These days, a law firm requires more than just a website to bring in high-quality customers. Search engines are the most useful online resources and are used by individuals seeking legal advice. However, ranking well enough in search results is important to becoming a reliable source.
With many competitors in the legal industry, experts need to implement effective Lawyer SEO. This way, you ensure that your law firm websites rank high in search engine results.
Let’s go deeper into:
- What is SEO for lawyers
- Tips for boosting your law firm’s visibility on Google
- Why hire an SEO agency to help you rank higher on SERP
Table of Contents
What is Lawyer SEO?
Enhancing your website's visibility is possible with the help of search engine optimization. SEO aims to improve organic traffic by ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Lawyers offer an important service for anyone needing trustworthy legal representation. If you own a law firm, would you invest in SEO services?
To expand and attract more online clients, legal firms do need SEO. Yet, SEO for lawyers has several advantages beyond just generating leads and visitors.
The Importance of Attorney SEO
Nowadays, potential clients turn to search engines like Google to find legal services.
According to research, 75% of internet users won't scroll after the first page of search results. This means that if your law firm is not ranking on the first page, you miss out on valuable opportunities.
For instance, the average click-through rate of Google’s first organic search result is 30.1%. For the 2nd and 3rd outcomes, this decreases to 13% and 9%. Then, it rapidly declines.
After all, it’s important for your web page to be in the top three organic search results. The two most often used ways to discover an attorney are search results and visiting law firms’ websites.
Here we have some statistics related especially to law firms that help us see the importance they have for them.
- 66% of call conversions in the legal industry are to organic search.
- 38% of consumers seek legal assistance online
- SEO has an ROI of 526% of the average law firm SEO spend.
According to this information we can see that investing in SEO is a very good option and has a very great influence on the market.
Top Law Firm SEO Strategies
SEO, even for legal professionals, acts as the cornerstone of digital marketing in many respects. Successful online marketing for attorneys involves diverse tasks. However, without functional, successful law firm SEO services, none of these will be effective.
Moreover, lawyers may establish a strong web presence by using only SEO. Other digital marketing strategies like pay-per-click just can’t compare to that.
Here are the key elements of a law firm’s local SEO tactics:
Keyword Research
Keyword research is important for lawyers to pinpoint the specific words and phrases used when seeking legal services. Use professional keyword research tools to find the right keywords for your law firm.
Keywords serve as the cornerstone of a law firm's SEO strategy. This influences various aspects like content, metadata, tags, and URLs. Thus, treating keyword research as an integral part of your strategy is important.
Two main types of keywords exist:
- Short-tail keywords. They’re popular and concise phrases, typically 1–3 words long. However, a short-tail keyword is competitive, which makes it hard to stand out.
- Long-tail keywords. They’re more specific phrases and lengthy. A long-tail keyword has lower competition and higher conversion rates.
In addition to these categories, it’s best for legal SEO to explore other keyword types:
| Keyword Type | Description |
| Short-Term Keywords | Gain popularity briefly due to current events or media trends. |
| Customer-Defining Keywords | These phrases indicate the target audience, such as 'attorney for immigrants.' |
| Evergreen Keywords | Remain relevant over time, regardless of trends. |
| LSI Keywords | Related to the main keyword, aiding in capturing more traffic by including additional relevant terms. |
| Service-Defining Keywords | Describe the legal services provided, like 'labor arbitration and negotiation.’ |
| Geo-Targeted Keywords | Specify a particular location where services are mostly searched. It’s important for local and brick-and-mortar businesses. |
Creating content based on these keywords can help you attract and engage potential clients who are in the research stage of their legal journey. Once you have implemented your target keywords, monitor and make adjustments to improve your rankings.
Law Firm Website Optimization
A well-optimized website is important for a successful law firm SEO campaign. According to Google Search, the usability of web pages is one of its ranking factors. That’s why your website should be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and optimized.
In website optimization, you need to focus on two things: SEO site structure and optimized URLs.
Here are some website optimizations:
- Place key sections in the main navigation bar for accessibility.
- Implement sub-navigation menus for easy access to specific legal specialties.
- Prioritize practice pages over the “About Us” page in navigation to signal Google and other search engines.
- Ensure website usability using Call-to-Actions (CTA, intuitive menus, and fast-loading pages.
- Incorporate relevant keywords in URLs moderately.
- Avoid keyword stuffing, which may be seen as spammy.
- Create descriptive and readable URLs.
- Refrain from altering established URLs unnecessarily.
