SEO for Solicitors – 7 Proven Strategies to Skyrocket Your Client Base

The world of law firm SEO is a competitive area of SEO, if you have a law firm and needing to receive potential client searches to your website then this article is for you.

Transforming your online presence with search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies can significantly boost your visibility, driving quality free traffic to your website and converting the visitors into paying clients.

Let’s jump into the what, why, and how, of SEO for solicitors and law firms alike.

Law firm website search engine optimisation

1. Understanding SEO for solicitors

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is all about making your law firm’s website more visible giving search engines like Google and Bing a good reason to show your law firm page to potential visitors.

It’s a process of aligning your website and its content to make it more attractive and understandable to search engine crawlers.

These crawlers are automated bots that index your pages (add to the list of pages that can show in search engine result pages)

The search engine will scan your site and determine where you will show in relation to relevant websites on the same subject targeting the same keyword.

The ultimate goal? To rank on the first page of a Google other search engines for keywords relevant to your legal services, because most people can find what they need within the first few results of page one.

Click-Through Rates (CTR) for organic search results

• The first organic result has an average CTR of 28.5%.
• The second and third positions have a 15% and 11% CTR, respectively.
• The tenth position has a 2.5% CTR.
• Results on the second page of Google have a CTR of less than 1% for each position.

Other key findings

• Organic listings receive 90% of clicks.
• Paid Ads (Pay Per Click) receive 10% of clicks.
• Less than 10% of people advance to Page 2.
• The top 3 organic results (#1, #2, #3) capture 61% of clicks.

Factors impacting your CTR

• SERPs with site links extension in position #1 achieve a CTR of 46.9%.
• SERPs with featured snippets have a CTR that is 5.3% percentage points below average.
• SERPs with knowledge panels take a hit in CTR, with the first position receiving only 16% of clicks.

Sources:

• Search Engine Journal
• ProtoFuse

2. Why SEO matters for Solicitors

The importance of SEO for Solicitors and law firms is hard to overstate. Today’s legal consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to find and compare legal services.

According to the Legal Trends Report, 17% of legal consumers found a law firm through an online search, making it one of the most common methods.

But SEO isn’t just about attracting more visitors to your website. It’s also about attracting the right visitors.

By targeting specific keywords and phrases, you can ensure that the people who find your site are those most likely to require your legal services.

This can lead to higher conversion rates, resulting in more clients and a better return on investment (ROI).

3. SEO and the power of keywords

At the heart of any successful SEO strategy lie keywords. These are the words and phrases that potential clients type into search engines when looking for legal services.

By understanding and strategically using these keywords, you can optimise your legal website content to meet the needs of your law firm appears to your target audience.

But the question is, how do you find the right keywords for your law firm?

3.1 Keyword research for Solicitors and Law Firms

Keyword research is a process of discovering, analysing, and selecting the best keywords to target in order to attract the right visitors to your website with your SEO campaign.

This involves: Identifying Your Practice Areas:

Start by listing the areas of law your firm specialises in. These will form the basis of your primary keywords.Understanding Searcher Intent: Next, think about what potential clients might type into a search engine when looking for your services.

Examples are:
Informational Intent Query: “What is personal injury law?”
Example Content: A blog post or article on your law firm’s website that explains the basics of personal injury law, including what it covers, how claims are made, and what compensation might be available.

Navigational Intent Query: “[Law Firm Name] office locations”
Example Content: A dedicated page on your website that lists all of your firm’s office locations, complete with addresses, contact details, and perhaps a map for easy navigation.

Transactional Intent Query: “Book consultation [Law Firm]”
Example Content: A landing page that allows users to book a consultation with one of your Solicitors. This could include a calendar tool, a contact form, or a phone number to call for immediate assistance.

Commercial Investigation Intent Query: “[Law Firm Name] vs [Competitor Law Firm]”
Example Content: A comparison page or blog post that highlights the strengths and offerings of your law firm versus a competitor. This could include factors like experience, areas of expertise, client testimonials, and pricing.

For example, someone looking for a divorce lawyer might search for “divorce lawyer near me” or “best family lawyer in [location]”.

Using keyword tools

Tools like the Google Keyword tool can help you identify popular search terms related to your practice areas.

