Manual Bidding vs Google Automation: How Anthony Higman Wins $1,000 CPC Legal Keywords

In Episode 109 of the Page 2 Podcast, Jon Clark and Joe DeVita sit down with Anthony Higman, founder and CEO of ADSQUIRE and one of the world’s top PPC experts. Anthony manages some of the most expensive keywords on the internet—legal search—where a single click can exceed $1,000. In this deep dive, Anthony explains why his team intentionally resists automation, manually bidding on campaigns while closely analyzing search engine results pages (SERPs) to uncover Google’s algorithmic changes. From running a lean five-person agency to managing high-stakes legal advertising campaigns, this conversation explores what it takes to dominate search in one of the most competitive industries in digital marketing. Anthony also shares unconventional tactics—from geo-testing SERPs and listening to every call lead, to running creative marketing stunts like Times Square billboards—to maintain a competitive edge while delivering elite performance for law firms across the U.S. If you’re interested in PPC strategy, Google Ads optimization, legal marketing, or the evolving battle between human expertise and machine learning in advertising, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

In This Episode

• Why Anthony Higman still relies on manual bidding in Google Ads while most agencies rely on automation
• The realities of managing $1,000+ CPC keywords in legal search marketing
• How ADSQUIRE runs a five-person agency managing massive ad spend
• Why watching the SERP itself—not just platform metrics—is critical for campaign strategy • The hidden problems with Responsive Search Ads in legal marketing
• How Google’s evolving match types and reduced transparency affect PPC performance
• Why Anthony uses YouTube, Display, and branding campaigns alongside high-intent search ads
• How listening to every lead call helps improve lead quality and campaign optimization
• The limitations of Local Services Ads for scaling law firm marketing
• Anthony’s philosophy on building a small, nimble agency instead of scaling headcount This episode is a must-watch for PPC specialists, digital marketers, and agency owners looking to understand how elite operators compete in high-stakes advertising markets.

Connect with Anthony Higman

Anthony on LinkedIn
Anthony on X