Legal marketing is as nuanced as the field of law itself, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become vital to the success of any law firm. The practice can be daunting for those who are unfamiliar with its complexities, so read on to learn more about finding the right keywords to target on your law firm website.
Research
The first step to choosing suitable keywords for your website is research. Several SEO factors need to be analyzed before suitable keywords can be selected. These factors are keyword difficulty, search intent, and search volume.
Keyword Difficulty
Keyword difficulty is a nebulous metric, but it refers to the difficulty of ranking for certain keywords. This score is typically on a scale of 1 to 100, and many different commercial SEO tools offer this metric as part of their services.
Keyword difficulty reveals how likely you are to rank for the keyword that you are targeting. Some keywords are more difficult to rank for than others because of tremendous competition from other law firms. In some cases, the effort and resources required to rank for a certain keyword will outweigh the benefits of the position gained on a SERP page. It is important to balance keyword difficulty against the potential gain.
You also want to check on the domain authority (DA/DR) of your competitors to see the range that they fall into. If they are way outside the DA of your website, then it may be advisable to target another keyword. However, if they are in a similar range, then the keyword is fair game. It all comes down to content and technical execution.
Search Intent
Search intent refers to the intention of the searcher when they type a keyword into a search engine. This can be determined by typing a keyword into Google or another search engine yourself and seeing the type of content that is produced for that keyword.
It is vital that you satisfy search intent when targeting a keyword because, otherwise, it is very unlikely that a search engine will consider your content for its coveted top spots. Search intent varies from keyword to keyword, so you should always be aware of the search intent of the keyword that you are targeting. Matching search intent is one of the simpler aspects of SEO.
Search Volume
Search volume is the quantity of searches that a given keyword receives. This metric is important because you need to ensure that the keyword you are targeting is one that people are actually searching for.
Your SEO efforts may go unnoticed if you are targeting keywords with a low search volume. It is important to choose a keyword that is receiving traffic, even if this traffic is not particularly high. It is also worthwhile to use an SEO tool to see how the search volume for your preferred keyword fluctuates over time. There could be seasonal peaks to its volume that you will need to note. Additionally, a keyword with a higher search volume will tend to be more difficult to rank for, so it is imperative to balance search volume with keyword difficulty.
General Advice
Location, Location, Location.
Location is an essential concern when it comes to law firms. Legal environments can vary from state to state and even city to city, and this means that potential clients often use a law firm within their own region or locality. Targeting specific locations is a great tip for law firms when picking keywords. The keyword phrase “truck accident lawyer” will be far more difficult to rank for than the keyword phrase “Sacramento truck accident lawyer.”
This location-specific keyword will not only be advantageous due to its lower barrier to ranking but also because this will narrow down the pool of clients to those looking for your legal services. This approach helps you with local SEO. It will also ensure that your law firm shows up in “near me” searches. Clicks may be reduced with a location-specific keyword, but those clicks are far more likely to turn into a conversion than clicks coming from a more generalized keyword.
Specialization
Targeting a keyword for your law firm’s specialization is also highly recommended. Using words like “bankruptcy,” “divorce,” or “real estate” in your keyword strategy ensures that your firm will show up in searches that are consistent with your practice area specialization. A specific keyword is less likely to generate a substantial number of clicks, but your conversion rate is likely to be higher. Conversion rate is far more important than an impressive number of clicks. If your law firm is the only one in your area practicing a specific facet of law, then that is something that you should target.
For example, there are usually personal injury lawyers near your firm, but there will not necessarily be lawyers who specialize in a particular area of medical malpractice. A specialization, particularly one that is unique to your firm, is a great unique selling point (USP) and an even better method of utilizing SEO to generate conversions.
Gaps in the Market
It is possible that your firm offers a service that is uncommon in your area. These gaps are opportunities for keyword targeting. An uncommon service will likely translate into a keyword that is easier to rank highly for. Spending a bit of time on Google searching for the services that your firm offers may reveal that there is one service that is not common amongst competing firms.
Let’s Recap
SEO is a complex practice that requires time and effort to effectively wield. Keyword difficulty, search intent, and search volume are all vital when it comes to ranking for any keyword. Additionally, any USP or location-specific aspect of your firm is an opportunity for an effective SEO strategy. Targeting these keywords can benefit your firm and lead to more conversions than targeting general keywords.
