Google, the most popular search engine, is the primary resource consumers go to when looking for local businesses – including legal service providers.
Does your firm utilize local SEO strategies and SEM for lawyers to boost your online presence?
Reach Your Target Clients with Strategic SEO for Attorneys
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No matter what legal practice area you are in, investing in search engine marketing for your law firm is a proven way to:
- Generate qualified leads
- Reach new clients
- Reduce acquisition costs
- Increase ROI
- Grow your law practice
Leveraging organic digital marketing strategies to boost your law firm website’s online presence over the long term is essential. However, it would be wise to set aside some of your advertising budgets to compete on search engine results pages properly.
This is where search engine marketing or SEM for lawyers comes into play.
46% of searches in Google are for local information, including local businesses and service providers. 70% of those searches result in consumers getting in touch with local businesses by calling or visiting the physical location.
These figures show the importance of your law firm website appearing at the top of search results when a potential client searches for your legal services.
While this is possible using organic strategies, it may take some time to generate your desired results – especially when your competitors are employing SEM services for lawyers.
When this is the case, it’s imperative that you invest in a custom search engine marketing strategy for law firms.
What Is SEM for Lawyers?
Search engine marketing is utilizing paid advertising techniques to maximize the visibility of your attorney website on search engine results pages (SERPs).
When a potential client type in a keyword relevant to your legal services into Google, SEM for lawyers enables your law firm website to show as a result for that particular search query or keyword.
The objectives of effective search engine marketing for attorneys involve:
- Drive highly qualified leads to your law firm website.
- Boost the ranking of your lawyer website to the top of search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
- Increase the popularity of your website.
- Enhance the awareness of your legal credibility and services.
Thriving Online With SEO and SEM for Lawyers
Today’s internet-driven market encourages local businesses to establish a strong presence on search engine results pages (SERP). Lawyers and legal professionals can achieve this through efficient internet and search engine marketing for law firms.
Law firm search engine optimization (SEO) and SEM for lawyers, when executed correctly, is a powerful combination of digital marketing strategies that can lead to more traffic and conversions on attorney websites.
Creative and persuasive SEM ads for lawyers will entice prospects to click on them. Engaging website copy will then provide potential clients with relevant information – leading them to convert into actual clients for your firm.
Your law firm is probably trying to rank organically for search queries and keywords you bid on in Google Ads. In turn, your attorney SEO and SEM strategies should work seamlessly. SEM and SEO experts achieve this by optimizing the ad copy, web page, or landing page copy using the local keywords you aim to rank for.
The landing page copy should be relevant to the ad copy. When you attain this, consumers and prospective clients are more inclined to spend time on your website and learn more about your firm.
When every element on your website works together, including responsive attorney website design and engaging content marketing for law firms, higher conversion rates are likely to occur.
Cohesiveness inspires consumers to make a purchase, schedule an appointment, or get in touch with your business.
A cohesive experience and interaction with your online presence results in prospects spending more time on websites for attorneys, taking more actions, and converting at a faster and higher rate.
If they feel lost or confused after clicking on your attorney search engine advertisement or Google ad, they are less inclined to take action.
Fostering a good and positive experience for your legal SEM prospects also enhances your quality scores. Furthermore, it lowers the cost-per-click.
These consumer behavior metrics are affirmative SEO ranking indicators, which can help improve your attorney website’s search engine rankings.
The Importance of Local SEO and SEM for Lawyers
SEO and SEM for attorneys combined will enhance your local law firm’s brand visibility and awareness for the most valuable audience, also known as your target market.
These are the prospects in your area looking for your specific legal services. They are looking online and ready to schedule a consultation over the phone or book an appointment at your physical law office.
According to Google, 4 in 5 people use a search engine to look for local information. Thus, it’s necessary to have a presence on search engine results pages and be on the first page of search results for search queries related to your legal services.
You can skyrocket your Google search rankings by focusing on law firm SEO efforts and comprehensive SEM strategies for attorneys.
SEM for Law Firms Best Practices
As a small law firm or solo practitioner, sticking to a search engine marketing strategy where you target local audiences will yield more favorable results. These are the prospects in your service area or near you who are looking online and ready to hire your legal services.
Perform Comprehensive Keyword Research
Consumers will still see your ads when you start an SEM campaign for lawyers without proper keyword research. However, you are not attracting the right prospects who will click your ads and hire your legal services.
You can’t expect your SEM attorneys campaign to do well if your target market doesn’t see your law firm search engine ads.
As such, you need to establish a strong foundation of well-researched vital phrases for your law firm internet ads.
An experienced PPC advertising agency has the tools, expertise, and experience to choose keywords for your law firm ads that align with your message, landing page, and audience. Thoroughly researched keywords will help you achieve the following:
Message match – your prospective clients will have a better understanding of the message you want to convey in your attorney Google advertising and ultimately inspire them to convert.
Audience match – your legal internet advertising strategy will show your SEM for lawyers ads to consumers typing the same search queries into search engines. With more interested users, you’ll have higher chances of generating clicks and conversions.
Enhance Google Ads Location Settings
This is an SEM for lawyers step you can’t forego. As a local business, you want to show your attorney Google ads to prospects in your service areas.
Obviously, you wouldn’t want your ads to be seen by someone from three states away or outside of the country.
Make sure to fix your advertising location targeting options. These settings allow your ads to be seen by prospects close to your law office.
Conduct Proper Ad Tracking and Analysis
As a legal professional running your solo practice or small law firm, you already have a lot on your plate.
However, your law firm’s advertising and marketing efforts shouldn’t be overlooked.
This is when hiring the services of a professional search engine marketing agency comes in.
You can have a team of qualified SEM experts monitor and analyze your campaigns to ensure you’re getting the most out of your advertising budget.
Does SEM Work for Lawyers?
Search engine marketing ads effectively attract highly qualified leads and convert them into new clients for your law firm.
While this digital marketing and advertising strategy is cost-effective and can generate positive results, it can get expensive and inefficient if you don’t know what you’re doing.
“Lawyers,” “attorneys,” and other variations of legal terms are expensive keywords. Before investing in SEM for lawyers, make sure you hire a professional Google ads expert specializing in search engine marketing for law firms.