The law firm’s ultimate guide to digital marketing in 2024

How does your firm get new clients? Or, more importantly, how do new clients learn about your firm? There are two methods that probably jump out right away:

1. Paid advertising — on TV, search engines, bus wraps, at sporting events, and anywhere else.
2. Personal referrals — potential clients happen to speak to an old client of yours, who shares their experience.

These two methods of attracting new clients work, but they both have major flaws.

1. Paid advertising stops driving leads the moment you stop paying for it.
2. Personal referrals are unreliable over the long-term, especially in a market saturated with ads.

What if there was another way that combined all the best features of paid ads and referrals while avoiding the downsides? What if you could reach a broader audience long-term, build a reputation on social proof, and get exponential — not linear — results from your investment?

There is a way. It’s digital marketing.

Digital marketing isn’t by any means new to the legal space, but today it’s an essential part of your firm’s success, not simply a nice-to-have. The reason for that include:

1. Client behaviors are shifting: Reviews and ratings in search results are taking the place of personal referrals, which no longer offer a sustainable way to build your practice. Digital marketing helps your firm connect with potential clients at key points in their journey to finding representation.
2. Competition: For practices like personal injury or criminal defense, boutique firms used to be the norm. Now they’re the exception. As settlement mills bombard audiences with flashy ads, boutique firms need to be strategic when it comes to reaching new clients. Digital marketing gives you the tools to level the playing field.
3. Your bottom line: Traditional marketing channels like outdoor advertising can increase an audience’s awareness of your firm, but their impact on your bottom line is vague at best. Digital marketing can show what’s working and what isn’t, letting you put your money to work in the most cost-effective way.

In this guide, we’ll introduce you to essential digital marketing strategies that help sustain your firm.

Here’s what we’re going to talk about

• The problems your potential clients have, and how digital marketing helps your firm or law office be the one to solve those problems.
• How solving your potential clients’ problems helps you reach goals like getting more calls, scheduling more consultations, and building a rock-solid reputation.
• Strategies that will help solve potential clients’ problems, meet your firm’s goals, and bring you real results in 2024.

And here’s what we’re NOT going to talk about

• Bogus tricks on how to “10x your results overnight.”
• Marketing-speak that means nothing to you and even less to your bottom line.

So, if you want 2024 to be the year that you turn more potential clients into straight-up clients, keep reading. This guide will help you get there.

Contents:

Part one: Local marketing strategies help you connect with your community

• Making the most of your Google Business Profile
• Targeting geographic areas with location pages
• Building local citations and trust

Summary of part one

Part two: Drive results with user-friendly web design

• Increase conversions with better calls-to-action
  • Five dead giveaways that your site needs an update
• Optimizing your site’s navigation and accessibility
• Tailor your website to modern search habits

Summary of part two

Part three: Boost your firm’s visibility with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• A quick primer on SEO
• How to highlight your expertise with service pages
• Using blog content to build trust and gain traffic
• Optimizing your site’s meta information
  • How to measure your SEO results
• Get ahead with SEO — before you’re behind

Summary of part three

Get results for your firm today

Part one: Use local marketing strategies to connect with your community

We mentioned it earlier, but fewer people are receiving personal referrals when they need legal representation. And in many cases, like in the event of drunk driving charges or bankruptcy, an element of shame might drive potential clients to avoid asking for recommendations at all.

Instead, they’re turning to Google search. Local search is the first step in a potential customer’s journey, and therefore is one of the most critical areas for your firm to connect and make a solid impression.

In this section, we’ll dig deeper into local search and the strategies you can implement to capitalize on it.

1. Sink or swim? Power forward by optimizing your Google Business Profile

When a potential client searches for “attorney near me,” they’ll see a list of professionals before they see any websites. These are Google Business Profiles.

A Google Business Profile is more than just a listing; it’s your digital office. As such, you want your profile to be prominently displayed and complete with positive reviews, updated information, and a professional appearance. Optimizing your profile can significantly increase your visibility and attract more clients through Google Search and Google Maps.

