How To Market A Law Firm To Local Clients
Updated: May 11, 2022
Local SEO And Digital Marketing Tips For Law Firms
Online marketing strategies like Lawyer SEO and social media marketing have allowed even smaller firms to get their names out there. That said, it's often not enough for your digital marketing strategies to just reach as many people as possible. Your marketing efforts, like ads, blogs, and social media content, need to reach the right people.
So, let's talk about Local SEO and why it's one of the most crucial Law Firm Marketing strategies you need to employ.
Who Are The "Right People" In Lawyer Marketing?
When implementing marketing strategies, you need to have a target audience. Since law firm marketing is a way to draw attention to your law firm, you need to make sure that there is a goal in attracting these people.
So, if your goals are to attract potential clients, you need to optimize and make content that caters to the people who need what your law firm can provide.
For example, if you're looking for employment law leads, you should be making labor law content. Here are some targeted blog posts that will attract employment law leads:
Educational blogs like "What Is Wrongful Termination In California Employment Law"
Instructional tips like "What To Do When Your Boss Fires You"
Legal News relevant to labor laws and known cases
Using the example above, you're essentially choosing which types of people are most likely to see your content.
Remember: Not everyone will be interested in your content or need your legal services. Sure, you can write general legal blogs that might resonate with someone who lives in Florida, but they're less likely to become clients of yours if your law firm is based in California.
Why Local SEO Matters
Speaking of targeting the right people, law firms tend to—more often than not—handle clients and cases that happen within their locale. Not only can litigation change from state to state, but clients often go to law firms most accessible to them.
So, instead of using general keywords and content, you could start marketing your law firm to your city, county, or state. In other words, you need to focus on Local SEO and adjust your optimizations accordingly.
How To Market A Law Firm In Your Locale
So, how do you start generating local leads? Let's look at these easy, actionable strategies to help your law firm:
1. Implement Local SEO Keywords
The first step to local marketing is getting on local SERPs. Start by implementing local keywords into your website, blogs, and landing pages.
Local keywords tend to be long-tail keywords, which have less search volumes but more are more specific. Here are some examples to help you easily identify them:
Global Keywords (General Head Keywords):
"personal injury attorney"
"employment law"
"labor lawyer"
"divorce lawyer"
Local Keywords (Long-tail Keywords):
"california personal injury attorney"
"orange county employment law"
"labor lawyer los angeles"
"divorce lawyer lancaster ca"
You can find these local keywords by doing extensive keyword research. Google's Keyword Planner is a great free starter tool for finding the best local keywords for your law firm.
2. Create And Update Your Law Firm's Google My Business Page
Google My Business (GMB) is a local SEO and Voice Search SEO staple. Try looking up businesses online, and you'll see listings, reviews, maps, images for any business. And since Google is the widely used search engine, GMB has become an essential marketing tool for law firms.
Remember: If someone's looking for a law firm in their area, the first thing they're going to see is GMB listings. If you don't have one (or have not claimed your law firm's listing), it's time to set it up.
However, if you already have a GMB listing, make sure you've done the following:
Update Your NAPs. Make sure your number, address, and phone number (NAPs) are updated. People will use this information to contact you, so make sure to keep them up-to-date.
Optimize Your Listing. Make sure you've input the right information to all available fields. To more complete your listing is, the more likely a potential client is going to trust it. (Also, don't forget to link your law firm's website!)
Manage Your Google Reviews. As mentioned, reviews show up with your listing. People are going to see a rating alongside your law firm's name, so make sure you ask clients to write them and learn to properly respond to negative reviews.
3. Create Locally-Targeted Content
Content marketing is a way for you to attract people to your law firm. The best way to attract locals is to create content that's targeted toward them. So, make sure you write legal guides, tips, and news centered around a city, county, or state.
For example, you can write "What Causes Car Accidents In Beverly Hills." Aside from using local keywords like "beverly hills personal injury lawyer" and "car accidents beverly hills", you can add the following to make your content even more localized:
Car accident statistics from Beverly Hills and California
Local news
New laws and updates on local policies
Location-based tips (i.e., specific city problems and how to solve them)
So, if you're a law firm that operates in California, you can also start making content for every city and county you practice in. Just make sure your content is well-optimized with the right keywords and fitting topics.
The Experts At LawyerLeadMachine Can Help You Market Your Firm
LawyerLeadMachine is here to help law firms with Attorney SEO and content marketing. Whether it's content production, website automation, or Local SEO, there are options for you here.
