Why local SEO is important for law firms
This week we look at how law firms can focus on efforts to improve client leads and brand credibility.
Did you know that 82% of those surveyed said they've conducted "near me" searches online? Of those, 90% said they clicked on the first listing. Are you the first listing when somebody searches for an attorney in your area?
If not, then you need to focus on local SEO. Don't worry if you don't know what that is or how to implement it within your overall digital marketing strategy, because we've got you covered. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about local SEO, including how managed SEO services can get you ranked higher.
What is local SEO?
Have you ever found yourself on the other side of town around lunchtime and unsure where to go to eat? What did you do? Chances are very likely that you pulled out your phone and asked Google for a great Thai place near you.
And that is the very essence of local SEO. Like it or not, our phones know right where we are. And, when a business knows how to successfully rank on Google for their local area, they can drive consistent traffic and get new clients, all through organic search.
When it comes to SEO, law firms are very competitive to rank online. However, with local SEO, it can be much easier to rank on the first page of the SERPs. And, when you rank on page one, you will see consistent traffic to your site from warm prospects who need your legal services.
When someone searches for a "divorce lawyer near me" and your firm is near their location, Google will serve up your services on a silver platter. What would that look like for your business? There are many benefits to focusing on the local market, so let's dive in.
How can local SEO benefit law firms?
By focusing on local keywords and ranking for your specific location, you will see steady traffic every day to your site. And when your site is optimized for conversions, this can translate to new clients. Some other key benefits of local SEO for law firms include the following:
Build your brand and credibility
Build visibility for your physical location through your online presence
Attract qualified leads
Reduce outbound marketing budget
Increase return customers and repeat business
As you can see, SEO marketing for law firms doesn't have to be complicated, but it is specific to your industry. An expert on SEO attorney and law-focused strategies can give you the edge over your competition.
How to implement local SEO for law firms
Now you know why you should focus your digital marketing efforts on the local area, but how can you do this? While there are some technical local schema markups you can use to show Google where you're located, there are some much simpler ways also.
So, don't worry, we're going to keep it simple and show you five ways anyone can improve their local SEO presence without a computer science degree.
1. Know where you stand
Before you can get started with your new strategy, you must know where you stand right now. All the best efforts on your part won't do you any good if you have broken links or a slow-loading website. So, you need to perform an SEO audit right away before you do anything else.
There are certain factors that will prevent you from ever ranking no matter how great your content is or how many backlinks you get. For example, with Google's new update, you must know how quickly your site loads and your core vitals.
Lastly, do you have any broken links? Be sure to correctly update these with a redirect to the correct page. This way, when Google crawls your site, they won't run into any dead ends.
Website speed and navigation are key to improving your ranking for search engines.
2. Create geo-specific landing pages for each location
If you only have one location for your practice, then be sure to include that location on every page and post where it's relevant. Give multiple signals to both Google and your prospective clients as to where you're located so you can rank for searches in your area.
If you have several locations, you will need to have a separate landing page for each location. Then be sure to link each relevant landing page to that location in your GMB. We'll discuss your GMB next, but for now, know that your website needs to give clear signals as to the location of each of your firms.
You can't have one page with all your locations listed. This will confuse the search bots when they crawl your site. If you want to rank for several locations, you'll need to have a separate page for each location.
3. Optimize your GMB profile
Now we get to your off-page SEO. Your Google My Business (GMB) profile is your most important off-page signal to improve your ranking. And, remember, an optimized GMB goes much further than your NAP profile.
Yes, your name, address, and phone number are important. But if you stopped after entering those key statistics when you claimed your business profile, then you have a lot more work to do.
Your profile can house several more key features to help you out-rank your competition. Include photos, short posts with your top keywords, and reviews. Be meticulous and complete every section within your profile.
4. Target local long-tail keywords
These days, everybody starts with a Google search when they're trying to find anything. And the same is true when people think they might need a lawyer. Think about what people search for when they're first trying to determine if they need to hire a lawyer.
Move beyond generic lawyer keywords such as "divorce lawyer," as a term like this will be very hard to rank for. Instead, consider what people actually ask Google. Thanks to voice search, today's searches are much longer and more specific.
You should instead focus on longer keywords such as "is it worth getting a divorce lawyer" or "how much does a divorce lawyer cost?" These longer questions will give you a better chance of ranking on the first page of Google and will drive you more traffic and new clients.
5. Go for the review
People want to work with businesses they can trust. And the fastest way to earn that trust is through social proof in the form of reviews.
Your Google My Business profile is a great place to start. Encourage previous clients to leave you a thorough and thoughtful review.
But don't stop there. Go back and look at your reviews. Answer questions and be helpful. This will show others browsing your reviews that you care and listen to your clients.
Lastly, don't ignore bad reviews. This can be a great opportunity to respond and apologize for their bad experience. Again, this will go a long way when future clients or prospective clients check out your reviews.
Why you need managed SEO
It takes time to implement each of these five steps. But you have a thriving practice to run, you don't have time to continually check your reviews and find geo-specific keywords that you can rank for. Instead, you should consider hiring a managed SEO service.
When you work with law firm marketing experts, you know that you're getting the best strategies for your firm. Not every SEO expert understands the nuances of the legal industry. And here at Growth Friday, we believe in transparent reporting, so you know how we're implementing your local SEO strategy.
More traffic to your website means more qualified leads for your firm. And when you have daily new leads coming in, you never have to worry about where you'll find your next client again. This is the peace of mind working with an expert can give you.
Grow your practice by staying local
When it comes to SEO for attorneys, we're the experts. We've worked with lawyers just like you to get them to the first page of Google within their industry and specifically for their location.
People are searching for lawyers every day in your area. But they won't find you if you're not on the first page of Google.
You need to work with a quality managed SEO firm to help your law firm rank. And that will help bring new clients to your practice. So, if you're ready to work with the best to help you showcase your best, then reach out to us today.
