Are you struggling with getting high-quality organic leads? If so, you’re likely wondering if law firm SEO can genuinely grow your practice.
Picture this:
A potential client searches for “lawyers in my city” and your law firm shows up on the first page of Google.
Your phone is ringing daily with high-quality leads, your client base and word-of-mouth referrals are growing, and your profits are increasing.
The first page of Google isn’t reserved for elite practices – just those who have implemented law firm SEO services in their marketing strategies.
But how do you get there?
Step 1: Partner with an expert law firm SEO company.
Step 2: Develop a killer SEO strategy.
In this article, we’ll show you step-by-step how to increase your search engine ranking and earn top results with the LATEST digital marketing techniques.
Techniques that have helped our clients increase their web presence and drive premium traffic.
Then, when you’re ready to put our lawyer and attorney SEO services to the test, we’ll send you a free, personalized SEO plan to help you get started.
Let’s dive in.
How law firm marketing is changing
Law firm marketing used to be much simpler. Ad budgets consisted of direct mail advertisements, billboards, and local TV commercials that contained similar versions of the same script.
That’s all changing.
More people are trading in their cable and satellite television for connected TV devices, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone running errands without their smartphones.
Your target audience spends nearly 7 hours a day online – or 27% of their year. So you can imagine what they do when they need a lawyer or an attorney.
You guessed it – they simply jump online to ask Google, where they have their choice of representation for any need imaginable. The experts with the best SEO for law firms understand that most of these searches are performed on a mobile device.
Plus, 70% of the 3.5 billion people searching Google on any given day prefer to learn about your practice with articles over advertisements. With the average person conducting 3-4 searches every single day, that’s a lot of opportunities to get your law firm in front of the right people with an attorney or lawyer’s SEO plan.
Why law firms need SEO
The most common question we hear from our partners is simple – “We struggle to maintain a stream of quality clients.”
If you are a lawyer or marketing leader at a law firm, then you know that the legal field is over-saturated. The competition for ideal clients is fierce, and the practices on the first page of Google are getting the majority of calls.
There are two ways to get there:
- Shuck out thousands in the coveted ad-space bidding wars.
- Earn leads organically from SEO.
Obviously, playing Russian roulette with your dollars and impressions isn’t always going to work out in your favor. You may have already tried it and realize you need a different approach.
That’s where law firm search engine optimization and SEO services for lawyers and attorneys come in.
What is law firm search engine optimization?
Search engine optimization for lawyers and attorneys is the process of grooming your online presence. This strategy helps your site achieve top ranks for lawyer and attorney SEO keywords that relate to your services.
SEO for law firms is invaluable because it places your practice in front of someone at the exact moment they’re searching for your services.
This means showing up when someone types in “truck accident attorney”, “personal injury lawyer”, “criminal defense attorney”, or “DUI lawyer.”
There’s a reason SEO leads earn an impressive 14.6% conversion rate, compared to only 5.14% from TV ads, and 1.7% from outbound leads such as print ads.
Simply put, law firm search engine optimization works.
Tip: Whether you need a personal injury attorney, business lawyer SEO, or anything in between, LiftIntent can help. We are the best law firm SEO company for law firms. Check out our case studies here.
How does law firm SEO work?
SEO, or search engine optimization, isn’t a difficult concept. Google and other search engines use technology to “crawl” web pages. They are then indexed and categorized in the world’s most extensive library.
When you enter a unique search, machine learning algorithms are used to decipher those search terms and provide you with web pages that may best help you.
This is where a law firm SEO expert comes in. A law firm SEO company will help you decipher the search terms that are getting the most attention. They will then assist you in both on and off-page optimization, as well as content marketing strategies that will help search crawlers index your page.
Law firm SEO: 10 steps to climb Google ranks and earn more clients
Now for the good stuff. With the right strategies and SEO for law firm websites, you can climb Google rankings and open a stream of visibility.
