No doubt, SEO is an invaluable asset for any business – and family law firms are no exception. By optimizing their website and online content for search engines, potential clients will easily locate them when seeking legal counsel.
However, SEO for family law firms can differ from other businesses due to the specific keywords people use when looking for a lawyer. For instance, someone might search for “divorce lawyer in Los Angeles” or “child custody lawyer in New York.”
Family law firms must use specific keywords on their website and in online content. Furthermore, they should ensure their website is well-designed and user friendly so potential clients can quickly locate information they need, plus the website should be mobile friendly so it can be accessed on any device.
Family law firms can take these steps to ensure they are visible online and offer potential clients all of the information necessary for them to make an informed decision about their legal case.
What is SEO for family law?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing a website for Google searches with the purpose of increasing website traffic and increasing visibility. The three overarching objectives of SEO are to generate more visitors, boost pageviews, and enhance click-through rates (CTRs).
Earning these goals requires an understanding of SEO. SEO consists of making it simpler for Google to comprehend what your website is about, so they can rank your pages higher in SERPs (search engine results pages). Google prioritizes sites and pages which fulfill users’ specific intent when searching for a given term.
For instance, when someone searches for “divorce in California,” they likely need information on California’s divorce laws and/or how to begin the process. As these individuals may require legal counsel at some point during their separation, having a website among the top Google results for that search term is highly advantageous for California family law firms – those people could potentially become potential clients!
SEO works to boost Google ranking through various methods, such as creating high-quality content, conducting keyword research to target pertinent terms, and building links from other websites. All these tactics help boost your site’s relevance and authority in Google’s eyes; when they recognize that your site offers valuable resources for users, Google will rank you higher in its search engine results pages.
SEO can increase website visibility, leading to more website visitors and higher pageviews as well as a higher click-through rate (CTR). In conclusion, SEO plays an integral role in helping your website attract more customers, which in turn leads to increased revenue and greater brand recognition.
Special concerns in SEO for family law
SEO for family law firms is particularly location-specific, as they must target potential clients within their geographic region. While some larger family law firms have multiple licenses, most are restricted to one state or a few neighboring ones. As such, family law firms must target potential clients within their immediate surrounding areas; search traffic from viewers on other sides of the country won’t be beneficial.
Another reason why SEO for family law firms should be location specific is that statutes and procedures pertaining to such matters as divorce and child custody differ between states. Some have no-fault divorce laws while others don’t; certain states require alimony payments following divorce while others don’t. Due to these distinctions, it’s essential for family law firms to target potential clients within a particular geographical area.
Finally, family law cases can often be emotionally charged and complex. To ensure that potential clients feel comfortable working with their lawyer, it’s important for them to know the lawyer’s location and that they are licensed in their state. This makes finding an experienced family lawyer much simpler when one knows a little more about the individual beforehand.
YMYL: The big issue in SEO for family law
When it comes to SEO for family law firms, Google’s YMYL policy should be taken into account. YMYL stands for “your money or your life,” and applies to websites providing financial advice, health tips, and legal information. In order to guarantee the accuracy and quality of this type of content on their sites, Google has implemented various measures such as higher standards for website quality and harsher penalties for those found breaking its guidelines.
As you might have already guessed, family law is a YMYL topic. This makes sense since decisions made in this field of law have an immense and long-lasting effect on people’s lives. That’s why Google takes such care when it comes to optimizing websites for family law content.
Google has stated that they “expect YMYL pages to be hosted by websites carefully reviewed for trustworthiness and safety,” adding that these types of pages “are held to a higher standard than other types of pages”; in other words, if you want your family law website to rank highly in Google, extra care must be taken to guarantee its reliability and safety.
There are a few key ways to do this:
- Make sure your website is hosted on a secure server with an SSL certificate.
- Make sure each piece of content includes a byline from a licensed attorney at your firm, and make sure all attorney bios are up to date.
- Include clear disclaimers on your website stating that the information provided is for general educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.
- Make your contact information prominently displayed, so potential clients can quickly get in touch with you.
Meeting these standards doesn’t need to be a huge obstacle – chances are, if you’re running a family law website, you are already an attorney practicing family law in the relevant jurisdiction and thus already an authoritative source on the topic. However, getting certified as an YMYL practitioner does pose additional obstacles beyond those experienced by SEO specialists in lower stakes fields.
