SEO for Family Lawyers: What You Need to Know

SEO has a long list of benefits that apply to any business that wishes to boost its online presence. The strategies, methods, and tools used to elevate awareness, build trust with the target audience, and attract new, paying clients are essential if you want to see success.

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Proven SEO practices work and are easily adaptable to suit any industry or field, including law. Learn how SEO for family lawyers can benefit your firm.

What Do Family Lawyers Do?

Family lawyers deal with various legal issues that impact families. Family law cases are highly charged with emotion as the outcome impacts everyone involved at a personal level. The scope of this legal practice encompasses all kinds of disputes that involve anything from constitutional law to problems with real estate and taxes.

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Sometimes, criminal law is a factor. Some of the types of cases that family law attorneys take on include:

Divorce proceedings
Child welfare
Adoption
Child custody
Justice for an abused spouse.

A family lawyer may specialize in one area, such as divorce, or accept cases of all types. Their work may involve litigation procedures, but that isn’t always the case. Much of their work is in drawing up legal documents like wills, prenuptial agreements, and custody arrangements. Divorce lawyer SEO can help target clients looking for the specific services the firm offers.

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Lawyers who wish to practice family law must have the required legal knowledge as well as excellent communication skills. Since the nature of these cases is often volatile or sensitive, lawyers must have the ability to stay calm, alleviate the anxiety of others, and encourage them to open up about several troubling topics.

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Being capable of inspiring a sense of safety and trust in their clients is essential for success in practicing family law.

What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a marketing strategy that uses various techniques to generate more traffic for your website and improve your conversion rate to obtain more paying clients. Any business that has a website and wants to increase internet traffic and clicks should make SEO a part of its marketing plan. It’s ideal for everything from eCommerce businesses to divorce lawyer SEO.

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The best part is that SEO doesn’t just focus on getting people to visit your website, it also uses proven methods to keep their attention so they stay engaged, spend time getting familiar with your content, and helps them decide to hire you.

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The basic goal of search engine optimization is to increase your business’s position in the search results pages returned by Google and other search engines. You accomplish this by improving your content so your website is the ideal result for clients searching for keywords associated with your law firm’s services.

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The majority of potential customers view only the first page of search results and concentrate their attention on the top few displayed. SEO focuses on non-paid methods of raising your ranking, called organic search results.

Why Is SEO Such a Valuable Tool?

Companies and individuals who have a website for selling a product or service want more people to find their site. More website traffic translates to more sales. Meeting these goals is what SEO does. It has many benefits for any business. Plus, these marketing tactics are easily customizable to target specific industries, like divorce lawyer SEO.

How Does SEO Work?

Improving rankings is a huge goal for SEO practices. Individuals who are browsing the internet to find reputable businesses and services tend to put their trust in the ones that have a higher rank and appear on the first page of search results. Some of the factors that influence rank are:

Quality of website copy.
Site speed
Links from other sites.
Social media mentions

The first two refer to on-page SEO. These are all the ways you can upgrade your content to include more highly searched keywords or improve your website for a better user experience. It’s possible to work on your on-page SEO to become more appealing to potential clients and search engines. You just need to put in the time and effort to do some research so you can tailor your content to target what customers want and build a great website that is easy to use.

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The second path, off-page SEO is less in control. Backlinks to your webpage from other sites are an example of off-page SEO. You have to focus on creating valuable content that others find engaging enough to want to share to earn these backlinks. It’s also possible to build relationships with other businesses to get a mention and link from their content to yours.

What Are the Basics of SEO?

SEO services don’t stop at increasing your visibility by achieving a high ranking in the search results. They also put into practice proven methods to capture the attention of viewers and encourage them to follow through with making a purchase, scheduling a service, or setting up an appointment.

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The basics for achieving success with SEO are to create quality content that is fresh, relevant, and has the intention to solve a problem. Any business can make this happen by learning to understand the user intent so they can adapt their content to accomplish the user goals and answer their questions.

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Content should be easy to read and broken up with headers. The final step to creating good content is providing the user with the next step, such as an invitation to find out more or a link to schedule an appointment.

Does a Divorce Lawyer Need SEO?

