Practical guides on Google Ads and Local Services Ads for criminal defense firms, written from real defense accounts. Results are measured in signed cases, not clicks.
$496,700
signed fees from Google Ads
140
signed criminal cases
$1,049
Google Ads cost per signed case
5.5×
return on Local Services Ads
One Birmingham, AL defense firm, September 2025 to August 2026.
New here? Start with
Google Ads for Criminal Defense Attorneys: The Complete Guide. Costs by charge, DUI campaigns, bidding, after-hours intake, Local Services Ads and bar rules, in one place.
What criminal defense clicks, leads and signed cases really cost, and how to tell if your budget is working.
Click costs by charge from Google’s Keyword Planner, real cost per signed case, and whether $20 a day or $500 a month is enough.
Shared vs exclusive leads, true cost per signed case, bar rules, and how LSA and Google Ads compare.
Why firms pay for clicks that never sign, and how to tell a bad-leads problem from an intake problem.
The Google Screened ads at the very top of the page, which charge per lead instead of per click.
How to get Google Screened, how LSA ranks firms, what leads cost, which case types to turn on, and how disputes recover wasted spend.
The settings and habits that decide whether a defense account signs cases or burns budget.
Twin Cities click costs, DWI searches, Hennepin and Ramsey targeting, and local call tracking.
Real DUI click costs, which searches to buy and block, ad copy, after-hours intake and measuring signed DUI cases.
Click costs for 24 charges, plus keywords, negatives and setup for domestic violence, drug, federal, sex crimes, probation and expungement.
Ready-made lists that block job seekers, public defender searches, inmate lookups, bail bonds and competitor names.
Which bidding strategy to use at each stage, and when value-based bidding on signed cases makes sense.
A 30-minute self-audit and the real findings from auditing a criminal defense account.
Where good leads get lost after the click, and how to see which ads produce paying clients.
Landing pages, unanswered calls, intake and tracking problems, plus a 30-day repair plan.
A 10-step first-call script and a full client intake form, downloadable for Word and Google Docs.
What to track, signs it’s broken, and how to fix it with Google Tag Manager and call tracking.
Connect clicks to signed cases and fees with CallRail and Clio, and feed them back to Google.
Real numbers from a real criminal defense account.
$146,851 in Google Ads spend, 140 signed cases, $496,700 in fees.
The first two months: fixing tracking and structure before spending more.
For firms deciding what to do next, or who should run their ads.
The marketing mistakes defense firms make most, which channels work, and a 90-day plan.
Specialist freelancer, boutique PPC agency or large legal marketing company: how to choose, and what to ask.
12 questions to ask, red flags, what management costs, and who should own your account.
Who Bellringer is, how results are measured, and what hiring an expert costs.
Bellringer works only with criminal defense firms, one firm per city. See pricing or book a free 30-minute account review.
