Google has defined the world of search engines for years, now. Its domination has been so total for so long that the word has become more of a verb than a proper noun.
But that doesn’t mean that Google has to be the only target for your law firm’s online marketing efforts. In fact, there are numerous reasons why you might want to focus the bulk of your advertising efforts on alternative search engines, like Bing, especially if you plan on using pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaigns.
Google Is the Main Player, But It’s Slipping
Google still owns the majority of the share of the search engine market. But having nearly two-thirds of the industry does not make it invincible. Recently, Google has been losing ground to Bing and Yahoo! Search, and now owns its smallest share of the search engine market since 2008. It’s still far and away the main player in the game, but Google’s domination has been shrinking, as more and more users seek out alternatives. About one in five internet searchers now use Bing – not an insignificant number – making it less and less of the joke that it once was.
Less Expensive PPC Campaigns
There are even some perks to Bing’s comparatively smaller user base. If you opt for a PPC advertising campaign, buying ads to be displayed in the search results page for targeted searches like “Pittsburgh criminal defense lawyer,” you’ll save money by going through Bing, rather than Google. Even though PPC ads might not be all that they’re cracked up to be, fewer users means less competition for choice ad space, and less competition means you’ll pay less when someone clicks on your ad.
Bing Lets You Better Target Your Choice Demographic With PPCs
While Google gets most of the reputation as an innovator in its field, Bing has quietly pushed the envelope in the background, as well. One of the ways that Bing has changed the field is by allowing PPC campaigns to target specific demographics for online searches. If you only want women to see your PPC ad for the Bing search “San Antonio divorce attorney,” you can make it happen. On Google, you don’t have this option – your ad will show up, regardless of who’s doing the searching.
Bing’s Approach to Search Engine Partnerships is More Refined Than Google’s
When you use a PPC ad campaign, you have the option of putting your advertisements in Google or Bing’s search partners, in addition to their main search engine. Tapping into the search engine’s partners can open up a wealth of opportunity, and get your ads seen by a larger audience.
However, Bing’s way of handling PPC ads with its search partners is much more customizable than Google’s. Google gives you the option of running PPC ads with Google and its partners, or running them only with Google. Bing, on the other hand, offers the same options, but also lets you choose which of its search partners you want to use.
Online Marketing Relies on a Strong Website
Regardless of whether you opt to pursue search engine optimization (SEO) for your website to produce organic hits, or if you want to get good search engine results by paying for it, having a solid website is crucial for your law firm’s business and reputation. One of the biggest elements of a productive website is a well-written legal blog. Myers Freelance is a firm devoted exclusively to writing legal blogs. Contact us to get one started for your firm, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ to keep up to date on developments and writing tips.