Keep in mind that search engine marketing for lawyers and attorneys can take a deep dive quickly if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Before you jump into these strategies on your own, we highly recommend reaching out to a law firm SEO expert (like LiftIntent – a lawyer SEO agency) if you’re not sure how to successfully tackle any of the steps below.
When it comes to the best SEO for lawyers and attorneys, follow these 10 tricks and tips to establish your presence online.
1. Choose the right attorney or lawyer SEO keywords.
Keywords and keyword phrases are the foundation of a solid legal SEO strategy. It just might be the most critical step in launching a successful law firm SEO campaign.
While you do want to increase traffic, what you need is to attract the right audience. I know, it sounds like the same thing, but there is a big difference.
You can have all the traffic in the world, but if it isn’t earning the attention of your target market, you’re going to throw a lot of time and money down the drain. Furthermore, the wrong keywords can hurt your rankings regarding the services you want consumers to see you for.
Basically, you want your results to be worth it – and turn into actual clients.
Here are some tips for a winning keyword strategy:
- Pin down your target audience, then find out what they are searching for.
- Review monthly keyword volume – or how often users search for the keyword/phrase.
- Focus on words or phrases that indicate the user is ready to start a conversation
- Look for phrases that are high in search volume yet low in competition.
Pro Tip: Google’s Keyword Planner is a free tool that gives you insights into popular search terms based on location and demographic.
2. Don’t ignore the technical stuff.
It’s easy to get excited about creating content once you’ve pinned-down your lawyer and attorney SEO keywords. But before you start spending all of your time and effort on creatives, you will want to make sure your site is optimized correctly.
There are over 200 factors search engines like Google take into consideration when deciding what type of content to serve their users.
A great law firm SEO company can help you optimize each one. If you are tackling your legal SEO on your own, here are some of the top things that Google looks for regarding law firm website SEO:
- Security: HTTPS vs. HTTP certificate tells search engines if your site is secure. Not only does this protect your business from cyber-attacks, but 82% of users also won’t browse an unsecured website.
- Mobile-friendliness: Google favors sites that optimize across all device types. And so do the majority (57.6%) of Internet users searching for lawyer keywords.
- Page loading time: Consumers want their information fast; so fast that they will leave if your web page doesn’t load in 2 seconds.
Schema: A universally understood website code that tells Google exactly what is on your webpage. No guessing games here.
3. Research your competitors.
Before you develop a law firm SEO strategy, it’s a good idea to take a look at your competitors.
A law firm SEO competitor analysis is a powerful research strategy that helps you rank higher on Google, get more traffic, and earn more conversions.
Sounds pretty magical, right? It’s that important. Taking a look at your biggest competitors can help you uncover SEO opportunities that you may not have seen otherwise.
Competitor law firm SEO marketing can help you answer questions like:
- Who are my actual SEO competitors?
- What keywords should I target?
- What topics should I cover?
- What type of content is getting results?
- Where can I find links?
- What do I need to beat the competition?
- What can I do differently or better?
There are a lot of ways to perform competitive SEO analytics. A law firm SEO consultant like LiftIntent can give you a good view of the playing field and how you can improve.
4. Optimize your web pages.
Now that you know where you stand with your competitors, it’s time to clean up your lawyer or attorney website SEO.
A law firm SEO marketing agency can help make sure that each of your web pages is optimized heavily for search engines. First and foremost, your law firm marketing plan should include SEO for attorneys.
If you’re tackling your on-page optimization without a law firm SEO expert, make sure each page includes a Title Tag and Meta Description that has your keywords. Depending on your platform, you may have access to an SEO plug-in that will help you accomplish this.
When you are searching for the best law firm SEO company, look for experts that will make sure each of your pages has:
- A Title Tag and Meta-Description.
- Proper heading and subheading tags: One H1, Multiple H2, and a few H1 tags.
- Thoroughly addresses each page subject.
- Use of keyword phrases and variations of your keyword phrases throughout your landing pages.
- IMPORTANT: Avoid keyword stuffing. Not only are Google algorithms getting better at catching this behavior, it also makes it difficult for readability. Keywords should make sense and flow naturally with your content.
