Law Firm: how to rank first on Google [SEO Checklist]

SEO isn't just for tech giants and e-commerce platforms—it's a powerful tool that the most successful law firms use strategically to attract clients.

We understand that you're busy managing your cases and the thought of optimizing your website might feel like an additional burden.

But here's the deal: you don't need to be an SEO expert or spend a fortune to make it work. Just a few simple steps can significantly improve your online visibility and bring more clients to your firm.

To assist you, we have created a free SEO checklist - also, for a comprehensive action plan, please check our pack of marketing tactics and strategies for law firms.

Get the SEO checklist made for lawyers

The best law firms rank first on Google. Here is a free tool to to get you started.

What is SEO for law firms exactly?

Simply put, SEO is all about making your law firm’s website more attractive to search engines like Google.

When someone searches for "best law firm in [Your City]" or "experienced family lawyer," SEO helps your law firm show up in the results. The goal is to get your website higher up on the search results page so more people can find and contact your firm.

Why is SEO Important for Law Firms?

SEO is incredibly important for law firms, and here’s why:

Increased Online Visibility:
The higher your website ranks on search engines, the more people will see it. This means more potential clients discovering your law firm online, especially when they're looking for legal services.
Higher Rankings on Search Engines:
Most people don’t look past the first page of search results. By optimizing your site, you can climb those rankings and beat out the competition. Imagine someone searching for "top personal injury lawyer" and finding your firm right at the top!
Attracting More Local Clients:
SEO isn't just about getting anyone to your site—it's about getting the right people. Local SEO helps ensure that when someone nearby searches for legal assistance, your law firm pops up. This means more consultations and more clients seeking your expertise.

Key Components of SEO

Now, let’s break down the main parts of SEO specifically for your law firm:

On-Page SEO

This involves making sure the content on your website is optimized. It includes things like:

Keywords:
Using the words and phrases people are searching for in your titles, descriptions, and content. For example, if you specialize in family law, make sure you use phrases like "experienced family lawyer" or "family law services" on your site.
Content Quality:
Providing useful, engaging, and fresh content about your law firm. Share your practice areas, client testimonials, legal insights, and stories about your team.
Meta Tags:
Using meta titles and descriptions that are relevant and appealing to searchers. For instance, a meta description for your homepage could be "Get expert legal advice at [Your Law Firm Name], the top-rated law firm in [Your City]."

Off-Page SEO

This focuses on actions taken outside your website to impact your rankings:

Backlinks:
Getting other reputable websites to link to your site, which signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant. This could be from legal blogs, local news sites, or professional associations.
Social Media:
Being active on social media with your law firm’s page can drive traffic to your site and improve your online presence. Share your latest case studies, client success stories, and legal tips to engage with your audience.

Technical SEO

This ensures your website meets the technical requirements of search engines:

Site Speed:
Making sure your website loads quickly. No one likes to wait, especially potential clients looking for legal information!
Mobile-Friendliness:
Ensuring your site looks and works well on mobile devices. Many people search for legal services on their phones while on the go.
Secure Website (HTTPS):
Having a secure website that users (and search engines) can trust. This is especially important if you have an online consultation booking system.

Some law firms make 5x more profit than you!

We have studied the strategies of the best law firms in the world. Replicate them now!

Which keywords should you target for your law firm?

Law firm owners, like you, must target specific keywords in SEO because it helps your website appear in search results when potential clients look for the legal services you offer. This increases the chances that people will find and contact your law firm.

For example, if you specialize in family law, targeting keywords like "best family lawyer" or "family law attorney near me" helps attract clients searching for those terms. This makes it easier for people in need of family legal services to find your law firm online.

Here are some keyword ideas for you. If you want a more developed strategy with actionable steps, go check out our strategy pack for law firm owners.

Keyword	Competitiveness Level	Tips and Initiatives
Best [Practice Area] Lawyer in [Your City]	High	Optimize your website with high-quality images of your team, gather client testimonials, list on local directories, and use local SEO strategies.
Where to find a [Practice Area] Attorney	Medium	Create blog posts or pages on your website highlighting your expertise, use keywords naturally in content, and engage with local legal bloggers.
Law firm with good reputation near me	Medium	Use professional imagery of your office, gather positive client reviews, and ensure your Google My Business profile is complete.
Best place for [Legal Service] in [Your City]	Medium	Feature specific legal services prominently on your website (e.g., divorce, personal injury), use local SEO tactics, and promote your services on social media.
[Your Practice Area] Lawyer in [Your City]	High	Highlight unique aspects of your practice, create SEO-friendly content about your services, and engage with the local community online.
Top-rated [Practice Area] Attorney near me	High	Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews, optimize your website for mobile, and ensure accurate information on local listings.
Affordable [Practice Area] Lawyer in [Your City]	Low	Highlight affordable options and payment plans on your website, use keywords related to value, and promote your services on social media.
Where to find [Legal Service] near me	Medium	Use local SEO strategies, create content around popular legal issues, and ensure your website is optimized for mobile users searching nearby.
Popular [Practice Area] Lawyer in [Your City]	Medium	Use social media to share success stories, engage with local influencers, and gather client testimonials to build credibility.
Best [Practice Area] Lawyer for families in [Your City]	Low	Create family-friendly content, highlight services for families on your website, and host community events to generate buzz.

