Starting an Attorney SEO Program
October 1, 2021
An attorney SEO program helps law firm websites rank higher in search results, drive more traffic, and convert that traffic into paying clients. Most major search engines now list law firm sites directly in their results, and those rankings have a direct impact on a firm’s revenue. The most common approach is organic SEO, supported in many cases by pay-per-click campaigns and lead generation.
Why attorney SEO matters for law firms
Most law firms already own one or more websites that showcase their legal services. Without search engine optimization, those pages often fail to attract enough traffic or rank for the key phrases potential clients actually search. The result is no new clients and a drop in income. An attorney SEO specialist can build keyword-optimized pages that are both search-engine friendly and written for a specific client base.
How organic SEO works for lawyers
Organic search engine optimization means writing articles and blogs and submitting them to major search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!. The strategy involves researching the keywords most likely to attract potential clients to a law firm’s website. Each page should contain relevant keywords that accurately reflect the services offered. As more users search using those keywords, the number of results increases, creating more links and backlinks to the firm’s site.
Lead generation as part of an attorney SEO program
Lead generation is another key technique. Law firms need a system for collecting email addresses from potential clients so they can build a database for future outreach. A lawyer SEO expert builds pages with information about the firm’s services, plus other pertinent details, to pique visitor curiosity. A link to the firm’s website is included in the content. High rankings matter here: once a lawyer is established and a substantial client list has been built, those rankings start benefiting the firm’s bottom line.
Combining organic SEO with PPC
While attorney SEO focuses on providing online clients with useful information about a practice, traditional methods are still part of the mix. Organic SEO raises rankings, but it works best in tandem with PPC and other paid campaigns. PPC ads tend to target a specific demographic, while organic SEO reaches a broader audience. A doctor specializing in breast cancer, for example, would likely build ads around that specific condition.
Budgeting for an SEO program
Before launching a campaign, lawyers should take a realistic look at how much money legal marketing can realistically generate. A good SEO analyst can project a firm’s potential income through various strategies, though some techniques cost more than others. If hiring a law firm SEO specialist feels too expensive, there is no reason to go down that path. The starting point is to research the options available and build from there.
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