Google Ads management for criminal defense lawyers
Criminal defense searches span everything from minor traffic tickets to serious felony charges, and a campaign that doesn't separate them can pay the same rate for very different cases. An audit checks whether the clicks you're paying for match the charges and jurisdictions you actually handle.
Get my free planWhich searches waste money for criminal defense lawyers?
Jurisdiction mismatches, charge types you don't take, and research-only searches are the common leaks.
- Searches from counties or states outside where you're licensed to practice.
- Charge types you don't handle, picked up by broad matching — for example DUI searches on a general criminal defense campaign.
- Research and definition searches: what is a misdemeanor, bail process explained.
- Public defender and legal aid searches when you don't offer reduced-fee representation.
- Searches naming a specific case in the news or another firm's client.
Common tracking problems for criminal defense lawyers
Calls for criminal defense often come at odd hours and need to be tracked carefully to see which ones turn into retained clients.
Check whether after-hours calls are being tracked the same way as business-hours calls, since many urgent criminal matters come in overnight or on weekends.
Confirm that a completed consultation, not just a connected call, is what you're able to trace through to a retained client. Without that link, the account shows call volume but not whether those calls turned into business.
Want Google Ads done for you?
You approve your plan. Claritad builds your account, ads and tracking, then optimizes within agreed limits. No contract, cancel anytime. You pay Google directly for clicks.
$299$49/month launch offer
Launch offer: $49/month (regularly $299/month). Locked in for as long as you stay. Ends Dec 31, 2026.
58 days :10 hours :25 minutes
Ends Dec 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern
No contract, cancel anytime. You pay Google directly for clicks.
The plan preview is free, no card needed. Managed has a flat monthly fee; cancel anytime.
What does a good cost per lead look like?
Cost per retained client is the number to track, and it varies sharply by charge severity.
A traffic ticket retainer and a felony retainer are worth very different amounts. Compare the ad cost per retained client against typical fees for each charge category rather than using one blended number.
Legal advertising can be subject to Google Ads policy requirements for regulated services; confirm current policy before assuming a given ad or keyword set will run unrestricted.
What should a criminal defense firm review first?
Jurisdiction targeting, charge-type separation, and after-hours call tracking.
- Location targeting against counties where you're licensed
- Separate campaigns by charge severity
- After-hours call tracking accuracy
- Top search terms by cost with no recorded retained client
Frequently asked questions
Why am I getting calls about charges I don't handle?
Broad match keywords can pull in related but different charge types. Reviewing the search terms report and adding negative keywords usually narrows this.
Do overnight calls get tracked the same as daytime calls?
Not always, depending on how the tracking is set up. An audit checks whether your conversion tracking captures calls at all hours evenly.
Is Claritad a law firm or marketing agency?
No. Claritad is software that reads your Google Ads account and reports what it finds. It doesn't give legal advice or manage your campaigns.
Want Google Ads done for you?
You approve your plan. Claritad builds your account, ads and tracking, then optimizes within agreed limits. No contract, cancel anytime. You pay Google directly for clicks.
$299$49/month launch offer
Launch offer: $49/month (regularly $299/month). Locked in for as long as you stay. Ends Dec 31, 2026.
58 days :10 hours :25 minutes
Ends Dec 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern
No contract, cancel anytime. You pay Google directly for clicks.
The plan preview is free, no card needed. Managed has a flat monthly fee; cancel anytime.
Related guides and tools
- How to audit a Google Ads account — A step-by-step checklist, in business language.
- How to find wasted spend in Google Ads — Where money leaks and how to check each place.
- Which Google Ads search terms are wasting your money — How to find the search terms wasting your Google Ads budget, group them into patterns, and exclude them with negative keywords without blocking real customers..
- How much should Google Ads cost per lead — There's no universal good cost per lead.
Sources
- Google Ads Help — About the search terms report
- Google Ads Help — About conversion measurement
- Google Ads Help — About negative keywords
Last updated · Written by the Claritad team (Kyle Edward Gilligan LLC). Claritad is independent software and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.