Google paid ads are decreasing in value...

Since I got into the business of Internet Marketing I've studied the benefits of Organic Results as well as Pay Per Click (PPC) ads. There are numerous articles and studies that show where people click and how they search on Google, Yahoo, etc. Feel free to check out some of these on your own:
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2004/11/15/organic-seo-vs-ppc-advertising
http://www.zeroonezero.com/services/ppc-vs-organic-sem.html
http://www.seoresearcher.com/paid-search-marketing-vs-natural-search-promotion.htm
http://www.bitwiselogic.com/blog/Joel+Carlson/11/Pay-Per-Click+vs.+Organic+SEO.html
These articles bring up many valid points. I've been of the oponion that BOTH are effective. PPC for short term success and organic results for long-term success. Studies have shown that nearly 80% of Americans look at the organic results on the left side of the page. That leaves only 20% to click on the PPC. Keep in mind, some of the clicks may be a result of "click fraud" and very expensive. For more information on click fraud check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_fraud
http://www.news.com/Exposing-click-fraud/2100-1024_3-5273078.html
Now I see that Google's paid ads are decreasing in traffic and becoming more expensive. Think of it this way; when you walk into a casino the number of slot machines far outnumber all the other games combined. Why is that? Its the CASH COW. Slot machines are the biggest money maker for a casino. Yes, you can win. You can also drop a huge amount of cash in a short period of time and get NOTHING in return. http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8371319?source=rss - Paid ads have been the cash cow for Google for a long time.
On the flip side, think of building an effective website that relays your firm's message to prospective clients with custom content that is well optimized. First, you will have a higher rate of conversion because of better content and you are pulling from 80% of the public instead of just 20%. Don't forget you get to keep the content and design because its custom written for you and your firm. Think about it. Most companies that build PPC campaigns can't build an effective website so there isn't any conversion.

Golf in the Desert

I just returned from the FindLaw National Sales Meeting in Tucson. In addition to sitting in conference rooms for hours and drinking way too much coffee, I got to play golf in the desert for the first time. It was quite different than playing here in Houston as you can see from the picture. Its also nice to hit the ball farther because of the thinner air, less humidity, higher elevation, etc. Check out my shorts.

I'm looking forward to August. The FindLaw Q4 meeting will be in Vegas and we are staying at the Wynn, and yes we will be playing golf. I've heard many good things about the course and can't wait to leave massive divots all over it.

CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

Cynthia Henley is a Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer who has never worked in the DA's office. She has been defending those accussed of crimes since day one. Her trial experience and the fact that she is very selective in the cases she takes on speaks volumes about her work ethic and integrity.
When I initially contacted Cynthia she was open minded about setting up a new website but was also being pitched by other website providers. Her question to me was this, "Is FindLaw a program or am I buying an actual website?" Cynthia was referring to a campaign or a program involving pay per click (PPC) ads on search engines that lead to a site with little content and NO optimization.
She wanted a website first and foremost that would relay her unique approach to the practice of law as well as convert clicks to clients. In other words, she felt if people get to a weak site through PPC ads it might not be enough if the content on the site is weak. I assured that with FindLaw she is buying a product not a program or a campaign that last 6 or 12 months. When the term of her contract is up with FindLaw she keeps her custom content and design and is free to take it elsewhere.
Check out the site at http://www.henleylaw.com/ and let me know what you think.

WHERE DOES THE WEBSITE "FIT" INTO ADVERTISING?

I've had the same conversation with two VERY different attorneys in the last week. I spoke with Bob Simmons of Simmons & Fletcher, a Houston Personal Injury Law Firm as well Stephen Zayler, a solo bankruptcy attorney in Lufkin about advertising. Both of them are happy with their site for many reasons but the particular aspect that struck me is this; their website ties all their other advertising efforts together.
Both of them have TV commercials. S&F also do quite a bit of Radio. Stephen on the other hand, doesn't like radio but is a believer in billboards and print ads. Both of them have noticed that since their sites have launched, they have seen a tremendous increase in phone calls and intake forms submitted through the site.
Why? People in this country are smart, for the most part, and want to do some amount of research before they make a purchase of any kind, even before they hire an attorney. So, what happens when a person driving down the road sees a billboard for an attorney that might be able to help them with a problem? They go home or to work and look that attorney up on the Internet. Same with radio, tv and print ads. A firm's website can qualify or eliminate them from consideration. It's that simple. Furthermore, if a firm doesn't have a website, how many clients have they lost that they don't even know about? If I get the name of two attorneys because I have a legal issue I am going to the Internet to pre-qualify both of them. If one of them doesn't have a website, guess which one I'm probably going to call.
Both of these attorneys in different cities, different practice areas and different areas of advertising told me the same thing. They have advertised for years but the website has somehow brought their advertising efforts full circle.

Vote for the BEST new Legal site in Houston

Here are the four nominees for the poll on the right:
http://www.gilbreathlaw.com/
http://www.gocriminallaw.com/
http://www.houstonbusinesslitigationattorneys.com/
http://www.houstontrialattorneys.com/

Please comment on why you voted for your particular choice.

Thanks.

Great New Site for Houston Litigation Attorney

Stavis called me in November after spending some time on http://www.lawyermarketing.com/ and had a few questions. He was shopping around for a website company that could capture the details of his unique practice. After meeting with him twice he decided to move forward with a custom site and also added a Legal News Feed to give visitors to his site relevant, update information.
Check out the site at www.gilbreathlaw.com. It just launched last week and I expect it to do well on the search engines given many of Stavis' practice areas are unique and specialized.