When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) for small to medium sized law firms (SMLFs), you need to think more like small to medium sized businesses. What does this mean?
First, think hyper local. Look, everyone wants to be number one for the highest volume search terms that are relevant to their practice. Unfortunately, unless you can allocate thousands of dollars per month to search marketing, in most cases, it's simply not going to happen.
However, as SMBs understand, there are many new clients to be had on the hyper local level. This means that your search marketing efforts must be focused on hyper local. Here are a couple quick tips:
1. Link Acquisition: Instead of trying to acquire links for very broad terms, focus on highly localized and specific terms. For example, if you're an injury lawyer in Chicago, instead of acquiring "chicago injury lawyer" links, perhaps you acquire "lincoln park injury lawyer" or "belmont injury lawyer" links (note: these terms have not been properly researched and are for example purposes only).
2. Local Web Places: In addition to changing your anchor text strategy, you should also localize the sites from which you acquire links. Instead of getting links from the same places every other lawyer is getting them (although you should get these too), look for hyper-localized websites. Again, in our Chicago injury lawyer example, look for local community sites that have link acquisition and advertising opportunities. We have seen a great deal of success in simply advertising with local news outlets and radio stations. Typically, these links are also of very high quality.
3. Local Social Networking: Social media and social networking usually have localization built-in. Your LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook networks typically contain people you may know from your community. If they don't, start building local social networks.
4. Local Review Sites: Sites like Yelp! are popping up all over the place. Getting reviews on these sites plays a huge role in increasing the visibility of your SMLF online. Claim your business listing and encourage clients and colleagues to leave reviews.
5. GetListed.Org & Universal Business Listing: I frequently sing the praises of these sites. Go to GetListed.Org and claim your profiles. It's probably the single most important thing you can do for local visibility. You should also consider Universal Business Listing. It's only $30 for the year, and can have significant impact on your visibility on local directories, as well as, the most important directory of all, Google.
Fortunately, search engine users are a very diverse bunch, I don't just mean in national origin, age, and other socio-economic demographics. I'm talking about diversity in the ways they perform searches. Which is key for those of use who are trying to increase our visibility within search engines.
Not everyone is using the head terms that you will find in the Google Keyword Tool and WordTracker. In fact, as many as 25% of all searches have never been performed before. The bottom line is that there is a lot of opportunity for growth. So, if you're the owner of an SMLF, when it comes to SEO, think like an SMB.
![]() |
Google Local Business Center For Law FirmsLearn About Getting Your Law Firm Found With Google Local Business Center Including:
|
Here's a recent Google SERP for "๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ." Ads? โLSAs? โLocal Pack? โLinks? โ ๐ท AI Overview? โ 6 firms listed. Only one tiny ๐. Click the ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ button? ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐: Here's a more detailed look at some of these firms: THE PEARCE LAW FIRM, P.C.Edith Pearce, […]
On April 22, 2025, Google sent an email updating Local Services Ads Additional Terms for Providers: Subject: Action required: important updates to Local Service Ads Additional Terms Many people are arguing that lawyers cannot participate in Local Services Ads, as this would constitute a per se violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct related to […]
Conrad and I recently joined Zack at Lawyerist to record a conversation about AI and marketing. You might think that we spend the whole time on how lawyers can use AI to publish content. You'd be wrong. While AI can certainly support publishing, there are many more interesting ways to use it in legal marketing. […]
As more legal services consumers turn to ChatGPT for local law firm recommendations, a fascinating intersection between AI, search, and maps unfolds. While Google remains the undisputed leader in local business data, ChatGPT is increasingly becoming an entry point for searchers seeking legal representation. But hereโs the kicker: instead of keeping users within its ecosystem, […]
When law firms contact us, they usually want to talk: โข PPC Ads โข SEO Rankings โข Lead Generation Very few want to talk: โข Brand โข Trust & Recognition โข Emotional Connection Admittedly, much of this concerns that AttorneySync is known for lead generation across those common digital channels. But even when we start […]
According to an October 2024 study by SE Ranking: "The legal niche triggers the highest percentage of AIOs (77.67%). The average number of links matched between the AI Overview resources and the top 20 search results was 6.49 for legal topics. AI Overviews for legal topics most frequently link to NYCourts.gov (114 links), YouTube.com (48 […]
I'm grateful for my friend, Charley Mann of Law firm Alchemy. If you're a lawyer, subscribe to his Free Email List. In a recent email, Charley calls out bad guru advice on hiring: "Trying to execute a major SEO improvement? You need to find people who will help you, instead of trying to DIY it […]
If youโve spent any time on LinkedIn, youโve likely seen posts from law firm SEO experts showing off charts with an โup and to the rightโ trajectory. These screenshots, often pulled from tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, are meant to signal SEO success. And itโs not just the agencies celebratingโ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ […]
Meh, links! All things being equal, links still tend to move the dial more than any other factor in legal SERPs. Maybe links are having a diminishing impact internet-wide. But in my experience, quality links, especially relevant links (both topically and geographically), tend to improve law firm visibility in search more than most everything else. […]