Law Firm SEO: Costs, Benefits + Expert Tips

SEO for law firms helps you rank higher in search results by optimizing content, site performance, and authority signals. While costs can range from $500 to $30,000 per month, it can deliver a steady stream of high-quality leads when done right — our SEO experts explain how.

In 2024, 97% of respondents to the U.S. Consumer Legal Needs survey reported using a search engine to find the attorney they contacted.

And with over 418,000 law firms in the U.S., there’s a lot of competition online.

In order to stand out, law firms need to leverage search engine optimization (SEO) to appear at the top of search results.

Whether you’re looking for law firm SEO services or a more in-house approach, this guide will walk you through law firm SEO best practices so you can climb to the top of the search engine rankings.

What is law firm SEO?

Law firm SEO is the digital marketing strategy of optimizing your law firm’s website to rank as high as possible in the search engine results for law-related keywords.

High-quality content, functionality, and credibility are all factors that contribute to a higher ranking. This is accomplished through:

• On-page SEO: The process of creating and improving the content on a legal website to most effectively answer users’ questions and provide value. This involves targeting keywords and building content that covers core legal topics for prospective clients.
• Technical SEO: The process of improving the functionality of a legal website. This involves improving loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and easy navigation.
• Off-page SEO: The process of improving a website’s authority through building backlinks from other sites.

Pro tip: Generative SEO is another strategy worth keeping an eye on as AI continues to grow — this is the process of optimizing your website to appear in Google’s AI Overview and as a cited source in other generative search engines.

How search engines rank content

Search engines like Google and Bing use a range of factors to determine where to rank pages for certain keywords.

While search engine algorithms frequently evolve and change, these ranking factors play a significant role in where you appear:

• High-quality content: Accurate, well-written, and trustworthy website content that answers searchers’ questions is prioritized over low-quality content that’s written just to rank.
• Quality backlinks: Links from relevant and reputable websites show your legal website is credible and authoritative.
• User experience: Fast-loading, mobile-responsive websites that are easy to navigate and access are favored in the rankings.
• Relevance and intent: Search engines look at the intent behind the keywords a searcher uses. For example, if you operate in Texas, you’re more likely to rank for the search term “personal injury lawyer in Houston” than “personal injury lawyer in Louisville.”

The benefits of legal SEO

SEO benefits law firms by reaching prospective clients online, attracting a more consistent stream of inquiries, and building trust and authority.

SEO is a long-lasting, low-cost strategy compared with other digital marketing methods like pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

Now, with AI-driven results through generative engines, Google’s AI Overviews, and voice assistants, it’s more important than ever to optimize your legal site to be a cited source.

How much does law firm SEO cost?

Law firm SEO can cost between $500 and $30,000 a month; however, pricing will depend on:

• Scope of SEO work. Smaller, locally-based law firms typically have less complicated demands than large, national legal firms
• The needs of the law firm. The more services you need, the more you pay
• Agency experience. Some digital marketing agencies have specific expertise in the legal industry and may charge more for their services

8 expert SEO tips for law firms

What can you do to optimize your law firm website to increase your chances of ranking on the first page of the SERP?

We asked our legal marketing specialists to share their top tips for attorney SEO success.

1. Implement local SEO best practices

When you work for a law firm, it’s likely you’ll have a brick-and-mortar office or a chain of offices in a specific town, city, or region. Local SEO increases the chances of your website appearing for localized searches.

If a prospective new client searches for a term like “family lawyers near me,” you want to send signals to the search engines that you’re nearby.

Here are local SEO tactics to improve your visibility:

• Create localized landing pages on your website, focusing on specific geographic areas.
• Build and optimize citations on directories like Yelp, AVVO, NOLO, Justia, and any associations or councils where you’re a member.
• Encourage client reviews to boost trust in your law firm.
• Get relevant local sites and news outlets to link to your website.
• Make sure your website is easy to navigate and works well on mobile.
• Claim and maintain a Google Business Profile for your law firm.

2. Provide an exceptional user experience

Search engines prioritize websites with a great user experience (UX). If your site is slow, hard to navigate, or feels spammy, you could reduce your site’s rankings in search.

Here’s how to ensure your law practice provides a great experience for your target audience:

• Ensure you have an SSL certificate
• Prioritize page loading speed
• Check your mobile responsiveness
• Provide helpful content
• Ensure your site is visually appealing

Ensure you have an SSL certificate

An SSL certificate is a digital file that authenticates a website’s identity and encrypts data transferred between the site and its visitors to keep it secure.

Considered a positive ranking factor in search engine results, an SSL certificate shows that you keep visitors’ data secure and are trustworthy.

