CTV vs Google Ads for Personal Injury Law Firms

CTV creates demand, Google Ads captures it. CTV CPMs: $20-40. Google CPLs: $400-800. Together they deliver lower cost per case than either alone.

CTV vs. Google Ads isn’t really a fair comparison. They do fundamentally different things. Understanding their roles helps you use both effectively.

Different Jobs, Different Channels

Option A

Option B

CTV Creates Demand

Someone sees your ad today, remembers your name, searches for you when they need a lawyer next month. Builds awareness before the moment of need.

Google Ads Captures Demand

Someone needs a lawyer today, searches, sees your ad, clicks through. Captures intent at the moment of need.

They’re not competing for the same job. They’re different parts of the same system.

Cost Structure Comparison

FactorCTVGoogle Ads
PricingCPM ($35-50)CPC ($200-500+ for PI)
What you pay forImpressionsClicks
Audience intentLow (awareness)High (searching)
CompetitionModerateIntense
ScaleHighLimited by search volume

Google Ads CPCs for competitive PI terms have escalated significantly. In major markets, “car accident lawyer” exceeds $500 per click.

CTV reaches people before they need lawyers. At a fraction of the per-person cost.

Performance Comparison

CTV PERFORMANCE
94-96% completion rates Source: IAB/Innovid
56% attention rate Source: Decentriq
62% discover brands via TV Source: MNTN Research
24% ROI improvement after 90 days Source: MNTN Research
GOOGLE ADS PERFORMANCE
Immediate lead flow
Direct click attribution
$300-800 typical CPL for competitive PI
Limited scale (search volume caps)

Attribution Differences

Option A

Option B

Google Ads Attribution

Direct, click-based attribution. Someone clicks, converts, credit clear. Easy to measure.

CTV Attribution

View-through attribution. Someone sees ad, later searches, converts. Requires multi-touch models. CTV drove 63% of conversions from 38% of impressions when properly attributed.

Last-click gives CTV zero credit, even when it drove the journey.

The Integration Play

Here’s where it gets interesting: CTV improves Google Ads performance.

CTV DRIVES SEARCH BEHAVIOR
75% of consumers search after TV ads Source: MNTN Research
$5-15 branded search CPC vs $400+ generic
Higher conversion rates from familiarity

Branded searches: Someone searches “Smith Law Firm” after seeing your commercial. Your branded search campaign captures them at $5-15 per click (not $400).

Conversion rate improvement: Familiarity increases trust, improves landing page conversion.

When to Prioritize Each

Prioritize CTV When

  • + Building awareness in new market
  • + High Google CPCs making capture-only unsustainable
  • + Want to create demand, not just compete for it
  • + Long-term brand building focus
  • + Search volume in your market is limited

Prioritize Google Ads When

  • − Need immediate leads
  • − Brand recognition already strong
  • − Protecting branded search from competitors
  • − Market has high search volume
  • − Short-term case needs

The Balanced Approach

Most firms should run both:

ChannelBudget %Role
CTV35-45%Create demand
Branded search10-15%Capture CTV-generated interest
Generic search15-25%Capture market demand

This creates a system where CTV builds awareness → branded search captures at low cost → generic search captures broader demand.

Cost Per Case Comparison

Option A

Option B

Google Ads Only

CPL: $400-700 (competitive terms). Lead-to-case: 20%. Cost per case: $2,000-3,500.

CTV + Google Ads Integrated

Blended CPL: $250-400. Same lead-to-case: 20%. Cost per case: $1,250-2,000.

The integrated system delivers lower cost per case. CTV creates demand you capture cheaply through branded search. You’re generating $5 clicks instead of fighting for $400 clicks.

Scale Differences

Option A

Option B

Google Ads Scale

Only so many people searching “car accident lawyer” per month. Increasing budget hits diminishing returns. Competition limits position gains.

CTV Scale

Can reach most households in a DMA. More impressions = more awareness = more branded searches. Less direct competition for audience.

For firms wanting to grow significantly, CTV provides scale Google Ads can’t.

Measurement Requirements

ChannelWhat You Need
Google AdsBasic tracking sufficient. Click attribution clear.
CTVVerified visit tracking, call tracking integration, multi-touch attribution, 14-21 day windows

Without proper CTV measurement, you can’t see the full picture.

The Bottom Line

CTV and Google Ads aren’t either/or. They’re different tools for different jobs.

THE SYSTEM
CTV builds awareness that generates demand
Google Ads captures demand when people act
Together outperform either channel alone

References