The short answer is yes, divorce lawyer SEO is necessary to see maximum growth and success. This is true of any business, in any field, that has an online presence it wants to improve.

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Clients who want to hire a divorce or family lawyer go about it in several ways:

One is to act on a referral given by a family member, friend, or colleague.
Another option involves doing more in-depth research on firms they already know about. Reviewing the lawyer’s website and reading testimonials and reviews can help form an opinion on the quality of the services offered.
The third choice is to use a search engine to scour the internet for results that match the keywords they search for.

Unless a person is familiar with lawyers in the area or knows someone else who is, the third option is typically the one they use. Since divorce lawyer SEO helps your law firm rank high in the results list, you must start using SEO to promote your family law practice.

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There is always going to be one firm that ranks at the top of the list. With the right marketing strategy and careful use of the following SEO components, that firm can be yours.

Content

All content you include on your website should provide helpful information that encourages users to take action. Showcase your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) by discussing your qualifications, experience, and success stories. The quality of your content combined with your efforts to use effective keywords can make a big impact.

Technical SEO

Search engines are constantly crawling your website to discover the purpose and quality of the site. You could receive a lower ranking if your page has one or more of these problems:

Duplicate content instead of using original copy.
The site isn’t mobile-friendly.
No meta descriptions
Explanatory tags on images.
Title tags with more than 60 characters.

It’s important to audit your website regularly. Not all problems are part of the site from its launch. Technical issues can develop over time. The sooner you make the necessary corrections, the sooner you can improve your divorce lawyer SEO.

Local SEO

Potential clients looking for family lawyers often search for results specific to their city. When the location is part of the user query, the search engine ranks results according to their relevance to the search term, distance to the stated locale, and prominence in the content.

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Some effective ways to improve local SEO by setting up a Google My Business account include:

Updating your account details often.
Writing descriptions of the services provided by your law firm.
Include all business locations.
List your practice in all reputable directories to receive backlinks.
Ask for, and display client reviews.
Update your business hours.

Even utilizing a few of these suggestions can give your local ranking a boost.

How Does SEO Work for Family Law Firms?

There is no one way to approach divorce lawyer SEO. When it comes to creating great SEO family law strategies, it is best to understand every element so you can customize a marketing plan that hones in on those most important to your firm.

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Take a closer look at some of the possibilities, all of which are adaptable to meet your firm’s goals and needs:

Website Diagnostics

Typically, putting together the optimal divorce lawyer SEO begins with a thorough review of your website and practice. You first have to understand where weaknesses and mistakes in your marketing strategy lie so you can eliminate the negative aspects and begin building a more positive, successful approach.

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Website analysis includes looking deep into how the site performs for users and its current rankings, including for local search intents. Sometimes, mistakes on the existing website are fixable. Other times, it might benefit your family law firm to create an entirely new site that emphasizes user experience, design, and content to improve SEO.

Market Research & Analysis

Marketing for family lawyers involves much more than simply promoting your firm through better SEO. Another important part is to perform market research and competitor analysis. You need to know how you compare to your competition.

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Good SEO efforts examine how top law firms in your area are achieving their high rankings in search engine results pages. Some may focus on putting out high-quality content frequently, while others may rely heavily on promoting the unique aspects of their brand.

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Once you get a good idea of what has worked for others, you can more easily adjust your methods to appeal to the same audience. It’s important to remember to include market research and analysis as a regular part of your business practices to stay on top of trends and deliver what potential clients are looking for at any given time.

Marketing for Divorce Lawyers With Local Intent

Effective divorce lawyer SEO should include user location. Nearly half of the internet searches include a local intent. Users who include a specific city in their search efforts more frequently choose a result that appears in Google’s local pack. This is a set of about three Google Maps results that indicate the proximity to the preferred locale, along with contact information and usually a website link.

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Aside from building your GMB profile, efforts to get involved in the local community translate well into higher rankings for local searches. Adjust your content to appeal to the clients in your area. Search engines use references to your city as proof that you are a local option, and rank your firm accordingly.

