (Spanish-speaking outreach, specific neighborhoods, certain employers/industries).
- You have compelling creative (attorney on camera, testimonials, explainers) and quick lead follow-up.
Great use cases: Employment law education funnels, class action interest, brand building for PI in competitive metros, review/testimonial amplification.
Recommended mixes (starting points)
These are starting allocations; adjust after 4–6 weeks based on cost per signed case.
Personal Injury firm (single metro):
- 50% Google Search (exact/phrase high-intent)
- 25% LSAs (pay per lead)
- 15% Meta remarketing (site/engagers)
- 10% YouTube (brief attorney videos; retargeters)
Employment law firm (multi-metro):
- 40% Google Search
- 20% LSAs (if category eligible in your market)
- 30% Meta prospecting + remarketing (rights education → lead magnets)
- 10% YouTube (Q&A, success stories; retargeters)
Channel setup essentials (checklist)
Google Ads (Search + LSAs)
- Campaigns segmented by practice + city; separate brand, generic, competitor.
- Phrase/Exact for high intent; limited Broad with strong negatives.
- Ad extensions: call, sitelinks, location, structured snippets, callouts.
- LSAs: “Google Screened,” category accuracy, review velocity, dispute bad leads.
Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
- Campaigns by objective (Leads/Conversions for forms; Video Views for education).
- Audiences: Website retargeting, lead lists (compliant), lookalikes, language/geos.
- Creative: short attorney videos, client testimonials, carousels of case types; clear CTAs.
- Lead forms: keep short; trigger instant SMS/email follow-up to cut response time.
Decision guide (in one minute)
- Need high-intent leads this month → Start with Google Search + LSAs.
- Want brand lift + nurture for a competitive market → Add Meta prospecting + retargeting.
- Stuck at a good click volume but low conversions → Fix landing pages + intake speed, then scale budgets.
- Unsure where money’s going → Implement GA4 + CRM offline conversions to measure signed clients by channel.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Treating Facebook like search (thin copy, no education/offer).
- Running Google Broad match everywhere without negatives or proper bidding.
- Sending paid traffic to your homepage instead of practice-area landing pages.
- No after-hours response while ads run 24/7.
- Reporting only on clicks/leads—not signed clients.
Bottom line
- Google Ads excels at capturing people who are actively seeking a lawyer.
- Facebook/Instagram excel at awareness, education, and retargeting to turn interest into action.
- Most firms win with a hybrid plan: LSAs + Search for intent, Meta for proof, education, and follow-up—measured end-to-end in GA4 and your CRM.
Want a channel plan tailored to your market and practice mix?
Pareto Legal builds integrated Google + Meta systems for personal injury and employment law firms—optimized to cost per signed client and ROMI.
