Law firm SEO is an easy way to drive clients to your legal practice on a regular basis. In this article, we will detail how to capture as many leads as you can with SEO. With the number of law firms on Google, it can be difficult to stand out, even in local searches.
There are many ways to improve your ranking on Google, and we have picked out our most powerful strategies for you.
Table of Contents
Why Is SEO Important for Law Firms?
A recent study revealed that 80% of potential clients search for lawyers online and the remaining 20% are acquired through referrals or direct marketing strategies. This stat alone is the main reason why you need SEO in order to attract more leads your way.
The search engine optimization process for a law firm begins with the technical optimization of the website so that it communicates with search engines clearly and passes the right signals to it, in some cases, we have seen that website optimization alone provides a huge boost to the search rankings however it is off-page SEO strategies that make the website to achieve the best position and stay there for a long time.
How much does law firm SEO cost?
The cost of SEO for a law firm is decided by analyzing the competition, keywords, and current website audit report. Overall, once we have all these things in hand we should be able to provide a number, however, the average cost is always between $1500 to $3000 per month. Feel free to give us a shout out if you want a professional SEO consultation.
When can law firms start seeing SEO results?
We have worked with multiple law firms all over the nation and have seen that it completely depends on three factors:
How well optimized is the competitors website How bad is your own website Number of off-page SEO signals
With that said, over the years we have created an effective workflow in which we are able to deliver results to our clients within a period of 3 months and in the next 3-6 months timeframe, we ensure the best results are achieved.
Sneak Peek into the SEO process for Attorneys
The first month is completely dedicated to research i.e. keyword and competitor research along with on-page optimization of the website. In simple terms, we would first understand what we are dealing with and create a strategy for the same in SEO terms create an SEO roadmap.
The second month is aimed at applying the roadmap and continuation of the onsite technical optimization of the website and the third month is focused on off-page SEO which includes getting high quality no-follow and do-follow links for the website.
Once the applied updates are indexed by search engine bots, attorneys should be able to see a good boost in traffic and search rankings.
You can call this the first stage of SEO or the first set as after this we spend another 3 months with a new roadmap which is aimed at improving the current results as well as achieving higher targets driving more business to the law firm.
This process continues in sets and keeps bringing a higher number of leads to the attorney's practice.
Law Firm SEO: 7 Search Engine Optimization Tips for Lawyers
Apply these tips to your practice and see staggering growth in your site's online performance. I have tried my best to keep the language of the article as simple as possible and avoided the use of technical jargons in the hopes that you will find these tips extremely helpful however in any case if you feel that you need a professional law firm SEO expert to handle it for you, then don't be a stranger and get in touch.
1. Create a Silo Structure
If you specialize in a specific type of law such as criminal, DUI, etc., use the following structure for your website in order to improve your Law SEO.
Use Exact Match Domain (EMD) for your website URL: This is highly recommended if you solely provide a single service. This will also make it clear to anyone who views your website who you are and what you offer. Example: www.website-url.com
Add service pages: You can rank for more than one offer if you create a separate page for each offer. This also allows users to find a specific page more easily, increasing ease of navigability of the website.
Add sub-service pages: Specifying your services will help drive traffic to your website. You will be able to specify SEO keywords with more webpages. Example: www.website.com/ourservices/contractlaw/drafting. If your law firm has more than one location (e.g. LA, San Diego, and New York), build your website in the following way.
Add city name into the URL: A majority of law firms with multiple locations list their locations on a single page for “Locations.” However, this limits your ability to rank in multiple locations. Example: www.website.com/city-name/ourservices
2. Verify your Google My Business Page
Once you verify your business page, your page will show up in localized map searches.
Use the following link: https://www.google.com/business/
Google utilizes the data on your Google My Business page to showcase your firm’s
Phone number Address Business hours Average reviews Specials, coupons, and updates
Google My Business is a powerful way to drive traffic to your website. Follow these tips in order to optimize your Google my Business page:
Select the appropriate business categories Write a description for the business that is both keyword rich and long (200-300 words) Use the correct NAP information (Name, Address, Phone Number) Link your website Link your social media and online review profiles Add inviting photos that signal your friendliness to clients
Utilize Reviews Because They Build Trust Between You and Your Client.
Reviews help your law firm rank higher on Google. Most consumers trust online reviews to the same extent that they trust personal recommendations. Having more reviews on Google and on other online business pages can increase your presence on Google.
