Your Guide to Local SEO Lawyers

Your Guide to Local SEO for Law Firms

Local SEO is essential for enhancing the visibility of your law firm within local search results. As the digital landscape evolves, staying visible on platforms like Google Maps and local listings becomes crucial.

Why Is Local SEO Important for Law Firms?

An impressive 75% of Internet users never venture past the first search results page. This underscores the importance of local search engine optimization (SEO) for law firms of all sizes.

Benefits of Local SEO for Lawyers

1. Reaching Local Clients: Local SEO targets legal clients actively seeking services in their vicinity, ensuring your firm ranks prominently in online searches. Incorporating keywords and categories specific to your practice areas can increase this effectiveness.
2. Boosting Credibility and Visibility: A prominent online presence not only boosts your visibility but also enhances credibility, signaling to potential clients that your firm is reputable and trusted in the community.
3. Competitive Edge: Many law firms are not fully leveraging the potentials of local SEO, which presents an opportunity for your firm to gain significant ground by optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) profile, utilizing local citations, and engaging in community-related events.
4. Increased Engagement and Conversion Rates: By focusing on local keywords and creating content that addresses local issues, your website will attract more targeted visits from potential clients, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
5. Enhanced Community Reputation: As your local search rankings climb, so does your firm’s standing within the community, which can lead to increased referrals and a stronger professional image.

Here’s a guide that explains what search engine optimization is, why you need local SEO, and what you need to do for it to succeed.

Local Ranking Factors for Law firm SEO

Google continually updates its algorithm to provide the most relevant results based on local ranking factors. Understanding these factors can help tailor your SEO strategies effectively.

There are 3 main factors Google uses to determine its local rankings:

Local-ranking-factors-for-Law-firms

Besides these core elements of Google’s Local Search Algorithm, here are the top 15 local pack factors your firm should know:

Laptop displays key 2023 local SEO factors in a clear bar graph presentation.

Stay Ahead with Local SEO Knowledge

Stay informed with the latest local SEO trends and practices by monitoring key metrics and adjusting your strategies based on performance data.

This proactive approach ensures your firm remains competitive and prominent in local search results.

Local Keyword Research for Law Firms

Keyword research is essential for law firms aiming to dominate local search engine results. A detailed strategy includes identifying the right keywords and understanding how geographic modifiers like “near me” and “city name” influence search results, especially on platforms such as Google Maps and Google My Business (GBP).

Google Maps Keyword Strategy for Lawyers

Not every keyword search results in a Google Map Pack listing, which is crucial for visibility. Begin by pinpointing your primary keyword related to your law firm’s key services, such as “personal injury attorney” , “family law attorney” or “criminal defense lawyer“. It’s important to incorporate modifiers that reflect the quality of service, location, or specific client needs, such as “best”, “free consultation”, and “top-rated”.

Then, apply the following strategy to refine and enhance your keyword list:

1. Add Local Modifiers
   • Use your primary keyword with modifiers that local clients might use when looking for legal services. Modifiers can relate to the quality of service, location, or specific needs such as:
     • Near me
     • Best
     • Free consultation
     • Top rated
     • Questions
2. Record Maps Listings Triggers
   • Monitor which combinations of your primary keyword and modifiers trigger a listing in Google Maps. This is crucial because appearing in Maps can drive significant local traffic to your firm.Here are examples of how to combine and test these modifiers:
     • “Top rated divorce attorney in [City Name]”
     • “Best DUI lawyer near me”
     • “Family law attorney with free consultation”

Map Qualifying keywords have modifiers that indicate specific local and commercial intent.

Integrating Local Keywords into Web Presence

With a robust list of geo-modified keywords, integrate these into your website and Google Business profile strategically:

Website Content

→ Incorporate these keywords into your homepage, about us page, service pages, location pages and blog posts. Ensure they appear naturally in titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body text.

Google Business Profile Posts

→ Regularly update your GBP profile with posts that include these high-performing local keywords. This not only boosts your SEO but also keeps your profile active and engaging for potential clients.

Image and Video SEO

→ When uploading images and videos, use filenames that include these keywords (using underscores or dashes as separators).

FAQs

→ Create FAQ sections that address common local legal questions incorporating your targeted keywords. This not only aids in Local SEO but also provides valuable content for your clients.

Monitoring and Adjusting Local Keywords

Local SEO is dynamic; what works today might not work tomorrow.

Regularly monitor the performance of your chosen keywords and the impact of geographic modifiers.

Tools like Google Search Console and Local Falcon can track your Local rankings and help you refine your strategy based on real-time data.

Optimizing Your Law firm’s Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile is a free tool offered by Google that is designed to help local businesses increase their visibility on Google Maps.

