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Keywords are important since they inform search engines about the content of your web pages. They help create content that aligns with web users’ search phrases and ultimately determine how much traffic your website receives.
Targeting the right keywords can make or break your legal SEO campaign. The keyword research process is the first step you need to take to ensure you select the best keywords for search engine optimization.
Let’s get to know
What Is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of identifying search queries or keyword phrases that your target audience uses when they search for something online. It reveals the competitiveness of target keywords and their difficulty, which is crucial for SEO copywriting.
When you have insight into what trending keywords are, you’re better equipped to grow website traffic, boost search engine rankings, and acquire new clients. Through keyword research, you can identify the relevance, authority, and volume of keyword types.
After conducting keyword research, you can establish and execute a strong keyword strategy that helps you get found for keywords you care about.
The 9 Different Types of Keywords for Lawyers
There are nine different types of keywords you can use to target prospective clients at each stage of the buyer’s funnel.
- Short-tail keywords: These are made up of three words or fewer and are sometimes called head keywords. They usually have the highest search volume and a highly competitive rate. For example: “lawyer in Chicago.”
- Long-tail keywords: These consist of three or more words and are quite specific, often revealing user intent. For example: “cost of personal injury lawyers”.
- Short-term keywords: Any words or phrases that have been in the news or hyped over social media. These have good search volume, but a limited lifespan.
- Long-term evergreen keywords: Keywords like these are continually relevant and stay “fresh” for readers over long periods of time. For example: “How to sue for personal injury”.
- Product defining keywords: These explain and describe your product. For example: “defense attorney”.
- Customer defining keywords: These search terms identify a specific subset of clients. For example: “personal injury lawyer dog bites.”
- Local and geo-targeting keywords: Prospective clients use these keywords when they are searching for law firms in a specific location. For example: “personal injury lawyer in Long Grove.”
- LSI keywords: These keywords are semantically relevant to your main keyword. For example: “disability lawyer”, or “car accident lawyer.”
- Intent keywords: Online user queries are usually informational, commercial, or transactional. These keywords reveal search intent and are used when prospects are close to hiring.
The Difference between Google Ads and Keyword Research
The major difference between Google Ads keywords and search terms is who uses them and why. Marketers use keywords to create SEO and PPC campaigns, whereas searchers (prospective clients) use queries to search for information online.
For instance, a user might type in “accident attorney Chicago” without knowing this specific keyword is being used by a law firm to target clients. Conversely, marketers use search terms to inform keyword ideas and their overall SEO strategy.
Why Keywords Are Important for Lawyer SEO?
Keywords are a big deal in lawyer SEO. When you pick the right legal keywords, you’re informing search engines that your website has the answers, relevant information, and experts that users are looking for. These keywords will help your site climb the ranks in search results.
Imagine being the go-to choice for anyone seeking legal assistance – that’s what targeted keywords can do! When you focus on specific legal terms that match your practice areas, you’ll attract the right type of visitors, ones your services can benefit.
One of the best parts about it is that you can save big on paid search. Once you conduct keyword research and identify keywords you need, your website brings in organic traffic instead. So, if you’re ready to get started and start bringing in more prospects, increasing your online visibility, and turning those potential clients into loyal clients, we’ve got you covered! Comrade Digital Marketing is an agency built with one main goal in mind: to bring you more clients and increase your firm’s revenue to set you up for success.
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Where Are Keywords Used?
Keywords are utilized across digital marketing efforts. They play a role in PPC campaigns, website content, SEO results, content marketing, and many more avenues to help consumers find your practice.
Keywords are the phrases that people type in the Google search box
Why You NEED the Right Lawyer Keywords
Choosing the right keywords is essential for boosting your legal practice‘s online presence. Take, for instance, a Chicago-based criminal defense law firm; they’d go for “criminal defense lawyer Chicago” or “assault attorney Naperville,” or something similar. They’re looking for specific criminal defense lawyers near them, not ones across the country who focus on other practice areas.
Speaking of relevance, search engines like Google rely on it to understand your page’s topic and rank it in search results. That’s where comprehensive topic coverage comes into play, boosting your Topical Authority score and organic visibility.