Not sure if you have one? Your site’s URL should contain “https” rather than “http.”

Prioritize page loading speed

Slow-loading pages don’t just frustrate prospective clients — they harm your SEO.

Google measures three performance metrics, collectively known as Core Web Vitals. These vitals include:

• Largest Contentful Paint: How long it takes for your web page to load
• Cumulative Layout Shift: How much the elements on your page move around while your web page loads
• Interaction to Next Paint: How much time elapses between a user interaction and a page response. For example, if a user clicks on a link to another page, how long before the new page loads

You can view your core web vitals in Google Search Console or by downloading Google Site Kit on WordPress.

Check your mobile responsiveness

Over 60% of website traffic now comes from mobile devices. As a result, the search engines prioritize mobile-responsive websites.

You can ensure your law practice’s site looks good and functions well on mobile by implementing good web design. Do this by:

• Choosing a mobile-responsive theme on your platform of choice
• Avoiding large chunks of text and links that are too close to each other
• Compressing your images and CSS code
• Adding auto-fill to any forms you have on your pages
• Avoiding pop-ups — these can be hard to navigate on a mobile screen
• Ensuring your buttons are easy to click
• Testing your site on different devices and operating systems

Provide helpful content

Google’s helpful content update rewards content that benefits visitors and fulfills their needs, while demoting content that isn’t useful or beneficial.

Providing articles on your site that answer the questions you get from clients is a great place to start.

(Image: Albers & Associates)

When writing content, avoid overwhelming users with jargon. Speak to your reader as you would to a potential client in your office — in a way that’s easy to understand, but demonstrates your authority and expertise.

Ensure your site is visually appealing

Your website design should be as eye-catching as it is safe, fast, and helpful.

Here’s an example of a legal website we love. Kinchloe Law is light and minimalistic but still looks professional. The stunning photo of trees in bloom adds color, seasonality, and a personal touch.

An easy way to make your site visually appealing, inspire trust, and stand out from your competitors is through photographs of real people — not stock photos or AI-generated images.

Include pictures of your team, office, and (if they give permission) the clients you work with.

3. Practice link building

A backlink is a link from another website that directs to your site.

Links from high-quality, authoritative sites act as endorsements of your website, meaning you’re more likely to rank high in the search engine results pages.

Here are some ways to earn backlinks from credible websites:

• Guest blogs
• Newsjacking
• Podcasts
• Public speaking
• Become a source
• Community involvement
• Create valuable content

Guest blogs

Do you know someone in an adjacent field who runs a popular site or blog? Writing a guest piece for their site is a great way to gain a link to yours.

Consider a trade: Invite the site owner to write a guest blog for your site, too.

Newsjacking

Newsjacking is when you offer your unique insights to breaking news stories. It’s an effective way to get links and increase brand awareness, but moving quickly is vital.

An excellent way to get started with newsjacking is to monitor hashtags on social media. You can also sign up for Google Alerts to get an email when a news story breaks.

Podcasts

Appearing on a podcast can boost your law firm’s brand awareness and get a link to your website. Many podcast creators are keen to speak to experts with knowledge of a specific topic.

Here are some fantastic legal podcasts that accept guest speakers to get you started:

• Lawyers Tell All
• Legally Speaking
• The Law Entrepreneur

Remember, you’re not limited to legal podcasts. For example, if you specialize in family law, pitch to education or parenting podcasts too.

Public speaking

Public speaking events and webinars can lead to valuable backlinks, improve awareness, and boost authority. Host organizations typically include a link to your site when they post about the events.

Become a source

Sites like HARO and Qwoted connect journalists seeking expert insights with professionals in that field.

If they use your pitch, you’ll be cited along with a link to your site.

Community involvement

Charitable donations, event sponsorships, and involvement with local non-profits can lead to links and allow you to help your community at the same time.

Create valuable content

The best way to get backlinks is through high-quality content creation. The aim is to develop exceptional content that other websites want to link to.

Videos, infographics, comprehensive articles, and original research are great for attracting links and valuable additions to your content marketing strategy.

4. Implement E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

This means creating content that demonstrates first-hand experience, is written by knowledgeable sources, and is backed by credible authority in the field.

Legal services are referred to in Google as “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) topics. This is because the wrong information could affect a person’s happiness, health, finances, or safety. So your pages are subject to even more scrutiny in the Google Search results.

Apply all four E-E-A-T principles across your website — from blog posts to attorney bios — to ensure your law firm demonstrates credibility and meets Google’s standards for high-quality, trustworthy content.

