Web Design Reno
Best SEO Company USA
Best SEO Expert Sandy Rowley

 Call or text @ 775-870-0488

100 Point SEO Checklist for Attorneys

100 Point SEO Checklist for Attorneys

Web Design

Technical SEO:
1. Secure Website (HTTPS): Ensure the website uses HTTPS for security.
2. Mobile-Friendly Design: Optimize the website for mobile devices.
3. Fast Loading Speed: Aim for quick page load times.
4. XML Sitemap: Create and submit an XML sitemap to search engines.
5. Robots.txt File: Ensure it’s correctly configured to guide search engine crawlers.
6. Structured Data: Use schema markup (especially for legal services).
7. Canonical Tags: To avoid duplicate content issues.
8. 404 Error Management: Regularly check and fix broken links.
9. Redirects: Properly implement 301 redirects for any old URLs.
10. Clean URL Structure: URLs should be simple and readable.
11. Breadcrumb Navigation: To enhance user navigation and SEO.
12. SSL Certificate: Ensure it’s valid and up to date.
13. Website Architecture: Organize content in a clear hierarchy.
14. Image Optimization: Compress and tag images appropriately.
15. Browser Compatibility: Ensure the site works across all browsers.
16. Local Hosting: Consider hosting the website in the country of operation.
17. Server Uptime: Ensure reliable hosting with minimal downtime.
18. AMP Pages: If applicable, for faster mobile page loads.
19. Regular Technical Audits: To identify and fix technical issues.
20. Avoid Flash Content: As it’s not SEO-friendly.

SEO Content:
21. Quality Content: Write informative, accurate, and engaging content.
22. Practice Area Pages: Detailed pages for each service offered.
23. Regular Blogging: Share insights on legal topics and updates.
24. Video Content: To engage visitors and provide information visually.
25. E-A-T Principles: Demonstrating Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.
26. Case Studies/Testimonials: Showcase success stories and client feedback.
27. FAQ Section: For common legal questions.
28. Regular Content Updates: Keep information current and relevant.
29. Infographics: To make complex legal information more accessible.
30. Unique Content: Avoid plagiarism and duplicate content.
31. Content Length: Ensure pages have substantial, in-depth content.
32. Use of Subheadings: For better readability and SEO.
33. PDF Resources: Offer downloadable legal guides or whitepapers.
34. Legal Disclaimer: Necessary for compliance and trust.
35. Multilingual Content: If targeting non-English speaking clients.
36. Accessibility Features: Like text-to-speech for the visually impaired.
37. Internal Linking: To guide visitors to relevant pages.
38. Keyword Optimization: Without overstuffing.
39. Meta Descriptions: Enticing and relevant to the page content.
40. Alt Tags for Images: Descriptive and keyword relevant.

On-Page SEO:
41. Title Tags: Clear and keyword-optimized for each page.
42. Meta Descriptions: Accurately summarize page content.
43. Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.): Organize content clearly.
44. Local Keywords: Include local search terms.
45. NAP Consistency: Name, Address, Phone Number consistency across the site.
46. Clickable Contact Information: Ensure it’s easy to contact the firm.
47. Lawyer Bios: Detailed professional profiles.
48. Social Proof: Awards, recognitions, and memberships.
49. Service Area Pages: For different geographic locations served.
50. Call-to-Action: Clear and compelling CTAs on each page.

Off-Page SEO:
51. Google My Business: Complete and optimize the listing.
52. Local Directory Listings: In legal and business directories.
53. Backlink Strategy: Gain links from reputable legal sites.
54. Social Media Activity: Engage with audiences on relevant platforms.
55. Online Reviews: Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews.
56. Community Involvement: Highlight charity work or local sponsorships.
57. Guest Blogging: On reputable legal industry websites.
58. Press Releases: For significant firm news or cases.
59. Professional Associations: Membership badges and links.
60. Local Events: Participation in or sponsorship of local events.

Legal Industry-Specific:
61. Compliance with Bar Association Rules: For advertising and conduct.
62. Client Confidentiality: Ensure the website respects privacy laws.
63. Ethical Marketing: Avoid guarantees or misleading claims.
64. Accreditations: Showcase legal accreditations and certifications.
65. Jurisdiction Specific

Information: Tailor content to the relevant legal jurisdiction.
66. Clear Fee Structures: Where permitted, provide information on fees.
67. Legal Thought Leadership: Publish whitepapers or research studies.
68. ADA Compliance: Ensure website accessibility.
69. Legal Terms Glossary: To educate and inform visitors.
70. Case Results: Where ethical, share past successes.

