Local Love, Review Realities and the Truth about Google’s PMax Campaigns
January 29, 2026
This week, we’re tackling two things that actually matter: what smaller firms are supposed to do when they’re getting steamrolled on reviews, and how Google’s Performance Max is quietly draining your ad budget while you watch. Also, props to Al Ludwig for sending in a sharp response to the Crystal Ball episode and giving us a reason to reexamine some of our hot takes.
Let’s get into it.
The PE Firms Are Coming. Stop Trying to Fight Them on Their Terms.
Al made a fair point, pushing back on the idea that consumers will choose local firms over PE-backed national players because of ownership structure. And he’s right. Nobody’s calling Morgan & Morgan and asking, “Wait, are you private equity backed?” They see the billboard. They call.
But here’s where Al and I are on the same page: being local actually matters, and almost everyone is screwing it up.
John Morgan knows this. That’s why his billboards say “We Are Michigan.” The guy runs a national firm and spends real money convincing people he’s their neighbor. That’s not ironic, that’s smart. The irony is only visible to the 25 people in the world who work in legal digital marketing.
If you’re a smaller firm, forget running ads about who owns what. Your job is to be so plugged into your community that nobody even thinks to compare you to the big guys. Not just “Cincinnati’s law firm”—be the go-to for your neighborhood, your people, your tribe. Stop trying to be everywhere and start actually owning somewhere.
The Reviews Problem Has No Clean Solution
Al also called out the fake reviews mess, and he’s right: people aren’t going to stop trusting them. They’re hooked. Everyone knows reviews are mostly garbage, but they still use them. It’s not logical, but it’s reality, and all the ranting in the world from Gyi and Conrad won’t move the needle.
So what do you say to a firm that’s actually doing the work, delivering for clients, hustling for reviews, getting creative with feedback, and still can’t catch up to the guy down the street with 2,000 sketchy five-stars?
Two answers:
First: Omnichannel isn’t a nice bonus, it’s survival. If your whole marketing plan lives and dies by review counts, you’re one Google tweak away from getting crushed. Reviews can be gold or dead weight, and if they’re dragging you down, you better be building your reputation somewhere else: social, referrals, community, old-school media. Think like an investor: diversify or die.
Second: Move. Nobody likes this answer, but it’s the truth. If you’ve busted your ass building a legit review profile and still can’t get noticed because your market is flooded, go somewhere your numbers actually mean something. Don’t let your hard work die on the vine in a place that doesn’t care.
Here’s the real play: stop killing yourself trying to win the non-brand, bottom-of-the-barrel search game where reviews rule everything. Put your money where reviews don’t matter: paid social, micro-influencers, community sponsorships, and now, AI-driven search that isn’t just about “highest rated car accident lawyer near me.”
PMax Is Google’s Gift to Google
Performance Max claims it’s using Google’s genius to hit your goals. What it really does, based on actual data from campaigns Mockingbird has taken over in 2025, is burn 29% of your budget on branded and competitor keywords you never wanted, jack your branded clicks up to $90 each with a conversion rate that’s a joke, and call that “optimization.”
No shocker here: none of those campaigns were sending back real lead data. They were counting every phone call and form fill, including existing clients checking in, opposing counsel, vendors, rando’s who Googled your number. You’re basically training the algorithm to find more tire-kickers. Congrats.
The fix isn’t rocket science, it’s just work: build ruthless negative keyword lists, track conversions that actually matter, and feed the algorithm data on the clients you want, not just anyone who fills out a form. For employment lawyers, where only 3% of leads are real cases, this is the whole game.
Bottom line: if you’re paying someone peanuts to set up PMax and then disappear, you’re not advertising. You’re just handing Google your wallet.
Either give the machine real data, or take the keys away.
We said a lot more. Hear all of it on the Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Podcast page, or head over to YouTube.