Attorney SEO is a core part of any law firm digital marketing strategy. If a potential client searches for a lawyer and cannot find your firm on the first page of Google, they are likely to call a competitor instead. Expert lawyer SEO aims to maximize visibility, increase case volume, and respect the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Why attorney SEO matters
Search engines tend to favor the top three local law firms in search results, partly because users assume those listings are the best options. As Google gets better at discrediting spam backlinks and toxic link environments, those top-three spots do not always belong to the strongest firms. That is why attorney SEO work is needed to earn one of those positions.
If a prospective client cannot find what they need, they leave. SEO requires keeping visitors on a law firm’s website long enough to convert them, and user experience is a major part of that. A high bounce rate hurts rankings, so a law firm site should look clean, load quickly, and present information in an easy-to-read format that reflects the firm’s professionalism.
Make the site mobile-friendly
The most important tip for attorney SEO is a mobile-friendly website, since most people search on their phones. If a client has a car accident, that mobile-friendly site can show up high in search results. When someone searches for a divorce or child custody matter, they tend to use practice-area keywords, so the site needs those keywords and a responsive design.
Visitors will abandon a site that is not mobile-friendly and head to a competitor. An outdated design will not rank well, and a site without fresh content will not generate traffic. A responsive website protects a firm from losing cases to bad SEO on someone else’s site.
Use social media for content distribution
A solid attorney SEO strategy includes content distribution on social media. Sharing content on social platforms generates inbound links to the firm’s website. Most social media links are no-follow, but Google still accounts for referral traffic from those environments. The more content published, the higher the ranking. There are no shortcuts to attorney SEO, and the sooner a firm starts, the better.
List the firm in attorney directories
Directories help attorneys improve their Google ranking. Filling in every attorney profile with accurate information raises presence in local directories and brings qualified leads. Local business directory listings are a must, and a firm located near a major city will benefit most in search results.
Add schema markup
Schema markup is also important. Google now recognizes that most users leave off the geographic modifier and takes demographic factors into account when choosing which results to show. Adding more structured information helps more people find the firm and call.
Use suggested keyword phrases
Suggested keyword phrases appear at the bottom of Google search results and can be used to write blog posts or articles tied to the firm’s practice areas. Target keywords should appear in website content, H1 tags, and H2 tags. Visual content helps too, and keywords should be used in the call to action. Searching Google for top law firms is a quick way to compare SEO results in the market.
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