Analytics and Monitoring:
71. Google Analytics: To track website traffic and user behavior.
72. Conversion Tracking: Monitor how visitors interact with the site.
73. Keyword Tracking: Regularly check rankings for target keywords.
74. Backlink Monitoring: Keep an eye on the link profile.
75. Competitor Analysis: Understand what competitors are doing.
76. User Feedback: Collect and consider user input for improvements.
77. Heatmaps and User Behavior Tools: To optimize user experience.
78. Regular Reporting: To assess progress and adjust strategies.
79. Social Media Analytics: Track engagement and reach.
80. Local SEO Tracking: For performance in local search results.

Security and Legal Compliance:
81. Data Protection: Ensure compliance with data protection laws (e.g., GDPR).
82. Cookie Policy: Clear policy and consent mechanism.
83. Privacy Policy: Comprehensive and up-to-date.
84. Terms of Use: Legal conditions for using the website.
85. Cybersecurity Measures: To protect client information.
86. Regular Security Audits: To prevent breaches.
87. SSL Certificates: Keep them updated for secure connections.
88. DMCA Compliance: For content rights.
89. Accessibility Compliance: Adhering to WCAG guidelines.
90. Legal Disclaimers: As necessary for content and advice.

Advanced Strategies:
91. Voice Search Optimization: For emerging search trends.
92. AI Chatbots: For instant engagement and queries.
93. Personalization: Tailor content based on visitor behavior.
94. Video SEO: Optimize video content and descriptions.
95. Podcasts or Webinars: For in-depth legal discussions.
96. Advanced Schema Markup: For rich snippets in search results.
97. Content Clusters: Build authority around key topics.
98. Influencer Collaborations: Partner with legal influencers.
99. Retargeting Ads: To re-engage visitors.
100. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with SEO and legal marketing trends.

This checklist covers a comprehensive range of aspects to optimize an attorney or law firm website for better search engine visibility while ensuring compliance with legal marketing ethics. Regularly reviewing and updating these elements can significantly improve online presence and client engagement.

Contat Top Legal SEO Expert Sandy Rowley for a quote at 775-870-0488.

Legal SEO

Legal SEO

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Time is ticking away. Each day that you waste by not gaining control of your online rankings, helps your competitors to out rank your website online, reaching legal clients you would not otherwise have access too. Stop the bleeding now. Start a white hat Legal SEO campaign with a trusted SEO expert to catch up to your competitors. *My SEO and PPC rates on average are : PPC x 20% monthly budget and SEO starts at $500 – $15,000 a month depending on existing ranking factors and previous history.

SEO for legal terms are one of the most competitive SEO keywords in the industry. For example. Best 18 Wheeler Accident Attorneys” keyword phrase has slose to 50k searches per month and an average PPC cost of $1100 per click! 

legal seo experts

 


Call Sandy @   +1 (775) 870-0488  for a free consultation of your website, social sites and marketing.  Read more on her Lawyer Marketing Company here.

How to rank my legal website in Google local search?

download this Legal SEO Article as a PDF

Legal Services, attorneys, bail bondsmen and lawyer searches are one of the most expensive cost per click (Google Adword PPC) keywords in the industry. Tens of thousands of searches are done every day in these competitive areas. These active searchers are looking for specific legal terms like ‘workman compensation Reno’ or ‘divorce attorney Chicago.’ Although the top keywords in legal niche are ‘City Name + Divorce’ or ‘City Name + Accident’, a fair amount of search terms are more specific. Users who search with modifiers are often in research mode and ready to select a law firm to work with. These more specific keyword searches are ripe opportunities for law firms to rank in a crowded market.

Most lawyers and attorneys, can expect to pay well over $20 – $50 a click to buy an ad on Google Adwords and other large search engines like Yahoo and Bing to rank at the top of the search engines using Pay Per Click/Adwords bidding services. The most expensive legal AdWords bid for CPC in the country is currently at $670.44 a click for the keyword phrase “San Antonio car wreck attorney.”

 

Google’s Top 100 Most Expensive Keywords in 2015 [Infographic]

The average monthly PPC (pay per click) budget is well over $10,000 a month if you were to keep your PPC campaign competitively at the top of the Google search results. And this is for just one keyword!

Last month the legal search phrase ‘car accident attorney in Reno’ hit an all-time high in Google search with over 3500 searches performed. Multiply those numbers with the average $20 per click. With the average CTR (click through rate) for ad position #1 being a little over 33%, an attorney firm could expect to pay over $23,000 a month to rank for this keyword in Reno.

View top Lawyer Marketing Company services here.