On top of that, picking the right keywords for topic clusters is vital. These clusters show contextual support, beefing up link building and internal linking. This helps users and search engines find your valuable content with ease. And, if you’re not sure which keywords to target, turn to a reputable digital marketing agency.
Keyword Research Parameters to Know
Keyword research is a critical component of law firm SEO, helping lawyers save money and solve marketing challenges. Understanding key parameters such as search volume, competition, and relevance ensures that you choose the right keywords to optimize your website and attract qualified leads. Discover the secrets to effective keyword research in our comprehensive guide.
Keyword Search Volume
When it comes to choosing the right keywords for your law firm’s SEO, don’t forget about the search volume parameter! Basically, search volume tells you how often people are searching for a specific keyword over a certain period.
It’s very helpful to analyze this search volume data because it gives you a clear picture of which terms or phrases are in demand within your legal practice areas. You definitely want to focus on keywords with higher search volumes because that means a bigger potential audience or niche for your services.
But don’t get too carried away! Keep in mind that going after highly competitive keywords with extremely high search volumes might be tough, especially for smaller law firms. So, find that sweet spot by identifying keywords with a good balance of search volume and competition. That way, you’ll optimize your chances of ranking high in those search engine results. We recommend focusing on specific longtail keywords.
Need a hand with your law firm’s digital marketing? Comrade Digital Marketing might be the answer! We specialize in helping lawyers and law firms boost their online presence to bring in more clients than ever before.
Keyword Difficulty
When diving into keyword research for law firm SEO, you can’t skip the all-important keyword difficulty factor. This measures how tough it’ll be to outshine the competition and claim that coveted ranking spot.
Picture this: you want to rank for a specific keyword, but you’re up against those big-shot websites with loads of authority and a tons of backlinks. Tough, right? That’s where keyword difficulty comes in, considering factors like website authority, backlink profiles, and content quality.
Aim for keywords with a reasonable difficulty score that matches your law firm’s resources and capabilities. By targeting the right keywords, you save time, money, and energy, while still attracting organic visitors.
Simply put, finding that perfect balance between keyword difficulty and relevance to your practice areas is the goal.
Keyword Intent
Keyword intent is simple: it’s all about why people search what they search. It’s like getting into their heads and figuring out what they want. Here’s what you need to know about keyword intent:
- Informational intent: Those seeking answers to legal questions or information about specific topics.
- Transactional intent: Those that are ready to take action, like hiring a lawyer or seeking legal services.
- Navigational intent: Those that are looking for a particular law firm or legal resource.
By choosing the keywords that match what people want, you’re well on your way to creating an optimized content marketing strategy! You attract the correct audience- those that are more likely to turn into real customers. It’s not just about traffic, it’s about bringing in the ones who count.
Comrade Digital Marketing Agency can help you with the above if you’re unsure how to go about it. Schedule a free consultation.
The Best Keyword Research Tools
Once you have identified a general list of keywords, you can use industry-standard keyword research tools to help narrow down your keyword list.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a paid tool that combines both keyword research features and competitive analyses. It features an Ahrefs keywords explorer to help your law practice find out what terms have the highest monthly search volume and provides helpful direction when building your list of target keywords.
Use Ahrefs for keyword research, analyzing search volumes and competition, and finding relevant keywords
Keyword Planner
Google’s Keyword Planner is beneficial simply because Google has access to an immense amount of invaluable keyword data like ranking difficulty, and low competition for popular keywords. This is a great keyword tool for beginners that helps you understand the basics of choosing the right keywords.
Answer the Public
This platform dives into interrogatives (who, what, when, where, why) and prepositions (with, for, of, etc.) to help generate relevant keywords. Answer the Public is excellent for determining long-tail keywords and helps you answer questions that get you into Google’s featured snippets.
“People Also Ask” Sections on Google
Check out the Google SERP (search engine results page) above for the query “How much should I charge as a lawyer in Illinois?” It’s got some nifty keyword phrases that law firms can target:
- How much do the best lawyers charge per hour?
- What’s the average rate for a lawyer in Chicago?
- How much do lawyers charge per hour in Chicago?
- How much does the average person spend on legal fees?
