Marketing Tips For Your Law Firm: Local Search
In this series of articles, we’ll discuss how your law firm marketing plan can benefit from obtaining SEO services, participating in pay-per-click advertising, improving local search rankings, implementing a content marketing plan and how lawyers can grow their law firms with these marketing strategies.
Our previous article covered PPC services. Next, we’ll address how ranking in local search is imperative for any law firm.
Why is Local Search A Critical Part of Any Law Firm Marketing Plan?
There are several reasons local search should be a priority for your firm’s marketing plan, but there are at least three important reasons that stand above the rest. Local search is a safe starting place. It generates local leads, and it helps build credibility online.
Due to real consequences and the social stigma of advertising a law practice, in the recent past, the legal industry has been fast friends with the old-fashioned version of YellowPages. But now, even YellowPages has gone digital. Slowly, lawyers are listing their law firms online, delving into the practice of local search. You should, too.
The major function of any good law firm marketing plan should also be focused on generating new clients. Local search is the easiest and most effective way to generate them. Since most prospective clients are in need of legal services near them, that’s what they’ll be looking for when they do an internet search for “lawyer.” By investing your time and effort in ranking in local searches, you are ensuring you can be found by the people who are most likely to hire you.
Finally, your prospective clients likely have a lot at stake as compared to, for example, someone looking for a bicycle repair shop. They are either in legal trouble or see it coming. Credibility is important. When they search for a lawyer near them, a professional looking business listing on Google will help build your law firm’s credibility online. If they can navigate to a clean website featuring easy-to-understand business descriptions, pictures of your staff and office space and educational information, you’ve implemented far more than many of the law firm marketing plans we’ve seen on the web today.
The first and most important step in ranking in local search is listing your law firm accurately in directories that rank well online.
Get Listed Now
- Set Up Google My Business First: Google My Business is a free business listing on the most used search engine today. Be thorough and verify your location. Check your location on Google’s map feature to be sure it is accurate. Then write down the physical address as it appears in that listing, so you can use it for other listings.
- Get Listed on the Next Top 5: Google is king, but searchers also use Bing, Yahoo, Yelp and Facebook listings. We highly recommend at least Yelp. The Better Business Bureau is worth the money on credibility alone.
- Consider Other Directory Options: LinkedIn, depending on your area of law, may also be extremely helpful. Angie’s List, MapQuest, and YP.com are also well-used directories that rank online. If there are associations related to your area of law, the local bar association, and so on, you’ll want to make sure all your listings are accurate on those, as well.
If you are already listed in any or all of these places, be sure your physical address matches the Google listing and be sure the listings are as current and completed as possible.
Next Step: Online Reviews
Though you likely don’t want to hear it online reviews do impact your ability to be found in local search. They also impact your ability to generate new clients and your law firm’s credibility online. A review strategy must be a part of your law firm marketing plan, so after PPC for local search, this is often the next step we recommend lawyers take when establishing their law firm to rank in local searches.
We encourage you to take even the smallest step to establish your law firm’s presence online today. But at Above The Fold Media, we understand your law firm marketing plan won’t be like that of other industries. If you need help, we encourage you to take a moment to learn more about what Above the Fold Media can offer your firm today.
