SEO Process for Law Firms

How Our SEO Process Works

Some agencies treat SEO like a black box. You pay monthly, they do mysterious things, and maybe your rankings improve. Maybe they don’t. But you never really know what’s happening.

We work differently. Every step is documented and every action is explained. You’ll understand exactly what we’re doing and why.

Our process has been refined over years of working exclusively with law firms. We know what moves the needle for attorneys so we don’t waste time and money. We’ve eliminated the fluff and kept what works.

Seven steps. Clear milestones. Measurable results.

Step 1: SEO Audit and Analysis

Before we do anything, we need to understand where you’re starting.

• We crawl your entire website looking for technical issues. Broken links. Missing meta descriptions. Slow page speeds. Mobile problems. Indexing errors. The technical foundation that makes or breaks SEO efforts.
• We analyze your current rankings. Which keywords are you showing up for? Which ones are you missing? Where do you rank compared to competitors in your market?
• We review your backlink profile. Who’s linking to your site? Are those links helping or hurting? What’s your domain authority compared to local competitors?
• We examine your Google Business Profile. Is it fully optimized? Are your citations consistent? How do your reviews compare to other attorneys in your area?

This audit produces a detailed report showing exactly where you stand. No guessing. No assumptions. Just data.

Step 2: Keyword Research and Strategy

Not all keywords are created equal. Some drive cases. Others waste effort.

• We identify what potential clients in your area actually search for. Primary keywords for your main practice areas. Long-tail variations that capture specific intent. Question-based queries that indicate someone needs help.
• We analyze search volume and competition. High-volume keywords look attractive but might be impossible to rank for. Lower-volume keywords might convert better with less competition.
• We map keywords to your practice areas. Your personal injury page targets different terms than your estate planning page. Each practice area gets its own keyword strategy.
• We prioritize based on opportunity. Where can you realistically compete? Which keywords will produce the best return on investment? We build a roadmap that focuses effort where it matters most.

This strategy document guides everything that follows. Content creation, on-page optimization, link building. All aligned with keywords that actually matter for your practice.

Step 3: On-Page Optimization

Your new law firm website needs to tell Google what each page is about. On-page optimization makes that crystal clear.

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Every page gets a unique title tag targeting relevant keywords. Meta descriptions get rewritten to encourage clicks from search results. These small changes have outsized impact on rankings and click-through rates.

Header Structure
We organize your content with proper H1, H2, and H3 tags. This hierarchy helps Google understand your content structure and helps visitors scan pages quickly.

Internal Linking
Pages should link to each other strategically. We build internal linking structures that spread authority throughout your site and help Google discover all your content.

Image Optimization
Images need alt text, proper file names, and compression for fast loading. We optimize every image on your site for both search engines and page speed.

Schema Markup
Local business schema, attorney schema, FAQ schema. Structured data helps Google understand your content and can produce rich results in search listings.

URL Structure
Clean, descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords. No random strings of numbers and letters.

We work through your entire site page by page. When we’re done, every page is optimized to rank for its target keywords.

Step 4: Content Development

Content is where most law firm SEO campaigns succeed or fail. Thin content doesn’t rank. Generic content doesn’t convert. You need substance.

This is where having a real journalist makes all the difference.

Joe Toppe – Founder & Content Director
Joe leads our content development. His credentials set us apart from agencies that outsource writing to content mills.

Managing Editor at PropertyCasualty360. Former Associate Producer and Writer at Fox Business Network in New York. Senior Business Journalist at Capital.com. Managing Editor at Innovation & Tech Today. Master’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Kent State University.

Thousands of published articles. Over a decade in professional newsrooms. Joe knows how to research, write, and structure content that performs.

What We Create
Practice area pages that demonstrate expertise and answer real questions. Blog posts targeting long-tail keywords potential clients search for. FAQ content that captures voice search queries. Location pages for new law firm local SEO targeting.

Our law firm content writing follows journalism ethics and Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines. Content that’s accurate, well-sourced, and genuinely helpful. Not keyword-stuffed filler.

Content Calendar
SEO requires consistent content production. We develop a content calendar that keeps fresh material publishing regularly. You’ll know what’s coming and when.

Step 5: Technical SEO

The technical foundation of your site affects everything. Speed, crawlability, mobile experience. Get this wrong and nothing else matters.