These questions are pure gold for law firms to use in their articles, blog posts, and website content. They’re super relevant to the original search and can seriously boost your local SEO efforts. They can even help you save money on paid ads.
Related Searches Section on Google
The search query “how much should I charge as a lawyer in Illinois?” provides valuable suggestions for a law firm in Illinois to target on its legal blog.
By exploring the related searches at the bottom of the search engine results page (SERP), lawyers can discover commonly searched phrases and queries related to their target keywords. This helps in expanding their keyword strategy and capturing a broader audience.
Legal forum Q&As
If you’re looking to ace your law firm’s SEO game, legal forums, and Q&A platforms are the answer! These treasure troves of knowledge are perfect for finding keywords.
Picture this: people asking questions and seeking legal advice, all in one place! By sifting through these forums, you’ll spot the common queries and keywords people use when hunting for legal help.
When you place those keywords strategically throughout your website content, you’ll speak the same language as potential clients. That means higher visibility, more qualified leads, and money saved.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a powerful tool that helps you find the perfect keywords for your law firm’s website. You can see how popular certain keywords are over time, so you can keep track of movement in your field.
With Google Trends, you can spot trending keywords in your practice area, so you’ll always have the latest and greatest topics to talk about. Plus, it lets you compare different keywords, so you know which ones are truly providing value.
By using those top-notch keywords with high search volume, you’ll boost your website’s traffic and attract more potential clients.
UberSuggest
If you’re a lawyer or own a law firm, check out UberSuggest. You just type in a keyword related to your practice area, and UberSuggest generates a series of related keywords, along with their search volume and competition level. Simple and stress-free.
In UberSuggest, enter a topic to discover relevant keywords, search volume, competition, and content suggestions
The best part? You can focus on keywords with decent search volume but lower competition, making sure you’re not wasting time and effort on keywords that are out of your reach. This means higher search engine rankings and more organic traffic to your website – and no need to break the bank with paid ads!
If you’re ready to get more qualified leads but need a little extra help, let Comrade Digital Marketing and UberSuggest be your secret weapons to bringing in even more clients for your firm.
Semrush
If you’re a lawyer or have a law firm, make sure to look into Semrush. It’s an incredible SEO tool that can help you find the perfect keywords for your website.
You can do keyword research, spy on your competitors’ keywords, and even discover those long-tail keywords that are specific to your area of law. Plus, Semrush tells you how tough the competition is for each keyword, how often people search for it, and even trends over time.
SemRush provides keyword research, competitor analysis, and content optimization for relevant keywords
On top of that, it has a content optimization feature! It suggests related keywords that you can sprinkle into your content to make it even more appealing for search engines.
Don’t miss out on this simple way to boost your online presence, attract the right clients, and save money by getting organic traffic and potential leads. Our experts at Comrade Digital Marketing highly recommend Semrush.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one of the most popular tools around– it gives you incredibly valuable data about keywords that can enhance your marketing strategy and increase your website traffic.
With Google Analytics, you can see which keywords are bringing in the most visitors to your site, helping you figure out what’s the best use of your time. Not to mention, it’s not just about numbers; you’ll get insights into how those visitors interact with your site and if they’re turning into potential clients.
Google Analytics honestly speaks for itself- it’s a service that our team at Comrade Digital Marketing uses to track our clients’ success and make sure we’re doing our best work for them.
Сhat GPT and AI Bots
Incorporating Chat GPT and AI bots on a law firm’s website is all the rage now! These nifty tools automate client interactions, saving lawyers precious time and resources. Thanks to these AI-powered chatbots, you can zip out instant responses to FAQs, offer basic legal info, and even guide potential clients through initial consultations.
Less time spent on repetitive tasks means more billable hours and more revenue for the firm. Plus, these AI bots can do wonders for lead generation, capturing visitor info, and qualifying potential clients.
It’s a win-win: you boost efficiency, level up the client experience, and even save money along the way by streamlining your workflow and client acquisition processes.