What really matters when you do SEO for a law firm

Actually, we think that SEO often follows the 80/20 rule, meaning that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. For law firm professionals, like you, this means it's crucial to focus on the right strategies to maximize impact without feeling overwhelmed.

Action / Initiative	Why It Matters / How It Helps Attract New Clients
Optimize Google My Business profile	Ensures your law firm appears in local search results, provides essential information (hours, location, services), and collects reviews to build trust.
Gather and respond to online reviews	Positive reviews build credibility and trust. Responding to reviews shows you value client feedback, encouraging more people to seek your services.
Create high-quality content with targeted keywords	Helps your website rank higher in search results for relevant queries, attracting clients looking for specific legal services or expertise.
Optimize for local SEO	Ensures your law firm shows up in local searches (e.g., "lawyers near me"), driving foot traffic and inquiries from nearby potential clients.
Ensure website is mobile-friendly	Most users search for legal services on their phones. A mobile-friendly site provides a better user experience, leading to higher engagement and conversions.
Use high-quality images of your team and office	Professional photos build trust and showcase your firm's environment, which can significantly influence a potential client's decision to contact you.
Include detailed service pages with keywords	Allows search engines to index your services, helping you appear in searches for specific legal needs, and makes it easy for clients to understand what you offer.
List your law firm on local directories	Increases your online presence and backlinks, improving your search engine ranking and making it easier for clients to find you.
Engage with local legal bloggers and influencers	Generates buzz and word-of-mouth, reaching a wider audience and attracting clients who trust these local voices.
Promote special events and webinars	Creates a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging potential clients to engage with your firm for unique insights and legal advice.
Utilize social media to share updates and engage with clients	Builds a community around your law firm, keeps clients informed about new services, and drives traffic to your website.
Ensure accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all platforms	Prevents confusion, helps search engines trust your business information, and improves your local SEO ranking.
Offer online consultations and appointment scheduling	Makes it convenient for clients to plan their consultations, leading to increased bookings and client satisfaction.
Create blog posts about legal topics and case studies	Attracts visitors to your site through informative and engaging content, improving SEO and showcasing your expertise and unique value.

Copy the tactics of the best law firms in the world!

There are law firms that make way more money than you do. We have studied their tactics. Get them now!

What is always useless when you do SEO for a law firm

We have studied a lot of law firms when we built our strategy pack and we saw a lot of SEO-related initiatives that don't help attract new clients. We explain here why they might be a waste of time or even counterproductive.

Action / Initiative	Why It Doesn't Matter / How It Doesn't Help Bring New Clients
Using meta keyword tags	Search engines no longer use meta keyword tags to rank pages, so focusing on them doesn't improve SEO for your law firm.
Keyword stuffing in service descriptions	Overusing keywords in service descriptions makes them hard to read and can be penalized by search engines, turning away potential clients.
Paying for backlinks from unrelated websites	Backlinks from non-legal related or low-quality websites don't improve your SEO and can even hurt your ranking if considered spammy by search engines.
Using exact match domains like bestlawyerintown.com	Having an exact match domain has minimal impact on SEO and can appear spammy, especially if it doesn't reflect your brand well.
Creating multiple pages for the same legal services	Duplicate content confuses search engines and can dilute your SEO efforts. Focus on one high-quality page for each unique service or topic.
Using Flash for service or contact pages	Flash is outdated, not supported by many devices, and negatively impacts SEO. Modern alternatives like HTML5 should be used instead.
Focusing only on desktop optimization	Many clients search for legal services on mobile devices. Ignoring mobile optimization leads to poor user experience and lower search rankings.
Using automated link-building tools	These tools often create low-quality or spammy links that can be penalized by search engines, hurting your law firm's SEO efforts.
Ignoring structured data for legal services	Structured data helps search engines understand your services better. Ignoring it means missing out on potential SEO benefits like rich snippets.
Not updating your online service information regularly	Outdated service information can frustrate clients and harm your SEO. Regular updates keep content relevant and maintain search rankings.
Using irrelevant stock photos on your site	Low-quality or irrelevant images can negatively impact user experience and SEO. Use high-quality photos of your actual team and office.
Over-optimizing anchor text in links	Using exact match keywords for every link appears unnatural and can be penalized by search engines. Use varied, natural anchor text instead.
Ignoring page load speed for your website	Slow-loading pages frustrate users and can lead to higher bounce rates, negatively impacting your law firm's SEO. Ensure your site loads quickly.
Using too many ads above the fold on your homepage	Too many ads at the top of the page can be off-putting for users and may be penalized by search engines, impacting your SEO negatively.

