SEO in Personal Injury Law: Improving Search Rankings in One of the Web’s Most Competitive Niches

Word of mouth referrals used to be the best way to gain new clients as a lawyer.

But over the last decade, millions of people have turned to the internet to find the legal counsel they need.

Part of being a lawyer is finding ways to market yourself online.

SEO for personal injury attorneys is one of the key ways to get your website to rank in the search engines.

But, it also happens to be one of the most competitive niches on the internet.

Just take a look at the average price per click of some personal injury law firm terms:

If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at the different ways you can improve your SEO rankings as a lawyer.

Build A User-Friendly Website

Your website is like your digital business card. It’s the first thing people see when they find you online. You want to create a page that’s professional and trustworthy for new viewers. But there’s also the element of having it be user-friendly.

Simple ways to improve your rankings through a user-friendly website include:

• Easy navigation buttons
• Fast-loading page speeds
• Clear call-to-action
• Keep your content short and concise
• Provide clear contact details

By improving the design of your website, you will improve dwell time and conversions.

The longer someone remains on your site (higher dwell time), the more likely they are to take some action (e.g. complete a form, engage with a chatbot, etc.).

And, conversions eventually translate into increased retainers and cases.

Do Your Keyword Research

Keywords are essential to your SEO strategy as a lawyer. These are the terms and phrases people are searching for online that will attract them to your website.

For example, if someone is searching online for a lawyer in San Francisco, you want to make sure you include this throughout your website. A great way to get started for beginners is by using the Google Keyword Planner.

This allows you to see relevant topics people are searching for within your industry. You can use these words to create blog posts and services pages throughout your website dedicated to these topics.

Avoid keyword stuffing. The search engine algorithm knows when you’re overusing the words simply to push yourself up to the top of the page. This will entail a penalty that can hinder your rankings.

However, exact match keyword density on a page of 10% is not unheard of for pages that rank well.

So, make sure you’re using enough legal phraseology that matches what a searcher might be looking for, but not too much as to raise the ire of search algorithms.

Avoid Legal Jargon

While it may seem tempting to play the role of an expert in the legal space by offering up a lot of advice that would be considered legal and technical, it is well-advised that you do not.

Instead, focus more on website readability, not just catchy legal language.

Website readability score plays a factor in your overall SEO.

When someone is coming to your website, they need to be able to comprehend what it is they’re reading.

While you may understand legal terminology, most likely your reader doesn’t.

Keep the writing simple.

Pages should read at an 8th-grade level at most. They should also be able to be translated into other languages that are popular in your region, more specifically Spanish.

Start A Weekly Or Monthly Blog

As we mentioned before, a blog is a great tool to help boost your SEO rankings.

Creating new content on a consistent basis will keep your website active in the eyes of search engines.

Every time you write a blog post, it

It allows you to continue keeping up with regular trending topics in your niche.

You can find these through Google Trends.

If you provide quality content answering some people’s trending questions, you’ll have an easier time reaching a higher position.

The stats are clear, the more you blog the more likely you are to have traffic, leads and sales:

Claim Your Google Business Page

Your Google Business Profile is critical for any local business.

These are the listings that are associated with Google Maps when someone is searching for any business within a certain city.

It ties in reviews, website details, and relevant contact information.

Claiming your page is a way for you to take control of your business online and can help boost your rankings.

You can also easily manage your online reputation by responding to reviews that are being shared.

If there are negative reviews that could harm your reputation, there are multiple ways to combat them, including requesting positive reviews from pleased clients, performing SEO on positive pages about your firm and contacting the individuals involved to resolve the dispute.

Include Social Media In Your Strategy

Social media is not only a place to showcase your professional services as an industry leader, but it actually can help with your SEO rankings.

The goal is to generate brand awareness around your business, engage with potential clients and offer value (hopefully in exchange for the future potential of finding clients).

This, in turn, will drive more traffic to your website. The more traffic you have, the higher your page is likely to rank, especially if your on-site dwell time is high.

On your social platforms, you can share links to new blog posts, customer reviews, or share videos that keep your audience engaged.

In particular, lawyers should be actively engaged in the likes of Avvo, FindLaw and SuperLawyers.

These sites are actively frequented by those looking for trustworthy reviews of lawyers and law firms. Add and update your profile and begin to engage in meaningful positive discussions with the communities on those and other legal websites.

Conclusion

Personal injury attorneys remain in one of the most competitive niches

Developing an SEO strategy isn’t something that can happen overnight. It requires research and planning.

If you don’t feel like you have the capacity, reach out to a digital marketing company that can help.

It’ll save you time, money, and energy so you can focus your efforts on running your business.

Nate Nead

Nate Nead is the CEO & Managing Member of Nead, LLC, a consulting company that provides strategic advisory services across multiple disciplines including finance, marketing and software development. For over a decade Nate had provided strategic guidance on M&A, capital procurement, technology and marketing solutions for some of the most well-known online brands. He and his team advise Fortune 500 and SMB clients alike. The team is based in Seattle, Washington; El Paso, Texas and West Palm Beach, Florida.