Is local search engine optimization (SEO) for lawyers really as important as they say it is? Nearly half of potential clients who are searching for a lawyer and researching different law firms use Google as their search engine. It is evident potential clients are still referring lawyers and attorneys through word-of-mouth from their family, friends, and other lawyers and attorneys. However, with each year that passes, we can expect the use of referrals to decrease, and the use of search engines to increase when clients are searching for legal help.
If you asked any lawyer, attorney, or law firm who has incorporated SEO into their marketing strategies, they will explain how important it is to not only invest in SEO but to invest in local search engine optimization. Law firms preach local SEO because of the clients and cases that arrive at your door once investing in this marketing strategy. Google is constantly pointing out the significance of local searchers and the rise of searches that contain the words “near me.”
So what exactly is local SEO for lawyers/attorneys? More importantly, how can lawyers and attorneys begin local SEO for their law firm to reach their targeted audience and ensure their current clients are receiving the best service? Continue to read this article to find out how.
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What is Local SEO for Lawyers, Attorneys, and Law Firms?
Essentially, local SEO allows your name as a lawyer, attorney, and law firm to generate for searchers within the area. When searchers are looking for a law firm for their legal needs they are most likely searching for one that is closest to them. Reflect back on how many times you have utilized Google by searching for a local restaurant. You may have typed “restaurant near me” or more specifically, “Sushi restaurant near me.” Similarly, potential clients type “lawyer near me” or “personal injury attorney near me.” These are all examples of local searches. Let’s take a closer look at what would generate for a client in Las Vegas, Nevada who searches, “personal injury attorney near me.”
As you can see, there are 3 law firms that generate above all of the surrounding personal injury attorneys in the city of Las Vegas. Earning a spot on the top pages of search engines largely increases clientele and establishes credibility. These law firms focus intently on their local SEO in order to maintain their presence on search engines. This is no easy task, and you can incorporate DIY methods to better your online presence.
Users that are using Google to search locally can also receive certain local search results, such as local maps. This provides the searcher with a clear, visual view of their search results. Additionally, the ranking of legal professionals’ websites will depend on their location, reviews, and relevance to users’ searches. This can be a very effective SEO tool for law firms, lawyers, and attorneys; however, there’s more than just local SEO when considering your ranking on Google, such as:
- Your law firm’s website
- Your online presence
- Your engagement
All of the above-mentioned components matter when trying to enhance your website, increase clientele, and rank on Google. We will dive deeper into what exactly these mean, and how to strengthen them.
DIY Local SEO Tips for Law Firms
There are many strategies to rank on Google and increase clientele, which can seem overwhelming. It is important to start with the basics and work your way up to avoid failure. Let’s begin with the basics to get you started.
1. Google my Business
Google My Business (GMB) is a tool used by local businesses, such as law firms, to provide Google and users with their business information. This includes addresses, phone numbers, websites, reviews, hours of operation, and in this case, practice areas. GMB is a great way to increase visibility on Google Maps and Google’s search engine. Creating a GMB and listing your business allows your law firm’s website to reach local searchers who are searching for a legal professional just like you.
How do I improve my Local Ranking?
In order to improve your law firm’s local ranking, your website needs to be the most relevant, dominant, and closest in distance to the searcher. Here is how to do so.
Reliable Information
It is important your Google My Business listing is up-to-date and has all of the relevant information for searchers to easily contact and find you. This includes reviews. Ensure you are managing your reviews because bad reviews can heavily impact your ranking on Google’s search engine. Ensure searchers have access to your law firm’s information without having to actually click on your website. As previously mentioned, your GMB law firm listing should include the following:
- Name
- Practice area
- Address & directions
- Phone numbers
- Reviews
- Operating hours
Additionally, you need to ensure your website is staying consistent with the content throughout its pages and following a schedule. This allows your website to reach a larger audience and generate on the top pages of search engines.
2. Increase Reviews
Law firm reviews can improve local SEO for lawyers and attorneys. The more reviews your law firm business accumulates, the more likely it is for you to receive a high ranking on search engines, and the more likely it is for clients to choose you over your competitors. Reviews are one of the main resources that potential patients consider when searching for a legal professional. This is why it is important to list your business on GMB. While there are other websites that are used for submitting and looking over reviews, such as yelp, they are not as used by the public as Google is. So, how exactly do lawyers and attorneys get more reviews? Here are DIY tips on how to get more reviews for your law firm.
The most evident and important way to receive reviews for your law firm business is by providing exceptional customer service to your clients. Unfortunately, clients are more likely to leave a bad review than a good review. However, if clients receive outstanding services from your law firm, they will go out of their way to leave a positive review. As positive reviews accumulate, you will notice the visibility of your website increase, as well as your law firm’s clientele.
Asking for a Review
You do not want to nag clients to leave a review. If you notice they are happy with the legal services you have provided them with, you may mention the idea of leaving a review regarding their experience with your law firm. The same goes for business cards. On your law firm’s business card, you can also point out where clients can leave a review.
