Law Firm SEO – Your Key to Unlocking the Potential of Your Legal Practice
As a medium-sized or large law firm, you have the potential to reach out to a wider audience and help more clients. However, if you’re not visible online, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business. And that is what happened to our client and his legal practice. We know that precision is important for your legal business, but also for ours. Thus, our goal was to create strategies that will skyrocket our client’s revenue quickly.
The fact is that the majority of people now use the internet to find and choose legal services. There are many offers in the legal industry, however, which one is the right one depends on the quality of business presentation that determines the success of the first impression and the foundational pillar of trust. And the trust in the legal industry is extremely pricey. However, your prospects need to find you first.
This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. By optimizing your website and other online channels, you can appear at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more potential clients to your practice.
At Dot IT, we specialize in providing SEO services for law firms. Our proven track record of success with other legal clients has helped us establish ourselves as a leading SEO agency in the industry.
In this case study, we’ll take you through the process of how we helped one of our legal clients achieve online success through SEO.
Background
Our client is a medium-sized law firm that specializes in commercial law. The firm had been in business for several years and had a good reputation in their industry. However, they were struggling to attract new clients online. They had a website, but it was outdated and not optimized for search engines. They also had a low social media presence, which was extremely limiting their visibility.
Challenges
Our client’s main challenges were:
- Poor website design and user experience:
The website was outdated and lacked modern design elements. It was also difficult to navigate, which made it hard for potential clients to find what they were looking for.
- Lack of search engine optimization:
The website was not optimized for search engines, which meant it was not appearing in the top results for relevant keywords.
- Low social media presence:
The firm had a low social media presence, which meant they were missing out on potential clients who were looking for legal services online.
Fierce Competition, Website Revamping, and More Than That
Then, it was time to get to work. For starters, there was the website that needed to be revamped. As a large law firm with a long history that had gained success in many fields, it wasn’t simple to change the website from its outdated appearance and structure.
Also, the fact that the website required a new domain name due to a change in the law firm’s name made things that much more complex. That didn’t mean just a new URL. The new domain name included a completely different website, meaning their entire SEO efforts would have to be focused on a whole new domain.
Not only that, but it wasn’t just the website that needed revamping.
The main challenge, which was the most significant of them all, was the competition. The law firm is very well known in its industry and is highly successful across many fields. This is why, naturally, it had plenty of serious competition to deal with when it came to SEO. There were other large law firms in the market already dominating SEO, so it was going to take a lot of work for this firm to rise above them.
Accordingly, the entire SEO strategy itself had to be tweaked to give this law firm an edge over its competition. That meant we had to work on getting this law firm more organic traffic while squeezing out any competitors, so they could finally get their deserved rankings for high-quality keywords.
And most of all? All of this needed to happen quickly – the law firm sought to be at the top of local searches with any relevant search query, so any delay in their SEO would result in potential clients slipping through their fingers.
Solution
To solve these challenges, we provided the following services to our client:
How We Revamped Their SEO Strategy to Take Them to the Top?
With the law firm’s sights focused on long-term results that would elevate them above their competitors for good, we needed to deliver a top-quality strategy that would take no time at all to set up yet be solid enough to last for years. The firm didn’t want any downtime or service interruptions during the website redesign process, either.
A Fresh New Website
We first assessed their website and identified its problems, including where changes needed to be made. Then, once we had a clear plan in place to revamp the site, we got to work. We redesigned the website to make it more modern and user-friendly, we also optimized it for search engines by adding relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags.
We went back to the drawing board and worked to create an entirely new website. This meant a new URL, brand-new content, and all the other technical aspects of revamping an entire site, including user experience improvements across the board.
We wanted this site to both look great and function well (SEO-wise) while also providing an engaging experience for visitors (which would boost accessibility and easy navigation). So we made sure that everything looked cohesive and appealing aesthetically and functionally.
The aim? To turn this law firm’s website into a full-service website that would offer information on all of its services and be extremely thorough in it. The site was also designed to provide helpful information for visitors and potential clients who wanted to learn more about what this law firm offers while becoming loyal clients afterward.
