When it comes to digital marketing for law firms, transparency, strategy, and measurable results are crucial for a successful partnership with your agency. To ensure you’re getting a strong return on investment (ROI), it’s important to understand where your marketing dollars are going, how your campaigns are performing, and what strategies are driving results.
The best way to do this? By asking the right questions to your digital marketing account manager.
1. Who Else Are You Working With in Our Market?
Why this question matters: In the legal industry, exclusivity and conflicts of interest can significantly impact your digital marketing success, especially in SEO and PPC. If your agency is working with other law firms in the same market or practice area, they may be promoting competing firms for the same keywords and ad placements. This could dilute your brand’s visibility and limit your competitive advantage.
Follow-up Questions:
- Do you offer market exclusivity to your clients?
- How do you ensure that our firm’s SEO and PPC strategies stand out?
- What measures do you take to avoid conflicts of interest?
By understanding who else your agency is working with, you can ensure that their strategies are aligned with your firm’s best interests and that you’re receiving their full support without competing against other clients for the same audience.
2. What Are Our Primary Goals, and How Will We Measure Success?
Why this question matters: Every effective digital marketing strategy begins with clearly defined goals. Whether your focus is on increasing website traffic, generating more leads, or improving brand awareness, understanding the primary objectives helps keep your agency and your firm aligned.
Follow-up Questions:
- How will we track the progress of these goals?
- What key performance indicators (KPIs) will we use?
- How frequently will you report on progress?
3. What is Your Strategy for Attracting and Converting Potential Clients?
Why this question matters: A strong marketing strategy should outline exactly how your agency plans to reach potential clients for your law firm. From law firm SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns to content marketing and social media, each tactic should be designed to attract, engage, and convert.
Follow-up Questions:
- Can you provide examples of successful campaigns for other law firms?
- What are the primary channels we’ll use, and why?
- How do these strategies differ for each practice area?
4. What Percentage of Our Budget Goes to Media Spend vs. Management Fees?
Why this question matters: Transparency is key. Knowing exactly where your money is going helps you understand the value of the services provided. Management fees cover the agency’s time and expertise, while media spend is the amount directly used for advertising platforms, such as Google Ads or Facebook.
Follow-up Questions:
- How do you determine the ideal budget allocation for our campaigns?
- What benchmarks or metrics do you use to adjust spending?
5. How Do You Optimize Campaigns for Better ROI?
Why this question matters: Digital marketing requires continuous optimization. This involves refining keywords, adjusting bids, testing ad copy, and updating website content to improve conversion rates and maximize the impact of your budget.
Follow-up Questions:
- How often do you make adjustments to campaigns?
- What tools and methods do you use for campaign optimization?
- Can you share any previous results from optimizations?
6. What Insights Can You Provide from Analytics?
Why this question matters: Analytics can reveal valuable insights about what’s working and what isn’t. Your account manager should be able to show you data on website traffic, user behavior, lead sources, and other metrics that directly influence your firm’s goals.
Follow-up Questions:
- What are the top-performing sources for our leads?
- Are there any trends or patterns in the data that we should address?
- How do you translate this data into actionable recommendations?
7. How Will We Track Leads and Conversions?
Why this question matters: For law firms, tracking leads and conversions is essential to measure ROI. Ask how your agency will track leads from your website and campaigns, including phone calls, form submissions, and online chats.
Follow-up Questions:
- What systems do you use for lead tracking?
- How are conversions attributed to specific marketing efforts?
- How do you handle data security and privacy concerns?
8. How Does Your Team Stay Updated on Changes in Digital Marketing?
Why this question matters: Digital marketing is constantly evolving, especially when it comes to SEO, Google Ads, and social media algorithms. It’s essential to work with an agency that stays current on best practices and platform updates.
Follow-up Questions:
- What training and certifications does your team hold?
- How quickly do you adapt to major algorithm changes?
- How do you ensure your strategies are up-to-date?
9. What Should We Expect in Terms of Communication and Reporting?
Why this question matters: Effective communication is key to a successful partnership. Understanding how often you’ll receive updates and reports ensures you’re always informed about your marketing efforts.
Follow-up Questions:
- How frequently will we meet to review performance?
- What information is included in regular reports?
- Will we have a dedicated account manager or team?
10. How Will You Help Us Improve Our Website’s SEO and Content?
Why this question matters: SEO and content are foundational to successful digital marketing for law firms—the top traffic source for all websites is organic search. Ask how they plan to improve your site’s SEO and enhance its content to attract and engage your target audience.
Follow-up Questions:
- How will you perform keyword research specific to our practice areas?
- What is your process for creating or updating content on our site?
- How do you monitor and adjust on-page SEO elements over time?
11. What Results Can We Expect, and in What Timeframe?
Why this question matters: It’s essential to set realistic expectations about what digital marketing can achieve and how long it will take to see results. Law firm marketing can be competitive, and significant results take time.
Follow-up Questions:
- What can we expect to achieve in the first three, six, and twelve months?
- Are there any quick wins or areas for immediate improvement?
- How do you set and evaluate realistic goals based on our budget?
Final Thoughts: Partnering for Long-Term Success
Working with a digital marketing agency can be transformative for your law firm’s growth, but only if you’re aligned on goals, strategy, and expectations. By asking these questions and fostering open communication with your account manager, you can make sure your marketing dollars are working as hard as you do.
For attorneys seeking the best return on their digital marketing investment, staying informed and involved is essential. Ready to take the next step? Contact our team to discuss how we can help your law firm achieve meaningful results.