10 Key SEO Solutions for a Law Firm Website
Everyone needs a lawyer at some time, whether it’s for divorce, criminal defense, or a contract.
How do people find them?
Like they would anything else: using Google. In fact, 96% of people use Google to find legal advice while 74% use a law firm’s site to take action.
This high demand makes the legal space highly competitive. If your firm’s site is on page 2, odds are the traffic’s bypassing you for your competition.
But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Our ten SEO solutions will help you redirect that traffic back to your part of the neighborhood.
10 Crucial SEO Solutions for a Law Firm Website
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Choose Keywords Carefully
Keywords are SEO’s bread and butter. After all, it’s what users type into the search bar, right?
Come up with keywords you think customers will search for, then plug them into Google’s Keyword Planner to see if they rank. Revise your keywords based on the results.
Once you have them, separate them based on user intent. For example, keywords like “attorneys near me” signal an intent to hire your services. More specific keywords such as “DUI prison length” shows an intent for case information.
Structure your site’s content around your keywords so people (and Google) can easily find what they’re searching for.
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Optimize Your Site’s Structure
Your website should have a seamless user design. If you don’t, users will leave. 38% of them often do.
You have to get organized. Tailor your content, navigation, and URL to your UX design.
If you’re a single service firm–like contract law–put it in your URL. For example, if you’re in Tampa, Florida, use tampacontractlaw.com.
Multiple service firms should use their branded entity in their URL. They should also have individual service pages with content related to each service offered.
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Get High-Quality Links
Links are SEO essentials. Google ranks searches based on authority and trustworthiness.
Irrelevant links or spamming results in penalties.
So how do you get the good stuff?
Start with resource pages. Resource pages only post links to the best sites. If you get yours on their list, you could get a nice ranking boost.
Search out the resource pages in your area, find their contact information, and drop them a line.
Let them know what you do and why you should be on their site.
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Write High-Quality Content
Content is king. You’ve heard it a billion times.
It’s the dead horse that gets beaten every time someone writes about SEO. It’s true, though.
People trust blog content more than ever. They use it for research, to share, and they expect it to have expertise.
Five hundred word listicles don’t cut it anymore. In-depth case studies, detailed infographics, those are what users want to read.
It may sound tedious but use it as an opportunity to show off. You are the expert, right? Let users see how big that brain is.
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Look at Local SEO
The guy in Boston won’t contact your firm if you’re in Virginia. Most people look for legal services in their backyard. Why shouldn’t you look for customers that way?
If you don’t have one, set up a Google My Business account. Then, optimize it. Put your main keyword and the name of your business in the title. Write a brief description of what you do.
The last trick to local SEO is reviews. Good reviews can push you up the SERP while bad ones can put you out of business.
Email past customers and ask them to share their experience. You can also leverage your network for reviews and character references.
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Put an Ad in the Paper
No one reads the newspaper anymore, right? Wrong. They do, just not with real paper.
Most newspapers have gone digital. However, they still rely on subscriptions to make money; ads too.
Search out your local paper and get in touch with the advertising team. It does cost money, but the returns are worth it.
Google likes newspaper sites. Getting your site on one will generate a high-quality link and send users your way.
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Leverage the Aggregates
If you were to Google “legal services” right now, you know who would be at the top? Not a law firm, or even a resource site, but an aggregate.
Aggregates, like Yelp or Super Lawyers, function as the yellow pages of the Internet, a one-stop shop for search queries. They employ marketing experts and have worked hard to rank high.
You can’t beat them. Why not join them?
Aggregate sites have their own internal ranking system. By raising your profile’s rank within them, you effectively raise your Google rank.
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Social Media is Your Friend
You know by now Facebook can put you in front of a massive audience. But it’s not the only platform.
Video is gaining strength every day. Repurposing blog content for YouTube will put you in front of an even broader audience.
Don’t overlook forums, either. Sites like Reddit and Quora can help you generate more content, allowing you to answer user questions.
Answering questions directly on the forum also shows your expertise. Drop a link to your site afterward, and you’ll have plenty of conversions.
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Guest Post
Guest posting is the oldest tactic in the playbook. But never doubt an O.G.
Guest posting generates quality links and finding opportunities takes a simple Google search.
Don’t publish just anywhere though.
Any submission site worth its salt will demand high quality. Read what it’s published, find out what the editors like, and replicate it.
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Track Everything
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy when it comes to SEO. Sometimes you have to revise your plans.
When you employ any of these tips, keep track of them with Google Analytics. It’ll let you know how you’re doing. Plus, it’ll show you weak areas, allowing you to fine-tune your gameplan.
More SEO Solutions for You
SEO changes every day. Ten tips won’t be enough to get you to the top. To find more insight on SEO solutions or anything else, check out our blog.
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Local SEO is very important for any law firm. I have seen its importance when working with lawyers/attorneys.