Pay-per-click advertising really came to prominence in the early 2000s. Prior to that time, most lawyers and law firms got the word out about their law firm in other ways.

Lawyers and law firms would typically use the phone book. They might utilize billboards. Radio and television was another method. Of course, many lawyers simply got the word out by word-of-mouth.

But pay-per-click advertising really began to become prominent a little more than a decade ago. For a small amount of money, lawyers and law firms could put their advertisements in the major search engines.

When individuals needing a lawyer would search various terms, the ads of these lawyers would show up in the search engines. Google and Yahoo/Bing all began offering pay-per-click advertising.

Social media companies have followed over the last several years. This includes Facebook, Twitter and even Snapchat. There are many others out there who allow pay-per-click advertising as well.

Is this a way to get the word out about your law practice? The answer to that question is certainly “yes.” The only problem is the cost has gone up dramatically.

The cost to conduct pay-per-click advertising can now surpass the cost of radio, television, billboards and other more expensive advertising.

The question is whether you have the money to conduct pay-per-click advertising? Also, will you get the bang for the buck at this point?

Most lawyers and law firms succeeded with this strategy did so more than a decade ago. The cost might be too much today.