Martin
Founder, strategy and audits
Writes every audit and takes every first call. On your account from day one, running growth for SMEs since 2010.
Legal
More Defense Clients.
Wrong-Fit Searches Kept Apart.
Built for Small Defense Firms.
A person who has just been charged talks to two or three defense firms before they hire one. We bring those defense matters in, and we keep family and employment searches in their own path.
We build the search, ads and intake for defense work.
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Trusted by small criminal defense firms to turn local demand into booked work Serving Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago and beyond.
Who This Is For
For owners of small criminal defense firms in the United States, the private counsel a person charged hires and pays, who want more defense matters from people facing the charges the firm actually takes, with public defender and wrong-fit searches sent to their own path, no spend on cases the firm does not take, and nothing claimed about a result that the firm cannot stand behind.
check_circle Owner-operators with 1 to 5 attorneys who grew on referrals from bail agents, former clients and other lawyers but have never had a search channel of their own
check_circle Firms of 5 to 20 lawyers with a partner responsible for business development who needs a steady flow of defense inquiries to work
check_circle Firms that take DUI, drug, assault and theft charges and whose website still reads like a general practice page
check_circle Firms that handle federal or white collar matters and want inquiries from the person under investigation, not from a student writing a paper
check_circle Firms whose site is mostly attorney bios and practice labels and says nothing to the person reading it at midnight after an arrest
check_circle Owners who want to know which search, page or ad produced each signed retainer agreement before the next planning conversation
Who buys, and what they search
groups
Who you are marketing to
- personPeople facing a misdemeanor or a first felony charge who have never hired a lawyer and are searching on a phone the night after the arrest
- personParents and spouses calling for a family member who is in custody or has a first appearance this week
- personPeople who have received a target letter or a request for an interview in a federal or white collar investigation and want counsel before they speak
- personDrivers facing a DUI charge with a license suspension deadline that is already running
- personBail agents, other lawyers and former clients who refer people and want a firm they can vouch for
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What buyers search for
searchDUI lawyer Phoenixsearchcriminal defense attorney near mesearchdrug possession lawyer Houstonsearchdomestic violence defense attorneysearchfederal criminal defense lawyersearchlawyer for first appearance tomorrow
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Ready to book
- boltA form or call that names a charge, a court date and a county
- boltReturn visits to the charge page and the retainer page, often late at night
- boltSearches that pair lawyer or attorney with a specific charge, a court or a county
- boltAn inquiry submitted within a day of an arrest or a summons, which is when a person decides to hire private counsel
What drives their decision
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A plain statement of which charges the firm defends and which courts its attorneys appear in, in the words the person charged would use
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A page that explains what happens next, from the first appearance to the deadlines that are already running, with no promised result
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Retainer terms they can read before they call, in USD, whether a flat fee by stage or an hourly rate
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A named attorney who answers the phone the same day, including evenings and weekends, because the court date is real
How we capture intent
search
Charge-specific SEO
Separate pages for each kind of charge the firm defends and each court its attorneys appear in, each written for the question the person typed, plus a plain page on what happens after an arrest and how the firm bills, with any family or employment pages kept on their own path.
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Intent-split Google Ads
Defense campaigns with their own budgets by kind of charge and by county, and exclusions for free, public defender, legal aid, pro bono, how to become, salary and jobs, reviewed every week.
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Charges and retainer page
A page that states which charges the firm defends, which courts it appears in, how it bills and where its attorneys are admitted, showing only what the firm actually holds.
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Same-day replies, nights included
Alerts and follow-up so every defense inquiry reaches a named attorney the same day, including the ones that arrive at midnight on a Saturday after an arrest.
my_locationTargeting around the counties and courthouses where the firm's attorneys are admitted and actually appear, weighted toward the charges your signed retainers came from, with no spend on public defender searches or on states where you cannot act.
Our Criminal Defense Marketing Approach
01
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Reaching People Who Are Ready to Buy
Customers choose based on location, timing and need. We reach people while they research, compare and get ready to book, with a focus on local searches for what you offer.
02
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Better-Quality Leads
Not every lead is worth your time. We filter out casual inquiries early, focus on people ready to book, and steer leads toward the customers you actually want.
03
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Messaging That Sets You Apart
We build your message around trust, local relevance and clear value, so customers choose you for more than price in a crowded market.
04
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Support From First Search to Repeat Business
From the first search to the quote, follow-up and repeat business, we make sure your online presence backs up every offline conversation.
05
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Clear Reporting on What Works
We set up tracking that shows where each lead came from, which channels help close a sale, and what each one returns on your spend, so you know what is really bringing in business.