An SEO Campaign That Works
With all of these elements in place, we started optimizing the website and ranking it high up on search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant, high-quality keywords. We used many different strategies and SEO services to ensure this law firm succeeded in securing top search engine rankings (and long-term results). Here are the main techniques we employed.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is all about fixing any coding or technical problems preventing Google from crawling and indexing a site properly. Without this, there was no way the law firm would be able to rank at all.
We started with technical elements including HTML, XML sitemaps (a sitemap makes it easier for Google to crawl your site and helps with indexation issues), and the site’s robots.txt file to ensure every single on-page detail was set up for success. This meant making sure everything was optimized according to SEO standards so that the firm could receive the rankings it rightfully deserved.
We also implemented several technical solutions, from fixing coding problems to increasing website speed with CDNs. Every technical issue standing in the way of high-quality rankings was fixed. In other words, we checked every technical detail to ensure that their website is working perfectly.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is a crucial first step for any SEO campaign, without solid keywords, you can forget ranking at all on Google’s first page. To succeed, we first had to identify which keywords would work best for this law firm and why, that meant looking at the competition around certain keywords, as well as analyzing which ones had been the most successful for this law firm in the past.
We conducted keyword research and optimized the website’s content to include relevant keywords. We also optimized the website’s structure to make it more search engine friendly. After we had a list of keywords in mind, we analyzed their difficulty and estimated how much traffic they could bring in for this law firm once they started ranking high up on SERPs.
These keywords were later implemented into the site’s content, as well as its meta tags and other on-page factors. Our task was to help their customers find them easily, thus we provided in depth keyword research and findings.
Competitor Analysis
Since this law firm is located in a highly competitive industry, it also had to keep an eye on its competitors’ SEO activities and law firm websites. That meant identifying which keywords they ranked for, how dominant their presence was on SERPs, and how hard it would be to beat them out.
To gain a competitive edge in the online world for our client, Dot IT professionals have compared our client’s state to their competitors to find the spots that needed to be improved.
This information was later used to frame the campaign and determine what keywords were worth pursuing and how they could be implemented, as well as what to avoid and why.
By leveraging this information, we created an efficient strategy that had a good chance of succeeding. We also used competitor analysis before and during the campaign to ensure everything ran smoothly and was headed in the right direction.
To be successful in the highly competitive world of online marketing, it’s important to understand your competition. Dot IT’s Law Firm SEO services includes a competitor analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of other law firms in the same market. By analyzing the competition, Dot IT can develop a customized strategy to help its clients stand out and attract potential clients.
In addition to identifying strengths and weaknesses, the competitor analysis can also provide insights into the strategies being used by other law firms. This can include the type of content being created, the structure of their website, and the backlink profile. By analyzing these factors, Dot IT can develop a strategy that is both unique and effective.
Content Marketing
Content creation is a vital part of any SEO campaign, and it’s also one of the hardest things to do right in digital marketing. That’s why we had to put together a strategy that would allow us to create top-quality content at scale while ensuring that each piece was optimized for success.
We started by creating highly targeted blog posts and legal articles that were effectively research-backed and had clear simple titles and meta tags as well as internal links and H1/H2 tags as needed. We told their story right while optimizing the website content. We also did keyword research for each of these blog posts to find out which keywords would work best for that post (and the law firm overall).
Lastly, we created and managed social media accounts for the firm, posting regular updates and engaging with potential clients online.
It’s important to note here that while these pieces of content were created with keywords in mind (which allowed them to rank high up on SERPs), they didn’t exist solely to rank. Instead, they served a higher purpose: generating leads and building trust with potential clients who would later become actual clients.
On-Page Optimization
With all the technical elements set up for success, we were able to focus on optimizing each page for a specific keyword.
While every single page was unique and targeted a different keyword, they all followed a similar structure: an H1 tag with the primary keywords, one or two supporting keyword phrases in an H2 tag, further supporting keywords at the beginning of the page’s content, and links to relevant posts included throughout.
Additionally, each page had a good amount of text on it, which allowed every single piece of content to have high word counts that were fairly evenly distributed throughout. While keyword density no longer matters for ranking purposes, having too little or too much text isn’t ideal for user experience, so having an even spread is still important.
Off-Page Optimization / Link Building
With the on-page optimization and internal linking set up, it was time to focus on getting links from reputable, relevant sites. Links are still one of the biggest factors in determining where a page ranks on SERPs, so off-page optimization was also critical to this campaign.
