The impact of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic has been severe in so many ways. Businesses are scrambling to find ways to stay afloat. Attorneys and law firms are struggling to understand what to do with their paid ads now, and when we return to whatever our new normal will be. What practice areas will be affected, where they will be affected most. It’s an uncertain time.
Enter Google. In late March, Google announced they would be giving away $340 million in Google Ad credits to eligible small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). Read on to find out what exactly that means for your law firm and whether you’re eligible.
Clients of Precision Legal Marketing can rest assured that we have already identified those who are eligible for this ad credit and will pass along any information, as it becomes available.
Is My Law Firm Eligible for the Google Ad Credits?
That depends. Google has set forth a list of criteria your law firm must meet in order to be eligible for the free Google Ad credit. Let’s take a look at what the eligibility criteria is:
- Be a small or mid-sized business AND
- Spent on Google Ads
- o 10 out of the last 12 months in 2019 AND
- o In January and/or February of this year
What does this mean? If you did not spend money advertising with Google Ads during 2020, then you are not eligible. If you only advertised 6 months or even up to 9 months, you are not eligible. It also means that accounts created in 2020 are not eligible. This takes puts controls in place to prevent people from taking advantage of the system and rewards loyal advertisers utilizing Google Ads.
Will My Law Firm Still Be Eligible for Google Ad Credit if My Ads are Managed by an Agency?
Yes. For those law firms that have their advertising through Google Ads managed by an agency (such as Precision Legal Marketing), have no fear. You will still receive the Google Ad credit (if eligible) as the credit is distributed per eligible account and not at the agency/manager level.
How Much Google Ad Credit are We Going to Get?
Every eligible SMB advertiser will receive ONE ad credit. Google has not any calculations on a specific amount each business will get, but rather has explained that the amount will be determined based on historic Google Ad spend levels, country and currency. This authors opinion is that you may receive up to a month’s worth of spend credit. The other scenario I can imagine is a cash credit into your account followed by a match. Whatever it ends up being, they will not deposit a cash credit which would allow marketers to increase their spend and disrupt the search market, system algorithms and other un-fair advantages.
What Can I Use the Google Ad Credit For?
It is important to note that this Google Ad credit cannot be applied to past spends, only future Ad spends. With that being said, you may be wondering what specifically you can use your Google Ad credit for. According to Google, advertisers are able to use the Google Ad credit towards anything on the Google Ads platform, including Search, Display and YouTube. This will be a terrific opportunity to try new google products like YouTube advertising.
When Will My Law Firm Receive the Google Ad Credit?
Ad credits will be issued to eligible businesses on a rolling basis beginning in May. The credit will be applied to their accounts and the business will receive a notification regarding the credit. Keep in mind that the Google Ad credit does have an expiration date of December and if not used by that date, the credit will be revoked.
Legal Marketing Experts – What Can We Help With?
Many businesses and law firms across the nation have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. Google is doing their part to help small and mid-sized businesses stay afloat by issuing out credit to their loyal advertisers. Precision Legal Marketing is on standby to assist your law firm with creating an advertising campaign for maximum conversion. As a certified Google Ads partner agency, we are here to help you understand what you should be doing now, and what you should prepare to do as things continue to change. The credits Google is spreading around can be used in some very creative ways to help your firm grown in avenues you potentially haven’t had the budget for in the past. We intend to be ahead of the curve. Join us.
For help with your legal marketing or advertising needs, give us a call at 877-602-7510 or send us a message via our website.