1. Ask Nermin
Questions from the No. 22 Community (my lifetime advice community for lawyers)
Question:
I’m talking to an SEO/PPC agency that promises 10 new clients or I pay nothing. Their fee is $5,000/month and they were referred by another lawyer. I’m considering it, but I’m not sure. Thoughts?
Nermin's Answer:
Your clients don’t live in a vending machine, and I know you know that. But a lot of SEO/PPC agencies will sell you on “we’ll get you 5 new marriage visa clients” or “10 new divorce cases.” Basically: insert $5,000, out pops clients.
In reality, you’ll end up shaking the machine, banging on the glass, and unplugging it twice before you ever get your “snack.”
Here’s what’s actually happening:
With PPC, you’re telling Google, “If someone types marriage visa, K-1 attorney near me, or love visa, I’ll pay up to $50 for a click.” Google says deal.
Someone clicks → you’re out $50 (no matter what).
If they don’t call or fill out your form → that $50 is gone.
If they call, your receptionist has to sell the consult.
If they book the consult but don’t hire → you’ve spent hundreds and still made nothing.
There are multiple points of failure before you ever make a dollar:
- Your ad targeting
- Your website experience
- Your receptionist’s conversion skills
- Your ability to close the consult
PPC isn’t plug-and-play. It’s a chain and the weakest link breaks the ROI.
From what I’ve seen, PPC can work for certain practice areas (some immigration, family law, PI, probate). But it’s less effective for B2B-heavy areas like IP or entertainment law, where referrals and relationships matter more.
For immigration, it’s worth testing, but:
- Keep it month-to-month. Don’t lock into a 6-month contract.
- Set a clear KPI (for example: at least $30K in new business within 6 months). If you’re not hitting that, unplug the machine and walk away.
Decision:
Test them only month-to-month, and only after you’ve defined what “10 clients” actually means: calls, consults, or signed, paid cases.
Why:
Your clients don’t live in a vending machine — but SEO/PPC agencies will make it sound like they do. They’ll sell you on the fantasy: insert $5,000, out pop 10 new clients.
In reality, every click is a $50 gamble. You still need:
- A website that converts.
- A receptionist who can sell the consult.
- A consult that you can close.
Do Next:
- Ask the agency: Are you promising leads, calls, or signed clients? (Get it in writing.)
- Set a clear KPI: Example: $30K in new, paid cases within 6 months.
- Keep it flexible: Month-to-month contract only. No long-term commitments.
- Audit your conversion process: Website → call handling → consult close. Fix those before expecting PPC to work.
Deadline:
Before you hand over your CC to Google.
Proof:
When you set your KPI and review the first 60 days, share the numbers with me here again.
If you’re not trending toward your $30K goal by month three, unplug the vending machine.
2. The Playbook
Strategy bits + easy action
When I say “marketing,” what comes to mind?
I bet it’s a billboard or a lawyer showing off their approved trademark on TikTok, right? (Click here to watch more detailed video).
I get it, that’s not your style of marketing. And of course, over your dead body would you ever be one of those lawyers.
But here’s what most lawyers skip when building their marketing: they never stop to look at what happened in 2025, who their top clients were, what types of work brought in the most revenue, and then build from there.
If you hit $1 million in 2025, great. But setting a $10 million goal next year? Unrealistic. No matter how much money you throw at Facebook ads, Google PPC, or how hard you pray.
If you hit $1 million and want to grow to $2 million, that’s realistic. But you have to start with something like this first:
Without this kind of analysis, all the time, money, and energy you pour into marketing will go nowhere.
Once you know the types of clients you want to work with and how many of them you need, then you can figure out how to market to them.
Most attorneys hire a marketing agency, or some random person off Upwork to post on social media. When it doesn’t work, they blame the person. But it’s not really their fault. They’re just executing what you told them: that you wanted “more clients.” You didn’t specify the type, how many, what you don’t want, or most importantly pause to ask: Will this kind of marketing actually bring in the right clients?
Before 2026 starts, do your own analysis like I did in the image above. It’ll save you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours. I promise.
3. In the Margins
Unfiltered thoughts that are sometimes unhinged.
The other day, a lawyer friend who recently started her own practice asked me, “Nermin, do you think it’s worth buying all the domains close to my firm name .co, .com, .net, .law?”
As a friend, of course I answered.
But I wish I had responded with another question:
“You’re sitting in front of a law firm consultant who’s helped firms hit seven figures… and you’re asking about something that costs $50?”
Of all the things she could have asked, she picked something completely irrelevant to her growth as a business owner.
It’s kind of like a client walking in and asking, “Hey, should I get pizza or pasta on my way home from this meeting?”
Here are the things I wish she and more lawyers would ask instead. The actual million-dollar questions:
- How do I know when I’m ready to hire a paralegal?
- When should I invest in a consultant?
- Are my fees high enough?
- How do I get more clients to hire me after the consult?
Ask yourself: Are you spending your time on $50 questions — or $500,000 questions?
4. Penny for your Thoughts
Your turn — weigh in and see how other lawyers think, too.
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Thanks for letting me help you build something better. Now go make it real.
How we can work together:
No. 22 - A lifetime of advice from me. Email me: nermin@wearews.com because we're on a wait list. Price is $7,500 if you join in October, then $8,500 in November, and $9,500 in December.
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Nermin | Wildly Successful by choice, not chance Nermin@wearews.com |