---
title: Axley PPC Budget Allocation & Campaign Status
type: article
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-01-30-axley-marketing-meeting-118642563.md
tags:
- axley
- ppc
- lead-generation
- family-law
- personal-injury
- criminal-defense
- local-service-ads
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# Axley PPC Budget Allocation & Campaign Status

Current state of Axley's paid search campaigns as of the January 2026 review. Family Law is paused due to seasonal demand overflow; Criminal and PI are active within defined budgets. Several near-term experiments and optimizations are queued.

## Campaign Status Overview

| Practice Area | Status | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Family Law | **Paused** (until ~April 2026) | $0 |
| Criminal Defense (incl. DUI + Academic Misconduct) | **Active** | $2,000/month combined |
| Personal Injury | **Active** | ~$82/day (~$2,460/month) |

## Family Law — Paused

Family Law PPC was paused due to overwhelming inbound lead volume. January is peak divorce season; the firm is turning away leads even without paid traffic. One Family Law attorney is also going on parental leave in spring, which further reduces intake capacity.

**When it resumes:** Campaigns will be turned on and off dynamically based on attorney capacity. Before reactivating standard PPC, the plan is to first experiment with **Local Service Ads (LSAs) in Waukesha** to test that market more cost-effectively.

**Optimization queued for reactivation:** Ad copy should incorporate state bar-compliant award language (e.g., "Named #1 Divorce Attorney in Madison" with required Super Lawyers formatting — italics, trademark symbol). Nicole to provide exact approved language before campaigns go live.

## Criminal Defense — Active

Previously split into separate DUI and criminal catch-all campaigns with overlapping budgets. These have been consolidated into a single combined budget of **$2,000/month** covering:
- Criminal Defense (general)
- DUI
- Academic Misconduct

Criminal campaigns are performing well and require minimal intervention.

## Personal Injury — Active

PI campaigns are running but face structural budget constraints. Cost-per-click in the PI space is extremely high — competitors like Hupy & Abraham are estimated to spend over $1M/year on AdWords, making volume competition impractical at Axley's budget level.

**Current constraint:** At the existing daily budget, lead volume is limited. A meaningful increase in leads would require roughly doubling spend, making PPC alone an inefficient PI growth lever.

**SEO is the primary long-term strategy** for PI lead generation. See [[wiki/clients/axley/_index]] and the SEO content work tracked in the shared SEO doc.

**Optimization queued:** Update PI ad copy to highlight attorney Heath's community recognition — e.g., "Best Attorney in Cottage Grove" (five consecutive years). Must use state bar-approved language and formatting.

## Opportunities & Next Steps

### Local Service Ads (LSA) Experiment
Before reactivating Family Law PPC, run LSAs in **Waukesha** as a lower-risk test. LSAs may also be worth piloting for PI given the high CPC environment in standard search.

### High-Value Divorce Landing Page
One Family Law attorney specializes in high-asset divorces involving business interests. A dedicated landing page targeting this niche is a noted opportunity — distinct from the general divorce pages already written. Flagged in Fathom for future scoping.

> "We could definitely do a separate page for that... her expertise is like breaking out high-value estates where there's a business involved." — Nicole Hadaway

### Award-Based Ad Copy
Both PI (Heath, Cottage Grove) and Family Law (Madison's #1 divorce attorney) have award credentials that are not currently reflected in ad copy. Updating copy with compliant language is a quick win once campaigns resume.

## Related

- [[wiki/clients/axley/_index]]
- [[wiki/knowledge/seo/axley-seo-content-strategy]]
- [[wiki/knowledge/paid-social/local-service-ads-experimentation]]