To turn more potential clients into revenue-generating clients, use the following best practices in your Google Business Profile:

1. Complete and Correct Your Information: Consistency in information such as your name, address, phone number, and hours is crucial for building trust with potential clients and showing up higher in local search results.
2. Utilize High-Quality Images: High-quality images of your team, your office, your work, and any other aspects that visually represent the quality and professionalism of your practice and can help convince searchers to choose your services over your competitors.
3. Encourage and Respond to Client Reviews: Encourage your satisfied clients to leave reviews, and demonstrate your commitment to client satisfaction by responding to all reviews (even negative ones) in a professional manner.
4. Make Regular Updates: Regular updates and posts signal to searchers and Google that your firm is active and relevant, which can help improve your search ranking.
5. Optimize for Keywords and Search Intent: Your Google Business Profile should be optimized for the keywords associated with your legal services, but be mindful to avoid keyword stuffing.
6. Take advantage of the Q&A feature: Monitor and respond to questions asked through Google’s Q&A feature on your profile, and proactively ask and answer questions that potential clients might have about your legal services.
7. Track Google Business Profile data: Google provides valuable insights for your firm’s profile, including how clients are finding you and the actions they take like calling your office or visiting your website.

Want to learn more about optimizing your GBP? Check out our full guide to optimizing your Google Business Profile!

2. Target specific areas with location pages on your website

When potential clients search for ‘attorney near me,’ they’re likely to see a feature showing them the Google Business Profiles of law firms close to them. This underscores the importance of having an optimized and up-to-date Google Business Profile.

In these ‘near me’ searches, your proximity matters. You might operate in several cities, and location pages help you capitalize on local searches in areas outside your immediate location. These are web pages dedicated to the specific geographic areas where you want to offer services.

By creating individual pages for different locations, each optimized with local keywords and information, you address the needs of clients in those specific areas. This targeted approach makes your law firm more relevant to searchers and informs search engines to show your website in those searches.

3. Use local citations to build trust with potential clients and search engines

Local citations are mentions of your law firm’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) on websites like Yelp, Avvo, and local directories. Inconsistent NAP can lead to confusion, reduce client trust, and negatively impact your local search engine optimization (SEO).

NAP and local citations aren’t as valuable as they once were, but they still help demonstrate to potential clients and search engines that your firm is legitimate, credible, and well-regarded in your community.

Key takeaways for local marketing in the legal industry:

These are some of the most valuable local marketing tactics for your firm:

• Your Google Business Profile is a vital tool for attracting clients. Claim yours and optimize it ASAP.
• Creating location pages on your website can help search engines understand where you practice and connect a broader audience with your legal services.
• Building local citations across the web can enhance your firm’s reputation.

Part two: Drive results with user-friendly web design

Five dead giveaways that your website needs to be updated

If your website shows any of these signs, it’s time to consider a rebuild.

You can’t update content yourself

Your website shouldn’t be stagnant. It should be updated and changed as your competitive environment and client needs change. If you can’t update your website, it’s time to build a new one.

You’re hosted on a deprecated website builder

Old site builders that haven’t seen any updates in years can make it hard for you to add essential accessibility features, which could turn potential clients away.

Your URL isn’t a custom site

If your site is appended with .wixsite, .wordpress.com, or .squarespace.com, it’s time to update.

It looks old

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: your website is the first impression a client will have of your business. Make it a good one.

Your site isn’t secure

If your site isn’t secure, Google may give users a warning when they try to enter it.

Each page should have a call to action (CTA) that’s clear, compelling, and gives users a direct path to take your desired action. They should also be customized for each page. ‘Contact us’ is safe, but CTAs are more compelling when they use outcome-based language. Instead, consider something like ‘Get the compensation you deserve,’ or ‘Get fierce representation today.’

Strategically used, CTA buttons turn website visitors into engaged clients, driving the success of your firm.

2. Design for the user: optimize your site for navigation and accessibility

The odds are that the clients who are seriously looking for representation are under a lot of stress. A website that lacks an intuitive layout is a non-starter and will push clients away.

Your website shouldn’t be a scavenger hunt. Presenting information clearly helps users take the actions you want.

Clear navigation, a logical layout, and accessible design ensure that your website caters to the needs of all users, including those with disabilities. This not only enhances user experience but also elevates your website’s credibility and professionalism.

3. Optimize your website’s design for smartphones and tablets

A significant challenge for law firms online is losing mobile users due to poor website performance on smartphones and tablets. A non-mobile-friendly website, where everything is shrunk down to fit a small screen, results in illegible text, unclickable buttons, and a generally unnavigable site.