- Implement correct redirects upon changing URLs. This is to prevent broken links and preserve SEO value.
Optimizing your URLs helps Google and users understand the content of your pages.
Link Building for Law Firms
Build high-quality and authoritative backlinks from relevant websites to improve your website’s authority. Perform competitive link research for a law firm and follow these steps:
- Choose the right competitors.
- Get a reliable backlink analysis tool.
- Keep track of whether competitors disavowed any problematic links or allowed sufficient time for potential recovery.
Moreover, consider avoiding outdated link-building tactics, including:
- Repetitive anchor text usage
- Guest posting on low-quality sites
- Blog networks
- Low-quality directory links
- Article directories
Instead, focus on successful competitor approaches such as content type, format, topics, and length. Additionally, create valuable content aligned with brand identity.
Take note: Natural link-building occurs through high-ranking content. So, consider active outreach in your off-page SEO.
Optimize Attorney Website Content
Content is where SEO success lies. Search algorithms use a few signals and factors, such as the content of your query and relevancy.
Here are some technical SEO factors when creating content for your law firm’s website:
- Create landing pages that give an overview of your law firm’s services. Then, link it to individual pages for each practice area. Include high-level keywords, clear calls to action, and relevant information to potential clients.
- Include an FAQ page that addresses common legal questions and provides helpful answers. Use checklists and bulleted lists throughout your law firm website to make information more accessible and scannable.
- Strategically place testimonials and reviews throughout your website to build trust and credibility. Positive reviews can influence prospective clients’ decision-making process.
- Create blog posts that cover a wide range of legal topics. Long-form blog posts tend to rank higher in search results.
- Use internal linking to guide online users to relevant content on your site. This helps Google know the structure and relevance of your content.
- Use targeted keywords in your title tags and meta descriptions. Produce compelling meta descriptions that attract online users to click.
- Optimize your website for local search results.
- Apply schema markup to give Google more information about your law firm.
Google Search Central uses a helpful content system to check if the content is written by people, for people, and in search results. So, creating informative, high-quality, and engaging content is important for attracting potential clients.
Measure Your Results
To test the effectiveness of your SEO efforts, it’s important to measure your results. Track key metrics, including:
- organic traffic
- keyword rankings
- conversion rates
- user engagement
Use tools like Google Analytics (GA) and Google Search Console (GSC). You can also use SEO platforms like the SEOLeverage app to monitor and analyze your website’s performance.
SEO is a continuous process. Staying up to date with the trends and algorithm changes is important for maintaining your online visibility.
With our app, you can concentrate on your SEO to increase conversions. Schedule your free demo here.
How to Find the Best SEO Agency for Lawyers
While you can implement law firm SEO strategies on your own, partnering with an experienced SEO agency is best. An SEO agency like SEOLeverage can provide you with valuable expertise and resources.
When looking for a law firm SEO company, consider the following factors:
- Experience in the legal industry
- Proven track record
- Transparency and communication
- Customized strategies
- Ongoing support and optimization
When selecting an attorney search engine optimization agency, look for one that composes those factors. Among the trustworthy options available is SEOLeverage.
With our skilled team and commitment to innovation, we focus on driving growth. Our customized SEO strategy enhances online visibility.
SEO Services We Offer
If you need assistance with your law firm's SEO strategy, SEOLeverage is here to help. SEOLeverage provides three SEO services to help you with:
- SEO Audit. Get a thorough SEO audit to determine your current SEO score and pinpoint growth areas. We’ll develop a customized SEO strategy based on your objectives and the gaps we find.
- SEO Consulting. Our ongoing consultation gives us real-time access to the most recent SEO insights and strategies. We maintain your site optimized for Google criteria to produce organic traffic, leads, and revenue.
- Online Reputation. Start now by letting the professionals at SEOLeverage evaluate your brand in Google search results. You will receive a report thoroughly examining your brand in three locations in five days.
Don’t miss out on the power of SEO for your law firm. Contact SEOLeverage today and let us help you achieve your SEO goals.
Final Thoughts
Implementing effective SEO strategies is important for law firms looking to improve their online visibility. You can boost your search engine rankings by following the steps outlined in this guide.
Remember that SEO is continuous and requires adaptation to algorithm changes. Stay updated with search engine optimization efforts and trends.
Partnering with an SEO agency is also helpful. SEOLeverage is your trusted guide in navigating the complexities of SEO for law firms.
Contact us today to discuss how we can boost your law firm’s online visibility and drive organic business growth.
