A report by the National Law Review revealed that about 96% of people use search engines to find legal advice, according to Legal Ink Magazine. In today’s digital world, businesses across all sectors are building websites to attract target clients, and the law industry isn’t an exception. However, with many law firms establishing their digital presence, standing out from the competition requires you to do more than having a website online.
One way to achieve long-term success in online marketing is ramping up investments in law firm SEO (search engine optimization). Investing in SEO will improve your ranking on search engine results pages, give you a competitive edge in the industry, and increase your ROI. If you’re looking to succeed in optimization, here are 3 practical ways you can boost your law firm’s SEO visibility.
Find Ideal Keywords
Finding the right keywords for your legal website is crucial if you want to rank high in search engines. Therefore, conduct thorough keyword research for the correct terms and check the keywords’ competition level and search volume. As a lawyer, you should target keywords relevant to your practice or those that attract potential clients. For example, consider targeting terms like car accident lawyer in Florida or criminal defense attorney in Florida. These keywords will help you rank higher than a general term, such as an attorney in Florida.
To find highly targeted search terms, use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, KWFinder, or Google Keyword Planner. Once you’ve identified your ideal keywords, the next step is to place them strategically into your content. As much as this entire process sounds complicated, it isn’t. With the help of a detailed SEO guide, you can research the perfect keywords for your website and create SEO-friendly content.
Optimize Site For User Experience
If your website is easy to navigate, internet users will feel comfortable spending more time exploring your content. Although Google states that the time visitors spend on your site isn’t a ranking factor, studies prove otherwise. Typically, high-ranking websites are those that visitors spend time engaging with. For this reason, your law firm’s website should be designed with SEO in mind from the start.
Consider hiring a website designer who understands search engine optimization and can build a site that allows easy crawlability for search engines and a great user experience. Other best practices for designing an SEO-friendly website include optimizing for speed, use responsive and mobile-friendly designs, design for easy navigation, and using clear and simple fonts and images.
Local SEO for Attorneys
Local SEO is a key component of any successful SEO strategy, as it helps websites rank high for geo-specific or local searches. In addition to utilizing localized keywords, local SEO for lawyers requires you to optimize your local online listings. This step entails creating online profiles for your business on Google my business to increase website traffic and attract clients. You’ll also need to submit your profile to trustworthy directories, such as Yelp, Bing Places, BBB, and Yellow Pages.
If you’re new to online or digital marketing, law firm SEO can seem confusing and time-consuming. However, with the right strategies, you can improve your law firm’s SEO visibility. Make sure to perform keyword research, optimize your website for a better user experience, focus on local SEO, and have high-quality backlinks.