Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Lawyers
In this section, you will discover:
How to make your GMB profile 10 times better than the competition
The best way to get your cases is through review outreach.
How to syndicate your website's content across the internet.
How to increase website traffic by submitting directories.
How to avoid spammers' activities.
Relevance, Distance, and Prominence.
Few law firms understand how Google ranks them, but it comes down to three categories: relevance, distance, and prominence.
Relevance
Google will look at the content of your website or blog, and match that content to a user’s search query. A relevant result will appear higher in the rankings than one that is not as related to the keyword phrase used.
Accurate category:
If you're having trouble finding the most specific category for your practice area, try using a more general one. However, make sure that it's still relevant to what you do. For example, if you specialize in personal injury law, "attorney" would be too broad of a term to use as your primary category.
Thorough descriptions:
You can strategically place keywords throughout your law firm's profile description to make the most out of the 750-character limit. By making sure that the contents of your description are relevant to businesses, you can easily follow Business Description Guidelines.
Use of images/videos:
Images and videos are a great way to enhance your Google My Business profile, as they can help draw the attention of users. For example, you can add pictures of your office and staff or even create a virtual tour for potential clients. Videos can also be used to demonstrate how you handle cases by showcasing past successes or highlighting testimonials from satisfied clients. Doing so will be a great way to set yourself apart from the competition.
Detailed service sections:
If you want your Google My Business profile to be more effective, use all 1,000 characters in the sections provided to describe your practice area. Include target keyword phrases for best results.
Comprehensive service areas:
Your profile should include any places your offices are located, even if it is just the cities surrounding your home office. For example, including these areas will broaden your customer base.
Consistent information:
Double check that your information is correct and up to date by cross referencing it with other internet locations as well as what is on your website. Make sure things like operating hours, websites and any other relevant fields are completed.
Distance
Google will look at the distance between the user’s location and the law firm. The closer a firm is to the user, the higher it will appear in local search rankings.
Prominence
Google will look at how popular a law firm is. This includes reviews, mentions on social media, and website traffic. The more popular a law firm is, the higher it will appear in local search rankings.
One of the most difficult things about local SEO is improving a company’s overall prominence.
Links:
We previously mentioned thatHaving more authoritative backlinks than your competition is similar to having more "votes" for being placed in the three-pack.
Articles:
Guest blogging on other sites is beneficial for both parties because it results in more traffic.
Images:
Adding photographs of your office, staff, and past successful cases to your website helps people get a better understanding of what you offer.
Directories:
Having your firm listed on free and paid directories can help create additional backlinks to your website, which Google uses to measure the popularity of your website.
Reviews:
Google looks at the number of quality reviews a firm has as an indicator of its popularity. Encourage your clients to leave honest reviews about their experience with you on Google, Yelp, and other review sites. This will help boost your local SEO rankings.
How To Improve Rankings with Google My Business
Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to create and manage your business profile on Google. Having a comprehensive profile will help improve your local SEO rankings. Here are some tips for maximizing the effectiveness of your profile:
Choose the right primary category: When selecting a primary category for your firm, try to make it as specific as possible while keeping in mind that Google only allows one primary choice. If there isn’t an exact fit for your practice area, try using a more general one but make sure it’s still relevant.
Showcasing videos on Google My Business can be an effective way to highlight the best of your firm. You can post videos featuring the interior and exterior features of your office and staff or even create a virtual tour for potential clients. Videos can also be used to demonstrate how you handle cases by showcasing past successes or highlighting testimonials from satisfied clients. Doing so will be a great way to set yourself apart from the competition.
Detailed service sections: If you want your law firm to stand out, it is important that your service pages are comprehensive and up-to-date. This will allow potential customers to find more information about what you do, which could ultimately lead to more conversions.
By following these steps, you can create an engaging profile on Google My Business that will help your law firm rank higher in local search results and broaden your customer base. Additionally, if you keep your profile updated with regular content such as blog posts or videos, it can help draw more attention to your business over time.
Reviews
Reviews Aren’t Only Important for Restaurants
Encouraging clients to leave honest reviews is one of the most powerful ways to boost your local SEO rankings. Make sure that you respond to reviews, both positive and negative, as soon as possible so that potential customers will see that you’re active and engaged in the conversation. Additionally, take advantage of Google’s options for displaying customer reviews on your website. This will help build trust with visitors and can even lead to increased conversion rates.
A low review rating on your website will probably mean that Google won’t display your site. In other terms, not only do reviews affect conversions because of social proof, but they also can change how high up you appear in search results.
Basically, the higher your review rating, the better chance you have of being displayed on Google.
How Responding to All Reviews Can Benefit Your Business
You should respond to all reviews of your law firm, both positive and negative. When responding to negative reviews, don’t be defensive or argumentative. Instead, thank the customer for voicing their opinion and invite them to reach out directly so that you can address any issues they may have. By taking this approach, you can show potential customers that you take feedback seriously and strive to provide excellent service.
Replies to reviews are essential for building trust and showing potential customers that your law firm is serious about customer service. Not only will replying to reviews show others that you care about their opinion, but it also signals to Google that you’re an active business. As a result, this can help improve your local SEO rankings and lead to more visibility for your practice.
It is important to remember to reply with kindness and respect even if a review is negative. An appropriate response should be professional while still acknowledging the customer's concerns or issues.
When you take the time to respond to a Google My Business review, the person who left the review will get notified. Staying top-of-mind with your customers is essential, and responding to their reviews is one way/strategy that can help promote your brand.
