Law firms that invest in attorney SEO can climb Google rankings and build a steady pipeline of high-quality leads. Brandmuscle’s 2020 local SEO survey found search to be the most effective marketing channel, and the strategies below show how a firm can put that channel to work.
Why attorney SEO matters for law firms
More consumers turn to the Internet to find legal services, so a comprehensive search marketing plan is central to obtaining high rankings. Google My Business is one place to confirm a firm has followed Google’s guidelines, and to report any firm that breaks them. A professional-looking site that offers helpful information for the general public is one of the most important factors in optimization.
Focus on Google’s intent and your website structure
Many SEO plans for law firms once involved building multiple websites, with a single firm sometimes running ten or more. After a Google update reduced the power of exact-match domains, one website tended to dominate the rankings. Exact-match domains can still create a unique online presence in some markets, but most firms are better served by concentrating efforts on a single site.
Build a content engine around your practice areas
Content creation sits at the core of law firm SEO. Pages and posts must be topically relevant, informative, and shareable to lift rankings. Publishing quality content builds the impression of being an expert in a given field, drives website traffic, brings in social media traffic, and produces quality sales leads. The content has to be valuable and updated regularly to keep improving search engine ranking.
Go beyond pay-per-click with a strategic approach
Attorney SEO requires a more strategic approach than pay-per-click and uses a large amount of resources. It is worth understanding how search engines work so the investment pays off. With a strategic plan, law firm SEO helps a firm avoid the limits of paid-only marketing and boosts the firm’s online presence so it can compete with other law firms.
Personal injury attorneys and organic traffic
Personal injury attorneys can use attorney SEO to increase the amount of organic traffic to their site. These strategies combine off-site optimization, content marketing, and technical SEO to improve organic search traffic. More traffic gives a personal injury lawyer more quality cases and lead generation.
On-page details that move the needle
When optimizing a site for Google, include relevant keywords, including the target keyword and location for local searches. Meta descriptions also reflect page-load speed, which Google began weighing more heavily in 2017; a slow website can hurt both SEO and the user experience. Google’s free website speed testing tool is a quick way to check this.
Write a bio section that sells you to clients and to Google
A compelling bio section is the second most visited page on a law firm’s website. Visitors want to know about the lawyer they may hire, so the biography should read as a personal portrayal. The attorney’s biography also feeds Google signals, so it is a good place to highlight achievements, including local awards and accolades.
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