Keyword Research

Using keywords that are relevant to your firm’s services and popular in your area improves your chances of getting a better ranking. Research shows you the best divorce keywords and family law keywords to use to raise your search position.

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The keywords and phrases that you emphasize in your content should connect with viewers. Family law encompasses a lot of emotionally fraught situations. The people who search for your chosen keywords are likely going through something difficult and painful. Providing relevant content, while staying mindful of its sensitive nature can help your divorce lawyer SEO stand out from the crowd.

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Find the terms associated with common questions individuals ask about family law services. Make sure you have plenty of excellent content on your website that dives into the heart of the user’s query and provides guidance or answers. Include some visuals to help break up content into easily digestible chunks and highlight the most important points.

User-Friendly Website for Better User Experience

The best divorce lawyer SEO marketing strategies can increase traffic to your site, but if viewers don’t have a good user experience, they won’t stick around long enough to learn more about your firm.

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Many potential clients want to hire a lawyer who provides a personal connection as well as the necessary legal advice and representation. Include plenty of background information on your website to tell the story of your law firm and all the attorneys who are part of your practice.

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Aside from a personal connection that makes a client feel they can trust you, there are several technical aspects of the design and development to consider:

Fast page speeds to prevent users from becoming frustrated and leaving your site.
Pages designed to flow from one topic to another in a way that makes sense.
Clear labeling to help users quickly find the page that contains the information they need.
Several calls to action that allow the user to find out more by setting up an appointment or contacting a representative from any page.
Easy-to-find and easy-to-read details about your firm and the services you offer.
Engaging, aesthetically appealing design.
A sense of understanding and comfort to encourage upset individuals to follow through and seek assistance.

A fantastic user experience can make the difference between someone clicking off your site or making the decision to hire you.

Organic Search Results

It’s possible to use paid methods to improve your firm’s visibility, but organic SEO efforts have their advantages. The click-through rate for organic search results goes as high as 40%, while pay-per-click tops out at around 5%. Another benefit is that organic results build authority naturally, helping to increase trust in your firm.

Establishing Authority & Trustworthiness

A lot is riding on family law cases. People want to hire the best to make sure their chances of winning their case or getting favorable terms are high. Your family law attorney marketing and SEO efforts must include strategies to show your firm is an authority in this branch of law.

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Some of the best ways to establish your trustworthiness and expertise are through backlinks from other reputable websites. You can also include links and references to any interviews you have done, partnerships with other experts, and any positive exposure you received from peers and community members.

Frequent Adjustments

It’s not enough to put into place the perfect divorce lawyer SEO one time and expect the benefits to continue. Once you establish yourself as an authority and make your way to the first page of search results, you must work at staying there.

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You must develop a practice of examining your SEO and success rates regularly. This allows you to notice negative trends that point to areas you need to improve to keep your high standing.

What Are the Benefits of Family Law SEO?

There are a wide range of advantages to putting SEO strategies into practice for your firm. Family law services are a highly competitive branch. Family law SEO creates more awareness across a larger target audience, so you connect with a greater number of potential clients. Take a closer look at some of the most compelling reasons:

Aids in Creating Helpful Content

Visitors to your website want to see original, helpful content that is up-to-date and highly engaging. Take the time to design your site to attract users and provide everything they need. Opt for a variety of content. Articles, blog posts, and other text-based content are great for providing detailed information but don’t focus solely on text.

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When possible, include images and videos. These rank highly in search results. Include personal messages for your clients, how-to videos, and even video testimonials from satisfied clients. Update all forms of content regularly. Freshness is key for both search engine results and keeping the attention of current clients.

Expands Your Audience

A lot of common marketing strategies target clearly defined audiences, which essentially limits the people who receive information about your business. Divorce lawyer SEO focuses on a broader target. Your efforts reach anyone interested in the keywords you use, no matter where they are in the buying funnel. You could spark interest in someone simply browsing to see what is available, looking for information for a friend, as well as those who want to secure your services immediately.

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You can start by listing all the keywords and phrases you want to use. Next, do some research to find out which terms are ranking high in search results, as well as who your competitors are and what they are offering. Combined, all of this information gives you the insight you need to refine your SEO strategy to reach more people.