Over half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. For legal services, especially those needed urgently, this number could be even higher. A mobile-optimized website provides a user-friendly experience on all devices regardless of screen size, making it easier for website visitors to become clients.

Plus, when Google is judging whether your site should be the first result a searcher sees or if it should sit somewhere in no-man’s land, it looks at your mobile website.

So, here’s the bottom line: if you want to show up in Google searches at all, having a mobile-friendly website is a must.

Key takeaways for web design

You only get one first impression. Make it the right one by following these tips:

• Design for your website’s users: Your site should be easy to read, uncluttered, and easy to navigate.
• Optimize your site for small screens: You’ve got to meet clients where they are, and that’s often on a smartphone or tablet. If your site underperforms here, you have a rough journey ahead of you.
• Make the most of your calls-to-action: Clients are ready to take the next steps. You just need to make it clear how.

Part three: Boost your firm’s visibility with SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making your firm more visible on search engines like Google.

Today, SEO isn’t just about being seen. It’s about being seen first, and being seen for searches that drive revenue. Effective SEO strategies ensure that when clients are facing a challenge, your firm is the first and best problem-solver they find. For law practices, where your potential clients’ needs have incredibly high stakes, this is essential.

Think of Google results like a stack of resumes that potential clients will sort through. Do you want to be at the top or the bottom?

Here’s how SEO helps your potential clients:

1. Potential clients are looking for a dedicated advocate: And they’re not just browsing. They’re facing a challenge right now. When your website shows up for a potential client’s query and tells them everything they want to hear, it makes the decision easy for them.
2. Potential customers have questions: To find an answer, they turn to their trusty pal, Google. Google then searches the web for the site that best answers their question. If you provide the answers, those potential customers will be on your site when they find the information they need. It’s a win-win. They either get the information they need and leave your site with a good impression, or find that they have a real problem on their hands and call you.

Now here’s how SEO solves your firm’s problems:

1. It helps you compete: The legal space is capital-C Competitive. For boutique firms that don’t have the spend to wrap buses, sponsor professional sports teams, or plaster billboards down highways, SEO can help level the playing field. If your firm nails the basics of SEO, you could get a competitive advantage over your competitors by showing up ahead of them in search results. Translation: your phone rings, not theirs.
2. It establishes your experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness: These characteristics — known as EEAT to marketers — are the most important factors for ranking highly in Google results. Why? Because it’s what potential customers are looking for. And when potential customers find it on your site? You guessed it: Ring ring!

SEO is undeniably important. Below, we’ll share three of the best SEO strategies your firm should implement to boost your digital presence and win new clients. But before we do that, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about SEO.

1. A quick primer on SEO

When we talk about SEO and SEO tactics, there’s a risk that we’re speaking a language that doesn’t mean anything to you or your firm. So, before we move forward, let’s break SEO down to a basic level so we’re all on the same page. Remember, this is just the thousand-foot view of how things work.

Ready? Here comes a rapid-fire SEO primer.

Websites have pages, and each page has certain characteristics, just like a book in a library. Each page has a title, a description, and an address, just like a call number.

Search engines index websites and webpages. They use web-crawling bots to find and understand the content and context of sites and pages.

Search engine algorithms assess the web pages based on hundreds if not thousands of criteria related to content quality, site experience, loading speeds, and more. When people search something, these algorithms use the information they’ve found to determine the order that sites should be displayed in search results.

Keywords are terms, phrases, and words that are strategically used in webpage titles, descriptions, URL addresses, and more that help users and search engines find the pages they’re looking for. They’re incredibly important, but many law firms (and marketing agencies) are single minded about them. Focusing too much on keywords can have negative consequences like having your site penalized for spam tactics by search engines.

Backlinks are links to your site from other sites. They signal authoritativeness to search engines, which is incredibly valuable. However, Google has been deprioritizing them as a ranking factor.

Rankings refer to the order that your firm shows up in search results. Rankings matter because searchers rarely scroll beyond the first few results, meaning the higher your business’ website ranks, the more users will visit it.

SEO is the process of providing an outstanding user experience on your website, while also tailoring it so search engines can easily find and understand it. Ironically, focusing solely on what search engines want creates a lousy user experience, which in turn signals to search engines that your site shouldn’t be shown as frequently.