Bonus: Examples of the Best Keywords for Lawyers
Choosing the right keywords for law firm SEO is crucial for attracting the right clients, improving organic visibility, and ultimately saving money on advertising. Here are some examples of the best keywords that can help lawyers achieve their online marketing goals:
| Keyword | Monthly searches |
| Bankruptcy attorney | 81000 |
| Lawyers near me | 68000 |
| Accident lawyer | 33000 |
| Attorneys near me | 32000 |
| Immigration lawyer near me | 21000 |
| Free lawyer consultation | 12000 |
| Custody lawyer near me | 6400 |
| good lawyers near me | 5900 |
| Lawyer malpractice | 1800 |
| Lawyers for tenants | 1200 |
Strategies for Optimal Keyword Usage
Let’s discuss some savvy strategies for excellent keyword usage in your law firm’s SEO strategy.
Step one is thorough keyword research. Find those that match your practice areas and your audience’s searches. Keep your eyes peeled for those long-tail keywords – they’re your best bet.
Next, include those keywords smartly throughout your website. Tuck them into page titles, headings, meta descriptions, and content. But remember, keep it real and natural – no keyword cramming. Quality content is key! If you’re casting a local net, add some location-specific terms to reel in clients nearby with local SEO.
Pro tip: keep tabs on keyword performance with helpful SEO tools. Stay on top of trends and tweak your strategy accordingly.
With this, your law firm’s online visibility will increase, attracting the right clients without breaking the bank.
Analyzing Keyword Competition and Trends
When it comes to choosing the right keywords for law firm SEO, analyzing keyword competition and digital marketing trends is a must.
Imagine this: by understanding the level of competition for specific keywords, lawyers can focus their efforts where it counts. Say goodbye to wasting time and money on overly competitive keywords that just won’t budge in search results.
Keyword competition analysis is all about sizing up the competition – checking out the other players already ranking for a particular keyword. You know what they say, keep your friends close and your competitors closer! Identifying keywords with lower competition means you can swoop in and dominate the search results with your top-notch content.
By analyzing keyword trends, lawyers can stay ahead of ever-changing search behavior. Being in tune with what’s going on means you can tailor your content strategy to match those ever-evolving user preferences.
In summary, remember this: analyzing keyword competition and trends is the key to SEO success. It’s the roadmap that leads to improved website visibility, more traffic, and the best bang for your buck.
more leads to your law firm“>Attract more leads to your law firm
Conclusion
Keyword research works together with your SEO strategy to provide brand awareness and give prospective clients an easier way to find you with the best marketing ROI for law firms over the long term. And that’s crucial for any lawyer’s SEO, be that SEO for personal injury, SEO for DUI attorney, or be you a new law firm or a seasoned attorney. With the right targeted keywords, your law firm can generate more business than you thought was ever possible. If you need assistance defining what keywords will provide the most revenue for your business, Comrade Digital Marketing Agency is a phone call away.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to choose the right keywords for my law practice website?
The best way to choose the right keywords for your law firm website is to follow these 4 simple steps: 1. Begin your keyword collection process with keyword research. 2. Look for your competitors and see which keywords they rank for. 3. Think about the search intent, and make sure your law website content is relevant to the terms people search for. 4. Use each keyword on a specific page on your law website.
How many keywords should I use on one page of my law firm website?
There are pages with a singular focus answering only one search query, so, obviously, each page on your law website should rank for one keyword at the very least. However, it is more likely that you will want to target two or three keywords per page, even if they are just close variations. Targeting more than four keywords seems a bit crowded and is not recommended.
How do I know that the law firm keywords I collect are good?
First of all, you should understand the types of keywords. There are 3 of them: head keywords, body keywords, and long-tail keywords. Head keywords usually consist of 1-2 words and have a high search volume which means such keywords will be too competitive to rank for. Body keywords are 2-3 word phrases with a decent search volume and a moderate competition rate. Long-tail keywords are phrases consisting of four and more words. They have a low search volume but are least competitive and considered to be the best to target.
Where can I find your company?
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 Minneapolis or Cincinnati. You can even find our SEO experts in Cleveland! If you want to know more about our New Orleans SEO company or find out how exactly we can help you, contact us via the phone or email.
About the Author
Ivan Vislavskiy is Comrade Digital Marketing’s co-founder and fearless leader, spearheading the agency’s production department.
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