Effective Law Firm SEO

Why are online directories important?

 

local SEO experts Law firm attorney lawyer local SEODirectories are important for a couple of reasons. A directory listing  creates a backlink to your website. High quality backlinks are an important part of Google’s algorithm. Local directories, i.e. Yelp, YP, provide those high quality backlinks.

But those backlinks lose relevancy when the business info is inaccurate or inconsistent. The more your practice information is out on the internet and matches Google data, the more relevant your practice becomes and the higher you can rank. People will find your practice via a directory more often than you think. So do not shortchange your practice by ignoring the directories.

 

How likely is it there is misinformation in my firm’s online listings?

We found 87{f57cecc76329659856f00bd01f529e319bb36b58f42dc9ec00a8ea65b2ecec80} of our clients had misinformation out there. It is unwise to assume all online information about your practice is accurate. Accurate information is key to an effective law firm SEO program.

 

Affordable Effective Local Law Firm SEOWhat are the basic rules for Local SEO/Maps SEO?

  • Your address MUST be a physical address.
  • The practice address & phone number must be unique.
  • Choose the right legal categories Google provides.
  • Make the main category for your practice the first one listed.
  • Make sure your website’s home page reflects that category prominently.

 

What is my first step to clean up any misinformation?

Create an email account just for establishing and verifying your firm’s listings. You will receive many solicitation emails once you start posting your business listings. A dedicated email account will allow you to ignore these down the road. Next come the details. Go to http://google.com/business/ and create an account if you do not already have one.  Search for your practice by searching just your name, then your phone number. If the phone number search results are incorrect click on “Report a problem”. Then follow the steps to let Google know the information is inaccurate.

 

How many online business directories are there?

What is local law firmSEO100’s! Your next step for effective an law firm SEO program is to make sure your practice is listed. Make sure the practice name, address, phone number, web address (URL), and email are correct. It needs to match your Google My Business listing EXACTLY. Suite,/Ste./# is the only exception. Some sites present suite in a different way. Google knows this and compensates for it.

These sites are just the beginning. Next you need to explore secondary and tertiary directory sites, like MyHuckleberry and JudysBook. Make any necessary corrections to your existing listing or create a listing. Your practice could very well be listed in a directory you have never heard of. Never assume you are not listed in a directory. First, search your name to see if anything comes up. Then search your phone number. If you used a different phone number in the past search for that phone number, too. Does your city or area have a business directory? If yes, get listed.

 

What are data aggregators and what do I need to know about them?

Data aggregators compile information from detailed databases for others. Effective law firm SEO relies on your name showing up in searches. Paying to list your law practice in these data aggregators is important. Neustar alone costs $297, but they are the biggest provider to directories. So they should not be ignored. This will create hundreds of backlinks for your website. Thanks to our connections, Digital+ can offer all four data aggregator submissions for $150/yr. That is a savings of $147!

 

Is there anything else I should be aware of when establishing my directory listings?

For effective law firm SEO, be sure to verify your listings. Verified listings usually get ranked higher within the directory. Most use email verifications. A few others will require a phone verification. Some will mail a postcard with a verification pin number. Be aware that you will receive phone calls from many of the directories. They will verify your business info. Once that is completed they will try up selling you. There is no reason to pay $20, $30, $50 or more per month for a listing in a directory. Just tell them you are sticking with the free listing and not to call again.

 

How do I use social media to build my practice?

Create social media accounts at Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn. Since most directory listings ask for social media links, you want to provide them. A business does not need to post on social media X number of times a day to get great local law firm SEO results. It does help though to post on FB, Twitter & LinkedIn a couple of times a week. Law related blog posts on your site give you content for social media posts. These social media posts with a backlink to your website are very SEO friendly. An attorney also needs a highly optimized LinkedIn individual profile.

 

Is there anything else I need to know to improve my business through social media?

Remember, your business information needs to match exactly with your Google Places listing.  Creating a business page requires a personal account at Facebook, LinkedIn & Google+. For specific instructions for each website, “Google” it. The information is readily available online. It would triple the length of this post so we have chosen not to discuss it in detail here. Make sure to Google “optimizing my LinkedIn profile.” You do not want to skip this step to achieve effective law firm SEO.

 

When I have completed these steps am I done?

Local lawyer SEO servicesNo! You must still watch the effectiveness of your local law firm SEO campaign. Local SEO has become a viable marketing strategy within the last few years. Because of the proliferation of mobile based searches, the Hummingbird algorithm was created. Most mobile based searches are stated in complete sentences. Why? Because searchers dictate their search request instead of typing them. Their queries are worded the same as questions they would ask a person. PC searches are keyword phrases or groupings, but mobile searches are not. As how people use the internet evolves, so do search algorithms. As algorithms change, SEO strategy must keep up. Do not fall asleep at the wheel once you start driving! Staying current with the legal SEO trends will continue to deliver new prospects.

 

How long will it take for these steps to achieve effective law firm SEO?

As you can tell, improving your online visibility takes some work. You will get lost at times and want to beat your head against a wall. Expect to spend hours, days, weeks and months learning and accomplishing Local SEO. Once most of the work has been completed it takes around 6 months for the SEO effectiveness to really kick in.

 

I do not have the time for all this! Does Digital+ provide local Law Firm SEO services?

Yes! Digital+ develops and maintains effective law firm SEO strategy for law firms. See the proof of our Local Law Firm SEO results. If this feels overwhelming or too time consuming, we are here to help. Contact Digital+ with any Local law firm SEO questions during your endeavors.

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