Any legal practice that started its SEO journey is aware that local search engine optimization, also known as local SEO, plays a significant part in clients’ digital discovery.
The legal industry is beginning to see large firms offering online legal advice that can seriously impact a local lawyer’s market share. So, legal businesses hoping to remain relevant in their locality, where competition continues to grow amongst large online firms, need to take SEO seriously.
Google is often lecturing about the increasing relevance of local searches. This focus stems from the number of individuals looking for services near them expanding with a growth of about 150% in the last two years.
However, what exactly do we mean when we speak of local search engine optimization for legal professionals? More significantly, what strategies can attorneys use to maximize the benefits of local SEO, increase the number of potential clients they work with, and guarantee that their established local clients and leads have the most positive experience working with them? Here, you can get the answers you are looking for in this local SEO guide for law firms.
Is SEO Beneficial for Law Firms?
SEO is essential for legal practitioners and legal businesses looking to expand their online presence in their local area. People depend on search engines as a component of their process toward locating a lawyer or qualifying suggestions from other sources. If potential clients cannot find your firm on Google, oftentimes clients move to a firm that is on Google. Potential want to see reviews from previous clients and a legitimate Google My Business page to feel confident trusting a new firm with their legal needs.
Beyond giving potential clients confidence in your services, law firms can also benefit from local SEO in the following ways:
- It will assist the firm in obtaining a greater volume of organic search traffic from prospective customers.
- Local SEO for law firms aid them in achieving a higher ranking in the Google My Business search results, which causes more inbound calls from potential clients.
- Search engine optimization can assist a law firm in establishing a better digital presence and image for the business.
- Law firms can use local SEO to increase customer trust in their business making it easier to convert potential clients into paying clients.
As a result of the improved visibility in search results, law firms that utilize SEO can showcase their legal expertise to locals looking for the legal services they offer.
SEO Vs PPC for Lawyers
To develop an efficient traffic plan for a law firm’s website, you first need to assess the differences between SEO and PPC.
SEO is much more advantageous for local search results and can potentially boost the business’ digital presence for an extended period. On the other hand, pay-per-click, also known as PPC, is a strategy of acquisition that requires continuous investment. With PPC, you pay for clicks to your website which can produce results quicker than SEO but SEO can continue producing results after an initial investment.
The dilemma is whether to put money into pay-per-click advertising or search engine optimization for local businesses. The truth is that the circumstances determine it. Depending on your unique business needs and goals, SEO or PPC may fit better, or a combination of both.
Pay-per-click or PPC advertising can deliver good outcomes for firms that need results immediately. On the other hand, local search engine optimization or SEO can help firm owners achieve great performance when one’s advertising budgets are constrained.
Creating a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Law Firm
Compared to more traditional marketing methods, digital marketing is still in its infancy but offers significant opportunities when executed properly. So, here is a four-step process you can follow to create a winning local SEO strategy for your law firm.
- Optimize Your Google My Business Page
The most important tool for optimizing local SEO for law firms is Google My Business. It provides Google with the data they need to list you on Google Maps and local search results. A Google My Business profile is a web page for a firm that contains the firm’s name, location, and contact information. This page is created so that Google can display this information to individuals searching for local attorneys.
To achieve a higher local position, you will have to be the most relevant result in the area, maintain high reviews, and offer the services the searcher is looking for. Provide relevancy and showcase the services you offer by fully completing your Google My Business listing.
- Create Content Around Your Area of Expertise
Serving content relevant to what a searcher is browsing for is an important component of local search engine optimization for law firms. To take advantage of this, you can start creating content around local issues. For example, if you offer services to help individuals with traffic violations, highlighting potential traffic violations around a local construction zone can help.
- Optimize Your Website
The speed and quality of your website are two major factors in how Google ranks a webpage in search results. Ensuring you build a fast website with quality content can help you rise in the rankings. Although a fast website will not be enough to rank you at the top of local search results, a slow website will prevent you from ranking at the top of local search results.
Also, ensure that the address of the legal office, as well as the telephone number, email, and any other pertinent information, are consistent throughout your website. Google views inconsistencies in these factors as low-quality and will therefore reduce your rankings.
- Provide Valuable, Local Resources
Creating resources your local community needs can help you rise in Google’s rankings quickly. Whether it’s an article regarding a local legal issue or tips for navigating specific local legal situations, creating local resources shows Google your business specializes in helping locals. This encourages Google to push your website.
Conclusion
Although the concepts can seem basic at first, generating results through local SEO for law firms takes knowledge, experience, and consistent work. So, take the burden of SEO out of your hands by getting in touch with Bauertech today to see how we can help you drive results with local SEO.
