Law firm SEO is replete with a lot of things to know. Law firms that show up as number 1 in Google for key phrases are those who put the time and investment into this form of digital marketing. Most firms ranking number 1 for a variety of key phrases are those who worked with law firm SEO specialists because doing SEO yourself and achieving great results is next to impossible. You need a full understanding and typically a team of experts on your side to really gain good traction.
In this post, we will explore the factors that determine your law firm ranking so that you can be well-equipped with the requisite knowledge to succeed in your law firm’s website gaining more visibility online. However, it is always advisable that you create a law firm marketing plan before you start implementing the tactics down below.
1. Content
What does effective web content look like? The ability to fulfill the following three requirements is ultimately what matters:
a) Your Website Content Must Respond To the User’s Query or Search Term
You’ll want to have specific web content that gives your prospective client information about your practice area—in this case, a criminal lawyer in Virginia; you want your law firm’s webpage to mention the keyword “criminal lawyer in Virginia.”
Think about it from the perspective of your prospective clients. If users go to your website, they might be asking themselves:
- Is this law firm located in Virginia?
- Are criminal law cases handled by this law firm?
- Does this law firm have the ability to meet my specific needs?
- How competent is this law firm?
- What does this law firm charge?
- Should I do business with this law firm?
The content of your page has to be able to provide answers to some of the basic queries a prospective client could have. SEO aims to direct visitors to the most appropriate location where they can get the answers to their queries. Therefore, Google is more inclined to show your webpage closer to the top in its search engine results pages if it thinks your website is most likely to fulfill the user’s intent. In this scenario, Google may actively engage in producing leads for your law firm. In fact, according to a law firm marketing study by WinSavvy, most law firms are doubling down on content as their primary marketing strategy.
b) Keyword Optimization Is Necessary For Your Content
While responding to visitor queries is essential, making it easy for Google to understand what your webpage is about is just as necessary.
Google’s crawlers are sent to look through the content on your website to understand exactly what your website is about, and therefore using optimized keywords is important.
You should make it clear which keyword phrases are targeted for each webpage on your law firm’s website so search browsers fully understand what your website is about, and thus, displays it further up in their result pages for those queries.
To fully optimize your content for search engines, your keywords should appear in the following areas of the page:
- The URL of the website
- Description tag
- Subheadings and headings
- Title tag
- Consistently throughout paragraphs
c) Different Types of Content Addressing Keywords in the Same Categories Should Be Present
One of the more challenging aspects of law firm SEO is this. Finding a major keyword is the first step, followed by long-tail forms or variations of that keyword. By doing this, you can make sure that your webpage content will be as relevant as possible while individuals are searching online.
Many people will use the most popular keyword while searching online. However, some individuals will use natural language or different versions of the same keyword. The aim is to provide as much content as you can that responds to queries relating to your main keyword.
2. Off-Page Citations and Backlinks
Although the web is like a vast sea of never-ending stuff that stretches into the distance, great content is only one aspect of it. How does Google decide which information belongs on the front page of search results?
The quantity and quality of backlinks are key factors. Backlinks are the traffic-directing connections to your website posted on other websites.
Backlinks function as a popularity contest for SEO. Suppose your law firm receives a lot of links from other well-known websites. In that case, these connections are effectively seen as votes, proving that the lawyers in this business are knowledgeable in their field. However, having few backlinks to your law firm’s website is a symptom of low reputation and popularity.
Keep in mind that search engines strive to direct people to the best resource for their queries. Search engines will perceive your law firm as a reliable and trustworthy source if they see that the content on your website has several referral links from other respectable websites.
a) Using Off-Page Citations to Increase Local SEO for Law Firms
Suppose you want to significantly boost Search Engine Optimization for law firms. In that case, you could expand the “contest of popularity” metaphor beyond referral links. The contact information of your law firm shows everywhere on the web, which makes it noticeable to prospective clients and search engines. The most effective technique to enhance exposure through local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is to get backlinks from sites that display the contact information of the business (i.e., off-page citations). The preceding is vital to the SEO long-term success of your business.
To step up your local Search Engine Optimizations (SEO), you could obtain off-page citations from the following locations:
- Local directories, such as Google My Business
- Legal directories, such as Avvo
- Social profiles, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
- Share your content on social networking platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
- Endorsements and reviews on other websites
3. Technical SEO
Concerning law firm SEO, the best is always saved for last, which is technical SEO. Technical SEO is an essential part of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) success as it has what it takes to destroy or make the SEO performance of your law firm more than any other factor. In particular, it is the trickiest to get properly if you are not an SEO specialist.
To put it simply, technical SEO is an indicator of the degree of Google-friendliness of your law firm’s website. Technical SEO covers other areas like sitemaps and security while being similar to user-friendliness. Even though it may be demanding to carry out, several law firms work with an SEO expert specializing in law firm SEO
Mentioned below are some things to remember about technical SEO:
a) Make Sure the Website for Your Law Firm Complies With All Google Requirements
Google is open and honest about what you should do to strengthen the technical SEO for your law firm. For recommendations on technical SEO, acquaint yourself with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
b) Make Sure the Website for Your Law Firm Is Mobile-Friendly and Fast
Making sure your website loads quickly (target for under 1.5 seconds) and renders properly across a range of screen sizes, particularly mobile phones, are two fundamental (yet crucial) aspects of technical SEO.
c) Make Sure the Website for Your Law Firm Is Simple To Use
An automated robot deployed by Google to explore the website of your law firm will probably be able to:
- Identify all of your web pages.
- Understand what those web pages are about if it is simple for an individual to navigate.
Make menus that are straightforward and easy to use and frequently link to other relevant web pages on your site.
d) Set Up Everything Properly
One benefit of technical SEO is that you only need to ensure that your foundation is robust from the start. You ought to be able to operate with little tension once it is completed, especially if your law firm’s online website is not too large.
Conclusion
Law firm SEO ranking is a marathon, not a sprint. Do not expect the law firm SEO ranking for your law firm to sky rock immediately. Exercise patience. Focus on producing unique new webpage content pertinent to prospective clients’ needs, follow the Webmaster’s guidelines, generate positive client reviews, and build off-page citations and backlinks.
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