This property is critical for law firms like yours aiming to appear prominently in local searches.

Properly setting up, verifying, claiming, and managing a GBP listing is vital for optimal performance.

GBP Setup and Optimization

Truitt-Law-Offices-Google-Business-Profile

1. Ensure your law firm’s profile is fully completed with accurate and consistent information across all sections, including verification.
2. Include keyword-rich descriptions that cover all practice areas. Mention specialties and key services clearly.
3. Choose relevant GBP categories that closely match your legal services to help the right prospective clients find you.

Keyword and Metadata Strategy

1. Ensure all content, from descriptions to posts, incorporates relevant local keywords that potential clients may use to find your legal services.
2. Use underscores or dashes, instead of spaces in image file names to improve SEO.

Content and Posting Strategy

1. Post daily on GBP with content that includes targeted keywords related to your services. Each post should engage viewers and direct them to high-converting pages on your website.
2. Use the share link to create interconnected content, enhancing the reach and SEO impact of each post.
3. Regularly update your profile with high-quality photos and videos, including 360 photos and videos using a Google-approved photographer or tools like Google Street View App.

Engagement and Interaction

1. Activate messaging on your profile to directly communicate with potential clients and respond promptly to inquiries.
2. Encourage reviews from clients and respond to all reviews, highlighting professionalism and engagement. Use hashtags in responses where appropriate and monitor for spammy or fake reviews.
3. Implement appropriate schema markup (e.g., Local Business, Organizational Schema) on your GBP URLs to enhance visibility and relevance in search results. Test your schema with tools like the Structured Data Testing Tool.

Technical Enhancements

1. Regularly check and clean up your law firm’s citations across all directories to maintain consistency and accuracy.
2. Employ tools like PageOptimizer Pro to analyze and optimize your content performance.
3. Ensure that all metadata on your GBP profile is updated with consistent name, address, and phone number information.

Reviews and Suspensions

1. Keep an eye on new reviews and flag any that seem suspicious or spammy, using Google’s review reporting tools if necessary.
2. Be prepared to file an appeal if your GBP listing is ever suspended, ensuring you have all necessary documentation and screenshots ready.

When a listing gets suspended, Google will send the owner an email detailing the “violation type.” This should give you a general idea of the reason why it got suspended.

Google business profile suspension

Here are a few examples:

1. Having an inaccurate address listed for your firm. Any inconsistent or misleading information can trigger a suspension, so remember to keep this up to date if you ever move from one office to another, or open any additional ones!
2. Excessive changes to your listing. We get it, you need to optimize your listing, and situations arise where you need to get more than a couple things updated. Make sure the changes you make are necessary and accurate, and you should be good to go.
3. Practicing keyword stuffing. You know you’re keyword stuffing if you’re trying to overload your business description or any other field with excessive keywords. Optimizing for search engines is important, BUT do so intentionally. Focus on crafting genuine descriptions that depict your firm accurately.

Want to read more about GBP suspensions and how to prevent them? Here’s where you can find out more.

Website Optimization for Local SEO

Optimizing your law firm’s website structure for local SEO is essential, particularly for multi-location practices.

A well-planned site structure not only improves SEO but also enhances user experience by making it easier for potential clients to find relevant information based on their location.

Website Structure for Multi-Location Law Firms

Here’s how to structure your website to target various locations effectively, using your primary and secondary Google Business Profile categories as a guide.

Local Language Targeting

A website that is in English works phenomenally, but having a site that represents your current and potential clients is a must.

With a website that is created in your prospects’ native language, it is crucial that conversations and nuances don’t get lost in translation right from the start of a relationship.

Explore key Spanish SEO tactics for law firms to better engage and serve Hispanic clients.

Case Study: Spanish Expansion with Local SEO

Expanding to Spanish SEO builds stronger and more transparent communication, leading to great results for the law firm! After the SEO expansion, the firm’s monthly ROI jumped from 282.61% to 326.84%.

Bar chart on tablet showing ROI growth before and after strategic changes.

Read the entire case study here and watch what Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks P.A. had to say about Consultwebs’ SEO services.

Creating Content for Local SEO

Local content creation not only helps in improving your local search visibility but also in establishing your firm as a knowledgeable and integral part of the local community.

Creating engaging and SEO-optimized location-specific content for law firms involves more than just listing services. It’s about embedding your firm into the fabric of the communities you serve, making your website a valuable resource for local residents.

