I looked at how people searching for probate and wills solicitors find firms around Bexley and neighbouring areas. Burtons already appears in local results. The question is whether carefully chosen paid visibility could turn that strength into commercially worthwhile new instructions.
The search review showed established national providers buying prominent positions for services Burtons already offers. That does not mean Burtons lacks visibility. It suggests there may be another way to reach prospective clients before they choose a provider.
Appeared in the Bexley map results and organic listings, rather than the reviewed paid positions.
Burtons appeared in local map results across the Bexley terms reviewed, with probate, wills and conveyancing already supported by organic presence.
Co-op Legal Services, Farewill and Octopus Legacy appeared in sponsored searches for probate. Other specialists and comparison sites appeared across wills and conveyancing.
The Bexley map listing and Bexley office page showed different phone numbers in the research. Aligning local contact details would help any campaign and organic enquiries alike.
Search appearances are snapshots and can differ by time, device and location. The illustrations show selected names from the review, not a live Google page or exact ranking order.
I would begin with the service that offers the clearest test of commercial value, rather than spreading a modest budget across every department and office.
Focus on high-intent probate enquiries across Bexley and nearby catchments. Measure not only enquiries, but which ones become confirmed instructions and what those instructions are worth.
Potentially lower-cost searches worth exploring once real demand and fees are understood. No extra revenue from these services has been included in the core probate model.
Burtons already has strong organic visibility here. Paid activity should only be added if its acquisition costs and actual fee economics justify it.
“We work backwards from profit rather than clicks. What is an instruction worth? What can we afford to spend acquiring it? And does the result justify doing more?”
This is a working scenario, not a revenue forecast. Adjust the advertising budget or average probate fee and compare cautious versus realistic conversion assumptions. It is designed to be challenged with Burtons' actual numbers.
Search and conversion assumptions
Estimated CPC: £10.50 · Click to enquiry: 7% · Enquiry to instruction: 30%
ThinkingMan proposed fees
£600/month base fee + £350 per confirmed probate instruction. The success fee is deducted from the modelled return.
CPC was informed by the prospect research and supplied Keyword Planner notes. Conversion rates are illustrative assumptions, not Burtons' historical results.
Annual clicks = annual ad spend ÷ working CPC. Annual enquiries and instructions are rounded to whole numbers for display. Revenue = modelled instructions × average probate fee. The contribution shown deducts the advertising budget, monthly ThinkingMan fee and per-instruction success fee.
Results will not arrive evenly in practice. Timing depends on search demand, enquiry handling and how quickly instructions are completed.
Start with probate demand around Bexley, Sidcup, Bexleyheath, Welling and Crayford. Confirm accurate local contact details, track calls and forms, and connect enquiries to actual instructions. Refine targeting and spend based on quality, not click volume.
First market to proveChatham and Walderslade could be a natural next test, but only after Bexley produces enough reliable evidence. The expansion decision would depend on local demand, instruction values, close rates and the firm's capacity. No Medway revenue is included in the Bexley model.
Conditional expansionThe base fee supports the strategy and ongoing management. The success-based element is linked to confirmed probate instructions, so a portion of our compensation follows the commercial outcome, not simply the traffic.
ThinkingMan base management fee
per confirmed probate instruction attributable to the activity, subject to agreed tracking and attribution terms
Advertising spend is separate and paid directly to the platform. Fees and assumptions are part of the working proposal, not an obligation.
Agency capability. Direct specialist relationship.
I personally handle the marketing science, strategy and account.
If this looks interesting, I'd welcome the chance to compare the model with your actual fee mix, conversion rates and margins. Even if it doesn't lead anywhere, I hope the local search findings are useful.
Talk it through with Prince