Why does a law firm need SEO (search engine optimization)?
The SEO Law Firm separates a legal practice from its group of competitors. The Internet is a primary lead engine for lawyers, but their websites must be found. That is precisely what proper search engine optimization does: SEO. There is a great deal of competition in the legal field. Just watch the TV commercials! It could be one lawyer being followed by another during a commercial break on a TV show. Even lawyers who spend a lot of money on TV advertising also have a web strategy. For law firms that do not have a budget for television or radio advertising, Internet marketing becomes essential to their success.
How does the network move people to lawyers? When many people need legal advice or legal representation, they may have no idea how to choose a lawyer. As with any other need for a service, these people resort to a Google search. They can type a phrase like “foreclosure attorney” into the search box. Hiring an attorney can be a somewhat personal decision, so people like to get an idea of what the law practice is all about before calling the firm. Websites are enormously effective in presenting the “message” of a law firm and introducing a lawyer to a potential client.
Search engine optimization gets the lawyer’s website found. It puts you at the top of competing lawyers in the Google search results list. It is critical to be at or near the top of the first page of results. An optimized legal website can rank ahead of competitors whose sites have not been made attractive and “Google friendly.” Because most people don’t look beyond the first handful of links on a Google results page, new clients will find the law firm link has been optimized and most people ignore the bottom links. SEO can result in a doubling or more of the natural traffic to a site, and that converts into new customers.
Increasingly, law firm SEO can be a differentiator in terms of lawyers having multiple practice areas. When they want to rank well in search results for each of the areas in which they practice, they can have pages on their site optimized for each of their specializations. As an example, a personal injury lawyer may very well handle wrongful death claims, and wants clients to find them if they are searching under either term. A divorce lawyer can also be adept at child custody appeals, and can be “found” for both terms if their website is properly and professionally optimized.