Short-Tail Keywords Example: “Lawyer”
Description: These are very broad and generic terms that are usually composed of one or two words. They have high search volume but are also highly competitive.

Long-Tail Keywords Example: “Personal injury lawyer in London”
Description: These are more specific phrases that usually consist of three or more words. They are less competitive and generally have a lower search volume, but they often have higher conversion rates.

Geo-Targeted Keywords Example: “Family law firm in Manchester”
Description: These keywords include specific geographic locations to target local searches. They are crucial for local SEO. Keywords Example

Branded Keywords Example: “[Law Firm Name] services”
Description: These are keywords that include the brand or company name. They are essential for reputation management and brand recognition.

Transactional Keywords Example: “Hire divorce lawyer online”
Description: These keywords indicate a strong intent to make a transaction or take an action. They are highly valuable for conversion-focused strategies.

Informational Keywords Example: “How to file for bankruptcy”
Description: These keywords are used when the searcher is looking for information. They are great for blog posts, FAQs, and educational content.

LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Keywords Example: “Legal advice”, “compensation”, “settlement”
Description: These are semantically related keywords that help search engines understand the context of your content. They are not synonyms but are related to the main keyword.

Seasonal Keywords Example: “Tax lawyer April”
Description: These are keywords that have seasonal trends. They are useful for short-term campaigns aligned with specific times of the year.They can also provide valuable insights into keyword competition and search volume.

Analysing the Competition: Look at what keywords your competitors are targeting. This can give you ideas for your own keyword strategy and help you identify any gaps in the market.

Choosing Long-Tail Keywords: As explained above while it may be tempting to short tail, high-volume keywords like “lawyer” or “solicitor”, these are often highly competitive and difficult to rank for.Instead, focus on longer, more specific phrases – known as long-tail keywords – that are less competitive and more likely to attract relevant traffic.

Remember: You should have an individual service page for each of your services, don’t just group them together.Having separate pages will allow you to have more content and more effectively target your chosen keywords for that service.

4. On-site SEO for Solicitors

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, it’s time to start optimising your website. This involves making changes to your site’s content and design to make it more attractive to search engine crawlers.

4.1 Optimising your website’s content

The quality and relevance of your website’s content is one of the most influential factors in your search engine rankings. Here’s how to ensure your search engine result page content is up to scratch:

1. Include Relevant Keywords:Incorporate your keywords naturally throughout your content, including in your headings, subheadings, and body text.But beware of keyword stuffing – overloading your content with keywords can lead to penalties from search engines.
2. Create High-Quality Content:Your content should offer real value to your visitors, providing clear, accurate, and useful information. Think about the questions your potential clients might have and aim to answer them in your content.
3. Update Regularly:Search engines favour websites that are regularly updated with fresh content. Consider starting a blog to share news, insights, and advice, and update your service pages regularly to keep them relevant.
4. Use Meta Tags:Meta tags are snippets of text that describe a page’s content. They don’t appear on the page itself, but they do show up in the page’s HTML code and in search engine results. Make sure to include your target keywords in your meta tags like the important title tag, but keep them relevant and descriptive.

Note: Google has gone on record and confirmed that meta descriptions are not a site ranking factor but instead are for conversions.

4.2 Improving your website’s design and usability

The design and usability of your website can also impact your law firm SEO for Solicitors.

Here’s what to consider:

1. Mobile-Friendly Design:More and more people are using mobile devices to access the Internet, so it’s important that your website is mobile-friendly. This means it should look and function well on all mobile devices, from smartphones to tablets to desktop computers.
2. Fast Load Times:Slow-loading websites frustrate users and can hurt your search engine rankings. You can speed up your site by optimising your images, using a good hosting provider, and minimising the use of complex features or sluggish WordPress website plugins.
3. Easy Navigation:Make it easy for visitors to find their way around your site. Use clear, simple navigation menus and include a search function if possible.Posssibly add a search function to allow visitors to easily search and filter your website content for the answers they are looking for.
4. Secure Browsing:Google prioritises websites that offer secure browsing. Make sure your site uses HTTPS, which encrypts data to protect users’ information. Can be seen as closed padlock icons in the browser.

5. Off-Site SEO for Law Firms

While On-Site SEO focusses on optimising your own website, off-site SEO is all about improving your online reputation.