Use local directories
Using websites such as Yelp, FourSquare, and Yellow Pages will connect your website with a physical location, helping your website rank higher on local SEO. Having your firm on these websites will also increase your credibility. It is not uncommon for potential clients to use a local directory to find a legal firm.
Claim your business in the top legal citations sources:
FindLaw websites Nolo Superlawyers Avvo Justia Best Lawyers Law Guru Law Info Lawyers US Legal
3. Optimize your Website
Improve your website's performance by making it easier and friendlier for your target audience and here are the key areas where you need focus.
Your website security (HTTPS vs. HTTP). Having a secure website will increase your credibility. Your website’s optimization on mobile devices. In order to be competitive, your website must be mobile-friendly. Many potential clients could be looking for a firm on their phone, so have this in mind when building your website. The speed at which your web pages load on your website. Having a website that loads quickly also increases the chance that the user will stay on the page as opposed to leaving because of slow loading time. Your web pages’ content quality. It’s important to not just have a large amount of content but also excellent content. Your web pages’ content length. Having a large length allows you to go more in-depth in each topic you are covering relating to your law firm and knowledge on legal matters. Having optimized images on your web pages. Having high-quality images is important and will help you stand out from the competition. The keyword’s volume (How often is this keyword used?) The keyword’s competition (Are other firms using the keyword? How can you stand out)
4. Create a Social Media Presence
The more authority your web page has, the easier it is for you to rank higher. A good rule of thumb is to get as many users to your site as possible and keep them there. A good way to do that is to take advantage of your social media channels and knowing the right time to post on social account.
An informational Instagram can redirect users to your website. Potential clients will often look on social media to see who you are or can even discover your firm on social media. It is important to link your website on Instagram to make it easier for users to find you. Creating a Facebook page for your local law firm may help other potential clients find your services and boost your SEO. If anyone checks into your law firm on Facebook or engages with any of your posts, that could bring much-needed visibility to your business. While Facebook and Instagram are the most obvious social media to target, do not neglect the other services. Creating a company page on Linkedin and allowing users to search your law firm will add credibility and in turn increase your SEO if you link back to your website. Using Twitter to post content from your site may help others retweet and share your blogs.
There is a plethora of social media that is out there, and the more familiar you are with them, the better the odds you are reaching out to as many people as you can.
5. Add Informative Content to Your Blog
A blog raises your opportunity to rank high on search engines and also creates trust in your law firm. Potential clients like doing research, and having a blog would answer questions that someone would have. Maintaining a blog also allows you to showcase what topics you specialize in, further allowing you to stand out from the competition. Each blog post is a chance to solidify yourself as a thought leader and build your legitimacy. It also is a great way to get visitors to continually return back to your site when you post new content.
With better content, you will rank higher and gain more leads. After reading custom content, most customers will not only have a positive view of your firm, but they will also feel closer to your firm.
The Best Blogs Have The Following:
Covers the topic completely: Are you answering the most common questions that a reader would have? Are easy to understand: Would the average person understand your blog? Are SEO optimized: Are you using key terms in your title and throughout the actual blog? This will help your post rank higher on Google.
This is another opportunity for potential clients to find your page.
6. Create Quality Backlinks
Backlinks were mentioned earlier, and they are a significant way to improve SEO through increased presence. This is because Google gives more authority and credibility to sites that have quality backlinks.
Google’s main goal with ranking is to show users relevant and factual content if an article is being linked from several sources it makes it more likely that it will bring value to the reader.
Here are some noteworthy sources of backlinks:
Interviews Law journal articles Bar association articles Writing more articles for related publications Collaborations with journalists and bloggers Promoting content on social media Internal links High-quality infographics and videos
You will find these link building strategies helpful in the process of creating high-quality backlinks for your website.
7. Track, Measure, and Analyze Data
Simply looking at metrics is not enough. Metrics can give you important insight on how to form a marketing plan, but they should not be the leading force.
Here are examples:
Impressions
Metrics only provide part of the puzzle piece. It is important to also look at Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Using metrics in conjunction with Key Performance Indicators will allow you to form a more effective law firm marketing strategy.
Data is the fuel that drives each decision you make in terms of acquiring more customers. They help set the narrative and allows you to focus on what needs to be changed.
Time to Wrap Up the Law Firm SEO Guide
Taking the time to implement our top law firm SEO tips can significantly improve your local SEO, driving more traffic to your website, which means more connections with clients.
A key point to take away from these tips is to be specific as possible when building your website. Knowing the value of what you have to offer and showcasing this will allow users to see if you are the right fit for them.
Take advantage of these tips to stand out from the competition.
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