As you look to expand your law practice and reach more clients in your area, it’s helpful to start with your website. Building, updating, and maintaining your firm’s website is an essential part of your digital marketing strategy, as websites that follow search engine optimization (SEO) best practices tend to rank higher among the search engine results. Potential clients are increasingly using their smartphones and computers to locate legal services, so it’s time to harness the power of your website to make your firm visible to searchers in your area. To start, here are a few steps you can take to boost your website’s performance and SEO, steadily leading to more of the clients you are hoping to serve.
Why Invest in SEO?
First, it’s important to understand why SEO matters. When a person has a legal question, they usually enter some keywords into a search engine, click on a few sites that pop up on the first page of the search results, compare law firms, and contact the firm that has made the most favorable impression on them. As you implement an SEO strategy, you can consider the keywords your clients would most likely use and integrate them into your website content. As the search engine algorithm starts to notice the relevance of your content to common search queries, it will begin displaying your website more prominently to searchers. Essentially, the more visible you can make your website to search engines, the higher the search engine algorithm will rank your site to potential clients looking for legal services in your area.
How to Make Your Legal Website More SEO-Friendly
There are several benefits to making your website more SEO-friendly. Besides boosting your firm’s visibility among search results, you can build your law firm’s reputation through client reviews and establish yourself as a trusted authority in your community. If you’re ready to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level, here are five steps to help you get started.
1. Finding the Right Keywords
As you create content for your website, you’ll want to incorporate keywords that your potential clients would likely use when looking for the answer to a particular legal question. It can be challenging to find keywords that are not overly broad (i.e., divorce lawyer), so take some time to consider how you can set yourself apart from similar firms in your area. You can use online tools to explore targeted keywords that appeal to your desired client base, then incorporate these keywords into your website’s headings and content.
2. Website Design Matters
While quality, user-friendly content is a key component of a successful legal website, don’t forget about your website’s design. Your website needs to load quickly (ideally, within three seconds or less), or a searcher may click away from the page in search of a website that loads faster. Make sure that your website displays correctly on a mobile device, as consumers are increasingly using their smartphones to search for goods and services. Additionally, consider the readability of your content—always choose short, easily digestible paragraphs over long blocks of dense text.
3. Communicate Who You Are
With so many law firms to choose from, searchers need to know what distinguishes you from similar firms in your area. Take some time to define your law firm’s identity, then find ways to communicate your values through your website’s content and design. For instance, if you take pride in your compassionate approach to working with clients, write your content in a caring tone that reflects this core value. Consider how a potential client would feel when visiting your website for the first time, and make adjustments to the word choices, tone, and aesthetics of your website accordingly.
4. Optimize Each Page
While your home page is usually a searcher’s initial glimpse into your firm’s offerings, make sure each page of your website is fully optimized for search engine algorithms and potential clients alike. Strategically incorporating keywords and your location on each page—be careful to do so organically—can boost the SEO performance of each page and rank your website higher among local search engine results pages. Consider incorporating links to reputable sources to build authority, as the search engines often view these links as a sign of your authenticity and credibility.
5. Highlight the Client Experience
Appealing to search engine algorithms is important, but you should also design your website to inspire trust in those who visit your site. Displaying positive client testimonials can encourage site visitors to contact you, as consumers are increasingly using client reviews to determine whether to move forward with a particular service. Make sure to monitor client reviews regularly by responding to comments and reaching out to those who left a less-than-favorable review. The more you can show potential clients that you prioritize and value the client experience, the more favorably your website will perform among search engine algorithms and potential clients.
If you are interested in learning more about growing your law practice through targeted and effective digital marketing strategies, call LegalRev today at (800) 893-2590.