If you really want to go above and beyond, many law firms offer gift cards when former clients leave reviews on their socials. For example, if a client leaves a review on Google they receive a $5 gift card. Even more so, if clients leave a review on Google, and dedicate a post on their Facebook and Instagram accounts reviewing their experience with their lawyer or attorney, they receive a $30 gift card. Deciding on which method to use to increase your reviews is completely up to you.
It is important you do not continuously bother clients for reviews. Instead, you can dedicate time to respond to all the reviews your law firm receives. This will show clients you care and create an attorney-client relationship with them. Accumulating reviews, and responding to them supports your marketing strategies for local SEO for attorneys.
3. Increase Engagement with Social Media
Social media won’t directly improve search rankings, but it can contribute to it. Managing several different social media accounts can be tedious. Begin by choosing one to two different social media platforms and go from there. The following social media platforms are all great for lawyers, attorneys, and law firms.
Creating social media accounts for your law firm, and staying consistent with them, builds your online presence. It raises awareness about you, your practice areas, and your law firm. Furthermore, it allows you to establish credibility, introduces your law firm to a larger audience, and creates attorney-client relationships via the internet. All of this can positively impact your law firm’s prominence in local rankings.
4. Optimize Your Attorney Website
Optimizing your website is very important for the growth of your law firm’s business. Firstly, you want to make sure your lawyer’s website is attractive to the eye, user-friendly, informative, and easy to navigate. There are many different things to consider when revising your website, such as color scheme, placement, word font, content, landing pages, etc. All of these can earn you a spot on the top pages of search engines, capture the attention of web searchers, and convert clients.
Web Design
You may know by now how challenging it is to build the perfect website for your law firm business. Some lawyers and attorneys may not realize how important every aspect of their website really is. To put it into perspective— while browsing the internet for a specific product, you find yourself on a website that has bright red and orange colors, unappealing fonts, and a messy layout. Chances are, you immediately develop a negative opinion about this company, and feel the products may not be the best because of the representation of the website. Within seconds of clicking on the website, you are looking elsewhere for the same exact product. The same goes for attorney and lawyer websites. Clients will easily become disinterested in your service if the representation of your website is lousy. Let’s take a look at a website created by Attorney Marketing Network that is efficient in its overall presence.
The look and feel of this website are simple but convey important messages. There are several different shades of blue that blend effortlessly with one another, and the font and its size aren’t overwhelming. Visitors are immediately welcomed with a picture that conveys a sophisticated, educated tone. Clients can easily navigate their way through the website, understand the attorneys’ practice areas, and has visible access to their contact information.
Content
The content throughout your website influences local SEO for lawyers as well. Landing pages and blog posts with legal content will grab the attention of Google and increase your chance of ranking high.
Furthermore, not every searcher on the internet will click only on the local search results. They will also click on lawyer websites that are beyond their locality. This typically happens when web users are just searching for legal advice in a timely manner. For example, someone who has just been in a car accident is panicking and has come to the realization that they do not know what to do. They search “What to do after a car accident.” A list of local lawyers generate, but they scroll past them and click on a landing page of a lawyer’s website that discusses the legal process and steps following a car accident. The content on this page allowed the website to reach a larger audience, introduced the website and law firm to a new web user, and increased website traffic— all of which Google can pick up on and lead to a higher ranking on search engines.
The more content you have throughout your website, the higher the chance of it earning a high ranking on the most used search engines. You may be wondering what the content will be about. There are many different topics to discuss on landing pages, and blog posts, each that can branch out to a whole other topic. Here are some ideas for your law firms website’s landing pages and blog topic ideas:
- Your specific practice area
- The location(s) of your law firm
- Processes and steps
- Local news relating to your practice area
5. Optimize Local and Legal Directories
The main website that web users will utilize when searching for a legal professional is Google. However, there are additional websites users may use while looking for an attorney, such as Yellow Pages, Yelp, Distinguished Justice Advocates, or Leaders of Law. Local and legal directory websites can also generate as a result on search engines for web searchers.
Local and legal directories are websites that list businesses and their information for clients to easily find and contact them. It is another way to search for the legal services they are in need of. Ensuring your law firm is present on local and legal directory websites increases the chances and number of times your law firm website generates as a search result. It also increases your visibility to potential clients. Ensure your information is accurate and consistent on all directory websites as Google notices the accuracy and consistency.
6. Leverage Google Screened
When a business has a Google screened badge, this means Google has reviewed and confirmed its certifications as a lawyer or attorney. This process may take a few weeks but allows your law firm to increase visibility and gain trust. Furthermore, you can rank organically on Google. The process of receiving a Google Screened badge is simple. After completing a survey, meeting the requirements, and sending in the required information, you receive a badge on Google that viewers can see. This badge may persuade potential clients to choose you as opposed to your competitors who do not have one.
Looking for Help With Local SEO for Your Law Firm
Local SEO for attorneys and lawyers is no easy task. It requires hours of hard work and endless website maintenance. The above-mentioned are great ways to get started with local SEO for your law firm. If you are unable to succeed at these DIY tips or feel you need additional guidance, there are local SEO agencies that work specifically with lawyers, attorneys, and law firms only. SEO agencies specialize in website design, and local SEO and marketing strategies. Contact a professional marketing agency to take your local SEO to the next level.
