Case study
- Strategy
- Acquisition
- Law Firm
Central Coast Criminal Defenseand White Bridge
How a criminal defense firm turned urgent, local DUI searches into a predictable source of qualified clients
14-month engagement
Client name withheld. Demo figures, not verified results.
+%
monthly inquiries
+%
qualified leads
+%
consultations booked
+%
new clients per month
%
lower cost per new client
%
faster lead response
Snapshot
- Client
- A Central Coast, California criminal defense firm (name withheld)
- Focus
- DUI defense: qualified, local, high-intent inquiries
- Services used
- Google Search Ads, local SEO and Google Business Profile, DUI landing pages, call and form tracking, intake automation, CRM routing, SMS and email follow-up, retargeting, reporting
- Timeline
- 14 months
- Area served
- Three Central Coast counties, matching the firm's stated service area
The Firm
The firm represents people who are investigated, charged or arrested across three counties, from misdemeanors to complex felonies. DUI is a core practice. It has a strong reputation, experienced attorneys and a free case evaluation. Most matters still came from reputation, referrals and existing demand.
The Challenge
There was no predictable source of qualified DUI inquiries.
- 01
The firm needed a steady flow of qualified DUI inquiries, rather than relying on reputation, referrals and existing demand.
- 02
Speed to intake mattered. Driver's-license deadlines follow a DUI arrest, and a slow response loses the client.
Our Strategy
Google Search covered high-intent, location-specific DUI searches, alongside local search. The work then added DUI landing pages, call and form tracking, automated intake, CRM routing, and SMS and email follow-up.
What We Did
- 01
Search ads
Google Search Ads for urgent, location-specific DUI searches across the three counties.
- 02
Local search
Local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization.
- 03
Landing pages
DUI-specific pages with calls, forms and free-evaluation offers.
- 04
Tracking
Call tracking and form conversion tracking tied to the CRM.
- 05
Intake automation
Instant lead routing, SMS and email follow-up, and consultation-booking automation.
- 06
Retargeting and reporting
Retargeting for visitors who had not yet contacted the firm, plus performance reporting and campaign optimization.
How We Worked
Team
A White Bridge growth team: paid media, local SEO, landing-page, automation and CRM specialists, with a dedicated account lead
Funnel
Search or map listing, then a DUI landing page, then a call or form, then instant follow-up, qualification, consultation and client
Qualified lead
Located in the service area, has a DUI-related matter, is seeking representation rather than information, and meets the firm's intake criteria. The firm has final say on what qualifies.
Division of work
White Bridge ran campaigns, tracking and automation. The firm supplied the legal expertise and delivered all legal services.
The Results
Over 14 months, compared with the start of the engagement. Demo figures, not verified results. Results vary by matter. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
- Monthly inquiries rose from 58 to 119 (+105%).
- Qualified leads rose from 29 to 67 (+131%).
- Consultations booked rose from 19 to 43 (+126%).
- New clients per month rose from 11 to 25 (+127%).
- Cost per new client fell from $412 to $238 (42% lower).
- Average lead response time fell from 2 hours 18 minutes to 9 minutes (93% faster).
High-intent, location-specific DUI searches beat broad criminal-defense searches, so budget moved toward immediate need and local intent. Cutting response from over two hours to nine minutes mattered because prospects contact several firms.
The reputation and expertise were already there. The firm needed a predictable way to reach people at the moment of need and answer fast. It now signs 25 new clients a month instead of 11, at a 42% lower cost per client.
