Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that helps websites boost engagement and rank higher in search engine results pages. SEO has become a common term in all sectors, including legal, as it helps law firms improve their digital presence and make them discoverable for potential clients. Moreover, hiring an expert who can provide effective SEO services could further increase a law firm’s reach, leveraging the technology’s capabilities to strengthen its market position.

Understanding SEO in law firms
SEO helps drive a large number of visitors to the firm’s website. It helps potential clients find the business when they are seeking legal services. The process utilizes organic search engine traffic to increase the firm’s website position across search engine results pages (SERP). Following this, when a website is search engine optimized, it would rank higher in the results when a client searches for terms related to the firm. For instance, if someone looks for keywords like “personal injury lawyer companies,” the right SEO tool would help a particular website rank higher on the list. It increases the likelihood that potential clients will visit the website and consider their services once it appears among the first few results.

Benefits of SEO services
Hiring an SEO professional to optimize the website could carry multiple benefits.

1. Higher returns on investment
SEO is a complex, evolving, and time-consuming process. It would take time for someone to learn and maintain a degree of expertise to keep a law firm’s website competitive in the digital space. On the contrary, SEO consultants and SEO agencies for lawyers have spent time fine-tuning their services, which enables them to offer tailored services for lawyers with an exceptional potential return on investment.

2. Help save time
Law firms are already preoccupied with countless responsibilities, such as hearings, document collection and processing, and client meetings. Outsourcing their SEO to experts will help them save time, focus on their core duties, and ensure a strong online presence.

3. Ensure compliance with regulations
The digital space is constantly evolving, so a law firm’s website must always stay updated with current guidelines. An SEO expert can help ensure the website follows the rules and regulations and maintains healthy digital practices. This approach also helps avoid any penalties by search engines due to SEO non-compliance.

SEO agency services
Before a law firm hires an SEO consultant, the business owner should carefully consider the agency’s range of services.

1. Site audits
SEO consultants for law firms may offer a site audit to evaluate an existing website and identify its strengths and weaknesses. If a website lacks a strong online presence, the expert may offer to create one for a price. A site audit will ultimately help the law firm identify what works for its business and what does not.

2. Keyword research
Choosing the right words is crucial in search engine optimization. The appropriate keyword research will help identify specific words and chains of words people use to search for information on the web. Integrating the appropriate keywords into the law firm’s website and content will help the business reach a specific target audience and guide them to the website.

3. Content marketing
Once the SEO agency identifies the right keywords to attract potential clients, it will strategically place them into the website content. For instance, the experts may recommend adding valuable and engaging blogs and social media posts to the website to improve SEO reach. But, one must have a content marketing strategy in place for this, which the SEO agency can help develop. The content on the law firm’s website must be search engine optimized with relevant keywords. For instance, if a law firm specializes in personal injury claims in a particular state, an SEO expert could guide the firm to focus on keywords relevant to the practice and geographical location.

Tips to choose
When selecting an SEO agency, it is important to make an informed decision. While there are multiple agencies to choose from, only a handful can do the job accurately. One should always look for professionals with a proven track record of delivering results.

1. Determine the budget
Hiring a professional SEO service will come at a cost. While some agencies may charge an hourly rate, others may offer one-time task service fees, and some might also offer services on a monthly fee basis. Law firms should consider factors like digital presence, geographical area, and the scope of SEO services before setting a budget.

2. Ask for referrals
When finding the best SEO for law firms, one could ask their professional lawyer network for referrals. If other experts have utilized their services in the past, they could offer valuable insights regarding the SEO agency’s capabilities.

3. Ask for qualifications and experiences
SEO services for law firms are specialized. So, one should look for an expert who is well-versed in the industry and other elements of SEO. The professional should also be able to discuss the importance of content strategies, backlinks, and technical SEO and explain their approach.

Top picks to consider
While researching online for the top SEO experts for law firms, considering these top agencies may help speed up the selection process.

• iLawyerMarketing
• Lawrank
• Grow Law Firm
• Stellar SEO
• Rankings.io