Criminal Defense marketing services
search
SEO for Criminal Defense
Help nearby customers find you on Google before they call a competitor
- checkService and location pages built around searches like "DUI lawyer Phoenix"
- checkClear answers to questions people ask when comparing options like "criminal defense attorney near me"
- checkTechnical fixes that make your site easy for Google to read and easy for customers to call, inquire or book
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SEM for Criminal Defense
Reach people who are ready to book on Google, without paying for clicks that never turn into customers
- checkGoogle Ads campaigns for "DUI lawyer Phoenix" and similar high-intent searches
- checkBlocked search terms (negative keywords) that cut job-search, how-to and out-of-area clicks
- checkLanding pages that match the ad and lead to calls or bookings
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Meta Ads for Criminal Defense
Reach the right local audience on Facebook and Instagram with proof-led ads
- checkLocation and interest targeting matched to how criminal defense customers decide
- checkAd images and copy that show real proof, a clear offer and a reason to get in touch now
- checkRetargeting (follow-up ads) for people who already viewed your pricing, services or gallery pages
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Web Design for Criminal Defense
Pages that make it easy to understand the offer and take the next step
- checkPages built for searches like "drug possession lawyer Houston" and for quote or booking requests
- checkReviews, credentials and the areas you serve visible before anyone scrolls
- checkForms, tap-to-call buttons and booking steps tested on phones
Our team
The same people on the audit and on the work
Martin writes every audit and takes the first call. The same team stays on the account. 160+ businesses since 2010.
Yoana
Social and app development
Shapes social strategy and builds practical app experiences that turn attention into action.
Mike
SEO
Owns technical, local and content SEO so the right buyers find you when demand is highest.
Robert
Paid media
Plans and manages paid search and social campaigns around qualified leads.
Elmer
Analytics
Connects tracking, attribution and reporting so decisions are based on revenue-quality data.
Dino
Design
Creates clear brand and conversion-focused design across landing pages, campaigns and product experiences.
Certified and experienced
Certified where it matters. Accountable for the outcome.
Verified platform knowledge, 25+ years of hands-on experience, and an operating track record since 2010.
Google AdsCertified
✓Google AnalyticsCertified
✓Google Tag ManagerCertified
✓Operating since 2010Proven experience
✓What You Can Expect
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More defense inquiries from people facing the kinds of charge your practice is built on, in the counties where you appear
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Defense demand and family, employment and public defender searches split into separate pages, campaigns and reports
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A clear cost per qualified defense inquiry by channel
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Pages that explain what happens after an arrest, how you handle a first appearance and how you bill in USD, in plain words, with no promised result
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An intake path that asks for the charge, the court date and the county, so the first call is a real conversation about the matter
This is criminal defense marketing designed to book real jobs and build a reputation that compounds, not just chase lead volume.
The HeyLead Difference
Marketing measured in booked jobs, not clicks
Every channel is tied back to real enquiries and won work, so you always know what your marketing is actually returning.
You are in good company
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format_quote I have worked with Martin and his company for several years. He managed our website and provided SEO and SEM support. He has been a great partner in this area and always produced high quality results. I recommend him for any needs you may have in this area.
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Warren Stokes
Director of Sales and Marketing, Avidian
starstarstarstarstar
format_quote I have worked with HeyLead for over a decade. There is no one else I would trust with lead generation and IT. I have tried others, to my detriment. If you want someone who is dedicated and trustworthy, you could not pick someone better.
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Andrew Woodruff
CEO, Woodruff Property Management
starstarstarstarstar
format_quote Our company 1800 CLEANER has worked with Martin for over two years now and we can attest he is one of the best. His technical knowledge in the SEO and online marketing space is second to none. But more importantly he cares. He listens and truly empathises with the client. We have no hesitation in recommending him.
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Michael Sweet
CEO, 1800 CLEANER
starstarstarstarstar
format_quote HeyLead was able to quickly bring structure and order to our Search Engine Marketing campaigns. Their methodical approach turned around our SEM performance and allowed us to demonstrate the ROI from the programs.
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Paul Liddiatt
Chief Marketing Officer, NewBook
starstarstarstarstar
format_quote HeyLead helped us develop SEO ranking on key search terms for our platform. They also helped us build, test and manage our paid SEM program. They were very responsive to our specific goals and brought subject matter expertise, saving us a lot of time and effort.
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Joe Charlson
CEO, CallerReady
starstarstarstarstar
format_quote The team at HeyLead managed our SEO and SEM with great aptitude. I would recommend their services for anyone looking to level up their search engine presence, paid or organic.
person
Kim Lazaro
Digital Marketing Manager, NewBook
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about criminal defense marketing? We have got honest answers.
What does criminal defense lawyer marketing include?
