As an attorney, creating a simplistic way to stand out from the competition is a core component of your marketing strategy. To do that, in a competitive market space, you need to utilize Google to the best level possible. One of the best ways to do this without any added cost to your marketing efforts is to use your Google Business Profile.
Your Google Business Profile is like a listing for your business so that people searching for you can find it. It also helps Google to position your business within the Google Map Pack, which is the set of three attorneys that appears towards the top of the search engine results page. Being there means people can instantly call you with a click or visit your website.
How do you get into that Map Pack? To do so, you need to learn a few Google Business Profile SEO strategies for lawyers. The following are the most straightforward steps you can take now to get results.
Claim and verify your profile
Google provides Google Business Profiles (GBP) to every business without charge. However, you must request ownership of the profile, go through a short verification process, and then maintain the profile yourself.
You can get started by using Google’s directions to request ownership of a business profile. Once you request ownership of the profile, you will go through a verification process that includes shaving a postcard sent to your office. You then will provide confirmation of receiving that postcard within the allotted time. This allows Google to know that you really do own the business.
Getting a verified business profile is important for ranking in the search engines when a customer is looking for the service you offer within your area. Keep in mind that verification also helps people to realize your law firm is a trusted resource for the help they need and not someone who’ll try to scam them.
When you complete your GBP, you will also increase your local search visibility. That means you appear in the listings (and in the Map Pack) whenever someone local to you is looking for your specific area of law services.
Complete and accurate business information
This is very important for a law firm – you absolutely must provide accurate information for your profile. That specifically refers to your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP). This information needs to be exactly the same in all areas of your online presence. If you call your business “The Law Office of…” make sure you do not write it as “Law Offices of” somewhere else. You want to be sure this is accurate across the board.
This includes your website, all social media profiles, all of your attorney listing services, and any other locations for which you provide your address online. This consistency allows Google to easily link your business with all of the locations where you are building your online presence. When you have accurate information entered consistently like this, it directly impacts your local search rankings. Google can easily recognize where you are and put your law firm’s website in front of your searchers.
Engaging business description
Create a business description of your law firm that includes specific keywords that relate to your firm’s services. For attorneys, this often centers around service areas. What type of law do you practice? Who do you serve? What type of legal services do you provide?
Your profile must be concise, but it also needs to incorporate keywords relevant to your business. This means it needs to be accurate, informative, descriptive, and concise. It’s not easy, but it is critical. You want to make sure that people reading this description know you can help them with their needs, whether that’s personal injury, criminal defense, or family law.
Utilize high-quality visual content
For attorneys, this is often challenging. You cannot usually put photos of your clients or the work you do online. However, you may have something even more impactful to offer: photos of your attorneys.
Visuals are important because they help people who are looking for your services to feel more comfortable working with you. They are able to connect with you right away – You are not just a big law firm, but a person who can provide them with very specific help in often sensitive situations.
Make sure your photos are clear shots and engaging whenever possible. It’s a good idea to follow all of Google’s recommendations, including:
- JPG or PNG format
- 720 px tall by 720 px wide (recommended)
- Between 10 KM and 5 MB in size
This helps to ensure a clear image that creates a positive impact on prospective clients. You want them to want to connect with you and relate to your law firm.
Managing and responding to customer reviews
One of the best parts of using your Google Business Profile is that it creates a way for your clients to leave reviews. What we know about reviews makes it clear: people respond to reviews. They want a stranger’s opinion of your legal services, personality, results, and overall service before they contact you for help. Reviews are critical.
Your GBP makes it easy for your clients to leave reviews (and you should encourage them to do so on a consistent basis). Positive reviews help you to build a positive reputation within your local community. Your customers want to be able to read and learn about your services because it gives them confidence that they should turn to you for their needs.
In most areas of law, this is critical because there are typically numerous attorneys who can provide help to prospective clients. Reviews help you to stand out.
One way to use them to boost your GBP and improve your ranking in the search results is to ask your clients to write reviews for you that include geographic content, such as city names, local lingo about your city, or any other information that helps to contextualize the information and makes it feel more authentic.
Implementing local SEO strategies
Now that you have your GBP established, you need to help your business stand out in the search engines to get into the Google Map Pack. To do this, be sure you are using local keywords in your business description.
Start by adding all relevant service areas to your profile. Most of the time, attorneys serve an entire region, not just a local city. For that reason, you want to be sure you include the metro area’s name, the county name, and each of the cities in the area where your clients could be coming from to meet with you.
By doing this, it helps to impact local SEO, meaning it helps to get your profile in front of people within your geographic area in the Google Maps Pack.
Utilizing Google Posts for updates
Did you help to bring home a big verdict for a client? Are you working to offer a new service to your clients? Perhaps you are offering free consultations and case reviews. To inform those who are searching for your information of these promotional or service-specific notifications, use Google Posts.
A Google Post allows you to create a very short bit of information that will appear on your GBP and provide updates to your readers. It’s a good idea to include timely content, like holiday-specific information or seasonal information. You also want to be sure you update this often, at least once every month or so, to provide opportunities for your clients and prospective clients to engage with you.
Implementing attributes and services
Be sure that all of the practice areas and legal services you offer are clearly outlined in your Google Business Profile. This helps with standing out and helps potential clients know if you can help them specifically. Include detailed information about each of the services you offer.
For example, as a family law practice, you may offer divorce, child custody, alimony, and asset division services. You may offer mediation services. Be sure to be thorough here to get all of those valuable keywords in place.
Encouraging customer interaction
Once your profile is up and working for you, you need to encourage people to use it. One way to do that is to allow people to ask questions. These are never specific situation questions but rather basic information questions that multiple people likely have. Questions and answers can often help with building confidence while also helping to provide keywords that may be relevant to your local SEO.
You also want to use this place to create a sense of community through customer engagement. When someone asks your firm a question, and you respond, you are instantly more authentic to them. When they see that other people have asked questions and you have responded, that does the same thing.
Time Limits? We Can Help You with Your GBP
Use Surefire Local to help you with all aspects of your firm’s online marketing. We do it all for you so that you can focus on your clients. Use our lawyer SEO services to help you with your Google Business Profile, including allowing us to manage each of the services you need:
- Posting updates to your profile
- Managing business info
- Uploading photos
- Requesting new reviews
- Responding to reviews
- Posting and answering Q&As
- Monitoring engagement and client interactions
Connect with Surefire Local now to learn more about the most effective Google Business Profile SEO strategies for lawyers. Attend a Surefire Local demo to get started.