What is SEO for Lawyers?

SEO for lawyers is the process of increasing traffic to a law firm’s site by achieving first-page ranking on search engines such as Google and Bing.

People usually use one of these methods to find and hire a lawyer:

1. Search engines ( Google )

2. Word of mouth ( Family )

3. Social media ( Facebook )

Search engines are the most used and easiest to measure the return on investment (ROI).

Organic reach has fallen significantly over the past several years. Social media marketing without paid advertising has significantly declined in the last few years, especially on platforms such as Facebook.

Many businesses have had to resort to paid advertising on social media platforms. (which is what Facebook was looking for).

Search is the most popular way for people to find legal services. While word of mouth and social media are important, online searches dominate new client growth, which is why SEO for lawyers is so important for growing your law firm.

Analyzing the digital marketing channels Morgan and Morgan use to drive their website traffic shows that organic search is far superior to paid advertising and social media.

Search engine optimization, out of all the channels your law firm could invest in, is the only one that can return compounding returns over the long term. SEO for lawyers is just that important. 

Three opportunities exist for content, as an example:

1. Potential to rank higher for more keywords and drive more traffic

2. High-quality content that can be used to build natural links with opportunities to improve your Google ranking

3. Convert website visitors into clients by convincing them that you are trustworthy and to contact you.

In today’s competitive legal space, having a law firm website isn’t enough to a successful legal practice. As we move our clients to the top of search engine results, we often see a number of beautifully designed websites on the third, fourth, and fifth pages of Google, Bing, or Yahoo. It then begs the question of, really what benefit is beautiful website design if no one can find your site? Are there SEO services for lawyers?

When you hire Ratel SEO as your law firm SEO provider, you are d0ing more than hiring a traditional local SEO service provider. Our local SEO service for lawyers drives qualified traffic to your website and generates new cases for your law firm. When you are ready to speak with a local legal SEO specialist, call us at 317-762-2659.

Our Law Firm SEO Services

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process by which we build your ranking the natural search engine results, is a comprehensive long-term strategy aimed at driving your website to the top of the search results for your keywords.

Through extensive competition analysis and detailed keyword research and thorough competition analysis, our website marketing solutions allow us to target the key phrases that will bring the most valuable traffic to your website. As a legal industry search engine optimization specialist, we continually make changes to your website to improve your “organic” rankings which should ultimately generate new cases for your law firm.

The Traditional Law Firm SEO Process

The broad-reaching majority of law covers HIGHLY practiced areas like local DUI attorneys, bankruptcy attorneys, divorce attorneys, or family lawyers. In these instances, the standard practice of writing a blog, while updating the site title tags, meta descriptions, and simple anchor text optimization which works with some degree of success in some industries, in this situation is unfortunately not enough to move the needle. Legal SEO takes more. SEO fundamentals are just the beginning.

 

Experience with Local Law Firm SEO is a Difference

There are some SEO service providers without a wealth of successes in the local law firm SEO game mistakenly mislead many lawyers about the steps needed for search engine rankings that will translate into paying clients. Even worse, some law firm SEO companies claim to deliver organic search results but are actually buying Google ads (i.e. pay-per-click, ppc, etc).

Need a Local Law Firm SEO Expert?

Call Us at 317-762-2659 Now!

 

We are Where Technical SEO Meets Legal Digital Marketing

In technical SEO, we literally isolate the hundreds of ranking factors that have an impact on how well a law firm website performs on the Search Engine Results Pages. Efficient law firm SEO expounds the least amount of resources to get a maximum amount of traffic. While effective law firm digital marketing deals with how well we are able to help prospective clients hire you to represent their legal interests. Our measure of success is how well we are able to help our clients achieve both.

The Ratel SEO Local SEO Strategy for Legal Market Domination

Many lawyers target potential clients at a local level. Search engines are trending toward serving localized results. In our experience, the most important local law firm SEO involves:

• Hyper-local link building.
• Developing hyper-local content.
• Local business listing management.
• Legal SEO Directories

Local search engine optimization is incredibly powerful for attorneys. In recent algorithm updates, Google has given local pack results prominent positions in search engine results pages. Other search engines are also evolving to give higher visibility to local results. Top-rated local law firm SEO experts recognize the value of local SEO services that lead to clients.

 

What is the Importance of Content in SEO for Law Firms?

Content development should be focused on the question and answer pages. Contributions should be made on relevant legal Q&A sites. From a media perspective, doing SEO for lawyers targeting researchers should identify opportunities for interviews and publications on trusted legal, as well as, news sites. Link attracting and social sharing should focus on providing topical information for those who are seeking it.

Lawyers Fall Short in Digital Marketing. We Can Help Bridge that Gap.

Lawyers don’t often place a great deal of thought into digital marketing. The place that search engine optimization (SEO) has with digital marketing is often considered even less. A lack of attention to the role that digital marketing can play in the overall growth of the legal practice, reduces the chances of gaining additional clients. So with that thought process in mind, nearly every law firm should have clearly presented reasons as to why they need to hire a legal search engine optimization consulting company.

