If you are trying to get your law firm onto the front page of searches, you are not only competing with other local lawyers in your field but also large lawyer referral platforms and lawyers across the country with similarly competitive content.
SEO is one of the most critical marketing tactics you can utilize to draw in new clients searching online for a lawyer. This guide will give you a crash course in the different aspects of SEO that can assist your law firm in optimizing your website to rank organically for the services you are providing to the public.
Identify The Right Keywords
The first step is identifying the keywords you want to rank for on Google. Are you looking for clients coping with a traffic accident? Someone dealing with a divorce, or seeking a bankruptcy? Whatever area of law you specialize in, the keywords you choose should relate to your core services.
There are three types of keywords you will want to focus on:
• Competitive Industry Keywords: Industry keywords (e.g., “personal injury,” “divorce” and “criminal defense”) are most commonly used by clients searching for lawyer services in various practice areas. These keywords are the ones searched for most frequently and are most competitive. They’re also very powerful when it comes to bringing in the most traffic.
• Company-Specific Keywords: Company-specific keywords or branded keywords are essential. Optimize your NAP (name, address, phone) on Google. Make sure your Google My Business profile is filled out completely and reflects the keyword strategy you’ve decided to implement.
• LSI-Backed Keyword Synonyms: LSI, or latent semantic indexing, is a fancy term for keyword synonyms. You’ll see them when Google makes search suggestions after you type in a keyword, or by scrolling to the bottom of the search page to view the suggested alternate searches. It’s a great way to understand what your competitors are doing.
Optimize Your Content
Now let’s talk about the strategy around placing those keywords within your content and in the back end of your website.
• Keyword-Driven URLs And Page Titles: In both your page URLs and page titles, make sure to use your best, most relevant keywords, as well as your geographic focus area.
• Helpful Keyword Headlines And Subheadings: For every page headline or subheading, try to embed a keyword or two.
• Organic SEO Content: Integrate your keywords into a content strategy. You should frequently be posting on your news section or blog. Keep it organic. Avoid keyword stuffing and write content naturally with your focus keywords and geographic area in mind.
• Social Media Keywords And Hashtags: When you write social media blurbs and campaigns, be sure to use keywords and any relevant hashtags.
Create A Great Experience For Your Potential Client
The more value your content conveys, the more SEO power it’s going to have. Not only will you rank higher on search results but you’ll also be able to position yourself as an expert in your industry and community.
• Post Frequently: Post a new blog article at least once a week and work to regularly add new detailed practice or service pages to your site.
• Compelling Titles And Hooks: Think hard about the first two sentences, known as the “hook.” Use your hook as the meta description (what appears below the link in a search result) for bonus results.
• Scannable Content: Organize your content with clear subheadings and short paragraphs to make it super scannable and easy to read.
• Friendly And Approachable Paragraphs: Do not fill your content with complicated legal concepts. Write for the common person who doesn’t have a law degree, the very customers you’re trying to attract. Demonstrate that you understand what the reader is going through and let them know how you can help. Whichever area of law you focus on, write content that the average reader will find interesting, informative and helpful to their case or situation.
• Answer Questions: Build your content around answering questions that your typical client would ask.
Optimize Imagery
When you use images, recognize that they’re powerful. And make sure they’re properly formatted for the best results.
• Attract Your Reader: Do not settle for bland stock images. If you specialize in a particular area of the law, ensure your photos tell your readers a story they can relate to in one simple image. If you can, use original images that showcase your office and team.
• Name And Alt-Tag Your Images: For every image, make sure to optimize the metadata. Give the image a name and use an alt-tag. Alt-tags are what appears when the mouse hovers over that particular image.
• Compress Your Images: A faster load time leads to a better experience for the customer.
Add Authority To Your Website
Use these tactics to boost your SEO results by adding authority and relevance to your firm’s website.
• Speedy Web Pages: Make sure your site is optimized, your images are compressed, and you’re running on a fast server or CDN.
• Internal And External Embedded Links: Provide helpful links to your other blog posts when relevant, and link to other sites to reference subjects or laws you haven’t written about.
• Collect And Link To Reviews: Ask clients for AVVO and Google Reviews and showcase those reviews on your website. There is a direct correlation to positive reviews and rankings.
• Get Active On Blogs, Forums And Question Sites: Lend your expertise on the internet by reaching out to other sites, and then link back to your law firm’s website.
It’s essential to have a plan when implementing an SEO strategy. Without a plan, you’ll be wasting time and energy posting content that no one will read and optimizing a site that won’t rank.