Have you ever Googled yourself? If you're like most people, the answer is probably yes. And if you're a lawyer, there's a good chance that when you searched your name, the results weren't what you were hoping for. That's because when it comes to Google, local search engine optimization (SEO) is key. Why is that the case? Up to 80% of people research a lawyer online before retaining that attorney. That's why it's so important for law firms to have a strong local Google presence. Attorney Goldstein, from Legal Marketing Strategy Pros discusses the benefits of search marketing and how SEO for lawyers can attract more qualified legal clients.
SEO has the potential to be a great investment for law firms
According to Hubspot, SEO can be one of the best marketing tools for any business. SEO helps traditional law firms attract more clients and make more money. Strong SEO results help attorneys rank higher in Google search, creating a snowball effect - the higher you are on the first page of search results, the more traffic your site gets. The more traffic your site gets, the more clients you get.
SEO also has a long-term impact on a sustainable way to generate new exclusive leads. Local SEO in particular is an investment that will continue to pay dividends long after your initial investment if done correctly. SEO attracts qualified leads by helping law firms show up first in Google Maps and organic search results under relevant queries surrounding their practice areas. The trick is showing up for the right search terms.
Many law firms try SEO on their own, but fail to see the results they're hoping for. That's because SEO is a long-term investment that takes hard work and consistency to see results. SEO isn't something that you can do for one month and then expect to see success. SEO is an ongoing investment of time and effort, and those efforts will eventually pay off.
The benefits of using SEO include increased traffic and conversion rates
SEO is an investment that can have long-term impacts, driving traffic to your website and the metrics you care about most. SEO gets local law firms' online listings found by potential clients who are researching legal services in their local area.
SEO helps lawyers rank higher on Google Maps, so they're easier to find on mobile devices. SEO helps increase traffic to the site and brings potential clients one step closer to hiring a law firm they can rely on. SEO is not something that should be done at the last minute, or only when you need it. However, just because local searches on popular search engines generate impressions, does not mean it will create more organic traffic. For that, the law firm's website must have the right title tag and meta description, to convert online consumers to a local client who clicks on the link to be taken to the law firm website.
You'll be able to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPS)
SEO can help your law firm rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which will generate more traffic to a law firm website from your target audience. With that said, it should be noted, law firm SEO is a long-term investment that generates qualified traffic from new clients, as well as repeat customers over time.
Inbound SEO helps build trust through content marketing and link building
Just as with other marketing strategies, with SEO, there's no such thing as lead generation, but increasing traffic through digital marketing needs to generate quality leads online. Most people are expecting online rankings to fluctuate daily, so your firm won't be penalized for fluctuations if you have the right SEO team in place. SEO builds trust with potential clients by creating content with a blog post around their legal issues and helping them find solutions they didn't know existed. This way law firms gain credibility among potential clients who require their services.
Search Engine Optimization can help you reach more people who are searching for your legal services
SEO is an investment that will yield good ROI over time. SEO helps your law firm rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), and promotes your informative and engaging content, which will generate more traffic to a law firm website from your target audience. SEO strategy helps local law firm's online listings get found by potential clients who are researching legal services in their local area. It also builds trust with potential clients by creating content with a blog post around their legal issues and helping them find solutions they didn't know existed. In this way, most law firms gain credibility among potential clients who require their services.
Local SEO will make it easier for people near your office to find information about your law firm online
If you have a law office in a local area, following SEO best practices is something you need to consider to gain sustainable and organic growth with local clients. Using the right SEO strategies and following the proper technical SEO best practices will help a good law firm rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for local keywords, which will generate more traffic to a law firm website from your target audience. SEO strategy helps local law firm's online listings get found by potential clients who are researching legal services such as "family lawyer near me" and other terms related to specific practice specialties
As with most online marketing strategies, SEO also needs to be aligned with the overall marketing goals to generate more leads. For SEO, this includes setting conversion goals both from your GMB and website landing pages that are benchmarked through analytics tools to measure progress and report on results, such as Google search console, and Google Analytics.
Law firms should invest time in creating quality content because this will have the biggest impact on search rankings
It's not too late to reap the benefits of SEO for law firms. If you're already established as a successful legal firm, then investing time into your firm's strategy will help increase traffic to your website, while building more brand awareness and creating new business opportunities. SEO helps people find you when they need legal assistance, which is why it's never too late for law firms to get started with SEO.
The key to rank highly in your geographical location and finding SEO success vs other law firms is to create informative and new engaging content that people want to share online. SEO can benefit any type of business, not just local shops and restaurants looking for more customers in the area
SEO is an investment that pays off over time. SEO shows up at the top of Google Maps search results on smartphones so potential clients are can search "lawyers near me" right away. SEO won't impact rankings immediately; rather it's an ongoing process that requires consistent attention.
If you feel that following best SEO practices may be a challenge for you, many great digital marketers can help your law firm's marketing efforts and produce highly relevant content and provide the SEO services to drive your online presence to the top of the search engines.
The Benefits of SEO for Law Firms
SEO for law firms is a great digital marketing strategy that every lawyer seeking to expand their practice should implement. SEO will help your firm rank higher in search engines, and promote engaging content which generates more traffic to your website from relevant keywords and geographical searches.
Online presence and SEO efforts help to create trust and drive website traffic by creating content about legal issues, adding credibility to you as an attorney who can solve these problems the searcher didn't know existed. If all of this seems too daunting or you want help implementing SEO best practices into your marketing plan many legal SEO experts are ready and waiting to partner up with you to create a stellar SEO campaign that drives retainers by considering how customers think at different stages in the purchasing process or lead funnel.