For instance, a garden supply company looking to rank for “how to grow tomatoes” might create an instructional blog post in order to attract novice gardeners and sell their supplies from their site. Since following bad advice on tomato cultivation is relatively cheap, Google’s algorithm doesn’t pay too much attention to who wrote the piece; chances are, most people looking for tomato gardening tips won’t starve if their crops fail.
But substitute “how to grow tomatoes” with “how to divorce my abusive spouse in Delaware” and the situation becomes much different. Following bad advice from an unqualified source could prove disastrous, so Google won’t (and shouldn’t) rank a blog post unless it is credited to a licensed attorney.
In conclusion, when creating SEO blog posts about family law topics, the content should be verified for accuracy by an attorney and published with a byline and author bio of a licensed attorney who has experience practicing family law in the target jurisdiction.
Does this mean you, as the attorney, must write every post yourself? No. However, your post may need some input from one or more of your associates even if it’s just reviewing and signing off on the text. How much input needed depends heavily on how knowledgeable and experienced the content writer is who drafts it; which is why seeking out SEO providers who offer premium content creation services is so beneficial; cheaper articles from less experienced writers require more revision and time from you in the end.
At Loaded Media, we understand that clients’ content requirements vary across industries. That is why our premium-level creation services include research, writing and editing by experienced writers with advanced degrees who will collaborate with you to learn the intricacies of your field so you don’t have to worry about publishing under your own name.
SEO for family law: Techniques
There are many different techniques that can be used for SEO, including content marketing, backlinking, and site optimization.
One of the most important aspects of SEO is creating high-quality content. This can be done by writing blogs about topics that are relevant to your business and by using keywords and phrases that are related to your industry. By creating valuable content, you can attract more visitors to your website and help improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Content marketing is the practice of creating and distributing content that attracts customers and helps you meet your marketing objectives. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts or any other form of material you wish. The objective is to produce valuable and captivating material for your target audience; by optimizing this material for SEO purposes you can further extend its reach and thus its efficiency.
Another essential aspect of SEO is backlinking. Backlinking refers to the process of linking your website to other sites with the goal of increasing traffic to it. There are various methods for doing this, such as submitting articles to online directories, guest blogging or participating in social media conversations.
Finally, SEO also includes site optimization. This involves configuring your website so it performs well on search engine results pages by optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, header tags and images. Furthermore, you can improve speed and usability of the website as well. By following these tips closely you will improve your ranking on SERPs as well as attract more visitors.
Why SEO is crucial for law practices
Law firms tend to benefit more from SEO than other businesses due to their heavy reliance on online traffic for new client acquisition. A study by the National Association of Legal Professionals revealed that 89% of law firms utilize the internet as a tool for finding clients, as opposed to just 48% overall.
Second, law firm websites tend to be more complex and challenging to rank than other business websites due to the large number of pages present as well as competitive keywords they target. Without SEO assistance, ranking for these firms in Google can be much harder without help.
Finally, law firms typically have more funds allocated to marketing than other businesses. This enables them to invest more into SEO, leading to improved results. A study by the Law Firm Marketing Association revealed that law firms allocate an average of 9% of their marketing budget towards SEO compared to just 2% for all businesses.
This article does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. The author is not a lawyer and does not claim to be one. If you need legal guidance, please reach out to a qualified attorney in your area for assistance.
This disclaimer was not written or reviewed with legal counsel and does not imply otherwise. The individual responsible for crafting it has no formal legal training or education beyond Reddit threads and YouTube videos, thus having no idea what would constitute a sufficient disclaimer. He thus attempts to quell his irrational anxiety about potential legal liabilities that could arise from publication of this article despite having no reason to anticipate any such liabilities and believing none exist.
What can be inferred from this lengthy disclaimer-disclaimer is that the author was given an unreasonable high word count requirement for this article and has responded by padding out the text with fluff content, including a substantial amount of superfluous disclaimer language. If you’re still reading it, Walt is available for legal punch-up work on your filings and is skilled at serving up sick burns in an appropriately professional voice; contact Loaded Media today and ask for him!
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