For law firms, it is essential to reach local clients. When they are looking for help from lawyers, most people want to find someone close to them. For this reason, your SEO strategy should include improving your local SEO. In this article, we’ll discuss a few easy things you can do to improve your local rankings.
1. Register For Google My Business
The first thing you want to do is register your law firm in Google My Business if you haven’t already. Google my business is the local search engine that looks for companies that match users’ search criteria and are closest to the user’s location.

For example, someone searches on their phone for a car accident lawyer near me and your office is down the street, you will show up high in the search engine rankings. This local visibility is essential for a smaller law firm where most of your clients live close to you. A listing in Google My Business is also the easiest way for your company to show up on Google Maps. And you can also add your business to law firm local citation.

The process of signing up is easy. Add a company name, info, a short blurb about your business and a few pictures and you are set. Be sure to include essential keywords in your business description. If you are a criminal lawyer in Sarnia, be sure you use these keywords and other combinations of those phrases in your description.

2. Have a Great Website and Make Sure It Works
Now that you have a Google My Business listing, you want to link your law firm website and make sure your website is up to date and is working correctly. You will quickly lose visitors with a broken site and face penalties from Google.

Do a tour of your site as if you were a customer. Look for any broken links or slow loading pages. Think about the overall user experience. Can you find the information you need? Does the website look professional? Does it offer your visitors helpful information? Ensure your name, address, and phone number (also called NAP) are visible at the bottom of every page.

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3. Get Client Reviews Online
Another helpful feature on Google my Business is the customer reviews. Most new clients read customer reviews and recommendations when they are considering hiring a lawyer. Your reviews can be especially important for clients who are unsure of your company. A bunch of five-star reviews can help ease anxiety and show that you are professionals who know your business and care about your clients.

If you are looking to build more customer reviews, encourage happy clients to leave a review when you conclude a service or through a follow-up email. Most people, if they are satisfied with your work, are happy to do it. You could also reach out to past clients to connect and build up your reviews.

4. Build Brand Authority
According to Local SEO Search Inc., one of the best ways to climb the search engine ranks is to make regular blog posts about relevant topics and post them on your website. Include keywords or issues in the post that are words or phrases that new customers might use to search for your site. Local topics are especially important to help you reach local customers.

Include links to research and authoritative sights to prove your facts. By proving you are a relevant source of information, you can grow your brand and find organic traffic. Consider contributing a post to a local paper, legal journal or local organization about a relevant local legal issue. The posts improve your local SEO and help you build your brand authority by being affiliated with many local organizations and legitimate legal entities.

5. Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media is another way to reach local clients and engage with potential customers. Use your social media page to post links to your latest blog posts or articles and encourage local readers’ questions or discussion.

You could even offer advice and suggestions for common legal issues, and be sure to always to link back to your website.

Social Media is also a great way to show the human side of your law firm. Are you participating in a local charity fundraiser? Post pictures on social media so clients can see you care about your community.

Local SEO is an important strategy to help improve your rankings and to find new local clients. Luckily, it is easier to climb the local rankings than global SEO. Use these five tips to improve your local SEO for your law firm and reach the clients looking to find you.