In order for your law firm to thrive, potential clients need to be able to find you. Local search engine optimization is a very strategic part of SEO that helps increase local visibility for your website. At CRO:NYX, we work with lawyers and small businesses owners to help increase engagement and drive conversions to their website through local search.

Having potential clients find your law firm online has never been more important. If you want to increase brand awareness in your community, rank well for your main keywords and increase engagement, follow these tips. 

Google My Business

One of the first and most important aspects of local search engine optimization is making sure you create a Google My Business profile. Claiming and optimizing your business profile is key to a strong local backbone, and the best part, it’s completely free. 

Google My Business is a platform that allows you to add information about your business. Google My Business profiles have been referred to by some as “your new homepage.” Once you create a profile, it's important to add as much information about your business as possible in order to keep potential clients informed and drive engagement.  

Local Citations and Lawyer Specific Directories

In addition to creating a strong Google My Business profile, there are various other free platforms that you should consider adding your business information on, including: 

• Apple Maps
• Bing
• Yelp
• Facebook

In addition to optimizing local citations, it is important to always take advantage of lawyer-specific directories. Some of the top lawyer directories include:

• Justia.com  
• FindLaw.com
• Avvo.com
• Lawyers.com
• HG.org
• Nolo.com

N-A-P: Consistency is Key

Almost all of the citation sites mentioned above are N-A-P focused. N-A-P is an acronym that refers to your business name, address and phone number. 

When optimizing your business profiles, it’s important to keep your business name and information consistent across the board. This includes on your website as well. 

Get Involved With Your Community

One of the best ways a law firm can expand their reach in their community is to get involved with local events, community chamber of commerce associations and partnerships. Not only is this a branch of networking within your neighborhood, it’s also a fantastic local link building strategy. 

Examples of community involvement

• Host a virtual event
• Sponsor a local 5k
• Join a chamber of commerce association
• Donate to a food bank
• Local schools and university events

Enhancing Your Local Content Strategy

Constructing a name for yourself as a local law firm falls into two categories: a well-rounded content strategy and keyword research. 

In order to rank well locally, you need to have a very strategic content strategy that is built around topical authority and trust. If you want to rank locally, content on your website should be informative to those who are in your community or state. If you haven’t already, set up a blog on your firm's website that covers a variety of topics targeted to your field. 

For example, if you were a divorce lawyer, your target keywords would be something along the lines of, [City] divorce lawyer or divorce lawyer near me. When constructing a content plan for your law firm, it’s important to always keep your target keywords in mind. All content across your website should be built around establishing a sense of expertise, authority and trust (E-A-T) to potential clients. 

Making Your Mark

By building a strong local presence for your law firm, you can ensure that potential clients will be able to find you in the search results. Following these steps is just the beginning of creating a strong digital footprint. Establishing trust and expertise is a crucial element when it comes to establishing a long-term marketing strategy. 

Need help with your content strategy, search engine optimization or social media management? We're here to help!