Should you pay someone for the SEO of your law firm?

Well, let's be straightforward. Here’s the thing: SEO can get pretty complex, and having some support can really make a difference. Imagine trying to juggle running your law firm, managing cases, keeping clients satisfied, and then on top of that, diving into the world of search engine optimization. It’s a lot, right?

Having someone handle your SEO means you can focus on what you do best—practicing law. SEO experts know the ins and outs of getting your website to rank higher on search engines. They stay updated on the latest trends and algorithms, which means your site will be optimized correctly and consistently. This can lead to more people finding your law firm online, and ultimately, more clients seeking your legal services.

But here’s the kicker: there are a lot of low-hanging fruits in SEO that you can tackle on your own, even if you don’t know much about it.

You will find a lot of low-hanging fruits that cost nothing, are quick to implement, and will make your law firm’s website much more visible in strategy pack for law firm owners.

Simple actions like optimizing your Google My Business profile, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, and using relevant keywords can significantly improve your online presence. These tasks don't require deep technical knowledge but can make a big impact.

So, should you increase the marketing budget of your law firm and pay someone to manage your SEO? If you can do it, it’s a worthwhile investment. But don't underestimate what you can achieve on your own. Start with the basics, see the results, and then decide if you need more specialized help.

Make your law firm more profitable

We have studied the strategies of the best law firms in the world. All their tactics are explained in our pack!

Useful tools lawyers can use for their SEO

Here are some essential tools that our team has collected and listed, to help you improve your law firm's online presence and SEO.

Tool	How It's Useful
Google My Business	Ensures your law firm appears in local search results and Google Maps, provides essential information (hours, location, services), and collects client reviews.
SEMrush	Helps identify the best keywords for your law firm, analyze competitors, and track your search rankings. Provides insights to improve your content and visibility.
Yext	Manages your law firm's listings across multiple directories, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information to boost local SEO.
Google Search Console	Monitors your law firm's website performance, identifies issues, and provides data on search traffic and keywords to optimize your SEO strategy.
Avvo	Collects client reviews and ratings, which improve your law firm's online reputation and visibility in local search results.
BrightLocal	Offers tools for local SEO audits, citation building, and review management, helping your law firm improve its local search presence.
Moz	Provides keyword research, link building, and site audit tools to enhance your law firm's SEO efforts and improve search engine rankings.
Ahrefs	Analyzes your law firm's backlink profile, identifies top-performing content, and tracks keyword rankings to boost your SEO strategy.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider	Crawls your law firm's website to identify technical SEO issues, such as broken links and duplicate content, helping improve site health and rankings.
AnswerThePublic	Generates content ideas by showing what people are searching for related to your law firm, helping you create relevant and engaging blog posts and pages.
Canva	Helps create visually appealing social media posts and graphics for your website, which can improve user engagement and indirectly boost SEO.
Hotjar	Provides insights into user behavior on your law firm's website through heatmaps and session recordings, helping you optimize user experience and reduce bounce rates.

Copy the SEO tactics of the best lawyers

We understand why many law firm partners might shy away from SEO and marketing.

Running a law firm is already a full-time job, and the concept of SEO can seem vague and foreign. The terminology can be confusing, and it often feels like marketing is a luxury only large firms can afford.

Plus, there's the constant worry about costs and whether any marketing efforts will actually pay off. We get that you prefer to focus on immediate, tangible improvements to your practice rather than dive into something that seems complicated and uncertain. No need to deteriorate your firm's budget here.

That's why we've created a "marketing pack" specifically for law firms like yours.

Our pack is designed to address all these concerns head-on. It includes easy-to-follow guides that break down SEO and marketing into simple steps, so you don't need to be a tech expert to understand. We offer cost-effective strategies that fit within tight budgets, and our step-by-step plans ensure that you can implement a good marketing strategy for your law firm without feeling overwhelmed.

Plus, we've included real-life examples and tips that have worked for other small law firms, so you can see the tangible benefits before you even start.

Our goal is to make marketing accessible and practical, helping your law firm thrive without adding extra stress to your already busy life.

Your law firm could make more money!

Most lawyers don't know how to grow their business. Let us teach you the right strategies.