Site Speed Optimization
Slow sites lose visitors and rankings. We optimize images, leverage browser caching, minimize code, and implement content delivery networks. Your site needs to load fast on every device.

Mobile Optimization
Google uses mobile-first indexing. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on phones, you’re invisible. We test across devices and fix any mobile issues.

Crawlability and Indexing
Google needs to find and index your pages. We submit sitemaps, fix crawl errors, and ensure proper robots.txt configuration. No pages accidentally blocked from search engines.

Security
HTTPS is required for modern SEO. We ensure proper SSL implementation and fix any security warnings that could hurt rankings or scare visitors.

Core Web Vitals
Google measures page experience through Core Web Vitals. Loading performance, interactivity, visual stability. We optimize all three metrics.

Our website maintenance for small law firms services keep technical SEO healthy long-term. Regular updates, security patches, and performance monitoring.

Step 6: Link Building

Backlinks from other websites signal authority to Google. Quality links from relevant sources can dramatically improve rankings.

Quality Over Quantity
One link from a respected legal publication beats a hundred links from random directories. We focus on earning links that actually move the needle.

Legal Directories
Avvo, FindLaw, Justia, Martindale-Hubbell. We ensure your profiles are complete, consistent, and linking back to your site properly.

Local Citations
Chamber of commerce listings. Local business directories. Bar association pages. Citations that reinforce your local presence.

Digital PR
Our public relations efforts generate backlinks naturally. Media coverage, guest articles, and expert commentary that earn links from authoritative sources.

Competitor Analysis
Where are your competitors getting links? We analyze their backlink profiles and pursue similar opportunities.

No Shortcuts
We don’t buy links. We don’t use private blog networks. We don’t engage in schemes that might work short-term but get your site penalized. Clean, sustainable link building only.

Step 7: Monthly Reporting and Optimization

SEO isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. It requires ongoing monitoring, analysis, and adjustment.

Monthly Reports
Clear reports showing keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversions. No jargon. No vanity metrics. Numbers that tell you whether this investment is paying off.

Ranking Tracking
We track your target keywords weekly. You’ll see exactly where you rank in your market and how positions are trending over time.

Traffic Analysis
Which pages are bringing in traffic? Which keywords are driving visits? Where are the opportunities to improve?

Conversion Tracking
Traffic means nothing without conversions. We track phone calls, form submissions, and chat initiations. You’ll know how many leads your SEO produces.

Ongoing Optimization
Search algorithms change. Competitors adjust their strategies. New opportunities emerge. We continuously refine your campaign based on what the data tells us.

Strategy Calls
Regular check-ins to review progress, discuss strategy, and align on priorities. You’re never left wondering what’s happening with your SEO.

Timeline: What to Expect

SEO takes time. Anyone promising page one rankings in thirty days is lying or using tactics that will backfire.

• Month 1-2: Foundation: Audit complete. Strategy finalized. On-page optimization implemented. Technical issues fixed. Content calendar established.
• Month 3-4: Building: Content publishing. Link building underway. Local SEO optimized. Initial ranking movements appearing.
• Month 5-6: Momentum: Rankings improving for target keywords. Traffic increasing. Leads starting to come through organic search.
• Month 6+: Growth: Continued ranking improvements. Compounding traffic gains. SEO becoming a reliable source of new clients.

Some markets move faster. Highly competitive practice areas in major cities take longer. We’ll give you realistic expectations based on your specific situation.

SEO Pricing

We price SEO for law firms that need to see ROI. Monthly retainers that fit small firm budgets. No year-long contracts that lock you in.

Typical SEO engagements range from $1,000 to $3,000 monthly depending on market competition, practice areas, and scope. Custom quotes for custom situations.

Need cases faster while SEO builds? Google Ads can drive traffic immediately. Many clients run both.

Why Our SEO Process Works

• Law Firm Focus: We work exclusively with attorneys so we understand bar advertising rules, legal content requirements, and how potential clients search for lawyers.
• Journalism Standards: Content created by a real journalist following SPJ ethics and AP style. Not keyword-stuffed garbage from content mills.
• Transparency: You’ll always know exactly what we’re doing and why. No black boxes and no mystery.
• No Contracts: Month to month. You stay because results justify the investment, not because paperwork traps you.
• Realistic Expectations: We tell you the truth about timelines and what’s achievable. No promises we can’t keep.