What’s Happening and How It May Potentially Affect the Marketing of Your Practice
In early September, the House Judiciary Committee joined the attorneys general of 48 states to launch a probe of the business practices of Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The investigation will focus on whether the companies have violated state and/or federal antitrust laws, exercising too much power over their respective industries. At this point, it’s just an investigation—no lawsuit has been filed and one is not imminent.
Lawmakers and attorneys general say they are concerned that these companies have too much market power and engage in anti-competitive practices. Last month, a bipartisan group from the Antitrust Subcommittee sent letters to those four companies, asking for documents and internal communications related to market share and dominance. The companies must respond by October 14.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, one of those at the forefront of the Google investigation, stressed that it is not a response to the company’s size or market power. He expressed concerns, however, that Google had engaged in “business practices [that] may have undermined consumer choice, stifled innovation, violated users’ privacy and put Google in control of the flow and dissemination of online information.”
Insiders say that the current investigations differ from those of Microsoft in the 1990s, which focused almost exclusively on one company and one market—Microsoft and its alleged software monopoly. In the Google and Facebook investigations, government attorneys are examining how the companies handle consumer data, how they target their advertising, and their respective roles as gatekeepers of communication.
State and/or federal officials can take steps to encourage and promote competition in situations like this, potentially breaking up large companies, if necessary.
What the Breakup of Google Could Mean for Your Law Practice
Though it’s unlikely that the breakup of Google (should it ever happen) would directly bring you new business, it would likely have an impact on how you market your practice, particularly if much of your marketing campaign is pay-per-click (PPC) or other forms of digital marketing. Currently, Google AdWords (its PPC platform) is the largest advertiser on the Internet, with a bit of a stranglehold on both visibility and pricing. The breakup of Google, at a minimum, would give you more viable options for visibility through PPC. It’s also likely that it would lead to reduced costs for PPC, as more PPC vendors in the market would likely lead to some price wars.
Of course, with more options comes more decision-making. The breakup of Google would likely complicate a pay-per-click strategy, as you would need to assess the available vendors and make good decisions about which can provide the advertising you need at the price you want.
GetLegal can help with your PPC decisions, and you don’t need to wait to find out if Google will be broken up. We have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of a PPC campaign, from the ideation to implementation, from coverage and visibility to pricing and metrics. We can guide you through any pay-per-click program to help you maximize your return on investment. We’ll assist you with:
- Choosing the best keywords to market your practice
- Effectively bidding on keywords
- The creation of targeted advertising copy
- Preparation of landing pages
- Monitoring the effectiveness of the campaign and making necessary adjustments
Let GetLegal Help You Implement an Effective Digital Marketing Campaign
At GetLegal, we offer the full spectrum of online marketing tools and services for attorneys in Texas and across the nation. We will guide you through the process, from conception to creation to implementation, so that you have a powerful and engaging online presence. Call us at 817-359-7077 or use our convenient online form to learn more.