Increases Your Credibility

Sites that show up at the top of the results pages are generally thought of as trustworthy and more credible than lower rankings. This is true of both search engines and users.

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Someone seeking the services of a family or divorce lawyer will usually view the first few results as the best, assuming they offer higher quality. It’s worthwhile to work on targeting your keywords to raise your company in the ranking.

Gives You an Edge Over Your Competition

Competition is often fierce, with businesses that offer similar services all competing for the same clients. Your competitors are likely using all the tools at their disposal to improve their chances, including divorce lawyer SEO. This means that you need to do the same but do it better.

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When you concentrate on your SEO efforts and put in the work required, you get rewarded with higher rankings. Since businesses that appear on the first page of the results list get the vast majority of traffic, your time and effort in this area are well worth it.

Elevates Your Ranking

The goal of SEO is to improve your ranking on the search results page so your law firm is high up the list on the first page. It’s important to do the necessary research to find out what keywords and phrases your target audience is searching for most often. This allows you to adapt your content.

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It’s ideal to put some effort into local search rankings specifically. More people are starting to search for businesses and services near them to restrict search results to those in their area. Use local SEO strategies to improve in this area. You may want to set up an account with Google so you can start requesting and displaying reviews. Many potential clients prefer high star ratings and positive reviews of their experience with your firm.

Ideal to Use in Combination With Other Campaigns

SEO for family law uses client and market research to organically rise in search result rankings. However, there are other ways to improve your visibility. A popular method is a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign. PPC advertising comes with a fee but helps to get your website to the top of the list for paid search results.

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A potential client browsing for a family lawyer will usually give more attention to a firm that appears at the top of both the PPC list and the SEO results page.

Attracts the Right Viewers

Not all website traffic is the right kind of traffic. Many individuals browse without having any real intent to follow through and secure their services. Using SEO helps to focus your content and online strategy to appeal to quality users who have a real interest in your website content and services.

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These users spend more time on your website exploring what you have to offer. Longer engagement times typically lead to higher rates of securing the client.

Improves Your Website for an Excellent Customer Experience

Customer experience is a crucial part of appealing to clients. All the efforts made to get users to your website won’t matter much if you don’t provide valuable content that keeps their interest and fulfills their needs.

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Put effort into creating an exceptional webpage that is easy to navigate and filled with relevant information. Address other key complaints that can detract from a user’s experience, such as slow speeds and confusing spam. Stress your credentials, and success stories, and provide links to other reputable sites to prove your credibility and trustworthiness.

Gives You Results You Can Quantify

Standard SEO uses tools to audit and track your website, giving you the information you can use. Learn which web pages had the most traffic, the content that viewers spend the most time reading, and more to help you continuously improve.

How to Get the Most Out of Divorce Lawyer SEO

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Hiring an agency that specializes in SEO is essential to get the best results. Many small businesses lack the expertise and understanding of how to use the right combination of tactics to increase visibility and traffic to their website. Professional agencies have the knowledge and experience to use SEO effectively to help you expand your online presence and gain greater success.

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SEO specialists create more leads and better conversion rates. They use various tools and techniques to research what customers in your field want, and what they search for, and use that information to make your content more relevant. This means that the increased hits on your website are from real customers looking to hire you, and not casual browsers.

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One of the ways that SEO agencies improve the user experience is by analyzing slow loading speeds, webpage malfunctions, and distracting spam so they can come up with effective solutions to correct these problems. Users who have a bad experience tend to exit your webpage quickly and look at another one. Algorithms track the time visitors spend on your website to determine if many leave early due to a potentially bad experience.

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While it’s possible for you to step up your SEO game on your own, most law offices don’t have the extensive knowledge and experience required to get the best results. Dividing your attention between marketing tactics and providing your clients with the attention and focus they deserve can cause the quality of your work to slip.

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Instead of trying to juggle everything yourself, work with a company that has a proven track record for providing highly effective SEO services. At elk Marketing, we focus on implementing the tools and techniques that show real growth, while you concentrate on your clients and your practice. Relax and leave the divorce lawyer SEO to us.

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‍Contact us today to learn more about the ways we can help!

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