Local SEO for Lawyers: How To Rank 1st in Google Maps Pack
Learn how to dominate local search for your law firm by optimizing Google Maps listings, managing reviews, building strategic links, and creating local content - all while avoiding expensive PPC campaigns.
The only thing worse than no leads is having tire-kicking “prospects” ringing your phone off the hook.
No respectable lawyer (aka you) has time for low-quality leads.
Yet, it’s the reality for many law firms that rely on outdated methods like billboards, or poorly managed digital ad campaigns.
Since there’s no control over who’s seeing or hearing your advertisements, you’re left weeding through hundreds of unqualified callers.
The solution: ranking your law firm organically in the Google Maps pack using local SEO.
By dominating local search with the right keywords, you can pre-qualify leads and get more cases on your desk. Optimizing for Google search is crucial to enhance your visibility and attract the right clients.
A law firm’s website is a key point of contact for potential clients. Ensuring it is optimized with local landing pages, Google Maps integration, and local content can significantly improve your local SEO performance.
Here’s how to use local SEO to get motivated callers ringing your phone.
Local SEO vs. PPC vs. SEO: What’s the difference?
Local SEO, PPC, and traditional SEO have one thing in common: they help site owners get in front of internet searchers.
But where they differ is where they appear and how they work.
Let’s break this down.
What Exactly is Local SEO?
Local SEO consists of several tactics used to appear in the local search results on Google and other search engines. When you type in a keyword with a city, state, or region (e.g., DUI attorney Austin), local businesses appear as:
Service ads
PPC ads
Business listings
Organic search results
Local SEO results appear in the business listings section, also known as the local 3-pack. Utilizing local business listings is crucial for enhancing visibility in local searches and ensuring consistent business information across various platforms.
Done right, your law firm can appear in the top three. But to achieve this, you must appeal to Google’s algorithm, which looks at three factors including:
Relevance: How well your law firm’s NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) and website copy match search intent (what searchers are looking for)
Proximity: How close your law firm is to the searcher (based on the city in the keyword, IP address, or mobile device’s location)
Prominence: How well-known and established your law firm is — this is where backlinks come in.
Local directories are also a key component of a law firm’s local SEO strategy, helping to improve visibility and establish credibility through accurate business information and client reviews.
By satisfying these factors, you can rank on the first page of Google and drive motivated leads to your law firm. You do this by:
Claiming your Google My Business (and business listings on other search engines and review sites like Avvo)
Optimizing your website service pages using local search terms
Using PPC for lawyers can potentially generate more qualified leads. You bid on keywords related to your legal services and location, so the ads appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).
When someone clicks on your ad, you pay the PPC rate. The cost per click (CPC) varies, depending on the keyword’s competition level — the higher the comp, the more you pay (sometimes into the hundreds of dollars).
But it’s worth it because it targets searchers looking for your legal service specifically. But only if you build a successful campaign.
PPC Ads will potentially generate leads quickly, but at a steep cost. Recent data from 2024 shows astronomical costs per click:
“Car accident lawyer”: $378.67 per click
“Personal injury attorney”: $412.33 per click
“Medical malpractice lawyer”: $398.88 per click
“Divorce attorney”: $142.45 per click
Let’s break down what this means for your marketing budget. With a modest daily budget of $2,000:
Monthly spend: $60,000
Approximate clicks: 158
Typical conversion rate: 4.3%
Actual qualified leads: 3-4 per month
This means you’re effectively paying $15,000-$20,000 per qualified lead before you’ve even signed them as a client.
If you don’t know what keywords to target, you’ll pay for non-converting clicks. And if you don’t optimize your landing pages with the right keywords, you’ll waste money on irrelevant leads.
You need ads that speak to searchers’ needs or risk losing leads to competing law firms.
Unlike PPC, you don’t pay for your listing. But it’ll take longer to achieve results. And once you reach the top, you can lose your position quickly if you don’t keep up with the latest ranking factors.
To achieve and maintain high rankings, you must focus on both on-page and off-page optimization tactics, including:
Publishing quality content that’s valuable, actionable, and relevant to your audience
Building backlinks by developing authoritative content other sites link to or guest posting on high-authority (but relevant) sites
Including metadata, such as title tags and descriptions, on each page of your website
Optimizing your site for speed and usability
Including your NAP details on your site to boost credibility
Local SEO, PPC, and SEO are all important pieces of your digital marketing strategy, but they shouldn’t be used in isolation. Instead, they should work together to enhance lead generation for lawyers.