The best way to do that is usually through guest posting, which allows you to build quality backlinks without having an SEO influence over them. While this may be a more difficult route at first, it also yields better results in the long run because you aren’t at risk of being penalized for not following Google’s rules.
We created a comprehensive link building strategy to increase the website’s authority and improve its search engine rankings. We reached out to potential partners, industry influencers, and other websites that might be willing to share the firm’s blog posts, articles, and further high-quality content.
What made this a little easier was that each of the blog posts published as part of this campaign naturally led to multiple opportunities for us to get high-quality links from reputable sources.
To help all of these blog posts rank highly on SERPs, we also made sure that they were socially shared on major social media platforms, including LinkedIn and Facebook, and had many backlinks from other authority sites. Also, we used Google My Business to promote the practice areas for the local market. This helped raise the domain’s authority as well as the page’s individual ranking power.
Monthly Reports With KPIs
As with any other strategy, it’s important to understand how well you’re doing. In order for both sides to know if the marketing effort yielded significant results, Dot IT team created monthly reports with relevant KPIs to track the success.
We prepared monthly reports that included not just on-site changes, but also what type of traffic we were getting from different sources. And of course, our goal was always to bring in more qualified leads at a faster rate by staying ahead of the competition.
We used Google Analytics to look at traffic over time and found that the traffic climbed steadily after launching our campaign.
At the same time, we looked at which keywords were driving traffic to our site and how those keywords were performing. While some keywords were doing better than others, it wasn’t until we started looking at more specific terms (like title tags) that we could really attack the rankings.
Our monthly reports also included key performance indicators (KPIs) like website authority score, monthly organic traffic, new visitors, number of keywords in top 100 positions, total impressions, and click-through rate (CTR). This let us know how well our campaign was doing on all fronts, instead of just focusing on rankings or traffic numbers alone.
Results
Our SEO efforts resulted in significant improvements for our client. Within 2 years of working with us, the firm experienced:
- Increase in organic traffic:
The website saw a significant increase in organic traffic with a new average CTR of 3.3%, which led to more potential clients finding the firm online.
- Increase in leads:
The firm received more leads through their website and social media channels, which led to more business opportunities.
- Improved search engine rankings:
The website’s search engine rankings improved significantly, which meant the firm was appearing in the top results for relevant keywords, such as appearing in top 3 results for 17 keywords.
Let’s see the results in more detail!
What our client got from our campaigns
Over the course of two years, our law firm SEO campaign paid off in many ways, that when compared to the average industry numbers, shows how clear a more focused approach to an SEO strategy can make all the difference. Here are the highlights.
Traffic/Clicks
There was a steady climb in quality traffic after starting this campaign. The numbers are impressive compared to industry averages, but the real proof of how successful this law firm SEO strategy was is in the figures themselves.
For one, this campaign saw the increasing number of impressions to reach 560,000 and clicks 18,600 over the span of the year. That’s all with an average CTR of 3.3%!
On top of that, when it came to traffic sources, organic search was far and away the most efficient, with an average of all traffic being driven by it, as opposed to organic traffic (76.3%), direct traffic (18.9%), referral (3.7%) or social media (1.1%), which had a minimal contribution.
Law Firm SEO: Organic Search Traffic
On top of that, when it came to traffic sources, organic search was far and away the most efficient, with an average of all traffic being driven by it, as opposed to organic traffic (76.3%), direct traffic (18.9%), referral (3.7%) or social media (1.1%), which had a minimal contribution.
Visibility Score and Target Keywords Rankings
One of the first changes we noticed was to the rankings for target keywords. Before initiating the campaign, we had laid out a list of keywords that we aimed to rank for, along with the competitors that were leading the SERPs for those said keywords. At the time, your law firm client’s position was almost non-existent.
Fast-forward two years later, the law firm outperformed its main competitors and was able to cement its position with first and second positions on the SERPs for the identified keywords. Success!
Apart from 17 keywords ranking in the top 3 results, we further saw 41 keywords in the top 10, 50 keywords in the top 20, 89 keywords in the top 100, and 226 organic keywords ranking in the top 100 at large.
