Local SEO for Law Firms: Get More Clients & Win More Cases

Over 80% of potential customers begin their law firm research online.

And, according to the BrightLocal Survey, 98% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses.

Do you think you’re the first one to read these stats?

Nope!

Your competitors would have already noticed it and started strengthening their online presence.

The competition in the legal industry is fierce, and visibility often determines client acquisition.

You need a new strategy to outsmart your competition, boost your ranking, improve visibility, and attract new customers.

Following the same old, traditional SEO, which targets broad keywords and a wide audience, won’t effectively attract your local audience to your law firm.

That’s why you should focus on local SEO.

Local SEO for law firms ensures your firm appears in geo-specific searches, especially in Google’s Local pack and Google Maps.

A well-structured local SEO strategy increases organic traffic and significantly boosts client inquiries.

So, in this guide, you’ll learn everything about local SEO for law firms, from optimizing Google Business Profile to common mistakes you should avoid while doing local SEO.

Keep reading!

Understanding Local SEO for Law Firms

Law firm local SEO is about improving a law firm’s rankings in location-based searches and boosting their online visibility and conversions.

When potential clients search for legal services, they commonly use location-based queries like “divorce lawyer in Ohio,” “Attorney near me,” or “personal injury attorney near me.”

If you fail to appear in the local search results, you’ll lose them to your competitors who optimized their websites with the best attorney local SEO practices.

The rise of mobile phones and voice searches has made local SEO even more critical.

According to a study made by Statista, 63% of mobile searches are location-based.

Another study tells us that 20.5% of internet users use voice searches.

Many users rely on smartphones to search for legal services, often making decisions based on proximity, reviews, and website information. 

Plus, Google’s algorithm prioritizes businesses that provide relevant, high-quality information and have strong engagement signals, making local SEO for lawyers an essential investment. 

7 Best Strategies For Lawyer Local SEO To Improve Conversions 

You know the importance of strategies to break and build a case. Here are the best strategies to break your competitors and build your law firm’s digital presence. 

1. Google Business Profile Optimization

A well-optimized Google Business Profile is the foundation of any local SEO strategy.

Google Business Profile (GBP) is a Google listing that allows your firm to rank in local search results and Google Maps when potential customers search for legal services near your location.

This is how your firm will be listed for local search results.

Google reports that businesses with complete GBP listings receive 70% more location visits and 50% more conversions than those with incomplete profiles.

Here are the steps to optimize your Google Business Profile:

Step 1: Claim and verify your firm on the listings.

Step 2: Ensure you follow accurate Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) details across all directories.

Step 3: Select relevant business categories such as “Family Law Attorney,” “Personal injury lawyer,” or others based on your service.

Step 4: Upload high-quality images of your office, staff, and attorneys.

Step 5: Write compelling descriptions incorporating relevant and local-based keywords.

Step 6: Google considers reviews as a ranking factor. So, encourage your satisfied clients to leave reviews. 

Step 7: Post regularly about legal topics, case wins, and legal involvement to keep your profile active and encourage potential clients to reach out.

2. Website Optimization for Local SEO

Your website is your digital office.

To rank higher in local search results, your website must provide a great user experience and meet Google algorithm standards.

This includes mobile-friendliness, website loading speed, and secure HTTPS connections.

Google reports that 53% of visits are likely to be abandoned if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. 

Here are the key website optimization strategies:

1. Mobile-friendliness: Most people begin their law firm research with smartphones, so a mobile-responsive design is crucial. 
2. On-page SEO: Optimize the title tags, meta descriptions, and headers with location-based keywords. 
3. Create specific service pages: Create dedicated pages for each service you offer with in-depth content.
4. Schema markup: Implement Local Business Schema to help search engines understand your services, locations and contact details and to appear in the rich search results.
5. Content Marketing: Publish blog posts on laws, common legal issues, and frequently asked questions, as it can drive organic traffic and improve engagement.

Look how the TK Injury Lawyers use their blogs to prove their experience and expertise in their field by addressing their audience’s common concerns.

3. Local Keyword Research for Law Firms

Keyword research is the key to any successful SEO campaign.

For local SEO for solicitors, identifying high-intent local keywords and using them in the right place ensures that the website appears for relevant searches.

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush to find keywords your potential customers use when searching for your service.

Keyword Research Part 1: Know The Essentials

When you’re doing keyword research, aim for long-tail keywords. 

The reason to choose long-tail keywords is that they have lower competition than short-tail keywords. Most importantly, they’re more specific and have a higher chance of conversion.

For example,“lawyer in Denver” is a broad keyword that doesn’t reveal the specific legal service needed. The intent is unclear. This keyword attracts a broad audience to your website but the chance of them converting is low.

In contrast, “top personal injury lawyer in Denver” is a clear and focused keyword. The intent is clear. This keyword will attract specific potential clients to your website, and the chance of them converting is also high. 