This involves building high-quality backlinks (hyperlinks from other websites to yours), managing your online reviews, and optimising your Google Business Profile listing.

5.1 How to build high-quality backlinks

Backlinks – links from other websites to your own – is an influential SEO ranking factor in search engine rankings.

They act as votes of confidence, signalling to other sites and search engines, that your website is a trusted and authoritative source of information.

Here’s how to build high-quality backlinks:

1. Create Shareable Content: One of the best ways to earn backlinks is to create content that others want to share. This could be an insightful blog post, an engaging infographic, or a comprehensive guide.
2. Guest Blogging: Reach out to relevant blogs and offer to write a guest post. This not only earns you a backlink, but also exposes your firm to a wider audience.
3. Directory Listings: Get your law firm website listed in reputable online directories. This not only earns you a backlink but also helps potential clients find you.
4. Participate in Legal Forums: Participate in online legal forums and communities. You can answer questions, offer advice, and even link back to relevant content on your website (but be sure to follow the forum’s rules about self-promotion).

5.2 Managing online reviews

Online reviews play a crucial role in establishing your reputation and building trust with potential clients.

They also influence your organic search traffic and a SEO ranking factor, particularly in local search and search engine results pages.

Here’s how to manage your online reviews:

1. Encourage Reviews:Ask your satisfied clients to leave a review on Google, Yelp, or other relevant review sites. Be sure to make it easy for them by providing a direct link to your review page.
2. Respond to Reviews:Make a point of responding to all reviews, both positive and negative. Thank your clients for their positive feedback, and address any complaints or issues raised in negative reviews.Pop one or two of your chosen keywords into your replies, this can help your local SEO.
3. Monitor Your Reviews:Keep an eye on your online reviews to spot any trends or recurring issues. You can use review management tools to streamline this process.

5.3 Optimising your Google business profile listing

Google Business profile used to be called Google My Business, it is a free tool that allows you to manage your online presence across Google, including in search results and on Google Maps.

A well-optimised listing can boost your visibility in local search results pages and attract more visitors and clients.

Here’s how to optimise your listing:

1. Complete Your Listing:Make sure your listing is complete and up-to-date, with accurate information about your law firm’s name, address, phone number, and opening hours.
2. Add Photos:Add high-quality photos to your listing to make it more appealing and to give visitors a better idea of what to expect.
3. Collect Reviews:Encourage your clients to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing. The quantity and quality of reviews are SEO ranking factors in local search results.
4. Post Regular Updates:Use the Posts feature to share updates, news, and offers with potential law clients.

6. Tracking your progress

Finally, it’s important to track your progress to see how your SEO efforts are paying off.

You can use tools like Google Analytics to monitor your website’s traffic, see which keywords are driving the most visitors, and identify which pages are performing well.

Remember, SEO is a long-term strategy, so don’t expect to see results overnight. It can take several months to start seeing a significant improvement in your search engine rankings.

7. SEO for Solicitors the bottom line

In today’s digital age, SEO for solicitors is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.

With the right strategies and techniques, you can boost your law firm’s online visibility, attract more clients, and grow your business.

So why wait? Start implementing this SEO for law firms today and watch your own law firm website soar to new heights and crush your competition.

If you’re overwhelmed by the thought of implementing all these strategies, don’t fret. There are SEO agencies that specialise in providing SEO services for law firms.

They can handle everything from keyword research and content creation to link building and SEO tracking.

So why not let the experts take care of SEO for Solicitors as a speciality, freeing you up to focus on what you do best – winning cases for your clients.

Credits to:

1. Hubspot: 100 Awesome Marketing Stats, Charts, Graphs & Data ↩
2. Clio Legal Trends Report 2019 ↩
3. Google Ads Keyword Tool ↩

Important: Legal Compliance and Keyword Selection: A Delicate Balance

In the realm of SEO for Solicitors, keywords are the linchpin that connects new clients to your services. However, it’s crucial to tread carefully when selecting and using these keywords, especially considering the legal compliance aspects unique to the legal industry.

Firstly, SEO for Solicitors can be tricky because the use of certain terms or phrases could inadvertently imply a guarantee or promise of a specific legal outcome, which can be a serious ethical violation.

Misleading

For example, using keywords like “guaranteed win” or “100% success rate” could be misleading and result in legal repercussions.