5. Focus on local law firm SEO
Local SEO for lawyers is essential to a great law firm SEO campaign. In most cases, lawyers and attorneys are looking to advertise in their immediate area. Making sure your law firm is optimized locally will help you get seen by those who need lawyers and attorneys in your community.
Google My Business (GMB) is the best place to start. If you haven’t already listed your law firm on Google Maps, this step is essential. You may even gain exposure in the Google local pack.
This means that Google will index your business when someone searches something like “DUI attorney near me”, displaying all of your business details, such as phone number, address, hours of operation, average reviews, and even coupons.
To effectively optimize your GMB local SEO for attorneys or lawyers, make sure to include:
- A long, keyword-rich description for your practice.
- Accurate NAP info (Name, Address, Phone number).
- A link to your website.
- Connect to your social media and other online review profiles. Remember, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
- Add lots of photos. You may offer a professional service, but consumers love to see the people behind a business.
Local SEO for law firms doesn’t stop here. You should also claim your business in the top legal citation sources such as:
- FindLaw websites
- Nolo
- Lawyers.com
- Superlawyers
- Avvo
- Justia
- Best Lawyers
- Law Guru
- Law Info
- Lawyers U.S. Legal
Want more local marketing tactics? Check out additional local marketing tactics below.
6. Create SEO-friendly content
Once your website is clean, and you have a great lawyer or attorney SEO keyword strategy, you’re ready to start creating content!
Law firm SEO marketing isn’t limited to articles and blog posts, but this is an excellent place to start. (See other marketing tactics below.)
Statistics show that having a blog improves your search engine results by 434%, in addition to creating trust with your consumers. With a statistic like that, can you afford not to?!
It’s no secret that consumers in this day and age like to do their own research. This is why when you need SEO, attorneys and lawyers must focus on content that is easy to read, in addition to answering questions.
Law firm blog SEO content should:
- Have more than 2,000 words
- Cover the topic completely
- Include high-quality content free of errors
- Be easily readable
- Be optimized for SEO
- Include high-quality images that match the content
- Have accompanying videos
Great content paired with a great law firm SEO strategy is everything to your brand. For the best results, it’s essential to work with a law firm SEO company that specializes in SEO writing for attorneys and lawyers.
The better your content and lawyer or attorney website SEO is, the higher you will rank. We all know that means more leads and dollars added to your bottom line.
Don’t believe me? Just look at the SEO for legal firm statistics: 82% of consumers feel more positively about a law firm when they create custom content, and 70% say that custom content makes them feel closer to the company.
7. Develop a solid backlink SEO strategy
When entering the world of law firm SEO, many leaders don’t realize the importance of backlinking to your rankings.
You might be wondering, “What are backlinks in SEO?” A backlink SEO strategy is an essential part of establishing your law firm’s credibility and authority on Google.
You can think of a backlink as a “mention.” The more people talking and linking back to your site, the more credible you are considered by search engines, thus ranking you higher.
It’s important to keep in mind that backlinking is not a passive law firm SEO marketing strategy. Backlinks need to be monitored to ensure that they are high-quality, especially for those in the legal field. To get the most out of your law firm SEO strategy, stay on top of backlinking and continually build more of them.
Here are great legal backlinks for SEO sources:
- Write and feature your law journal articles.
- Write ABA or other articles associated with the bar association.
- Create a guest post to other related publications.
- Reach out to other bloggers and journalists to collaborate.
- Perform an interview in your community.
- Promote your content on social media.
- Build internal links.
- Create high-quality video and infographics.
- Claim all listings throughout your industry and local directions.
8. Analyze your legal SEO results
Your progress should be tracked, measured, and analyzed by an experienced law firm SEO consultant.
The best law firm SEO company will not only help you develop your goals but also achieve them. This means determining which attorney and lawyer marketing strategies are working, and which should be adjusted or eliminated.