Digital Marketing Marries PR to the Internet

Whether you are a small law office, a sole practitioner, or a large, multi-state multiple practice firm, you need clients. There is a large majority of law practitioners who specialize in common legal issues such as:

• Divorce
• DUI defense
• Slip and fall accidents
• Child support
• Mediation and arbitration

It’s difficult enough to distinguish yourself from the vast majority of other legal practitioners. Like always, word of mouth and a solid reputation are important, but in today’s climate, where a large amount of your exposure is likely to come from targeting the millions of online searches conducted every day. We believe that when you utilize SEO services for lawyers, as the law firm’s principal, you can expand the audience of your law firm marketing campaign by ranking higher on Google Maps search result pages and convert searchers into clients.

Legal Industry SEO Routinely Uses Suggested Best Practices for Writing

Your website is essentially a sales representative that is at work, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The job of a salesperson is to effectively communicate the sales message to as many people as possible. Lawyers routinely write using “legalese”. Unfortunately, traditional legal jargon has the tendency to give an impression that you are unapproachable to potential clients. Legal style writing also is not “search engine friendly”. As an SEO company that works with law firms, we are experienced with writing at a reading level that falls in line with best practices suggested by the search engines.

Running a Legal Practice is Time Consuming. So is Legal SEO.

Search engine optimization for law firms is not a set it and forget-it occurrence. As an SEO firm that works with lawyers, we:

• Help you create your firm’s website
• Update the website frequently with keyword-optimized blog posts
• Leverage social media marketing frequently to maintain your followers

All of these activities take time and energy that need to be devoted to digital marketing.

Like the Law. SEO Services for Lawyers is Constantly Changing

Search engine optimization is significantly more complex than just using keywords. There’s on and off-site optimization, link building, and other analytics to consider. Routine SEO audits and maintenance of the speed of the site are also important keys to success. Rather than try to train yourself in technical SEO terminology, the better option is to hire a search engine optimization company that works with lawyers who can monitor your site while you devote yourself to your caseload and running your practice.

Legal SEO Experts Can Help You to Convert Leads into Sales

As a legal professional, there is a commonly held belief, that a man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client. Will your law firm thrive without the assistance of expert local law firm search engine optimization? Maybe. In an industry driven by competition, however, local law firm SEO management is an important aspect of law firm marketing that is necessary to the health and success of your marketing program.

Indiana’s Top SEO for Lawyers

As Indiana’s top law firm SEO agency, our job is to help our clients grow their practice through leveraging our digital marketing skills coupled with their brand, creating SEO services for lawyers methodology that can consistently and quickly grow a practice. We are efficient. We are effective. We are Ratel SEO. Give us a call to discuss your law firm’s SEO strategy at 317-762-2659 or email info@ratelseo.com today.

What should I do with this Information About SEO for Lawyers?

Before we get into the basics of SEO for lawyers, a quick reminder: While this guide is meant to be accessible to all skill levels, it should be noted that some level of technical/computer knowledge is required.

If you have that knowledge, good. If not, then continue to the next heading (“Why is Law Firm SEO Necessary ?”).

We are happy to discuss our law firm SEO for lawyers’ services with you if your tech skills are not up to par or if there is a way to make things easier for you.

Visit the contact page to schedule an appointment with one of our SEO for lawyers experts.

Why is Law Firm SEO Necessary?

Search engines are a major factor in how consumers search for, find and select a law firm.

• Search drives 53% of all web traffic, while Paid search drives only 27%.
• Google was established in 1998, serving approximately 10,000 searches per day; now, it serves over 3.5 billion.
• Nearly 93% of all global traffic comes from Google searches.
• Google Images and Google Maps
• Nearly a third of consumers use search engines every day.
• 49% of marketers believe that organic search is the most profitable marketing channel they use.
• Organic search generates 66% for the legal sector.

Legal marketing is highly competitive. Your success in generating new clients for your law firm depends on how easily your website is found by Google searches.

Why does my law firm need A Site that Has Been Optimized for Conversions and Search Engines?

Because people use search engines to find businesses to hire, attorneys need a website optimized for those search engines.

This isn’t a new idea. 

The Yellow Pages are no longer (and haven’t been for quite some while) the best source of research.

Businesses need to be the best resource for searchers’ questions and intent, and they must also showcase their expertise.

No matter your industry, your website is the heart of all search engine optimization strategies. It is the core of all you do to get in front of your ideal client and build and promote your brand.

It is important to consider the design of your website. Poor design will not convert visitors into leads no matter how well it ranks. It should be built to increase awareness, build trust, and encourage people to take action.

• 70% of law firms get new cases through their website
• A 31.7% click-through rate is recorded for the #1 position in Google search results
• In reality, only 0.78% of Google searchers click results from the second page.

How SEO Stacks Up Against Other Marketing Channels for Law Firms

Legal SEO vs. PPC and Google Ads

Sponsored ads and pay-per-click are essentially leasing your marketing visibility. Once you stop paying for them, that visibility is gone. 

