Top Local SEO Mistakes Law Firms Make and How To Fix Them
Local SEO has become one of the more important strategies for law firms to stand out in their communities. When someone searches for a term like “personal injury attorney near me,” you want your firm to show up at the top.
Unfortunately, many firms miss out on an endless stream of clients because of easily avoidable mistakes. In this article, you’ll learn the top local SEO errors and how to fix them.
Why Local SEO Is Non-Negotiable for Law Firms
Legal services are inherently local since all states require law firms to have proper documentation and certifications to be active in their state.
When people have urgent issues and need specific types of lawyers, they search for help close to home. The definition of what is local SEO is different from traditional SEO because of the specific region the service operates.
If your law firm isn’t optimized for local search, you’re losing out on potential clients who are turning to your competitors online.
Local SEO keeps your business at the top of Google Map suggestions and builds authority with people actively looking for legal help in your area.
Schedule A Local SEO Consultation Today
Common Local SEO Mistakes Law Firms Make (And How To Fix Them)
Most law firms run into the same pitfalls when they start with local SEO. Here are the biggest mistakes you will encounter and simple solutions to solve them.
1. Neglecting Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization
Your Google Business Profile is the first impression local searchers have of your firm, and if it’s poorly optimized, you leave opportunities on the table.
Make sure your name, address, phone number, and hours are always updated so potential clients don’t get confused or think you’re unreliable. Fill out your GBP completely with your website, hours, practice areas, and all services. Even upload high-quality pictures of your office and attorneys to build more credibility.
When you get to the section to choose a category, make it specific and relevant to your business. You have options to select a primary category like Personal Injury Lawyer and a second category like Family Law Attorney.
You can also make GBP posts that act as mini ads for your profile. Share updates about local events, case wins, or any community involvement. Every post you make is another signal to your community about your activity and engagement.
Lastly, use the Q&A section as your own personal FAQ section for your business. Educate your potential clients on frequently asked questions about your business, like whether you offer free consultations, or how long it takes to hear back. Always monitor your profile for new questions and reply quickly.
2. Inconsistent NAP Information Across the Web
NAP stands for name, address, and phone number, and these details are surprisingly important for your local SEO credibility. You need these key pieces of information about your business to be consistent across all places it appears online.
If your office has multiple variations of its name across different online directories, it will not only confuse clients but it will also confuse the search engines. This will end up hurting your ranking in local search results. For example, “Smith & Associates, LLC” is different from “Smith Law Firm,” and the discrepancy will hurt your business.
To create an easy solution, make a master version of your NAP and distribute it across your website, GBP, and online directories. Regularly audit popular platforms like Yelp, Avvo, and Yellow Pages. Online tools and software can help gather all your NAP mentions to make the process easier.
3. Overlooking the Power of Online Reviews
Law firms tend to underestimate the influence of client reviews and how much they can impact how your potential clients find you. These future leads trust online feedback almost as much as personal recommendations. A lack of reviews online immediately hurts your credibility and gives competitors an advantage.
Develop a system for your reviews to reduce the effort required to obtain them. After closing a case, politely ask your clients to share their feedback on Google, Avvo, or Yelp. You can even offer an incentive like a 10% discount for all referrals.
No firm is immune to criticism, and ignoring negative reviews can end up damaging your reputation. What’s worse is if your team responds negatively or tries to fight back in your response.
Reviews directly impact local search rankings and they serve as proof for new clients to build trust in your services. The most trusted law firms online build their reputation through nurturing client feedback.
4. Subpar Website Content and Local Keyword Strategy
Even though your website is the hub of your local SEO efforts, many firms either neglect local keywords or overuse them to the point of hurting their online rankings.
One major mistake law firms make is forgetting to mention their city, country, or major local issues. These are all critical signals to your audience on who you are and who you serve. Create dedicated location pages for each of your offices and write blogs about community legal issues and educate your community.
On the other side of this strategy, don’t mention that you’re a personal injury lawyer in Dallas 50 times on your website. This will tell search engines you are fake and a robot trying to manipulate the system.
Instead, integrate phrases naturally into headers, meta descriptions, and your body content.
Another common mistake is not optimizing your website for mobile. Most people who search for attorneys are doing so using their mobile devices.