“When it comes to PPC management, law firms have their work cut out for them. Keyword terms associated with attorneys and lawyers are among the most expensive keywords in Google AdWords. Law firms “can easily spend $50,000 to $100,000 per month on PPC,” according to Robert Ramirez, a senior SEO analyst at BCI who specialized in legal marketing for six years.”     Source: https://www.bruceclay.com/blog/ppc-management-lawyers/

How is a small legal firm to out compete some of the larger Lawyers and Attorney firms online?

Organic SEO (search engine optimization) is the art and science of ranking a webpage from your website on the “free clicks” area of Google search results.

Focusing on easier to rank keywords at the beginning of your marketing efforts helps to build the foundation needed to go after the more sought after search terms.

Google SEO companies focus on ranking your website for LTK (long tail keywords). These are usually specific keywords that people use in the search box when they are specifically looking for something. These searchers are closest to a positive conversion than those generally searching for the keyword ‘attorney’.

These LTK (long tail keywords) are the low hanging fruit of the SEO world. Most LTK have less than 500 searches per month, and some are not as competitive at the big fish keywords like ‘divorce attorneys in Reno’.

Capturing the attention of a searcher who is searching for ‘how to file for divorce in Reno’ is a great opportunity for a small legal firm to really show their expertise in that area of the law. This Long Tail Keyword search is a great example of someone who is actively looking for a local attorney who can answer who question and ready to schedule their first consultation with a local law firm.

A good SEO company or expert can help rank a small legal firm’s website within a few months or less for long tail keywords. Some law firm websites could rank as soon as 30 days, depending on the amount of local searches performed for your keywords and other on site SEO factors that pertain to your existing website, past marketing efforts and reputation on Google, FaceBook, Yelp and larger legal directory websites. Although we will laser focus in on ranking your website for the top local keywords for your city, the goal is to rank webpages within your website for hundreds if not thousands of relevant keywords.

“By targeting LTK, we can rank a website more than once on the first page of Google. Also positioning a legal website as a local authority on multiple networks, blogs and directories.” Sandy Rowley Legal SEO pro @ RenoWebDesigner.com.

Bail Bonds Unlimited is a Reno Bail Bond company that specializes in treating their clients like family.

 

Although they were a busy bond company in Reno, their SEO rankings were lacking. The hired Sandy Rowley with RenoWebDesigner.com to provide organic Legal SEO services and within one month of work, was ranking their website multiple times on the first page of Google. They are currently ranking for over 103 long tail keywords bringing in an average of $24,000 a month in new leads.

legal seo pro

bail-bond-seo-reno

With the money saved on straight PPC marketing, most attorneys or legal service providers choose to position their company website on a limited PPC, a set fee SEO organic plan and Google business maps listing optimization for optimum coverage of a given city and/or area.

A quality built website is critical for organic and PPC rankings. Google and other large search engines are giving mobile friendly websites more visibility than those sites who are outdated and un responsive.

Correct coding and design affect a websites ability to be indexed by the large search engines.  RenoWebDesigner.com has over 17 years’ experience in creating highly optimized websites and mobile webpages for higher indexing in search engines.

Ranking for your ideal keywords is the first step in a successful internet marketing campaign. Converting those clicks into actual customers takes a little hard work and follow through.

Download Google.com’s guide to good SEO here.

Top 10 SEO Tactics that help convert a website visitor into a client:

  1. Create and Publish regular press releases. Example ideas are: new hires, client wins, client testimonials, charity work, events and on site workshops.
  2. Regular 5 star reviews in Google, Yelp and FaceBook.com
  3. Video F.A.Q’s.
  4. Professional and friendly photos of all staff and detailed profiles.
  5. Helpful resource areas within your website that are on topic and up to date.
  6. Instant chat features to capture viewers’ attention and answer questions immediately on site.
  7. Show membership status of local groups and organizations.
  8. Mobile friendly website.
  9. Fast loading website.
  10. Offer events, classes and workshops.

Internet Marketing is an ongoing necessity for a successful legal practice. It is the life blood of all leading companies on and offline. If your legal business is slowing down, SEO is a quick way to drive quality leads in a relatively short amount of time. Most SEO work will show an increase in leads within the first month of work. Although no SEO company can or should guarantee rankings, an experienced SEO expert is expected to show positive R.O.I within a few months of work.

google seo reno

Google.com shared a great blog post on how to find a quality SEO company or expert to work with.
Source: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35291?hl=en

 A good SEO expert will help your firm with the following:

  • Review of your site content or structure
  • Technical advice on website development: for example, hosting, redirects, error pages, use of JavaScript
  • Content development
  • Management of online business development campaigns
  • Keyword research
  • SEO training
  • Expertise in specific markets and geographies.