Look at the keyword volume and difficulty. The shorter keyword has a higher volume and difficulty than the most specific one.

Therefore, using long-tail keywords can help you rank higher in search engine results quickly and attract traffic to your website.

Once you have identified the right keywords, strategically incorporate them into your website content, including the GBP description, blog posts, and metadata.

4. Local Link Building Strategies

Google considers backlinks as a crucial ranking factor.

Backlinks from reputable sources are the stairs that elevate your law firm’s local SEO rankings.

The high-quality backlinks you acquire from authoritative websites in the legal industry signal to Google that you’re an authoritative and credible website, leading to higher rankings.

You can earn high-quality backlinks by partnering with local organizations, sponsors, and local community events and contributing guest posts to local news websites.

Plus, listing your law firms in legal directories such as FindLaw, Avvo, Justia, and Nolo is also an excellent way to gain authoritative backlinks.

Listing the firm on these platforms increases visibility and improves credibility.

Local link building can sometimes be overwhelming.

You have to create link-building opportunities by building relationships with authoritative people in your industry, sponsoring local events, creating content, and more.

Being a law firm owner, doing this all by yourself and managing clients will be overwhelming.

This is where you need a trusted partner like us, Stan Ventures.

We have years of experience building high-quality links and are trusted by 2500+ businesses. 

We know each law firm is different. That’s why we create tailored link-building strategies based on your goals. 

Plus, we have relationships with legal influencers, bloggers, and webmasters who can provide high quality backlinks to strengthen your firm’s online presence.

So, Leverage our powerful link-building service and boost your ranking, visibility, and conversions.

5. Leveraging Social Media for Local SEO

Social media doesn’t directly impact your website’s rankings but enhances brand visibility and drives website traffic.

Use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to share legal updates, case results, your opinion on trending cases, and client testimonials.

Engaging in local discussions, geo-tagging posts, and location-based hashtags further strengthens community presence.

Also, post insightful and educational content on YouTube to showcase your legal expertise. By sharing valuable information, you establish authority, build trust, and position yourself as a credible resource for potential clients. 

Most people now prefer watching videos rather than reading blogs to collect information. So, posting videos on YouTube will help you attract traffic and potential customers.

6. Local SEO for Multi-Location Law Firms

If you’re running law firms in multiple locations, adopt multi-location local SEO.

Have a dedicated GBP listing and unique landing pages for each location. 

Then, include relevant legal services, attorney profiles, and client testimonials specific to each location.

Look at Gunster. To improve user experience, they’ve created specific pages for each firm’s location and added them to their website’s footer.

When creating new pages for each location, you might be tempted to use the same content on all pages. Don’t do that.

This might raise content duplication issues and can lower your rankings in the search engines.

Create new content for each location addressing their unique pain points. 

Track the performance of each location separately and refine their local SEO strategy to improve rankings.

7. Tracking and Measuring Local SEO Success

Track your local SEO performance to refine your strategy for better results. 

Use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to collect insights like website traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates. 

Use Google Search Console to monitor keyword rankings and site performance.

Use Google Business Profile Analytics to measure the phone calls you have received through it.

Regularly audit your website to identify areas for improvement and optimize underperforming pages.

Common Local SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Mistakes are inevitable. But you must be more cautious about these mistakes and avoid them:

• Ignoring GBP optimization: Leaving your GBP profile unoptimized will affect your local search rankings.
• Keyword stuffing: Overusing keywords can lead to ranking penalties.
• Neglecting negative reviews: Having more negative reviews can affect your ranking and conversions.
• Inconsistent NAP details: Inconsistent NAP details can confuse Google and lead to lower rankings.
• Failing to track performance: Not measuring your local SEO performance will hinder your long-term success.

Future Trends in Local SEO for Law Firms

As search technology evolves, you must adapt to them to stay ahead of your competitors.

AI is the new trend in the SEO industry. Optimize your content for conversational queries and create real content based on your experience to adapt to this trend.

Another new trend is zero-click searches. Implement schema markup and directly answer your customers’ queries, as Google prioritizes featured snippets.

Conclusion

Local SEO is a powerful strategy that enables law firms to rank higher in search results, attract potential clients, and build credibility within their communities. 

By optimizing Google Business Profile, improving website performance, conducting thorough keyword research, and earning high-quality local backlinks, law firms can dominate local search results.

 As Google continues to refine its algorithm, staying updated with the latest local SEO trends and continuously optimizing strategies will be crucial for long-term success. 

Law firms that invest in local SEO will gain a competitive edge and establish themselves as trusted legal authorities in their regions.

Your competitors are already investing in local SEO. How do you compete with them?
Contact us now! We will devise a perfect local SEO strategy for you to improve your online presence and beat your competitors.