Google Ads Keywords for Law Firms
The keywords that bring retained matters name a legal problem, a practice area and a place. This page groups them by practice area, shows how to structure the account and lists the searches a firm should never pay for.
Which Google Ads keywords work for a law firm?
Keywords that name a legal problem or practice area plus a place: "family lawyer Ottawa", "impaired driving lawyer Toronto", "spousal sponsorship lawyer Brampton". These come from people who expect to hire someone soon, so they turn into consultations far more often than "lawyer" or "legal advice" on their own.
Give each practice area its own ad groups, ads and landing pages. A firm that does family and wills should never show a divorce ad to someone writing a will.
Family
Separation, custody and support. Urgent and emotional; write calm ads.
Criminal
Charged or under investigation. Bid only when someone can answer.
Immigration
Sponsorship, permits and refusals. Language matters.
Real estate
Closings with a date. Price-sensitive and comparison-driven.
Wills and estates
Planned, not urgent. Fixed fees answer the first question.
Employment
Employee or employer side. Pick one per campaign.
Business
Owners and founders. Lower volume, higher matter value.
Negative keywords
Searches that look close but rarely become clients.
How should a law firm group keywords by intent?
Group keywords so that each ad group shares one practice area, one intent and one landing page. Within a practice area the intent still varies: someone searching "bail hearing lawyer" needs a call today, while someone searching "how does bail work in Ontario" is reading.
| Intent | Example search | What the searcher wants | Send them to | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent | bail hearing lawyer Toronto | A lawyer on the phone today | Criminal page with a call button | Highest, answering hours only |
| Hire | separation agreement lawyer Ottawa | A consultation this week | Family consultation page | High |
| Price check | real estate lawyer closing fee | A clear, complete fee | Fee page that meets your society's rules | High, if fees are posted |
| Planned | wills lawyer Hamilton | A fixed fee and a convenient time | Wills page with booking | Medium, steady |
| Research | how is child support calculated | Information first | A helpful article, not an ad | Low or none |
| Jobs and study | family law clerk jobs, LSAT prep | Not a client | Nowhere: add as negatives | Exclude |
Research searches belong to SEO for law firms, where a useful article can earn the click without a bid. The practice-area pages, such as family law marketing and criminal defence marketing, explain what each kind of client needs to hear.
How should a law firm structure its Google Ads campaigns?
Give each practice area its own campaign so it has its own budget, schedule and location. Urgent work such as criminal defence can then run only during answering hours, while wills run all week, without one starving the other.
The general method is in our Google Ads campaign structure guide. For Ottawa-specific detail, see law firm marketing in Ottawa.
Which negative keywords should a law firm add?
Add negatives for jobs, education, free help you do not provide, do-it-yourself documents and practice areas you do not take, before the campaign starts. Legal terms appear in career, school and template searches every day, and those clicks look identical to client clicks on an invoice.
| Group | Negative keywords | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs and careers | jobs, hiring, salary, articling, law clerk job, legal assistant job | People looking for work |
| Education | law school, LSAT, paralegal course, law clerk program, bar exam, licensing exam | Students and applicants |
| Free help not offered | free legal aid, legal aid clinic, pro bono (if you do not take these files) | People who need a service you do not provide |
| DIY | template, form, sample, kit, do it yourself, online will kit | Document buyers, not clients |
| Out of scope | practice areas you do not take, such as personal injury or tax court | Avoids clicks you will turn away |
| Other services | notary near me, commissioner of oaths (if you do not offer them) | Small transactions, different intent |
Google explains that negative keywords do not match close variants the way positive keywords do, so "job" and "jobs" may both need adding. Keep them in a shared list so every new campaign inherits it, and read the search terms weekly to add more.
Bid on the client's problem, not your profession.
A search for "law firm" can come from a student, a job seeker or a vendor. A search for "separation agreement lawyer Ottawa" comes from someone with a matter. Build the account around the second kind.
Which match types should a law firm use?
Start with phrase and exact match on practice-area keywords, and add broad match only once conversion tracking records consultations or retained matters. Broad match relies on automated bidding and good conversion data to find the right searches; without that data it tends to find students and job seekers.
Google's guide to keyword matching options explains each type. In practice, a broad match keyword such as "family lawyer" can show for family law clerk jobs and salary searches. Phrase match keeps the meaning closer, and the negative list catches the rest. Mark each search term weekly as a client, a maybe or a negative.
Can a law firm bid on "best lawyer" or "specialist" keywords?
You can usually bid on the search, but the ad must not repeat the claim. People do search "best divorce lawyer" and "immigration specialist". Bidding on those words is not marketing; putting them in your ad is. Ontario's rules treat superlatives such as "best" as rankings, and "specialist" is reserved for lawyers certified by the Law Society.
- Never use dynamic keyword insertion in law firm ads. It copies the search into the headline, so "best" or "expert" ends up in your ad.
- Answer the search with facts, such as years in practice if demonstrably true, languages, location and how fees work.
- Consider negatives for "specialist" searches if your ads cannot answer them honestly.
- Check your own province. Alberta and Nova Scotia also warn against "expert" and "expertise". This is not legal or ethics advice; check your law society.
The full comparison is on law firm marketing rules by province, and law firm ad examples shows compliant wording for each practice area.
Frequently asked questions
What are good Google Ads keywords for lawyers?
Keywords that name a legal problem or practice area plus a place, such as "separation agreement lawyer Ottawa" or "wills lawyer Hamilton". They come from people ready to book a consultation.
How many keywords should a law firm start with?
About 20 to 40 keywords in 3 to 5 ad groups for one or two practice areas. Add more when the search terms show client searches worth targeting.
Should a law firm bid on "lawyer near me"?
Yes, in a separate ad group with tight location targeting, but expect a mix of practice areas. Searches that name the practice area usually convert better.
Which negative keywords should every law firm add?
Jobs, salary, articling, law school, LSAT, paralegal course, law clerk program, template and free legal aid if you do not take those files.
Can I bid on "best family lawyer"?
Usually yes, but your ad must not say "best". Ontario treats superlatives as rankings. Never use dynamic keyword insertion in legal ads.
Can I use "specialist" in my ads if I bid on specialist searches?
Only if you are certified by your law society as a specialist. Ontario reserves the title for certified lawyers, and Alberta and Nova Scotia warn against it.
What match type should a new law firm account use?
Phrase and exact match for the first months. Move to broad match only with conversion tracking on consultations or retained matters.
Should I run French or other-language keywords?
Yes, if a lawyer at the firm truly serves clients in that language. Put them in their own ad group with a page in the same language.
Sources & further reading
Regulator rules, platform policies and local data change. These sources let you check the facts on this page, last checked October 6, 2026.