Is your law firm website failing to rank high in Google’s search results or struggling to drive traffic and leads for legal web pages? If yes, it means that your prospective clients cannot see you on the search engine results pages (SERPs). The average web visitor does not look beyond the first page of Google, which means that you need to rank on the first page and grab the top spot or at least within the first five results of the search page. If your website is ranked on the second or third page, people will not find you. It is as simple as that.
According to an article published in Huffington Post, you need to pay heed to measurable results like SEO, content marketing, and distribution of content for promoting your law firm online.
SEO is the most effective marketing tactic to help your legal website rank higher organically in the SERPs. Here is how:
Figure out legal website’s targeted search terms
It is the first and most essential step to improve the rankings of your legal website in the SERPs. Look for the most relevant and targeted search phrases or keywords (KWs) that will drive quality traffic to your web pages and generate leads. Focus on what sort of search terms people use to find a legal site. For example, you can start with the key practice areas and note down the relevant KWs.
You need to take some time out of your busy schedule to research the related search phrases using tools like Google Keyword Planner. Study the results by using the KWs. If the results are aligned with law firm services, you can use those search terms to stand out in the SERPs.
For instance, ‘lawyerin California’ is a wide term and so you need to narrow your search to align closely to your practice areas. These include California accident attorney, San Diego divorce lawyer, California personal injury attorney, and things like that.
Using a KW tool will help learn how popular a specific search term is, the extent of competition, and more relevant suggestions. Use KW tools that are user-friendly and easy to understand.
Determine where your website ranks compared to your competitors
Once you have a list of the relevant KWs in place, look for the search terms on Google to figure out where your legal website ranks compared to your closest competitors. It will help you to learn with whom you are competing when it comes to organic SEO.
Study the top-ranking websites and mull over what things you have in common or makes your legal web pages stand out from the rest. All you need to do is study the competitor websites and see which KWs they use, the type of content they upload, and the overall architecture of their websites. All of these factors help a website to rank higher in the SERPs.
In this guide to SEO for lawyers, we will help you learn which of the factors have an impact on Google search results. These include:
- Are the other sites using KWs through the web page, headlines, as well as subheadings?
- Is the site, ranking number one has a blog with unique, informative content related to the legal services offered?
- Is the website loading fast? You need to check this out on a smartphone.
If the answers to these questions are a resounding yes, you need to focus on these factors to make your legal site rank higher in the search results.
Improve your home page with search terms
Ensure that all the key components of your home page such as the headlines, subheadings, content, and call-to-action (CTA) have the relevant KWs. The web page headline must have the primary KW that you would like to rank higher for in the SERPs. It might be the key practice area, like criminal lawyer San Diego. The subheadings of your home page should have the secondary KWs and the other related search phrases.
Again, your title tag, photos, as well as Meta description must play a crucial role to improve your legal website’s SEO.
Design KW focused web pages
Google or Bing rewards websites with better rankings, especially those that provide an easy browsing experience to the visitors. If you have unique and relevant web page content about a specific legal service, your website will rank better in the SERPs.
The website structure is an essential aspect of SEO because visitors will find navigating easier when they visit any well-structured and easy-to-navigate web page, thus ensuring a pleasing user experience. When you have authentic content on your legal website, Google thinks you are an authority in the specific niche or topic.
You need to build specific pages relevant to a KW to improve online visibility and delighting your visitors with detailed information related to your legal services. For instance, when you want to rank higher for family law in San Diego, add web pages for every legal service such as child custody, divorce, wealth management, and things like that.
Monitor the KW rankings
KW ranking means where Google or Bing ranks your legal website for a particular search term. It is a very crucial aspect because Google users decide which website to visit depending on which law firm is on the first page of Google or Bing. Therefore, if your website is pushed down to the third or fourth page, you losing rankings, traffic, and leads. That is why KW monitoring is extremely essential.
All you need to do is use a simple way of searching the KWs and figure out where your web page is ranking in the SERPs. Make sure you have a Google spreadsheet to keep an eye on your rankings each week. You may use a free KW ranking tool to see where your website is ranking in the search results pages. The two options you can consider are SEG Google Position Checker and SEM Rush.
Conclusion
Now that you have this SEO guide handy, it is time to implement the tips and improve the rankings of your legal website in the SERPs. Try these tactics and you will succeed.