Local SEO Tips for Legal Firms
We often get requests about local SEO and Google My Business optimization for lawyers. Attorneys want quick fixes because they prefer not to waste time going through a long, grueling SEO guide.
While there are no long-term quick fixes, there are a few things you can do to improve your local SEO results. This article and the local SEO tips for legal firms that we recommend should take less than 5-minutes to complete for even the most technophobic of attorneys.
If you still don’t feel comfortable setting up a local SEO account yourself, call us anytime Monday-Friday 9AM - 5PM at 312-265-0580. Contact us outside officer hours here. We will do the initial Google My Business (GMB) account set up for you while we are on the phone. If you want to set up your GMB account, follow the five-step process below. It takes approximately 90 seconds to complete.
Is Local SEO Important for Law Firms in 2023?
The short answer is “yes, more than ever.” The pandemic shutdowns have pushed online traffic to new heights, and businesses — whether they’re retail outlets, medical practices, service providers, or law firms — are all seeing new opportunities in leveraging the power of local SEO to grow their revenue.
I could give you a mile-long list of statistics about why Google My Business optimization for lawyers is essential. However, for brevity, I want to discuss one number: 40%.
Two out of every five smartphone users find local law firms through Google. Can your law firm ignore two out of every five prospects who come to your door? If the answer is no, keep reading.
The Difference Between Local SEO vs SEO
Traditional SEO for law firms comprises a range of tactics used to improve a law firm’s website on a national or global scale. The idea is that through careful optimization, a website will rank higher in search results when what it offers correlates with what users are searching for.
Local SEO for solicitors is a subsection of SEO that focuses exclusively on optimizing a law firm’s website when users search for its services within a specific geographical area or location. With the adoption of smartphones to Google search, developers realized many searches (as much as 46%) contained the words “near me” or showcased a strong user intent to find local products or services.
Ergo, Google decided to introduce local SEO to bring more foot traffic to brick-and-mortar businesses. So, while organic SEO aims to rank high for specific keywords, local SEO marketing aims to rank high on Google’s local pack of listings.
For example, if a potential client searches for “personal injury law firms in Chicago,” Google would want to connect the prospect to a local personal injury law firm in Chicago via its local search capabilities.
Why Google My Business for Lawyers and Maps Optimization Are Important
Google search is the new normal for clients seeking legal help. Because each state has different BAR regulations, it makes little sense for law firms to operate outside their jurisdiction, unless they deal with international or national law.
And that’s the great thing about local SEO, it directs clients who need legal help in your service area!
Moreover, legal marketing is highly competitive. Top-ranking keywords are super expensive. To give you an idea, the cost-per-click for personal injury lawyers for local searches around car accidents and associated keywords can be as much as $1000.
Therefore, local SEO for solicitors (and also franchise SEO) plays an important role in the overall SEO strategies for law firms. It helps improve a law firms’ online presence, local rankings, and lead generation. It’s a vital tool that allows business to reach their specific niche of clients when they are searching for them.
How Google My Business for Lawyers Improves Local SEO Fast
The successful road to local SEO for lawyers starts with a single step. In this case, we require you to sign up. That is it! Just set up a free account on Google My Business.
Google My Business optimization for attorneys is a powerful tool that helps prospects find your law firm with ease when conducting local searches.
Note: If you have a Google My Business Account, skip this section and scroll down to “I Set Up My Google My Business Page. Now What?”
Attract more leads to your law firm“>How to Set Up Google My Business for Lawyers
Have these items handy when you set up your account:
- Legal Business Name (or DBA)
Be sure to use the name consistently on your website and marketing materials so that you do not dilute your organic traffic. What’s more, be careful not to stuff your name with keywords, as this will also dilute the effectiveness of your Google My Business listing.
- Complete Address (street, unit/suite, city, state, and zip code)
You may also add service areas and additional office locations into your Google My Business listing, so be sure to include this pertinent information.
- Add Business Category
You can now include the category of business you service
- Customer Service Phone Number
- Website URL (ex. https://comradeweb.com)
Step 1: Add Your Legal Business Name
Step 2: Enter Your Address and Whether You Deliver Goods or Services
Step 3: Add Your Business Category.
Step 4: Add Your Customer Service Phone Number and Law Firm Website.
Step 5: Verify Your Law Firm via Email, Text, or Phone.
Also, note that Google My Business has added updates to its messaging features that will help your interaction with potential clients run more efficiently. Once you verify your GMB page, you have a live page. Mission Accomplished!
“I Set Up My Google My Business Page? Now What?”
What should you do after you set up your page? What else can you do with the remaining two minutes before getting back to your legal briefs?
You might not be able to do this all in 2 minutes. However, here’s how to implement Google My Business optimization for attorneys.
1. Add Photos
The first thing you need to do is add photos to your Google My Business page. Create a personal touch with pictures of your team and law firm office.