This wasn’t the only way the visibility changed over time. Each month seemed to bring deeper rankings for our target keywords. Some of these are visible above in graphical format. Not to mention, 8 keywords had featured snippets on the SERPs!
Backlinks Portfolio
Reputable links to authority sites are still one of the biggest ranking factors in Google’s algorithm.
We were able to build up an impressive portfolio of 9,800 backlinks throughout our campaign, thanks to guest posting and other outreach methods. We similarly saw a drastic increase in the number of referring domains, with great diversity across different types of sites.
Lastly, it was no surprise that we saw an increase in search rankings across a number of different keywords that we’d targeted – 585 to be exact. These included competitive terms and more specific ones that more accurately described the business.
Website Authority Score
Speaking of the authority score, it’s one of the KPIs we used to track our campaign’s success. This gives an overall idea of a site’s strength or how likely it is to rank well in search engines. We saw this number go from zero to 20 towards the end of the campaign, which meant that the firm’s website was considered an authority with a lot of weight behind it.
That means we were able to build authority for the firm’s website as a whole and through the backlink portfolio, and it has even more leeway when ranking against competitors.
Additionally, the improved search engine rankings and increased website traffic helped to establish the law firm as an authority in their niche, making it easier for potential clients to trust and choose their services. The website’s bounce rate also decreased, indicating that visitors were more engaged and spent more time on the site.
Furthermore, the law firm’s online reputation was enhanced, which positively affected the firm’s brand image. The client was able to receive more reviews and ratings from satisfied customers, which in turn, helped to attract more potential clients to the website. The law firm also experienced higher click-through rates, which meant that visitors were more likely to click on the firm’s website when it appeared in search results
International Legal SEO
Concluding on a positive note, we were able to fulfill one of our client’s major goals, which was to have an international footprint and attract clients who are planning either to establish businesses in Egypt and require collaboration with a law firm or even multinational companies seeking law consultations.
Whereas the firm initially witnessed only local traffic, today, it’s welcoming traffic from the United States, United Arab Emirates, India, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, China, Canada, and Germany, among others, paving the way for cross-border partnerships.
In summary, the law firm’s investment in SEO services provided numerous benefits, including increased website traffic, higher search engine rankings, and more leads. It also established the firm’s reputation as a reliable and authoritative source in the legal niche, which helped to attract more potential clients to their services.
Why Is Dot IT’s SEO Services Important For a Law Firm
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for any business looking to grow. That’s where Dot IT’s Law Firm SEO service comes in. By targeting specific keywords and optimizing a law firm’s website for local search results, Dot IT can help law firms attract potential clients and grow their business.
With a customized solution that includes website optimization, content creation, link building, and analytics, you can be sure that your business is getting the attention it deserves.
Any business looking to improve their online presence and attract potential customers can benefit from SEO. From healthcare to finance to retail, SEO can help businesses of all kinds reach their full potential. However, the Law Firm SEO service is specifically designed for law firms, the strategies and techniques used can be applied only to this industry.
An SEO Success Story: Why is SEO important for Law Firms?
As we can see, SEO is clearly important for law firms and an effective way to drive traffic, and this particular law firm SEO campaign was an immense success. In fact, SEO can be one of the best forms of law firm marketing.
The firm gained traffic from organic search results and saw huge improvements in rankings for target keywords, backlinks portfolio, website authority score, visibility score, and keyword rankings, to name a few.
This means that clients were more likely to find the firm when searching online for a legal professional in their area, which is important since many people now start at search engines before deciding on whether or not to hire a company.
All of this leads to more clients, which can result in increased revenue for the law firm. More traffic also means more opportunities to make connections and grow client relationships over time, which helps to build the firm’s reputation and solidify it as an authority in its area of law.
But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what the client had to say about the campaign and the results that were seen:
“The company has gained a higher ranking on Google search results, thanks to Dot IT’s SEO help. Their articles have also appeared on the first page of said results. The team communicates well with the client, delivering what they promise. Overall, they’re able to drive the project toward success.”
All in all, the right SEO strategy can not only help your firm rank higher in Google search results, but also bring more clients to your business and broaden your horizons.
Contact Dot IT today to learn more about how they can help your business succeed.