Criminal defense lawyer marketing for a small private firm in the United States includes charge-specific pages for searches like DUI lawyer with a city attached and drug possession attorney, a plain page on what happens after an arrest, how a first appearance works and how you bill in USD, Google Ads split by kind of charge with public defender and wrong-fit searches excluded, Meta retargeting for the person still weighing which firm to call, and call and form tracking that reports cost per qualified defense inquiry in USD. HeyLead does the marketing. The firm keeps every legal, fee and client decision.
Is this page for someone who has been charged, or for a public defender office?
No. This page is for the owner of a small criminal defense firm in the United States, the private counsel a person charged hires and pays. It is not a page for someone looking for a lawyer for their own case, not a page for a public defender office and not a page for a family, immigration, injury or employment firm. If you have been charged and need a lawyer, this page will not help you, and the pages we build send public defender and legal aid searches to their own path rather than into the firm's campaign.
Which searches actually bring defense clients?
The ones a person types in the hours and days after an arrest, or the ones a parent or spouse types for them. DUI lawyer with a city attached, criminal defense attorney with a county attached, drug possession lawyer, domestic violence defense attorney, federal criminal defense lawyer. Searches such as free lawyer, public defender application, how to file a police report or how to become a criminal lawyer bring people who will not hire private counsel. They are excluded from the campaign and tracked on their own line.
How do you keep wrong-fit traffic out of the defense campaign?
Separate pages, separate campaigns and separate reports. Defense pages talk to the person charged, or to the family member calling for them, and ask for the charge, the court date and the county. The campaign carries exclusion lists for free, public defender, legal aid, pro bono, how to become, salary and jobs, reviewed every week, so the owner sees qualified defense inquiries on their own line. If the firm also takes family or employment work, those searches go to their own pages with their own tracking.
Who is responsible for the lawyer advertising rules?
The firm. Lawyer advertising in the United States is governed by the rules of professional conduct of the state where the firm's attorneys are admitted, and HeyLead holds no law license and gives no legal advice. We write nothing that claims a result, a specialty certification the firm does not hold or a comparison the firm cannot support, and the owner approves every page and ad before it goes live. We do not quote the rules of any state on this page and we do not imply one national advertising rule.
What is one defense client actually worth to a firm?
As an illustration, not a forecast HeyLead will deliver: one person who retains the firm for a contested matter, at the flat fee or hourly rate the firm sets in USD, and who later sends a friend or a family member, is the commercial point of the whole exercise. We do not publish an industry fee, we do not quote a figure for your retainer and we do not promise a matter. We report cost per qualified defense inquiry so the owner can set that number against their own billing.
Can you promise a number of clients, a dismissal or a reduced charge?
No. People hire counsel on their own schedule, the firm decides which matters to take, and the outcome of a criminal case depends on the facts, the evidence and the court. We do not promise a number of clients, a dismissal, an acquittal, a reduced charge, a lighter sentence or a result of any kind, and we do not quote a success rate. We report which pages, searches and ads produced defense inquiries so the owner can judge the channel on evidence.
How long before defense inquiries arrive?
Google Ads can bring defense inquiries within weeks of launch, usually from people who already have a court date and are comparing firms. Search visibility for charge and county terms builds over months. A website rebuild takes a few weeks to plan and build, and the first month after launch shows which pages earn inquiries. We report progress as it comes rather than promising a date.
Will you write about our cases and clients?
Only in the general terms the owner approves, such as the kind of charge and the court, and never with a client name, a case number, a fact that is confidential or a result presented as typical. Confidentiality is part of why a person hires private counsel, and the site has to show that you take it seriously.
Which service do we start with?
It depends on the audit. A firm whose website reads like a general practice usually starts with the charge-specific pages, because ads sent to a homepage with a divorce link waste spend on the wrong reader. A firm with plain defense pages and no traffic usually starts with Google Ads on charge and county searches. We tell you which after we look at the site, the tracking and the searches people in your counties actually type.
Marketing from $500 USD a month
Month to month, no commitment. One fee covers the pages, the search and ad work and the tracking. Ad spend is separate and stays in your own accounts.
Starting at
$500 USD per month
Free to cancel with 1 month's notice. Tell us what you sell and where. We come back with what the first month would fix.
Get a Free AuditWhat $500 a month covers
Pages
IncludedPages built around the searches your buyers actually type.
Search and ads
IncludedSearch and ads aimed at people ready to inquire.
Tracking
IncludedCalls, forms and bookings tagged to the search, ad or page behind them.
Let's Bring In Defense Clients
If you run a small criminal defense firm in the United States and want inquiries from people facing the charges you actually defend, let's talk. We start with your website, your retainer terms in USD and the searches people type the night after an arrest.