5. Optimize on-site content

On-page SEO is the process of optimizing your pages to improve their ranking in the search engines. This enhances the user experience of your pages and makes it easier for the search engines to understand what they’re about.

We’ve already discussed ways to improve your content, like adding E-E-A-T signals and creating great content. Here are additional things you can do to increase your chances of ranking in the coveted number-one spot:

• Use headings, paragraphs, and bullet points to make your pages easy to read
• Add external and internal links to provide structure and context to the search engines
• Include images, photos, and videos to make your pages more engaging
• Add relevant keywords to your headings, URLs, and alt text
• Create unique page title tags and meta descriptions

6. Maintain your Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business) is one of the best things you can do to boost your local SEO and improve your online presence.

By claiming and optimizing your profile, you provide Google with additional information about your business.

If you have multiple offices, create a separate Google Business Profile for each, increasing your visibility.

Another benefit of a Google Business Profile is that it increases your chances of appearing in the “local pack.” This is the small Google Map that appears at the top of the local search results — valuable real estate for your law practice.

Further reading: 11 Expert Google Business Profile Optimization Tips (+ Checklist)

7. Find and fix technical SEO issues

Technical SEO is the process of optimizing your site structure and code to improve how the search engines crawl your website.

We’ve looked at technical issues that can affect your website’s rankings, like slow-loading pages, a lack of an SSL certificate, and templates that aren’t mobile responsive.

Other technical SEO issues to look out for include:

• Broken links: Some tools check for broken links to quickly replace or remove them
• Duplicate content: Either remove duplicate content or use a canonical tag to identify which content the search engines should prioritize
• Excessive redirects: Look at your existing redirects and see if you can pare them down
• Wrong language pages: If you offer services in multiple languages, adding the hreflang tag helps search engines know which pages to show

We recommend conducting a regular technical SEO audit to ensure your site performs as it should.

8. Monitor your SEO results

Law firm SEO isn’t something you do once and forget about. Track your results and make changes to ensure your website doesn’t fall in rankings.

“Tracking is an essential part of SEO marketing for law firms,” says Sam Yadegar, co-founder and CEO of HawkSEM.

“We use ConversionIQ (CIQ), our proprietary software, to track keywords, organic traffic, and conversion rates, to see which keywords are working and which need further optimization. This means we ensure our clients get a great return on investment.”

Here are some of our favorite SEO tracking tools:

• Google Search Console: Shows which keywords you’re ranking for, alerts you to any technical issues on your website, and provides information about your search engine presence.
• Google Analytics: Tracks your organic traffic, letting you identify which SEO campaigns lead to the most conversions. You can also look at the referral traffic you get from guest posts.
• Ahrefs Site Explorer: Monitors which keywords you’re ranking for, and alerts you to new and lost backlinks and potential keyword opportunities.

Examples of lawyer SEO

We’ve already examined fantastic SEO examples for law firms, but we wanted to leave you with some real examples:

McCain & Bursh

This search engine result stands out from the rest as it provides a rating for the law firm. This takes up more space in the SERPs and shows the law firm is trustworthy and credible.

How did the law firm add a rating? By using structured data markup. You can add this code to your page to provide the search engines with additional context.

You can add this manually or, if you have WordPress, you can use a plugin.

Stewart Law Group

Earlier, we mentioned that an excellent way to do local SEO for your law firm is to create a page for each practice area you work in. This is what Stewart Law Group has done.

This page is the top organic result for “family lawyer Scottsdale,” and the firm has nine location pages across the state of Arizona.

The landing page is good too — it’s easy to understand, has a strong call-to-action, and contains a video that tells people more about the organization.

Cristina Chávez Law

The legal sector is highly competitive, so when doing keyword research, it pays to niche down.

A good strategy is to focus on long-tail keywords, ones that are over four words long. These keywords have less competition, and generally have a higher intent and click-through rate (CTR).

In this case, the keyword “attorney in New Mexico speaking Spanish” led to Cristina Chávez Law’s featured snippet.

The takeaway

SEO is the best way for law firms to rank at the top of the organic search results. However, for many law firms, an in-house approach isn’t the best option.

In this case, outsourcing law firm SEO services is likely to be your best bet. Look for an SEO company that will serve as a partner, helping your firm grow and maintain an upward trajectory for the long term.

At HawkSEM, we have years of experience in SEO marketing for law firms.

We’ll create a bespoke SEO strategy that aligns with your business goals, tracking and optimizing your campaign carefully to ensure you get the best results.

Want to see how you can drive more leads to your website with an SEO agency? Get in touch with us today.

This article has been updated and was originally published in October 2022.