Every business needs a strong online presence, no matter the industry or location. In many cases, you don’t need a physical location for your business to succeed in today’s market. While fully remote businesses that provide services and products all over the country and even the world are becoming increasingly popular, communities are still filled with brick-and-mortar businesses.
Law firms are one such example. If you have a locally-owned firm that depends on having a physical location, you need law firm SEO services that target your audience in a specific location. That’s where local SEO for law firms comes in. It can help you achieve the same goals as SEO, but it’s tailored to your location.
So, what exactly is the difference between SEO vs. local SEO? Let’s find out.
WHAT IS LOCAL SEO?
SEO is the process of optimizing your website for search engines to enhance the way it ranks and increase visibility in users’ online searches. For many businesses, this can mean improving the way your website is positioned for a national or global audience.
However, for businesses with a physical location, like local law firms, bringing in a huge amount of traffic from places farther away won’t lead to any conversions. Likewise, users looking for a law firm near them don’t want results for something two states away. That’s one major difference between SEO and local SEO. While one focuses on a global audience, the other targets only a local audience.
Today, search engines are incredibly advanced and understand the intent behind a user’s search. If you’re looking for something like a law firm and don’t specify that you’re searching outside of your current location, it’s understood that you want a firm close by. In 2020, around half of all searches on Google were local queries, so many users only want local results showing up for their searches. In other words, if you want your practice to show up in such results, you need a robust law firm local SEO strategy.
Let’s talk about improving your law firm’s local SEO.
LOCAL LAW FIRM SEO BEST PRACTICES
Now that you know the difference between SEO and local SEO, you need to know how local search practices can vary from SEO. While many regular SEO tactics are still beneficial and necessary for local law firms, there are some more specific efforts you can make.
1. TARGETING LOCAL KEYWORDS
Localizing your keywords is essential for targeting users making local searches. The content on your website should clarify which areas your law firm provides services for. Rather than having generic keywords, you need to include long-tail keywords that include your firm’s location. For some firms, you may need different location pages for the areas you serve.
2. KEEPING NAP INFORMATION CONSISTENT
If people need a way to contact your law firm offline, your contact information should be easy to find. However, your name, address, and phone (NAP) information can change. This can lead to you having one address in one place and a different one elsewhere. Not only is this important for law firm local SEO, but consistency is also important to ensure you aren’t providing clients and customers with the wrong information and creating a poor experience.
3. USING ONLINE LISTINGS
Local SEO is about more than just your firm’s website. While few people are opening phonebooks to find a lawyer, many rely on online listings for this information. Many listings and directories are meant for different industries (including legal) and specific locations. Local law firms need to know what opportunities there are to get their name in front of the right audience through listings and directories.
4. GAINING BACKLINKS
You want your law firm to be seen as a trustworthy pillar of the community. One way of working towards this is through building backlinks. While backlinks are an important part of all law firm SEO strategies, local lawyers can benefit from gaining links from other reputable sources in their area. The audience you need already knows and trusts these websites, so a link may help get you far in terms of credibility.
5. MAKE YOUR WEBSITE MOBILE-FRIENDLY
When 30% of mobile searches are related to location, mobile-friendliness is a must for your website. A mobile-friendly website will unlock the door to more potential clients. Be sure your website adjusts smoothly to different screen sizes, loads quickly, and has easy-to-use menus. It will not only boost your search rankings but get you high-quality leads.
6. GATHER REVIEWS
Positive reviews significantly contribute to building trust and credibility for your law firm. They can also boost your Google Business Profile in local search results. Ask your clients to share their feedback on platforms like Google and Yelp. That’s another critical element of local law firm SEO.
More importantly, respond to the reviews, both positive and negative. While 99.9% of consumers read reviews when shopping online, and most specifically look for negative reviews before positive ones. Be professional when responding to reviews. You don’t want to start a war of words with your clients. Instead, be specific and try to diffuse the situation if it’s a negative review.
TARGET THE RIGHT AUDIENCE FOR YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS WITH ENX2 MARKETING
It is not easy to get your local law firm to thrive in this market. Fortunately, local SEO for law firms provides many opportunities for lawyers to succeed in the SERPs. At ENX2, we specialize in providing SEO services for law firms.
Our SEO specialists can help your law firm improve its online presence. If you aren’t sure what services are right for your law firm, we can help you figure it out. Contact us to learn more.