Legal SEO is an investment. You will see a lasting and sustainable impact on the content and backlinks you get. In effect, your rankings pay dividends for many years to come. Legal SEO is an investment that your company owns, not rents.

PPC in legal verticals can also be very expensive. If you bid for high intent keywords like “car accident lawyer,” it could cost you $300+ per click.

SEO for Lawyers vs. Social Media Marketing

Search traffic converts to 10x more than social media (on desktop).

Google and other search engines have improved their understanding of the meaning behind what we type in. They are used more often on the internet to cut through the noise.

Search is so popular that lawyers should market themselves online by ensuring their websites can be easily found using SEO for lawyers.

The Most Competitive Law Firms Care About SEO for Lawyers

Below is a graph that shows how the top 20 US law firms get their website traffic. Law SEO for lawyers is a vital marketing channel. This is evident by the overwhelming focus on search engines.

Search is the most popular way for people to find legal services.

According to the National Law Review, 96% of people searching for legal advice use a search engine to do their research, and 74% visit a law firm’s website to make a decision.

Simply stated, potential clients use search engines to find and hire law firms, which is why SEO for lawyers is so important.

The most important aspect of any SEO campaign is determining your return on investment. This includes not only money but also time. You need to ensure the seeds you have sown are borne of the right fruit, regardless of whether you hire an SEO agency or do it yourself.

Contact our SEO for lawyers strategist today if you need an objective assessment of your company’s SEO health. We can give you an in-depth analysis and website audit.

The Key Components of Law firm SEO

Google’s algorithm uses hundreds of ranking factors to determine where a website ranks. It takes experience and diligence to understand and implement all these ranking factors as part of your SEO strategy.

Keyword Research

Imagine you don’t know the facts and going to trial. It would result in a catastrophic outcome. This is true for all pages and articles you publish on your website. After technical SEO, keyword research is the foundation for good SEO for lawyers.

You’ll waste time and money trying to attract people to your site by creating content without first researching keywords.

The section about keyword research for lawyers covers: 

• How Keyword research is crucial.
• How to correctly do keyword research
• What tools should you use?
• How search intent is at the center of how SEO for lawyers works.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is one of the best ways to get qualified traffic to your site from your target audience.

Understanding the differences between blog posts, articles, and practice area pages is important. This will help you rank higher or lower.

The Content Marketing for Lawyers section covers:

• The pages your law firm requires to rank higher.
• How to create topic clusters to improve Google rankings.
• The importance of prioritizing long-form content rich in detail.
• The Important Considerations Google applies to sites
• Publishing information in the legal sector.

On-Page Optimization

How you arrange your website architecture for your law firm can affect your Google rankings and how you use tools like Google Analytics to analyze your performance data.

It’s not as simple as creating pages. Optimizing your pages for search engines takes a lot more than just creating them. Google uses a variety of factors to understand your content and determine how it will be used by searchers that are looking for answers.

The section about On-page SEO for Lawyers (also known as On-Page SEO) will teach you about the many SEO strategies you can use to increase your search engine rankings, such as:

• How to structure your website.
• How to optimize title tags, meta descriptions, page headings, and more
• How to improve page speed and user experience
• The best practices for image optimization and internal linking.
• How to use schema markup.

Link Building

You probably know how important it is to build backlinks to your website. It’s true. 

However, if you don’t do it correctly, building links to your law firm’s site can prove difficult and even dangerous if not done correctly.

The section about link building to lawyers explains:

• Why are links important?
• 15 proven link-building strategies for attorneys
• Here are some best practices for achieving the best results with off-page SEO campaigns.

Google My Business

Your Google My Business listing, now called Google Business Profile, is an essential component of your online marketing strategy for SEO for lawyers. 

You won’t rank high in the map pack if people search for local attorneys without a strong local SEO for lawyers campaign. 

The Google My Business for lawyers section covers all aspects of:

• Step-by-step instructions on how to set it all up
• How to optimize it so that it ranks higher in local search results (Search Engine Results Page)

Local SEO

Local SEO is more than just your Google My Business listing. You should also target keywords that can trigger local search results even if you don’t have a map pack.

Do not miss the opportunity to get traffic for local keywords.

The importance of local SEO for lawyers is:

• Positive Third-party website reviews.
• Get your firm listed in a variety of directory listings with citations. (and which ones are more important)
• How to combat spammers who can easily steal traffic and leads.

Evaluation and measurement of the SEO for Lawyers’ performance 

It is impossible to improve what you don’t measure. We will be discussing how to evaluate the success of your SEO for lawyers’ investment by measuring SEO success.

Everything from on-page optimization, link acquisition, keyword rankings, traffic metrics, how to track conversions, ROI, and tying leads to marketing efforts with analytics and call tracking phone numbers should be measured to know that the SEO for lawyers is working properly.

If you are doing this yourself, it can help you improve your SEO efforts or gauge your SEO agency’s performance and hold them responsible. If you want an assessment of your website and what a good SEO for lawyers campaign would mean for your law firm and its revenue, call our SEO for lawyers expert today at Ratel SEO.