Be mindful of get rich quick schemes. Any marketing company advertising that they can get your law firm rankings over night are not reputable agencies. This is to good to be true. There are hundreds of thousands of SEO services that available all over the internet selling those types of services. I am not one of them. The marketing work I perform is based off of safe SEO practices and guidelines published on Google’s own forums and blogs.

“While SEOs can provide clients with valuable services, some unethical SEOs have given the industry a black eye through their overly aggressive marketing efforts and their attempts to manipulate search engine results in unfair ways.” Google.com Admin

SEO legal

Any SEO company that offers to sell you back links or any of these items, is a clear warning not to engage in their services.


These are a few examples of the common pitfalls that some legal SEO companies deploy for fast but deadly SEO results.

  1. Send thousands or millions of visitors to your website in a very short amount of time.
  2. Order thousands of fake back links to your website in one day, month or year.
  3. Buy fake reviews for your business on Yelp, Google or Facebook.
  4. Buy fake Likes for your social media accounts.

 

“In the 17 plus years working in the SEO industry, one statement has held true throughout all the countless Google updates. Slow and steady wins the race.” Sandy Rowley RenoWebDesigner.com

Google’s latest algorithm update, Rank Brain, is all about websites providing useful and relevant content to their website viewers. Thin content will now become a waste of marketing dollars and time, as long post content with high user engagement will boost websites higher in Google search.

What are the highest engaged content pieces for attorney websites?

When a person searches for a keyword and clicks on your website link, they should find helpful and interesting content immediately on your website. If they click the back button more often than not, your website will start to drop in rankings.

Great examples of engaging content are:

  1. Infographics that break down difficult content into easily digested information that is understood quickly with images.
  2. Videos that share interesting stories, news and answer the top questions from your F.A.Q page.
  3. Online quizzes and games.
  4. Instant search bar asking “How can I help?” or “What are you looking for search bar?”
  5. Pop up window with an irresistible offer.
  6. Free Ask The Lawyer Page.
  7.  Weekly or Monthly audio podcast on Sound Cloud.
  8.  Local resource guide.

The best practices in Lawyer SEO marketing is to instantly provide content that the searcher is looking for and then keep them on the website for an average of 3 – 10 minutes each visit.

Videos are a great way to keep users on your website longer. Integrating a user generated response at the end of the video is a nice way to get conversions as well as feedback from your future client. Asking for them to post a question below, share on social media or book mark the page can all be counted as conversions if set up correctly on site.

Google tracks how many conversions your website has in a day, week or month.

Some examples of possible conversions to increase Google rankings:

  1. End User signs up for your email newsletter.
  2. If they click contact us page.
  3. If a website visitor buys something from your website.
  4. Share your website on social media.
  5. Bookmark your website for future use.

Setting up Google Analytics correctly to measure these conversions is an important part of on site optimization work.

Set up conversion tracking for your website

Conversion tracking can help you see how effectively your ad clicks lead to valuable customer activity on your website, such as purchases, sign-ups, and form submissions.
This article explains how to create a conversion action to track customer actions on your website. You’ll set up the conversion action in your AdWords account and get a piece of code called a “tag.” To finish setting up conversion tracking, you’ll add the conversion tag to your website.

Search Engine Optimization attracts a great deal of characters. Knowing whom to trust with your company website is enough to give you a migraine…I get it. Lets hop on the phone and review your website together and determine if we are a good fit. I would be happy to review your website and provide an SEO audit of work needed to increase your website rankings.

You can learn more about Google standards and requirements for organic SEO best practices in this detailed PDF report here:

https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf

Google is currently the leader in the online searches, so I prefer to focus most of my SEO efforts following their algorithm updates and requirements, but can work to increase rankings in Bing, Yahoo and other large networks. Often having an authority website that ranks well for your keywords will rank you in these secondary search engines.

I welcome your questions and/or comments. I prefer to work one on one with my clients, becoming part of your extended team. I am a down to earth and kind person, who likes to joke around and have fun…but I promise you, my SEO services have helped hundreds of companies rank consistently online for many years and have the guts of steel needed to be successful in such a shark eat shark industry such as SEO. Hope to chat soon, Sandy.

Listen to Legal SEO advice audio files here:

 

 

Reno Web Designer

 

Sandy Rowley

Legal SEO Expert

RenoWebDesigner.com

Call Sandy @   +1 (775) 870-0488  for a free consultation of your website, social sites and marketing.