There is a lot of chatter going on in the legal community about Google’s new policy on pop-up ads. And a lot of it is misinformation.
As showcased in the search result screenshot above, many people are questioning Google’s policy and a few are implying that having any ads that require users to click through before accessing a piece of content, also referred to as interstitials, will automatically hurt your site.
However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, Google encourages all types of advertising so long as they do not interfere with user experience.
Don’t Believe the Hype. You didn’t get this far in your career by giving into scare tactics.
The truth is that certain chat providers could cause you to be penalized, but it ultimately depends on how the live chat appears on mobile, and it has nothing to do with your desktop website.
The reality is that Google does not condone some interstitial pop-ups on mobile sites. Even then, they still allow many types of proactive ads, provided they are minimally intrusive to the user.
At Client Chat Live, we leverage ads on desktop only, and our mobile widget is a non-intrusive button at the bottom of the screen.
We are fully compliant with Google’s policy on interstitials and other proactive ads. You should ensure that your chat provider, whether it’s us or someone else, is compliant as well. If they are not compliant, you should urgently consider switching to someone who is compliant, as you might currently be tanking your law firm’s online availability.
Here is an example of what our mobile-compliant chat invitation looks like:
Calls-to-action (CTAs) on websites can be highly beneficial to law firms.
The user journey of a law firm client is linear. Prospective clients find you online while looking for the shortest path to legal representation. A live chat invitation can provide them the path of least resistance directly to their goal, which is getting help.
You’ve spent time and money getting visitors to your website. So why wouldn’t you do everything you can to get them to contact your firm once they’ve found you?
Our clients typically see a 30% increase in their chat leads when they use a proactive chat invitation. It is an effective tool across multiple industries and if used on desktop versions, and will not violate Google’s 2017 policy change.
Client Chat Live is in compliance and staying ahead of Google’s changes that affect your business.
Interested in growing your firm’s online presence? Call us at 888-868-9941 for a free consultation on how Google’s policies can affect your law firm.
