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88% of mobile searches for legal help result in a call within 24 hours. If your firm isn’t showing up in that search, your competitors are getting that call.
Visibility is key to attracting clients. While expertise and reputation are crucial, potential clients must first be able to find your firm before they can make a decision about whether they want to pick you.
What is local SEO (and why should law firms care)?
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about making your law firm more visible to people searching for legal services in your area.
It's like putting up a bright, welcoming sign on the busiest street in town, but online. It’s one part of a wider SEO strategy and it’s important to get it right.
By focusing on local SEO, you connect with potential clients who are nearby and actively seeking legal assistance.
When someone searches online, search engines like Google use three main factors to decide which businesses to show:
- Relevance: How well does your firm's information match the searcher's query?
- Distance: How close is your firm to the searcher or the location specified?
- Prominence: How well-known and reputable is your firm?
Optimizing for these factors ensures your firm appears in local search results when potential clients are looking for legal services.
Building your local SEO foundation
1. Optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Treat your Google Business Profile like your digital receptionist. It provides clients with a quick snapshot of your firm and helps them verify they’re in the right place. Make sure it's accurate and appealing.
- Claim and verify your profile
- Complete all details: name, address, phone number, website, hours
- Choose the right categories (e.g., "Family Law Attorney")
- Add photos of your office and team
- Encourage and respond to reviews
2. Set up your website for local search
Your website should clearly communicate who you are and where you serve. These details can be tricky to get right, and often they require a web designer or developer or to make changes to your website.
- Display your firm's name, address, and phone number consistently
- Create pages for each practice area with local keywords (e.g., "Christchurch Personal Injury Lawyer")
- Ensure mobile-friendliness for users on smartphones
- This involves making sure that your site scales nicely on a mobile device, is still readable and easy to use!
3. Consistent listings across directories
Ensure your firm's information is consistent across all online directories.
- List your firm on legal directories like Avvo, FindLaw, and Justia
- Check general directories like Yelp and Yellow Pages
- Maintain consistency in your firm's name, address, and phone number
4. Gather and manage online reviews
Positive reviews build trust and improve your search rankings. These can be on specialized review platforms, or, more simply, on your GBP.
- Ask satisfied clients to leave reviews
- Respond to all reviews, showing appreciation or addressing concerns
- Monitor your online reputation regularly
5. Create localized content
Share content that resonates with your local audience, ideally including local keywords to solidify your positioning.
- Write blog posts about local legal issues
- A good example of this is Mississippi based firm Tangi Carter & Associates, P.A. which features plenty of articles about local topics such as “A Guide to Mississippi DUI Laws” and “Property Crime Rates in Mississippi: Trends and Insights”. These articles provide direct value to the user and are relevant to the specific location that Tangi Carter & Associates is based in, making them excellent examples of localized content.
- Highlight community involvement or local events
- Share success stories (with client consent)
6. Build local backlinks
Backlinks from reputable local sources boost your site's authority.
- Sponsor local events or charities
- Join local business associations
- Contribute articles to local publications
7. Use Local Services Ads (LSAs) to your advantage
For some areas, especially in the US and Australia, Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) let you appear at the very top of search results. If available in your region, this is worth testing.
- Link your SEO efforts with your Google Ads, email campaigns, and social media
- Track where your best leads are coming from using UTM tags and call tracking
Interested in what law firm SEO can do for you? Check out our File Notes podcast episode with Ava Emdadian where we cover all things related to law firm marketing including SEO, optimizing websites and building trust and credibility.
Better communication. Better reputation.
Clear, fast communication builds trust, and trust helps you get found online. Missed calls or slow replies often lead to negative reviews, which can hurt your visibility in local search.
VXT is a phone system built for law firms, designed to help you respond faster and never miss a potential client.
Whether you’re at your desk or in court, VXT works on both desktop and mobile, so you can make and take calls from anywhere. You can automatically routes calls to the right person with custom call flows, so clients don’t get stuck on hold or transferred needlessly between staff.
If you’ve missed a call, VXT also transcribes all voicemails. Instead of replaying full messages, you can skim what was said and respond in seconds.
Every call in VXT can also be transcribed and summarised with AI, then saved straight to the right contact and matter in your practice management system. So you’re not just faster, you’re also more organised.
For example, say a new client calls while you’re in court. The call is routed to your assistant, or if it goes to voicemail, you get a written summary right away. You can review it between meetings and follow up immediately.
This makes it easier to stay on top of client needs and get the positive reviews that drive growth. Great client service equals great reviews!
Book a demo of VXT to see how it can work for your firm.
Conclusion
Local SEO is about more than keywords and optimisation. Getting your local SEO right makes your firm easier to find, trust and choose online.
By focusing on the essentials like your Google Business Profile, website, reviews, and client experience, you set your firm up for consistent lead generation and long-term growth. Advanced strategies like local backlinks, legal directories, LSAs, and integrated tools like VXT can elevate your visibility even further.
Whether you’re a solo lawyer or a multi-national firm, taking action on even a few of the steps outlined here can yield quick and meaningful results. The sooner you begin optimizing for local search, the sooner potential clients will find you when they need you most.
For more insights on SEO for law firms, check out this comprehensive guide: SEO for lawyers.
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