A Quick Guide to Local SEO for Law Firms

Although legal service consumers still value recommendations from friends and family, online research has become a popular way for them to find lawyers. This trend is certainly not surprising, especially with the growing number of internet users in recent years. This is why as a lawyer, you must shift your focus from traditional advertising to local search engine optimisation or SEO. Here’s a quick guide to local SEO for law firms to help you attract more prospects and increase your revenue.

Why Invest in Local SEO

Research showed that “near me” searches are growing faster than other online queries. For this reason, it makes sense to optimise your website for online searches with local intent. 

Local SEO plays a significant role in helping law firms like yours build better brand awareness and increase their online presence. It allows you to show up on Google Maps, which is crucial for lawyers and solicitors targeting a specific geographical area. Not only does this enable you to drive more traffic to your website, but it also makes it easier for potential clients to find and visit your physical office. 

Furthermore, local SEO allows you to develop a better reputation. Showing up on top of search results gives you more credibility, providing prospects with the impression that you’re an industry authority. Local SEO also enables you to showcase client ratings and reviews, helping you build trust amongst prospects.

The Essentials of Local SEO for Lawyers

Here are a few local SEO strategies you can implement to dominate local search results.

Google Business Profile

Having a Google Business Profile is an excellent jump-off point for local SEO. Previously known as Google My Business (GMB), it allows you to reach a broader audience through Google Maps and “near me” searches. It also facilitates better client engagement through specific features, such as GBP posts and  Messaging, which allows legal service customers to contact you quickly.

Most importantly, Google Business Profile gives your reputation and credibility a boost by making it easier for your clients to review your practice. Conversely, it simplifies the process of responding to client feedback. 

To make the most of your GBP, here’s what you should do:

• Provide content relevant to what your target clients are looking for. For instance, if you specialise in criminal law, you should incorporate “criminal lawyer” into your GBP details.
• Ensure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent with those listed on your website and other online directories.
• Excellent reviews can give you a definite advantage, so encourage clients to say something positive about your law firm.
• Provide relevant details about your specialisations, legal services, and locations you serve.
• Post photos and videos to keep your clients engaged and provide a “human factor” to your law firm.

Legal FAQs

With Google seeking to provide users with the most relevant and valuable information, adding legal FAQs to your website is an excellent way to optimise it for standard and local SEO. FAQs allow you to target long-tail keywords, which can help you generate high-quality traffic to your site. They also enable you to showcase your legal expertise. 

To obtain quality results from your legal FAQs, here are some best practices you should consider:

• Cover the basics by providing answers to the most common legal questions. This offers your audience the help they require without needing to call your office.
• Focus on questions related to your specialisation, legal expertise, and service areas.
• Keep your FAQs up to date to help them stay relevant both for client searches and Google updates.

Local Citations

As the name implies, citations are mentions of your legal practice online. When prospects look for a particular search term related to your law firm, local citations help you show up more often on search results. This enables you to position yourself where potential clients are looking.

Moreover, local citations give you more credibility. The more citations you have, the more legitimate and trustworthy you are in Google’s eyes.

Legal Directories

Listing your law firm on legal directories is another local SEO strategy you should implement without fail. Legal directories allow you to build industry authority and trust. They also provide online citations for your legal practice, helping you build quality backlinks and generate referral traffic. 

Follow these pointers for better results:

• Look for legal directories that are relevant and trustworthy.
• Ensure that your NAP details (name, address, and phone number) are consistent throughout your listings. If Google finds discrepancies in your listing details, it might not show your law firm on search results.
• Get rid of duplicate listings.

Local Keywords and Content

Any reliable guide to local SEO for law firms won’t be complete without emphasising the importance of using keywords and content with a local flavour. High-quality content and SEO go hand in hand, and you have a better chance of appearing on the first page of Google if you can provide your target audience with content relevant to their needs and location. 

Before developing web content, conduct keyword research to identify the keywords local legal service customers use in their online queries. Then, incorporate them into your online assets, particularly your blogs, URLs, page titles and descriptions, and service and location pages. 

Finding topics to build your web content upon can be a challenge. Good thing the legal service industry is a dynamic sector offering plenty of content creation opportunities. It would likely take you a long time to run out of local content topics. Here are a few ideas to help you get started: 

• Notable legal cases in your area
• Laws and ordinances specific to your location
• Relevant community events and law-related human interest stories

Jumpstart Your Local SEO Strategy

As more and more people use Google and other search engines to find law firms near them, optimising your website for local SEO is crucial to your success. It allows you to position yourself strategically where your prospects are looking, increasing your chances of attracting new clients. Furthermore, it enables you to build better brand awareness and showcase your legal expertise, which are vital in building client trust and strengthening your reputation. If you haven’t done it already, now is the best time to develop a sound local SEO strategy. 

If you require the assistance of SEO experts, we at Kinetic Traffic are happy to assist you. Specialising in law firm SEO, we can develop a bespoke optimisation strategy for your legal practice. Please get in touch with our team today.