Local search engine optimization isn’t necessarily relevant for all types of businesses. For example, if you’re only an online retailer, you might not need to invest time and money into SEO. For lawyer SEO, however, the local component is incredibly important.
SEO is essential if you want to show up in Google search results and get high-quality traffic.
Local SEO tends to be ideal for lawyers because you practice in a certain area, and you want to attract clients geographically near you.
With that in mind, the following are seven key things to know about local SEO in general, but also if you’re a lawyer or legal office.
1. Local SEO Has a Different Pattern
Typically, with SEO, Google will use various processing, ranking hundreds or even thousands of sites in a matter of seconds. The processes are technically known as algorithms. When you’re Googling something, the algorithm checks the index.
Then, a list of sites that should match your search is returned to you. The results are selected and subsequently ranked based on relevance, popularity, and prominence, primarily through inbound links.
Local SEO is different because Google knows that people who are looking for certain types of businesses need results from their immediate geographic area.
The difference here is that local search algorithms include a proximity factor. That is another way of saying that Google considers your location when searching for a local keyword.
2. Keywords Have Local Intent
When searching for a local keyword, Google assesses intent, meaning that you might include a city name in your search or a term like “near me.” Google might still assume that it's relevant even if you don’t specifically include local intent in your query.
For example, if you’re looking for food delivery, you’ll probably find search results that include locations near wherever you are at the time.
3. Local Search Is Powerful
An estimated 46% of all Google searches are made by individuals looking for local information. You could be missing out if you aren’t optimizing your site for local search.
According to Google’s own statistics, 76% of people who conduct a local search on their phone will visit a business within 24 hours. Of those, 28% of searches lead to a purchase.
Around 61% of consumers say they search locally every day, and 82% of consumers will read reviews for a business online when they’re doing a local search.
4. Consider the Local Pack
There’s a term to be aware of with local SEO: the Local Pack. The Local Pack specifically aims to connect search engine users to a specific local business they may want to discover.
The Local Pack is a search engine result page feature. It appears on the first page of results for any query that has local intent. The Local Pack will include a map of business locations and listings for three businesses deemed most relevant to the search.
The Local Pack used to show seven results, but now, as mentioned, there are three, but you can click over for a longer page of results that show up in Google Maps.
The Local Pack results are created through Google My Business Listings, with the algorithm determining what it thinks will be the most relevant results for whatever the search is.
Since the Local Pack shows up right at the top of the first page of search engine results, if you can show up there, it will significantly boost your online presence.
The Local Pack also makes it easy for people to find details about your business, like your website, address, phone number, and hours.
One of the most important things to do to optimize your business for the Local Pack is to claim your Google My Business listing. You complete the steps to claim ownership, and then you should optimize your profile for visibility.
5. Optimizing Your GMB Profile
To optimize your Google My Business or GMB profile, enter as much information about your business as possible. The more complete the profile, the more likely the algorithm will favor you. Make sure all information is up to date so that Google can better determine if your business is relevant to a search.
You can use the verification process to ensure location information is accurate for your business, and you should add photos to your business listing.
When customers or clients leave reviews, respond to them professionally. When you respond to even negative reviews, it can raise your visibility.
6. Local SEO Keyword Research Is Critical
When you’re doing local keyword research, your goal is to understand how people are searching for local services that you might offer.
For a law firm, you want to think about relevant service-based keywords.
You want to then think about local intent, but remember, it’s not always just your city or town that’s going to show local intent.
People might be searching for a “personal injury lawyer near me,” for example.
7. Linkbuilding for SEO
In any type of SEO, the links back to your site are like a vote of confidence from other sites. Links are one of the most important signals for ranking in organic search, if not the most important.
You need to make sure that you’re putting effort into getting links from other high-quality sites and getting the links your competitors have. Local citations and the claiming of unlinked mentions can be valuable. You can also reclaim lost links when you redirect old versions of some of your site pages to new versions.
Local SEO goes beyond the above factors and includes on-page signals and elements as well. Because of how complex local SEO is, but also thanks to the opportunities it creates, it can be worth working with a digital marketing specialist who specifically understands local SEO, its implications, and best practices.
When you put the necessary resources toward local SEO, since it is less competitive, the payoff can be greater than it is for general SEO.
