Search engine optimization (SEO) is the act of increasing a website’s visibility on search engines like Google and Bing, with the aim of getting more traffic through search results. If you’re running a legal website, then you definitely want at least one of your website pages to rank on the first page of Google.
In an analysis conducted by Backlinko, they discovered that having your website rank as one of the first 3 sites in the results page gives you 75.1% chance of getting traffic. These odds are highly in your favor, making SEO essential for traffic growth.
Once you receive a web visitor, SEO also helps you retain that prospect until they are satisfied with their research. Great law firm SEO begins with creating your legal website. With that set, you’re able to easily apply other factors, such as content to improve visibility and performance.
But how can you optimize your website to enhance traffic, conversion and revenue for your law firm? Here are 5 SEO techniques that you should be doing.
1. User Experience
The first and most important thing is enhancing your website’s user experience. To reduce website bounce rate (visitors clicking out of your site seconds after), your website needs to have the following:
- a presentable design
- a navigation menu
- Be divided into pages (if you can have each service presented on a separate page, even better)
- a footer with a navigation menu
- well-written content
If a prospect asks more questions while on your website, then you are failing SEO. One way to check on this factor is to conduct surveys from different clients and have them say if your site information is lacking anything.
2. Incorporate Link Building to Authoritative Sites
One great tool for SEO is link building. Link building is a good way of getting recognized in the industry by other influencers or authoritative sites. Assuming your legal website has a blog page already, be sure to have both internal and external links incorporated in every blog post.
Internal links are hyperlinks to other blog posts and pages within your site. These help your site visitors stay on-site for longer; as long as every other content provided is useful and of quality information.
External links are text hyperlinks leading to other websites other than yours. Not all websites make for quality backlinking. Readers will trust your information and research if you link to authoritative sites such as government sites, NGO sites, educational institutions, news sites, and reputable online magazines.
Incorporating such links and writing quality blog posts can help you get referenced by these platforms as well. This will mean that readers of the New York Times will be redirected to your website for legal posts. With time, your website will also become an authoritative site.
3. Use SEO Keywords
Keywords are a no-brainer when it comes to SEO. You can almost never achieve full-optimization without incorporating keywords in your text. It’s important to browse for relevant keywords in your industry and use them in your website copy.
When writing blog posts, you should also use keywords related to the title so that visitors can always land on your page. Keywords are common words and phrases that researchers use to search for different information on browsers. You want to appear as a result whenever someone searches any keyword related to law or your specific legal niche.
Don’t forget to include keywords in your meta description as well and to all headings in your website. Learn how to plan a great keyword strategy. Enroll in SEO Certification Training Course.
4. Have a Local Landing Page SEO Optimized
First and foremost, get local. If your law firm is in Atlanta, then use Atlanta’s local SEO to drive traffic of those in the demographic. You don’t want to be attracting people from Canada if your services are limited to the USA or even one state. If you’re only available to provide services to one state, then ensure all your keywords follow your state, town, or city name.
Use landing pages that are equipped with some good content, with links and keywords evenly spread. Don’t forget graphical content like images, videos, and infographics.
5. Blog
Okay, assumptions aside, if your website doesn’t have a blog page, you’re greatly failing at your law firm SEO.
Blogs are known to drive in more traffic than any other website page. Blog posts are easy to rank and due to the use of lengthy text, your site visitors spend more time on your website, reducing bounce rate.
In fact, using a blog as your point of sale is the best way around conversion. If you can advise your prospects honestly and with good information, then they’ll definitely trust your expertise and hire you for the job.
Keep Track of Your Efforts
Now, don’t just put all efforts on website SEO then go MIA. Occasionally measure your SEO and site performance to see what technique is working for your law firm website and which one isn’t. Know which keywords are performing well with your niche, so you can use more of them.
Aside from the stated 5 techniques, there are over ten other ways to successfully practice law firm SEO; others that require your site developer to do. That said, you don’t need to sweat to get things done, opt for professional assistance so as to achieve it all at a go.