Why Is Local SEO So Important For Law Firms?
The answer is simple: Google is how people find you online.
When a person needs legal guidance, they head to Google for information. And once they’re ready, they conduct a local search to find an attorney. These are highly motivated individuals — the ones you want calling your law firm.
Recent studies show that 84% of legal service searches have local intent, and 76% of people who search for a local business visit one within 24 hours. This makes local SEO particularly crucial for law firms looking to capture motivated clients at the exact moment they need legal services.
But if this doesn’t convince you of the power of local SEO, then maybe you’ll find the following benefits intriguing:
Generating more leads: Ranking in the local 3-pack and organic search results gets your law firm in front of searchers at the exact moment they’re looking for an attorney. And, since local SEO is more targeted than other marketing methods, you’ll get more qualified leads.
Saving money: Relying on old-school marketing methods, like billboards and bus ads, can be expensive. But with local SEO, you can get in front of motivated leads without breaking the bank.
Improving brand awareness: Getting your law firm to appear in the local 3-pack helps improve awareness and credibility. This is especially true when you have high ratings and reviews from raving clients.
Standing out from competitors: Appearing in the local 3-pack positions your law firm for more clicks from quality leads. Most begin (and sometimes end) their search here before clicking to see “more businesses.”
To get these benefits, you need a solid local SEO strategy. We’ll dive into that next.
Benefits of Local SEO for Attorneys
Local SEO for attorneys offers a wealth of benefits that can significantly enhance your law firm’s online presence and client acquisition efforts. By optimizing your website and online presence for local search, you can:
Increase Online Visibility: Local SEO helps your law firm appear in local search results, making it easier for potential clients in your area to find you. This increased visibility can lead to more website traffic and, ultimately, more client inquiries.
Improve Credibility: A strong local SEO strategy can establish your law firm as an authority in your field. High rankings in local search results, coupled with positive reviews and ratings, can enhance your firm’s credibility and trustworthiness.
Attract More Potential Clients: By targeting local search terms, you can attract highly motivated clients who are actively seeking legal services in your area. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of converting searchers into paying clients.
Stay Ahead of Competitors: Local SEO allows you to stand out from competitors who may not be optimizing their online presence. By appearing in the local pack and other prominent positions in search results, you can capture more attention and clicks from potential clients.
Improve Local Search Rankings: Consistently optimizing your website and online profiles for local search can improve your rankings over time. Higher rankings in the local pack and organic search results can lead to sustained growth in client inquiries and business.
By leveraging the power of local SEO, your law firm can build a strong online presence, attract more qualified leads, and ultimately grow your practice.
How To Rank Your Law Firm First In The Google Maps Pack
Local search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in local search results. This involves understanding how search engines work, what people search for, and the keywords and phrases they use.
For law firms, local SEO is crucial because it helps attract potential clients in your local area who are actively seeking legal services.
Local SEO for law firms involves several key strategies, including optimizing your website with local keywords, claiming and managing your Google Business Profile, and ensuring your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across all online directories. By focusing on these elements, you can improve your visibility in local search results and connect with clients who have local intent.
1. Claim or create your listing on Google Business Profile
To claim your GMB listing, go to Google Maps and type in your law firm’s name. Click on the correct one from the list, and select “Claim this business,” “Manage now,” and then choose your preferred verification option.
Don’t see your business appear? Click “I own or manage another business.”
If you know your law firm isn’t listed, go to Google Maps and click “Add your business” in the menu on the left side.
As you’re claiming or creating your business listing, keep the following in mind:
Select a primary category that best represents your firm (e.g., DUI attorney) instead of choosing “law firm.”
Include images of yourself, your partners, and office (exterior and interior) to stand out — choose PNG or JPG formats and keep the image size between 10 KB and 5 MB (ideally 720 x 720).
Fill out the listing completely, including the address, phone number, hours of operation, services, and description.
Importance of NAPs Consistency
NAPs (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistency is a critical component of local SEO. Ensuring that your law firm’s NAP information is consistent across all online directories, citations, and your website helps establish your firm’s identity and improves your local search rankings.
Consistent NAPs offer several benefits:
Improve Local Search Visibility: Search engines use NAP information to verify the legitimacy of your business. Consistent NAPs across all platforms signal to search engines that your information is accurate and trustworthy, which can improve your local search visibility.
Increase Credibility and Trust: Consistent NAPs help build trust with potential clients. When your contact information is the same across all online platforms, it reduces confusion and reassures clients that they are reaching out to the right firm.