If all of this is new to you, don’t worry. SEO is a complex subject, but our team will never make it out to be something beyond your understanding. We empower our clients through education to turn an otherwise transactional relationship into something greater: a partnership. If you want to learn more about SEO and how it can help your firm, get in touch with our team today.

2. Highlight your expertise with practice area pages

Just as location pages create a clear link between your firm and a geographic area, practice area pages create a link between your firm and specific practices. These pages are critical for two reasons: they help potential customers understand exactly what you offer, and they improve your search engine rankings for practice-specific queries.

For example, your firm might show up for ‘lawyer’ and ‘attorney’ related searches. But what about searches for ‘drunk driving lawyer’ or ‘personal injury attorney for traumatic brain injury’ or ‘how to file chapter 11 in Wisconsin?’ Having pages dedicated to your firm’s practice areas helps you connect with clients who know what they’re looking for.

Imagine your website is a toolbox for clients. Practice area pages help them know if you have the tool they need.

Practice pages are underutilized by many law firms. They offer a massive opportunity to attract potential customers and ensure that when someone searches for a specific practice area, your firm shows up with a clear, compelling offering.

3. Blog content: Engage your audience and earn their trust

Having quality content on your site is thought to be the single-most important ranking factor. Blog content helps potential customers by answering their questions and keeping them informed. It helps your firm by positioning you as a knowledgeable and trusted resource. And that means potential customers are more likely to give your firm a call.

Before starting a blog, do research into what terms your clients are looking into. Make sure to consider the ultimate intent behind these searches. A high schooler looking for information for a class project and someone who’s seeking representation for a DUI charge might make similar queries, but understanding which one actually needs your service can help you prioritize the right content and bring potential clients to your site.

How to measure your SEO results

Measuring and analyzing your SEO results is essential for making strategic use of your marketing budget. The following tools can help you see what’s working and what’s not.

• Google Analytics (GA): GA is a snippet of code installed on your site. It will record vast amounts of data related to users, clicks, which pages are being visited, and how users navigate through your site.
• Google Search Console (GSC): GSC gives you insights into your site’s average position, click-through rate, clicks, and impressions. It’s also where you can submit new pages for indexing so that they can show up in Google Search.
• Google Tag Manager (GTM): GTM lets you specify unique KPIs, which are then recorded in GA.
• Ahrefs and Semrush: These third-party tools can help you track where your site ranks for specific keywords and searches. They’re also highly useful for analyzing your site’s technical performance and page statuses like 404s, 301s, 302s, and more.

Setting these tools up properly is essential for understanding what’s working and what isn’t.

Ready to get more insight into your site’s performance? We’ll help you understand the data.

5. Get ahead with SEO — before you’re behind

The competition in the legal space is brutal. Trying to stay abreast with paid ads and promotions can bleed your marketing budget dry, but SEO offers a sustainable solution. It’s more than a digital marketing strategy; it’s a comprehensive solution to the problems of visibility, reputability, and relevance in the highly-competitive legal space.

Your SEO efforts will compound over time, making it a great investment compared to paid ads, which will stop driving business the moment you turn them off.

By effectively utilizing SEO tactics, your business can rise above the competition, attract more clients, and solidify its status as a trusted authority in the legal space.

Key takeaways for SEO

SEO helps your business’ website show up before your competitors. These tactics can help you do that.

• Build service pages to match customer needs: Service pages help your website capture potential clients facing specific problems.
• Show your expertise with blog content: Blogs can answer questions, solve problems, and showcase your firm’s expertise.
• Optimize your meta information: Potential clients won’t find you if Google doesn’t know what you do. Optimize your meta information so search engines understand what you do and why potential clients should see your website.

Ready for results?

Law firms that haven’t adapted to digital marketing are at a critical stage. As personal referrals dry up and the industry becomes increasingly competitive, digital marketing offers a way to get ahead. That said, the opportunity is also there for your competitors, so now is the time to act.

Take the first steps toward strengthening your business’ digital presence today. Start with things like:

• Claiming your Google Business Profile so you rank higher and control the information potential customers are seeing
• Improving your website’s navigation and user experience so users take the actions you want
• Optimizing your site’s meta information so you can show up in priority positions in search results