What are the best online review sites for attorneys?
As we have mentioned before, gaining prominence means optimizing your website for search engines and also improving the quality of your firm’s online presence. It’s all about creating a strong perception. Trustworthy reviews can be found on many websites, but these are some of the most beneficial:
Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) is the best and most influential source for online reviews. It is one of the most effective ways to appear on search engine results pages, as it allows law firms to show up in local packs that appear when someone searches for a lawyer or legal services near them.
On Facebook, potential customers can get recommendations from friends and family members regarding law firms they’ve used before. Facebook reviews are a great way to build credibility with potential clients, as they show that your firm has been used and recommended by others in the past.
Yelp
Yelp is another powerful platform to leave and find law firm reviews. The website has millions of users who actively look for businesses based on their ratings and reviews. On Yelp, clients can write detailed reviews about your services with an added score out of 5 stars.
Better Business Bureau (BBB.org)
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a platform where clients can leave reviews and scores that reflect the quality of an attorney’s services. BBB ratings are important since they help law firms build trust and credibility with potential clients.
Avvo
Avvo is an online lawyer directory that lists law firms and lawyers alongside their ratings. Avvo scores are calculated based on various criteria such as experience, education, certifications and other factors. Clients can also leave detailed reviews on a lawyer’s profile page. These reviews can influence the overall rating of a firm which is an important factor when it comes to appearing higher in search results pages.
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages is an online business directory that provides reviews and ratings of law firms. Clients can leave detailed descriptions of their experiences with the firm and score them out of 5 stars. These reviews will be visible to potential clients searching for a lawyer in the area, allowing them to make more informed decisions.
Aggregators
Review aggregators are websites that collect reviews from various sources and present them in one place. These sites provide a more comprehensive view of a law firm as they show ratings from GMB, Yelp, Facebook, Avvo, and Yellow Pages all at once. This helps potential clients get an overall picture of the quality of services provided by the firm.
By taking advantage of these review sites and replying to customer reviews on a regular basis, you can build trust with potential clients, improve your local SEO rankings, and gain more visibility for your practice. With effective brand promotion strategies in place and positive testimonials to back them up, you can create a strong presence online that will open up more opportunities for your law firm.
What is a citation?
A citation is a reference to your law firm’s information that appears on other websites. This usually includes the name, address, and phone number (NAP) of your business. Citations help search engines understand where your business is located and how it should appear in local searches. When you ensure that consistent NAP information appears on other websites it helps your law firm to appear in local search engine results pages. Citations also help with your overall SEO rankings, as they provide an additional signal to search engines that your website is legitimate and trustworthy.
Best Citation Sites
Foursquare
Apple Maps
Bing
Google My Business
Yelp
Merchant Circle
Mapquest
Superpages
Yellow Pages
How to Make the Maximum Impact
Optimization, completion, and accuracy should be applied to your profile similar to what was done with the above advice. Also, check to see that all other lawyers in your firm have completed this same task for their profiles. Just as an FYI, sometimes directory placement is based on how well individual profiles are optimized; so take note of this when dealing with legal directories specifically.as they may be a source of leads.
Keep Your Google My Business Profile Safe from Spammers
Google My Business (GMB) is one of the best citation sites for law firms. It allows you to create an optimized profile where potential clients can find your contact information and other details about your services. You should make sure to continually monitor it, as spammers may try to include inaccurate or spammy content on your page. This can damage your ratings and rankings, so make sure to stay on top of it.
Here’s How to Eliminate Google My Business Spam
By taking the necessary steps to secure your GMB page from spammers, you can ensure that potential clients have access to accurate information about your services. Furthermore, it will help protect your SEO rankings and overall online presence.
Monitor your page
Make sure to monitor your GMB page regularly for any suspicious activity and delete any spammy content as soon as it appears.
Report suspicious activity:
If you find a review or post that looks like it may be from a spammer, report it to Google immediately so that they can take action.
Use two-step verification:
To strengthen the security of your GMB page, turn on two-step verification. This will require users to enter a code sent to their phone or email before they can post content on your page.
Keep your NAP information up to date:
Make sure that the name, address, and phone number for your law firm is accurate and up to date on all citation sites. This will help ensure that potential clients can find you easily and accurately.
Keyword stuffing:
Keyword stuffing is the practice of adding irrelevant keywords and phrases to your website or GMB page in an attempt to improve SEO rankings. This can have a negative effect on your rankings, as it sends a signal to search engines that you are trying to manipulate them for higher rankings. To avoid keyword stuffing, focus on creating quality content that is informative and relevant to your audience. Additionally, you should only use keywords that are relevant to the services your law firm provides.
Fake listings:
Fake listings are false listings set up by spammers to try and take advantage of potential clients. These fraudulent listings can be damaging for your online presence and local SEO rankings, so it’s important that you take steps to identify and remove any fake listings associated with your law firm. To do this, search for your business on the four major data aggregators and remove any inaccurate or duplicate listings. You can also set up notifications to alert you when new fake listings appear.
Fake Reviews:
Fake reviews are another tactic used by spammers to damage a law firm’s online reputation. It’s important to monitor your GMB profile for any suspicious activity, such as reviews from people who don’t appear to be legitimate clients. If you find any fake reviews, you can report them to Google and they will take action to remove them. Additionally, you can respond to the review politely and explain that it appears to be fake in order to further protect your online reputation.
You can report your competitor to Google if they’re using these tactics and ranking high as a result. You can reach out to them on the Google My Business Forum, or through Twitter or Facebook.