Potential clients want to trust you. A few photos can go a long way in building that trust. Use a minimum of 3-5 high-quality images. You can always change the pictures later, you just need to start.
A few photos to consider:
- Logo
- Corporate office
- Team
- Executive Team
- Behind the scenes
2. Implement Law Firm Local Citations
You also need citations for your new page. Here are a few best legal directories you should add your company to, which can boost your search engine results rankings. Legal directories are important as they provide a) credibility to your law firm; b) and improve your organic search results.
Here you can read more about Martindale-Hubbel ratings and how to increase Avvo rating.
3. Confirm You Have a Mobile-Friendly Website
If you want to get local SEO traffic, you require a mobile website to capture new clients who are using their phones to find local law firms. The first step is to confirm your site is optimized for mobile. Use the Mobile-Friendly Test.
4. Services
Be sure to include a detailed description of your legal services. Refer to the Google My Business services editor page for details on how best to edit your law firm’s local listing, so it appears in search engine results pages.
Local SEO Mistakes to Avoid
To keep your SEO for bankruptcy lawyers, or any other type of attorney, on track, you’ll want to avoid making these common mistakes, which can potentially hurt your business’s credibility and online presence. Follow these local SEO tips for the best organic search results.
Inconsistent NAP Information
Of all the local SEO tips for legal firms you’ll come across, this one is paramount! Your law firm’s business name, phone number, and address should be the same on all citation and local directory sources. Google’s local search ranking factors are affected by spaces, full stops, and different spelling.
For example, if your firm is located on Flower Street, you should keep the spelling of all your business information the same across all citations and listings. Even abbreviating the address to Flower St. will make Google assume it is a different listing.
Not Having Positive Customer Reviews
Local SEO studies reveal potential clients are more likely to pick law firms that have more or better average review ratings. If you have no reviews or a bad review score, you won’t attract much business.
There are over 200 factors Google considers when ranking websites and listings on organic search results. Of that, 7% is made up of reviews. Positive social signals indicate client trust. Google recognizes this and is far more likely to preference law firms with an average rating of 4 stars or better.
How to Get Local Clients for Your Law Firm
If your law firm operates in a specific location, then you should be using local keywords strategically across your site and content marketing. While they may yield lower overall search volumes, they drive traffic ready to convert.
For example, if you’re a personal injury lawyer in Chicago you might include keywords like “personal injury in Chicago,” personal injury attorney in Chicago,” or even qualifier terms such as “personal injury lawyer near me.”
Adding “near me” to title tags of your location pages, anchor texts, and alt tags helps your law firm show up for more local searches. Over 30% of people search online for lawyers nearby, which is why local keywords are so important.
Common local keywords include:
- Personal injury lawyer near me
- Criminal defense lawyer near me
- Criminal defense lawyer + city or district
Think about how local searches would structure their search engine queries. Through keyword research, you can find the most valuable keywords to pair with your location and include them in your content marketing.
Using Voice Search Keywords
Current statistics show that 41% of adults use voice search at least once a day. Voice search allows users to combine more keywords than typical browser searches. These queries also tend to be more conversational and have an average length of 29 words.
As such, you should prioritize long-tail keywords that capture intent. Many voice searches start with questions, so leading with the Five Ws (who, what, where, why, when) and how is useful. For example, instead of saying “family lawyer near me,” clients are more likely to ask, “Where is the closest family lawyer?”
You’ll also want to match the language level of these searches. If you’re using a higher-level vocabulary in your content, you might want to lower it a notch or two. Most voice searches are around an 8th-grade reading level.
How Do You Continue to Use Local SEO for Lawyers?
Google My Business for small law firms (and large ones) is critical to ensure that the right prospects find their services. So, be sure to optimize your GMB and all other marketing efforts with local specifications for your services. These, powerful tips on localizing your Google My Business listing will ensure your listing is a success.
The local SEO strategies we’ve shared will provide an incremental jump in calls from new clients. However, it takes positive Google reviews, a strong social media presence, impressive content marketing, and a robust website with relevant keywords to truly outshine competitor law firms.
The first step is setting up a GMB account. The next is garnering positive reviews, and implementing a local SEO campaign.
However, if you believe your career would be better spent defending your clients instead of optimizing local search pages on Google, then reach out to us for help.
We’re a full-service digital marketing agency with a team of law firm marketing experts that can improve your local search results and revenue. Take a look at the best local SEO tools to gain your success.
In what cities do you work?
Comrade originates in Chicago, but we worked all around the United States. We can help your business grow and increase revenue whenever you are. We have offices across most major cities in the US. For example, we can offer SEO services in Chicago or Miami. You can even find our SEO experts in Austin! If you want to know more about our Milwaukee SEO company or find out how exactly we can help you, contact us via the phone or email.
- Website UI/UX, content and conversion review
- SEO: 20-point performance check
- Digital marketing strategy
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