Optimising your website helps your firm rank better on search engines. A well-optimized page shows up higher in searches related to your practice area. If you specialize in car accidents, your page should appear at the top of the results. The same applies to general legal searches like divorce lawyers or child custody lawyers. Better visibility turns visitors into leads.
A strong backlink profile is one of the most important parts of attorney SEO and one of Google’s primary ranking factors. Run a free website analysis to see which sites link to your website, and remove bad links, since Google penalizes sites with poor links. Building a quality backlink profile is time consuming, so many firms hire a dedicated SEO company to handle it.
Attorney SEO also covers keyword research and content. Original, relevant content written with keyword-rich language helps you compete for online leads. Whether the content lives on a blog, website, or directory, good writing builds trust and authority in your practice area and boosts revenue.
SEO matters for law firms because most consumers use search engines to find legal services. To reach the top of search results, you need a comprehensive search marketing plan that optimizes your website today and plans for future growth. The marketing team at On The Map Marketing, for example, splits its budget across three major areas: content creation, link building, and technical SEO.
Your attorney SEO should also maximize your presence on attorney directories. Complete profiles on these directories provide quality backlinks that drive traffic to your website, raise your domain authority, and support lead generation. Outsourcing to a company that specializes in attorney SEO is a common way to handle this work.
Why local rankings drive phone calls
Getting your firm’s listing at the top of local Google searches matters because people searching for attorneys in plaintiff-related practice areas often tap the “tap to call” button in the search results. The top 3 law firms receive the majority of those phone calls, which is why ranking high on Google has a direct effect on new client inquiries.
Choosing an SEO partner
When you invest in attorney SEO services, pick a company that can tailor its service plan to your firm. If you don’t have an in-house SEO team, consider a generalist agency that works across multiple industries. Techniques that work in different industries can help your firm rank higher in search engines.
Matching content to search intent
Your attorney SEO efforts should reflect what makes your firm different. The search landscape is competitive, and optimization depends on several factors, including the precise time of day when potential clients search. Google calls this “intent,” and matching content and visibility strategies to intent is a key part of the work.
Driving traffic to your website takes persistence. Many law firms skip the work of building an audience for their services and content. A blog, for instance, gives your firm more exposure and gives Google a reason to crawl and index your site more often, which increases traffic over time.
Building brand authority
Brand authority is another core ingredient of effective attorney SEO. It depends on the traffic your website gets, the number of people who know your brand, and how widely it is distributed through different channels. The more brand authority you build, the higher your website ranks for your most competitive keyword phrases. Social media supports that authority and sends traffic back to your site.
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