Law firm SEO experts who help you calculate your ROI are more likely to help you develop a winning SEO and law firm marketing plan.
The biggest mistake an inexperienced lawyer or attorney SEO company can make is tracking metrics rather than Key Performance Indicators (KPI) as a means of SEO success.
Metrics are things like rankings, impressions, social shares, bounce rate, site traffic, and brand mentions. While metrics can give you valuable insights and great context, your law firm marketing decisions should not be based solely on these measurements.
Instead, every great lawyer and attorney SEO strategy should follow KPI’s, focusing on:
- Total leads
- New clients
- Revenue
- Lead-to-sale conversion rate
- Return on marketing investment (ROMI)
- Cost per lead (CPL)
- Book rate (from calls)
9. Leave room for improvements
Lawyer and attorney website SEO isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it practice. A law firm SEO expert should help you analyze your results and adjust your strategy as needed.
This can be someone on your team who is experienced in legal SEO, although we highly recommend working with a law firm SEO company. Either way, your law firm SEO consultant can help you examine and tweak your strategy.
The best way to do this is by performing a year-over-year comparison of your KPI’s, in addition to competitive analysis. That’s right; competitive analysis isn’t just something you tackle at the start of your law firm SEO campaign. It can and should be performed regularly to stay up to date on what your competitors are doing differently and possibly better than you are.
While a multitude of improvements can be made, it’s essential to keep in mind that you cannot achieve first-page search engine rankings overnight. It takes time to establish credibility with Google, and hard work to keep it.
However, with the right law firm SEO agency that specializes in SEO attorney and lawyer legal practices, like LiftIntent, you can experience incremental improvements over time.
10. Explore other law firm SEO marketing strategies
Finally, your law firm SEO strategy doesn’t stop with high-quality articles and blog posts. The best SEO service for attorneys and lawyers will offer you a variety of content options and strategies.
Although essential to your legal search engine optimization, your legal SEO strategy should be made up of many different content types and mediums.
The more presence you have on the Internet, and drive to your website through other means, the more relevancy you establish with your site and search engine results.
The best part is that you can use all of the legal SEO tips and tricks you’ve learned above to promote any of your other law firm marketing and advertising initiatives.
Here are the best law firm marketing ideas to pair with your SEO strategy:
- Get into video marketing. Yes, even law firms can benefit from the power of video advertising. It’s easier to watch and can help with SEO when optimized and linked to your website.
- Harness the power of proximity marketing. Have you ever wished there was a way to contact someone directly after they got into a car accident or sustained an injury? With proximity marketing, you can directly target people who have visited a nearby hospital or even the police station to drive them to your website. Talk about personal injury lawyer SEO!
- Gain a following on social media. Social media isn’t just great for letting your current and potential customers know what’s going on with your business; it’s also great for local SEO via reviews, social sharing, and backlinking!
Explore the possibilities of CTV ads. If you love the power of video but your local TV ads aren’t getting the results you want, it may be time to look into connected TV advertising. CTV ads leverage the effectiveness of highly-targeted Internet campaigns, without compromising on the power of video.
Need help with SEO for your law firm, content writing or backlinks strategy? We’re ready!
We know this law firm SEO guide covered A LOT of ground. We don’t blame you if you feel a little bit lost.
Our law firm SEO experts at LiftIntent are here to help if you have any questions about the legal SEO strategies we mentioned above, or any other marketing and advertising related questions.
Whether you are looking for affordable law firm SEO, living trust attorney SEO, bail bonds SEO, SEO for DUI attorneys, personal injury SEO, legal SEO marketing, or merely an SEO agency for lawyers, you are in the right place.
Give us a call. We’d love to hear more about your law firm’s struggles, triumphs, and goals with law firm SEO. We’ve given you the best SEO for attorneys and lawyers to start with, but we’d love to help you kick-start the process with a free personalized SEO plan designed specifically for law firms.
Let us help you win big this year with a solid law firm SEO strategy that will put your practice on the map, earn leads, and improve your marketing ROI!