Reduce Confusion and Errors: Inconsistent NAP information can lead to confusion and errors, such as clients calling the wrong number or visiting the wrong address. Ensuring consistency helps prevent these issues and provides a seamless experience for potential clients.
Improve Online Reputation: Accurate and consistent NAP information contributes to a positive online reputation. It shows that your law firm is professional and reliable, which can enhance your credibility and attract more clients.
By maintaining consistent NAP information, your law firm can improve its local search rankings, increase online visibility, and attract more potential clients.
2. Capture reviews from happy clients
Reviews and high ratings do two things: increase your odds of appearing in the local 3-pack and attract prospective clients.
But reviews and ratings won’t grow by themselves. Like a garden, it requires you to nurture and prune your GMB reviews.
This means reaching out to clients to ask for their testimonials. You can use an email template you send a day or two after closing a case requesting a testimonial. If you’re worried about getting negative reviews, then use Typeform or Google Forms to ask for feedback first.
If it’s positive, respond with a link to leave a review and rating on your GMB listing.
When negative reviews pop up, don’t ignore them. Reply to each one to show professionalism and address the issue. This will show prospects you care and may lead to a revised rating or deletion of the negative review (if the problem’s resolved).
3. Get featured online and offline
Being featured on popular sites and directories boosts your firm’s recognition, attracts backlinks, and improves brand awareness. So where do you begin?
Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:
Build local citations
Claiming or creating your business listings in Yelp, Justia, Avvo, and other directories increases your visibility on those sites, as well as search engines.
This is critical for generic searches like “family law attorney,” which you’ll find is dominated by directories. The top results include Justia, lawyers.com, and FindLaw, among others:
Since Google knows where you are (unless you’re searching Incognito), each directory will pull law firms from the user’s locale.
Make sure to keep your citations clean by updating them whenever there are changes in your address, phone number, and other details, so they match your site and other citations. Consistency tells Google and directories your information is accurate and trustworthy to display.
Online press mentions
Writing a guest blog post for Forbes or a popular legal blog is an excellent way to build your visibility and traffic to your site. You’ll post a link to your legal website, which will improve SEO.
Do this enough and you’ll see your backlink profile grow and boost your rank in the SERPs, including the local 3-pack section.
The alternative is being featured in an article as a source. Unless you have a big story to share, being the feature of the story is unlikely. So an alternative is to use platforms like Qwoted, Terkel, and HARO to find relevant stories journalists need expert quotes for.
In return, the journalist attributes the quote to your law firm and links to the site.
Local press features
Have insights to share about pending legislation in your legal niche? Then reach out to the press to share your take and get featured in a video or article with your quotes.
Local press includes news stations and newspapers, as well as local blogs.
4. Traditional SEO signals
Google, Bing, and Yahoo! have standards for ranking local listings in the SERPs.
Local SEO services are crucial for law firms to enhance their online visibility within specific geographic locations. A tailored strategy that optimizes online directories and Google Business Profiles can improve search rankings and attract qualified leads, ultimately leading to increased revenue and case signings.
Here’s a “get started” to-do list for quick wins:
Improve your website quality by hastening load speeds, ensuring the site structure is clean and organized for search engine bots and users, and posting only relevant content. Use tools like Screaming Frog to find technical SEO issues with your site.
Continue growing your backlink profile by sending quotes on HARO, writing guest posts for major blogs, and maintaining business citations across directories.
Optimize your on-page SEO by including high-converting keywords in your page titles, H2s, blog content, and metadata (meta titles, meta descriptions, and meta tags).
Invest in content marketing by writing or hiring writers to consistently publish relevant, optimized, and high-value posts to your blog.
Covering these areas will signal to search engines that your site is helpful to searchers, so it ranks higher.
Ongoing monitoring and experimentation are non-negotiable
After starting your local SEO strategy, remember to monitor your results. Test different tactics, like exploring new keywords to reach new or bigger audiences. Or testing different titles to see what gets more clicks.
Experimentation is necessary to continue improving your website’s traffic and conversions.
So watch for traffic declines to pinpoint issues in your technical or on-page SEO. Google Analytics is a popular tool for tracking site traffic and identifying high-traffic keywords, frequented pages, and user behaviors that contribute to a site’s success.
It seems like a lot because it is. Without consistency, you risk losing your ranking and quality traffic.
If you’re worried you won’t have the time to learn and do these things — you’re not alone. Lawyers come to us because we remove the guesswork and ensure consistent growth for their law firms.
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