Here’s some of the types of location content that you can develop for your local SEO:

Special Features for Local Engagement

• Include detailed case studies on service pages, linking to full versions that illustrate your firm’s local legal prowess.
• Create location-specific videos that discuss local laws or community issues, with transcripts for accessibility and SEO. Include a gallery of geo-tagged images from significant local cases or events.
• Regularly update a section with advice on local legal developments, upcoming laws, and how they affect residents, alongside weather or terrain issues that impact local real estate or business laws.
• Announce city-specific service discounts or legal clinics, and detail your participation in local events or sponsorships to reinforce community ties.

Local On-Page SEO for Law Firms

For law firms targeting local markets, optimizing on-page SEO is critical to enhancing visibility and attracting more clients from specific geographic areas.

This section of the Local SEO for Lawyers Guide provides a comprehensive checklist to ensure your firm’s website pages are fully optimized for local search.

Local On-Page SEO Checklist

1. Page Indexation
   • Ensure each page is indexed by Google to make it searchable. Use tools like Google Search Console to confirm indexation.
2. Category/Keyword in URL
   • Include the target Category and/or keyword in the URL. This helps signal to search engines the main focus of the page, which is crucial for ranking.
3. Keyword in H1 Tag
   • Place the target keyword in the H1 tag. This is a strong on-page signal to search engines about the page’s content.
4. Optimized Subheadings (H2, H3, etc.)
   • Use subheadings to structure content and include related keywords. This enhances readability and SEO by covering related search terms.
5. Meta Title and Description
   • Include the target keyword in the meta title and description. These elements help improve click-through rates from search engine results pages as they often determine the first impression in search results.
6. Schema Markup
   • Implement the correct schema markup (e.g., LocalBusiness, Attorney) to provide search engines with precise information about your page’s content and context.
7. Appropriate Word Count
   • Ensure the content meets or exceeds the typical word count of competing pages in your local area to signal comprehensive coverage of the topic.
8. Embedded Google Map
   • Include an embedded map or My Map to reinforce the local relevance of your page, linking it to the geographic area.
9. Local Content Snippets
   • Incorporate a minimum of 200-30 words specifically about the city or locality to tie the page’s content to the geographic location.
10. Written Driving Directions
    • Include written directions to your firm from notable landmarks to enhance local relevance and provide practical information to potential clients.
11. Accurate NAP Information
    • Display the correct Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) consistent with your GMB listing to reinforce local citations.
12. NAP Linked to GBP Listing
    • Link the NAP details directly to your GMB maps listing to help Google associate these elements together.
13. Effective Call-to-Action
    • Use compelling calls to action that guide visitors to contact your office, schedule a consultation, or take other relevant actions.
14. Supporting Local Pages
    • Create and link to at least 10 supporting pages that focus on geographically relevant topics, enhancing the overall local authority of your site.
15. Optimized Internal Linking
    • Strategically use internal links with appropriate anchor text to distribute page authority across your site and aid in ranking other key pages.
16. Geographically Relevant External Links
    • Include external links to important local sites, like city hall or significant local landmarks, to further establish the locality of your page.
17. Optimized Alt Text for Images
    • Ensure all images include alt text that describes the image, incorporates relevant keywords, and complies with ADA standards.

By following this detailed on page checklist, law firms can significantly enhance their local SEO efforts, ensuring that each page on their site is optimized to rank well in local search engine results and attract more clients from targeted geographic areas.

Local Citations and Link Building

Local Citations and Link Building are crucial in boosting your local search rankings and enhancing your online visibility in specific geographic areas.

Understanding Citations and Their Impact on Local SEO

Citations are mentions of your law firm on the web, which include any combination of your firm’s name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Citations influence local search engine rankings by validating your location and existence. The more places that your firm’s accurate and consistent information appears, the more trustworthy it appears to search engines.

The accuracy and uniformity of your citations across all platforms (e.g., directories, social media, legal review sites) are vital. Discrepancies in details can undermine your firm’s SEO efforts.

How to Build and Manage Citations Effectively

Building and managing your citations requires a focused and methodical approach:

1. Use tools like Moz Local, BrightLocal, or Yext to find where your firm is currently cited. Check for accuracy and consistency in all listings.
2. Update Inaccurate Information: Any discrepancies in your NAP details can negatively Make it a priority to correct any outdated or incorrect information.
3. Look for opportunities to list your firm in additional relevant directories. Prioritize legal-specific directories, local business directories, and well-regarded national directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau.
4. Set up a system to regularly check and update your citations. This is crucial as business details can change, and directories may pull information from sources that might not have the most current data.

