In today’s world, people turn to search engines such as Google to find the services they need, including legal services. In fact, according to Google, “near me” or local search queries have grown by 150% in the past two years.
This means that if your law firm is not ranking well on search engines, potential clients may not even know you exist. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can increase your visibility online and attract more new clients and prospects to your law firm.
Difference Between SEO and Other Law Firm Marketing Channels
While there are many marketing channels available to attorneys, SEO offers unique benefits that cannot be achieved through other channels. For example, print advertisements and billboards have a limited reach and are often only seen by people in a specific geographic area. On the other hand, SEO allows you to reach potential clients who are searching for legal services online, regardless of their location.
Additionally, while social media and email marketing can be effective marketing channels, they rely on building a relationship with potential clients over time. SEO, on the other hand, allows you to reach potential clients who are actively searching for legal services and are therefore more likely to convert into paying clients.
So, what exactly is SEO?
Search engine optimization is the process of refining a website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). By optimizing a website’s content and structure, law firms can increase their visibility in search results and attract more traffic to their site.
Keyword Research
Keyword research involves identifying the keywords and phrases that potential clients use when searching for legal services online. Lawyers should start by brainstorming a list of relevant keywords and phrases, such as “divorce lawyer,” “estate planning attorney,” or “Immigration law firm.”
They can then use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner to see how frequently these keywords are searched and identify related keywords that they may have missed. Other tools available to help attorneys identify relevant keywords for their practice area include:
- Ahrefs – A comprehensive SEO tool that allows you to analyze your website’s search engine rankings, track your competitors, and identify relevant keywords.
- Moz Keyword Explorer – A keyword research tool that provides detailed insights into search volume, difficulty, and opportunity for each keyword.
- Ubersuggest – A free keyword research tool that provides keyword suggestions and related terms based on a seed keyword.
On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization refers to the various tactics that lawyers can use to optimize their website for search engines. This includes optimizing page titles and meta descriptions, using header tags to structure content, incorporating keywords into content, and ensuring that the website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. Lawyers should also create a blog and regularly publish high-quality, informative content that incorporates relevant keywords.
Link Building
Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks, or links from other websites that point to your website. Backlinks are an important ranking factor for search engines, as they indicate that other websites consider your content to be valuable and informative. Lawyers can acquire backlinks by creating high-quality content that other websites will want to link to, by reaching out to other websites and requesting a link, or by participating in relevant online communities and forums.
Local SEO
Local SEO focuses on improving a website’s visibility in local search results. Lawyers can optimize their website for local search by creating a Google My Business listing, ensuring that their NAP (name, address, phone number) is consistent across all online directories and listings, and including location-specific keywords in their content. Lawyers should also encourage clients to leave reviews on their Google My Business listing, as positive reviews can help improve their visibility in local search results.
Monitoring and Analysis
Monitoring and Analysis of SEO is an ongoing process, and lawyers should regularly monitor and analyze their website’s performance continuously to identify areas for improvement. This includes tracking keyword rankings, analyzing website traffic and engagement metrics, and reviewing backlink profiles. Lawyers should also stay up to date with changes to search engine algorithms and adjust their SEO strategy accordingly.
Effective Use of SEO Creates Competitive Advantages for Growing Law Firms
While there are many marketing channels available to law firms, SEO stands out for its long-term impact, cost-effectiveness, and ability to build trust and authority. By focusing on SEO strategies like keyword research, content and website optimization, link building, optimizing for local search, and monitoring performance, law firms can improve their visibility in search results and attract more new clients.
Is your google profile set up to attract your ideal clients? Is your firm’s visibility maximized in search results? Optimize your google profile to bring in more cases with this helpful checklist.
GoBeyond, a full-service marketing agency, is ready to answer any questions and support your practice whether you are new to using SEO strategies or an expert practitioner. Contact us to discuss your needs and visit us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