Clunky sites drive people away and make them turn to your competitors for a better experience.
Make sure your site responds to every device size and loads quickly. When you focus on quality content, proper keyword usage, and mobile accessibility, you create a site that resonates with search engines and your local community.
5. Poor Local Citation Building and Directory Listings
Citations are when your law firm’s NAP is listed across the web. They are vital to building local authority and help your law firm build an even bigger online audience.
Don’t ignore directories like Avvo, Justia, or FindLaw because they are great link-building strategies.
Apply to have your NAP listed in these directories and make sure every single detail is consistent across all platforms.
Ask to remove any duplicate listings or profiles that may confuse search engines on which is real or fake. Perform these audits regularly as part of your system.
Tools like Moz or BrightLocal can simplify the cleanup but if you want to outsource it, going with a company like Levy Online can make the experience painless and easy.
Consistent and accurate listings help Google and clients view the firm as trustworthy, and it will boost your local presence and online visibility.
6. Neglecting Local Link Building Strategies
Over the years, backlinks have remained as one of the strongest ranking signals for search engines like Google to rank websites. However, local link building is often overlooked as a more specific strategy for local law firms.
An easy way to do this is by building relationships with community organizations and to sponsor local events or collaborating with local businesses.
You can also reach out to local news outlets and offer insights on legal issues to earn backlinks from highly credible sources. Even guest posting on local community blogs will help.
The more backlinks your firm earns, the stronger your online authority in Google’s eyes. This will help your website rank higher and be more visible when people search for your keywords.
7. Ignoring Technical Local SEO Elements
While most companies focus on other forms of local SEO services for law firms, few provide sufficient detail to address technical local SEO elements.
Adding in structured data like your schema markup helps search engines get a full understanding of your firm’s details and what you offer.
Local technical SEO involves listing a specific city or landmarks in the area to help search engines understand your location better.
Website speed and usability are other important technical factors that frustrate your audiences and reduce conversions when they’re not optimized. Fixing your image sizes, enabling caching, and investing in quality hosting can make your site more intuitive.
8. Not Tracking Local SEO Performance
If you don’t measure your local SEO efforts, you won’t be able to understand how to make changes that will improve your performance.
Use free tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and GBP Insights to monitor search rankings, website traffic, and calls from local searches.
Regular reporting helps you identify what’s working and where adjustments are needed. When you have results and you can spot trends, your efforts will translate into more clients and cases.
Expert Local SEO with Levy Online
Local SEO is the secret to a sustainable source of new clients for your law firm. Addressing mistakes in your GBP or inconsistent NAP can position your firm to stand out in competitive markets. Over time, your efforts into building local links, technical fixes, and consistent tracking will produce long-term results.
The amount of time and effort to implement these changes can be overwhelming. At Levy Online, we specialize in helping SEO for lawyers improve their online visibility. Think of us as your partner in building a powerful online presence that gets real results.
Contact Levy Online today and learn how our local SEO services can transform your firm’s digital marketing strategy.
Schedule A Local SEO Consultation Today
FAQ
How Often Should a Law Firm Update Its Google Business Profile?
You should update your GBP at least once a month and post updates weekly. Also, check for new reviews and new questions daily. Make sure office hours and other important information is always updated.
What’s the Difference Between Local SEO and Traditional SEO for Law Firms?
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking nationally or broadly, while local SEO captures clients in your specific city or region.
Is It Better To Have One Google Business Profile for Multiple Office Locations or a Separate One for Each?
Each physical location should have its own GBP to allow multiple appearances in Google searches for its specific region.
How Long Does It Take To See Results From Local SEO Efforts for a Law Firm?
Typically, you will see results within three to six months but ongoing updates and consistency will be key for sustaining results for years to come.
Can Negative Reviews Be Removed From My Google Business Profile?
No, you normally cannot remove negative reviews from your GBP. The only exceptions are if the review violates Google’s policies such as being fake, spam, or offensive content.
I’m a Personal Injury Lawyer. Should My Local SEO Strategy Be Different From a Family Law Attorney?
All the fundamentals should remain the same like daily GBP posts, technical local SEO, and website audits; however, the exact keywords, content strategies, and directories used should reflect your practice area.