Start your Local Listings Scan now with Consultwebs

Strategies for Acquiring Local Backlinks

Backlinks from reputable local sources can significantly enhance your firm’s local SEO by boosting your perceived authority and relevance. Here are some strategies to acquire valuable local backlinks:

1. Develop partnerships with other local businesses that offer complementary services (e.g., real estate agencies for a real estate law firm). You can create guest posts for each other’s blogs or sponsor local events together.
2. Reach out to local newspapers, radio stations, and news channels to feature articles on topics where you can provide expert legal advice. This not only gives you a platform to share your knowledge but also helps in getting valuable backlinks.
3. Get involved in or sponsor local events, charities, or conferences. Often, these events will feature your firm’s name and link on their website, which enhances your local link profile.
4. Create a scholarship for local students or a contest that resonates with your community. These initiatives tend to get coverage from local educational institutions and media, resulting in high-quality backlinks.
5. Develop content that serves as a resource for specific local issues or interests, such as local legal guides, which can encourage other local sites to link to your content as a reference.

Implementing these citation and link-building strategies will help your law firm improve its local SEO, drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately, increase client engagements from your targeted geographic areas.

Reviews and Local SEO

Did you know that 98% of consumers trust reviews they find online and consider them “personal recommendations,” which is one of the local ranking factors?

This means that potential clients will decide whether to hire you for their legal needs, in part based on how satisfied they are with your reviews. While you can get reviews on all prominent directories, your primary focus should be your law firm’s Google reviews.

The following statistics demonstrate the importance of online feedback about your law firm:

• As of 2020, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses.
• The star rating is the most critical review factor compared to recency, legitimacy, sentiment, and quantity.
• Almost 50% of consumers would consider using a business with less than four stars.
• About 75% of users only pay attention to reviews in the most recent month.
• More than 70% of consumers have written a review for a local business.

After you apply all these essential factors to your local SEO, you might have questions such as: Can I do SEO on my own, or can I hire someone to do SEO on my website?

Here’s our straightforward answer: the decision always depends on your firm’s capabilities. If you’d like to partner with local SEO experts, we can help.

Tracking and Analyzing Local SEO Efforts

To maximize the impact of your local SEO strategies, it’s crucial to continuously track and analyze your efforts. Effective monitoring allows you to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and how you can optimize your strategies for better performance.

Tools and Metrics to Monitor Local SEO Performance

Google Analytics

1. Monitor how visitors find your website—whether through search engines, direct visits, referrals, or social media.
2. Understand the paths visitors take on your site, which can help identify what content keeps them engaged and where you might be losing them.
3. Track how well your site is converting visitors into clients, which is crucial for measuring the ROI of your SEO efforts.

Google Search Console

1. See how your site performs in Google Search, including impressions, clicks, and average position.
2. Analyze the search terms that bring users to your site, which can inform your content and keyword strategy.

Local SEO Tools (e.g., Moz Local, BrightLocal):

1. Monitor to see how well your business is ranking within a specific geographic radius around your office location.
2. Monitor and manage your listings across directories to ensure consistency and accuracy.
3. Keep track of reviews and ratings across various platforms to manage your firm’s online reputation effectively.

Google Business Profile Insights

1. Track how often your business appears in Google Maps and Google Search.
2. Measure customer actions, such as website visits, direction requests, or phone calls, directly from your GMB listing.

Regular Tasks for Maintaining and Improving Local Rankings

Adjusting Local Search Strategy

1. Refine Keyword Strategy: If certain keywords are underperforming, consider whether you need to modify your content or if there are new, emerging keywords you should target.
2. Enhance Content Based on User Engagement: Use proximity rankings in BrightLocal, behavior flow and engagement data from Google Analytics to refine your content. Increase focus on high-performing pages and adjust or expand underperforming content.
3. Optimize for Higher Conversion: Use conversion tracking to understand which pages lead to client inquiries and optimize these pages to enhance the user experience and call-to-action elements.
4. Local Optimization Enhancements: Adjust local SEO tactics based on performance in local search results. Use proximity rankings in BrightLocal to identify problem areas and look for opportunities to increase efforts in local link building, creating more geo-specific content, or optimizing your Google Business Profile with additional posts and content.

By consistently tracking, analyzing, and adjusting your strategies based on robust data, your law firm can continually enhance its local SEO efforts, driving more targeted traffic and ultimately converting more clients from your local area.

Implementing Your Local SEO Strategy

Now is the time to put these insights into action. Begin with an audit of your existing SEO tactics, revamp your Google Business Profile, and ensure your website exemplifies local SEO best practices. Regular monitoring and updates will be key to navigating the ever-evolving SEO landscape and staying ahead of the curve.

Need Professional Local SEO?

If the prospect of overhauling your Local SEO strategy seems daunting, or if you’re looking to enhance your efforts with expert advice, our team is ready to assist.

We offer tailored SEO services ranging from comprehensive audits to specific strategic implementations, all designed to boost your local market presence.

Start by getting this Local Search Case Study, or book a Strategy Call to see if the Consultwebs Approach is right for you.

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