Secondly, there’s the issue of confidentiality. Keywords related to very specific legal situations or cases could potentially breach client confidentiality, even if unintentionally.

Always ensure that your keyword strategy respects the privacy and confidentiality norms inherent in legal practice.

Trademarked terms

Lastly, the use of trademarked terms or the names of competing law firms in your keywords can lead to legal disputes. While it might be tempting to rank for a competitor’s name, this can be viewed as unfair competition or trademark infringement.

Basically, while keywords are a powerful tool for online visibility, they must be chosen and implemented with a keen awareness of legal compliance.

Consult a legal SEO team

Always consult with your legal team or a legal ethics advisor when crafting an SEO for Solicitors keyword strategy.

Ensure you’re on the right side of the law.

You should not approach law firms like any other niche, failing to comply with your legal obligation like compliance can leave your own law firm or if you are an SEO agency your client in trouble and not just with the search engines.

FAQs for SEO for Solicitors

1. When implementing SEO for solicitors how long does it typically take to see results?

Ah, the million-pound question! You’ve got your SEO for solicitors game on, but when will the phone start ringing off the hook?

Well, let’s be real, SEO is more of a marathon than a sprint. You’re looking at a few months, sometimes up to six, to really see those juicy results. But hey, good things come to those who wait, right?

2. Are there any specific SEO ranking factors that law firms should be aware of?

You bet! Think of SEO ranking factors like the spices in your grandma’s secret recipe. Miss one, and the whole dish is off. For law firms, local SEO is a biggie for obvious reasons.

Why? Because when someone’s in a jam, they’re not looking for a lawyer 100 miles away.

3. How do online client reviews impact SEO for Solicitors?

Ever picked a restaurant based on Google reviews? It’s the same deal with online client reviews for law firms.

Good reviews not only make you look like the reliable and honest solicitor that you are but also give you a nice little SEO boost.

4. What’s the role of Google Business Profile in local SEO for law firms?

Imagine Google Business Profile as your online business card, but better. It’s got your name, what you do, and how people can reach you.

And the best part? It’s right there when people search for legal help in your area. So, if you haven’t set up your Google Business Profile Business page yet, what are you waiting for?

5. How can I use Google Keyword Tool for my law firm’s SEO?

Ah, the Google Ads Keyword Tool, the Swiss Army knife of keyword research. It’s like having a crystal ball that tells you exactly what your potential clients are searching for.

Use it to find those golden keywords that are relevant but not too competitive.

It’s like finding a parking spot right in front of the courthouse—a total game-changer!

6. What are some common SEO mistakes for a legal website or a law firm website you should avoid?

Steer clear of common SEO mistakes like keyword stuffing or ignoring meta descriptions and titles.

One huge thing is to never buy backlinks, it’s like showing up to court in a tracksuit—you just don’t do it.

7. How do I protect my law firm’s website from search engine penalties?

You wouldn’t go to court unprepared, so why leave your website vulnerable? To avoid search engine penalties, keep your SEO tactics above board and research more white hat techniques (white hat follows the Google guidelines).

That means no sneaky stuff like hidden text or dodgy paid backlink schemes. Keep it clean, and you’ll stay in the search engine’s good books.

8. How can I use social media to complement my law firm’s SEO strategy?

Think of social media as the pub where everyone knows your name. It’s where you can let your hair down a bit and show the human side of your law firm.

Share useful articles, legal tips, or even a behind-the-scenes look at your day. It’s all about building relationships, and hey, it gives your SEO a little nudge too!

9. What are some advanced link-building techniques for law firms?

Ready to take your link-building to the next level? How about guest blogging on reputable legal sites? Or creating a killer infographic that everyone wants to share?

The aim is to get quality backlinks and relevant links that tell Google, “Hey, this site knows its stuff!”

10. How can I monitor the organic traffic coming to my site structure my law firm’s website?

Keeping tabs on your organic traffic is like checking your pulse—it tells you how healthy your SEO efforts are. Tools like Google Analytics are your new best friend.

In conclusion

The article serves as an indispensable guide on SEO for Solicitors navigating the complex landscape law firms SEO.

From understanding the foundational elements of SEO for solicitors to the nuanced strategies for both on-site and off-site optimisation, the article offers a holistic approach to boosting a law firm’s online visibility and client base.