10-step SEO strategy for law firms

Table of contents

The first step in any successful SEO strategy is keyword research. Identify the words and phrases that potential clients might use to search for a law firm like yours. For instance, if your practice is focused on employment law and your office is based in Madrid, a keyphrase you may want to consider is ’employment law firm in Madrid’. As it is a highly competitive keyword, you may need to narrow it down. Check out our article on keywords for more details on what they are and how to choose the right ones.

You can use tools like Ahrefs, Answer the public and Google’s Autocomplete, People also ask and Related searches, to find relevant keywords and assess their search volume and competition.

Once you’ve identified your keywords, make sure you use them strategically throughout your website. This includes your website’s content (practice area and services descriptions, blog posts, lawyer bios), metadata (such as meta titles and descriptions), and URLs.

Just be careful not to overuse keywords. Keyword stuffing can actually hurt your rankings and is considered black hat SEO, which means a practice that goes against search engine guidelines. It’s important to remember that you are creating content first and foremost for humans, not for machines.

A blog can be a great way to attract potential clients and demonstrate your expertise, in addition to another opportunity to use keywords. Make sure you update it regularly with high-quality, informative content. Consider topics that potential clients might be searching for, such as how to handle a specific legal issue, recent legal changes or trends.

Keyword research tools also come in handy if you are looking for inspiration for your blog. Try out Answer the public, Answer Socrates or our favourites – the Google trifecta: Autocomplete, People also ask, Related searches.

* Pro tip: if you keep on clicking on questions in Google Search’s People also ask, you’ll get an infinite amount of related topics.

Being listed on reputable directories can improve your online visibility and help potential clients find you. Make sure your information is accurate and up-to-date, including your firm’s name, address, and phone number.

Talking of online listings, a Google Business profile is a must for any law firm. Find out more about it in our article: What is Google Business and how to make the most of it.

If you are ranked in legal directories, take advantage of their domain authority (typically they rank higher than law firms’ own websites) and optimize your profile.

Backlinks – links from other websites to your own – are a key factor in SEO. They give authority and recognition, which reassure Google that a business is authentic and trusted. Try to get backlinks from high-quality, relevant websites (legal directories, chambers of commerce, sector publications). You can do this by creating shareable content, reaching out to other websites to request a link, or participating in guest blogging opportunities.

Take advantage of social media platforms to engage with clients, raise brand awareness and share updates about the firm’s services and successes. Presence on social media reinforces online authority, which helps SEO.

Make sure your social media profiles are up-to-date and that you’re sharing your blog posts and other content regularly. Engage with followers and respond to comments and messages promptly.

Depending on your target audience and content marketing strategy, some networks may be more suitable than others. Check out our tips on using LinkedIn for law firms.

A good SEO strategy should be based on data above anything else. Tracking organic traffic on your website, bounce rate, time spent on site, conversions and overall performance is essential in order to know what works and what doesn’t. Monitor your website’s performance using tools such as Google Analytics, Search Console Page Speed Insights.

Learn more about how technical aspects, such as speed, affect SEO, or how user experience, measured with bounce rate and other metrics, also influence your website’s optimization.

Google reviews can make or break an online reputation. Most users consult reviews before making a decision to contract one business or another. Therefore, monitoring and responding to online reviews and feedback is essential. It helps your law firm maintain a positive online reputation and shows potential clients that you’re responsive and care about your clients’ experiences. 

Also, the more reviews and responses you have, the more Google will notice your firm and rank it higher in its results. So it’s a good idea to incentivize customers to leave feedback after they’ve used your services. 

Benefit from the opportunity to respond to reviews and use more of your chosen keywords in the responses, rather than sticking to simple Thank-yous

With more and more people accessing the internet on their mobile devices, it’s crucial that your website is optimized for all kinds of devices. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and pages load quickly on smartphones and tablets. Consider using a responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes. You can quickly check if your website is mobile friendly in Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or see how it displays on a variety of devices with the Mobile Simulator extension for Chrome.