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Google My Business Guide For Law Firms
Google My Business Guide For Law Firms
Unless your firm offers nationwide services that include flying from state to state where your clients are, most of your practice will stay within your locale.
That way, it's easier to make content. Laws can differ from one state to another, after all.
Even if potential clients were looking for representation for federal crimes, they would prefer that their lawyers are within reach.
For law firms, localizing your SEO strategies is the best way to net potential clients who might be on the internet looking for legal services. In this guide, we'll look into Google My Business, its main uses, and how you can use them to their fullest extent.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business, formerly Google Local and Google Places), is the platform for Google's business listings. It allows law firms to appear in the local pack and appear in a variety of other results.
Google can also control how their information is shown on each.
Since the information you send to your listing can appear in various places on Google search (including the knowledge panel, the local pack, and maps), it is a platform that any local establishment should be aware of.
Since Google's algorithm has improved so well that it can return results most relevant to the individual user, having your law firm listed means that Google can recommend your firm to nearby searchers.
Have you ever tried looking for a restaurant near you? It does the same things for law firms.
If a searcher types "Lawyer near me", a marker for your firm (and others close by) is going to pop up on the Maps.
Google My Business has a slew of advantages that local establishments should be aware of, including attracting new clients, boosting overall exposure, and ensuring that customers can find knowledge as conveniently and as efficiently as possible.
Keep in mind that local searches aren't just about finding new establishments. Directions, contact details, the busyness of places, ratings, and other information are frequently sought.
By using Google My Business, you can also benefit from:
Gathering and Display Reviews
You can obtain customer feedback and show the quality of your goods or services by using Google My Business.
Searchers are constantly looking for social proof that a firm is deserving of its practice, and online feedback is vital to any establishment.
A 5-star rating stands out, and implementing a plan to encourage your clients to rate your services will help you attract new clients.
Aside from that, it's been mentioned that ratings are a crucial ranking factor for local pack performance, which means that most firms can't afford to be the ones without good confidence signals next to their listing.
Seeing How You're Doing
Google My Business can provide you with insights into your law firm that you wouldn't be able to get from other platforms, and it can also assist you in making strategic decisions. The following are some of these observations:
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The number of people who have seen your profile, pictures, and tweets.
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The keywords and related phrases that people use to find your law firm.
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Online engagement.
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A demographic profile of your target market.
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The number of site visits, phone calls, and questions about directions.
To get the most out of your Google My Business profile, make sure it's properly configured and optimized. Google My Business is free to use, so setting up your business on the site is also free.
There is no premium choice, and simply setting up your page gives you full access to the tools. All companies can use GMB, and you can get started right away.
How to Set-Up Your Google My Business Account
Setting up your firm on Google My Business is a quick process that shouldn't take long, and it's the first step toward growing your company's online presence in your service region.
1. Go to the "Create Page" section of Google My Business.
Check for your business name on the Google My Business 'create' tab; if you're uncertain, this move will help you quickly see if you've already created a GMB page. If you don't see your business mentioned, you can either click the pop-up that should now appear or use the connection to "add your business to Google."
2. Fill in your law firm's name
You should use your company's real-world name here, and you should be mindful that using keywords in the name unnecessarily can result in your listing being suspended.
3. Select the category that best describes what you do
You must now select the key category that best represents your firm. In certain situations, GMB will present you with many options; choose the one best suits you. Don't worry if you think you could use several options interchangeably; you can always add more later.
4. Adding A Location
If you want to list an address that the visitors will use, you can have it shown on Google Maps. Please fill out your address completely, add new lines as needed, to make it as simple as possible for customers to locate your firm.
5. Examine Potential Listings
In the event that a possible close match is identified, you may be asked to confirm whether one of a variety of established locations is your business at this time. If none of these apply to you, select the option and continue. Whether you serve clients outside this location is up to you.
6. Your contact information
After that, you'll be able to add your phone number and the URL of your website.
7. Subscribe to Receive Updates and Recommendations
On your GMB tab, you simply need to select whether or not you want to receive Google alerts and recommendations. It is suggested that you sign up, but it is entirely up to you.
8. Complete and manage your listing.
You've finished adding items; all you have to do now is click "finish," and your GMB page will be ready. All that's left is to double-check the listing.
9. Verification
You have two choices for verifying your listing: an automated phone call (which is recommended) or a postcard sent to your address, which can take up to four days. You can check it later if you like, but that means you won't be able to handle it completely.
After you've verified your listing, you'll be taken to your GMB dashboard, where you can complete it by adding opening hours, pictures, a logo, a summary, and more.
10. Google Maps Listing of Your Own
If your law firm already shows up on Google Maps, but you don't have a Google My Business account, you can claim it in a few simple measures. Here's how you can do it:
11. Find your law firm on Google Maps.
Go to Google Maps, type in your law firm's name, and choose the appropriate listing.
12. Make a claim
There, you'll find a button that says, "claim this business." After clicking that, you'll be given an option to manage the listing.
How to Add Several Locations to Google My Business
Luckily, if you own and operate numerous locations that follow the Google My Business requirements, you would be able to list multiple locations from a single account.
Inside GMB, location groups are a simple way to handle different locations within a single group or folder. When you click the 'add location' button on the 'manage locations' tab in Google My Business, you can add a single location or import multiple locations.
If you need to list a few places, doing so individually as different destinations can make sense, but you'll like to import in bulk if you handle more than that.
How to Use Google My Business to Add FAQs
Clients are bound to have questions, and other firms take advantage of the ability to pre-populate questions and answers within GMB to improve their listings. This also ensures the answers are just as easy to find as possible. These appear in the information panel as part of your business listing.
Users will be able to ask questions easily as a result, but keep in mind that everyone (not just yourself) can answer them. This can result in incorrect answers being printed on a website.
You must review clients' questions daily, and responses must be provided before someone else has a chance to do so. Keep in mind that, as a firm looking to market locally. This contributes to the development of confidence. Please make a list of the most frequently asked questions and include them.
Maintain NAP Consistency and Use Call Tracking
Call tracking gives you more information about metrics related to the source of calls, which can help you make better decisions. Furthermore, you would almost certainly want to use tracking numbers in your GMB listing, but you might be concerned about preserving NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) accuracy.
You could use call tracking numbers with GMB without affecting your local visibility; all you have to do is make sure they're set up correctly. You'll find a phone number section in the 'details' section of your GMB listing, with preferences for both primary and secondary phone numbers.
Make sure your call tracking number is set as the "main phone," and your regular business phone number is set as the "additional phone." Adding your main phone line as an additional number stays linked to your firm and is consistent in your NAP profile.
How to Update a Google My Business Address
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Go to your Google My Business account and sign in. If you have more than one location set up, select the one you want to update.
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Select 'Info' from the menu.
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Select the address field by clicking on it.
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Enter your address according to the instructions above, then click 'Apply.'
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If Google is unable to locate the address, search for the red 'Set marker location' button on the right side of the map, and then click 'Set marker location.'
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A map with a red pin will appear, and you can drag the red pin to the center of your position. You can move this pin to help users find your restaurant if it's in the middle of a shopping mall.
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Click 'Apply' when you're finished. Please keep in mind that the modifications may not happen right away. Before it is published, GMB may review the change.
Keep Your Profile Updated
Google My Business takes up a huge part in localizing your SEO efforts.
Given that many simply fill out the essentials and leave it standing still, you'll already be a step ahead if you get the basics correct and use as many of the features as possible.
Manage your reviews, immediately add new phone numbers, upload photos for social proof.