If you're not using your website to generate business for legal services, you're leaving money on the table at your law firm. If you want to increase your law firm's online presence and attract more ideal cases, you can do so by optimizing your website.
Optimization for a law firm’s website encompasses much more than just search engine optimization (SEO) and technical SEO for attorneys. While your law firm SEO strategy is critical for improving visibility and attracting traffic, a website's effectiveness is also heavily influenced by how users interact with it. By employing basic tactics rooted in behavioral psychology principles, you can significantly enhance how potential clients perceive and navigate your site.
Understanding concepts such as cognitive load—how much mental effort is required to process information—can help you design more intuitive layouts and simplify navigation. Implementing clear calls to action and strategically placing them can prompt users to engage further, while social proof, such as testimonials and case results, can build trust and encourage prospective clients to take action.
Following these tactics works. Just check out the results we got from optimizing and relaunching a personal injury attorney's website in New York:
Local search results rankings for a Bronx personal injury attorney two days before and three weeks after a website redesign.
The old, unoptimized site almost never appeared on local search engine results pages. Now, it covers a wide area of one of the most competitive cities in the U.S.
Follow the tips below to learn how to optimize your law firm's website for rankings, traffic, and converting visitors to cases.
1. Optimize for the First Impression
You have a limited window to get someone's attention, so don't squander the most valuable real estate on your website. This is what's presented "above the fold" or on-screen before someone has to scroll to get to the next section.
The average person will spend just a few seconds looking at your website before deciding to click on something else or hitting the back button.
It's your job to get their interest right away. Your website is a marketing tool, but it's most useful when it helps people learn more about you or decide to take action, like scheduling a consultation.
Prioritize Above-the-Fold Content
Of people who visit your website, 84% will look at what's above the fold and nothing else. To get their attention, place captivating content at the top of the page.
Here's what information should always be included above the fold:
- Your headline
- Your unique value proposition
- Your call to action
When developing your site design and copy, follow the Pareto principle. This means you should put 80% of your effort into what you place above the fold. This gives you the best possibility of forming a connection with the reader early, which can ultimately lead to further actions taken by that potential client.
Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys get their point across well at the top of their home page. There are three options for a call to action, their firm tagline, and a picture to help a viewer put faces to the names. They make the user experience a streamlined one because the section above the fold is uncluttered and focused.
2. Focus on Your Copy More than Design
Web design for attorneys is vital for presenting your website layout and individual pages in a clear and logical order, but your copy is far more important.
For personal injury law firms, empowering your clients to make decisions on their own is essential. Rather than telling someone what you do, focus on showing them. This might include snippets of testimonials from past clients.
Create Client-Focused Copy
To make your copy client-focused, think about what visitors want when searching for law firms and the best way to deliver it to them.
Here's an example of client-focused website copy. Many law firm clients complain about poor communication from their lawyers. In this example, attorney Stewart Guss highlights the firm's availability to talk to and help their clients.
If you already have Google Analytics installed, you can get some data on how long the average person spends on each of your web pages. This can be a good guideline to revise the copy if you have a high bounce rate or visitors spend very little time on the page. You can also use more advanced tools like HotJar to heat map how visitors use your existing pages.
3. Use Keywords Strategically
Effective keyword usage is essential for driving targeted traffic to your law firm’s website. Start by conducting in-depth keyword research to identify phrases that potential clients are actively searching for in relation to your specific practice area.
Identifying Relevant Keywords
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to determine the search volume and competitiveness of these keywords. Check out our guide to keyword research here.
Once you have your list, strategically integrate these relevant keywords throughout your website content, including headings, subheadings, and within the main body text. It's important to use them naturally and contextually rather than forcing them into your content, as keyword stuffing can lead to readability issues and penalties from search engines.
Additionally, consider using keywords in the meta description, URL slug, and image alt text to enhance overall search engine visibility.
Remember, your primary objective is not only to achieve higher rankings on search results but also to attract qualified leads who are genuinely interested in your legal services. By carefully selecting and implementing keywords, you can significantly increase your chances of getting found by potential clients.
4. Enhance Your Social Proof with Highlights or Callouts
It's amazing when a law firm client gives you a full paragraph about how awesome it was to work with you. But you can't expect a busy website visitor to read all that.
Use highlights to add visual elements to your page and to call the viewer's attention to the most important phrases.
Use custom design elements that tap into your unique value proposition and why a client would want to hire you by using the exact words of former clients.
Showcase Your Real-World Involvement to Increase Online Visibility
Word of mouth is one of the best ways to encourage someone to hire you. In a recent study, 43% of people used referrals when deciding to hire an attorney. What other people say about you is far more powerful than what you say about yourself, especially if you're receiving similar comments from happy clients.
Engaging in events, collaborations, and community initiatives is an excellent way to enhance your law firm's marketing strategy. Surprisingly, it also feeds directly into your website optimization efforts. When you actively participate in local events, legal workshops, or community service activities, you not only grow your network and build relationships but also create valuable content and opportunities to showcase your involvement online.
5. Avoid Pop-ups: Let People Come to You
There’s nothing more frustrating than browsing in a store and getting bombarded with offers of assistance from overly eager salespeople. A good salesperson understands the art of timing; they are perceptive to visual cues, ready to step in and offer support when they notice a customer might need help but also know when to hang back and allow the customer to approach them at their own pace. This principle of subtlety and awareness can be equally applied to law firms and their digital marketing strategies, especially when it comes to website pop-ups.
Excessive pop-up messages can quickly detract from your website’s user experience. When a visitor lands on your website and is immediately confronted by multiple pop-ups covering the screen with offers or newsletters, it creates an overwhelming and intrusive environment. This often leads potential clients to leave the site out of frustration rather than engaging with the valuable content you’ve created. Ultimately, the moment you force someone to interact with a pop-up, you risk alienating them and pushing them away to search for information elsewhere.
Alternatives to Pop-up Messaging
Instead of relying heavily on pop-ups, consider implementing more user-friendly alternatives, such as slide-in options or in-line calls to action (CTAs) that gently encourage engagement without disrupting the flow of the content. These alternatives can still effectively convey your offers or prompts without being obtrusive. For instance, a slide-in CTA can appear from the side of the page after a user has spent a reasonable amount of time reading your content, indicating that you are available to assist without being forceful.
Additionally, while one exit pop-up can be useful as a last-ditch effort to capture information from visitors before they leave your site, it must be executed thoughtfully. This type of pop-up should be modestly designed, providing a simplified message that prompts action without feeling desperate or intrusive. Moreover, it’s vital to ensure that these pop-ups are mobile-responsive. Many users access websites via their smartphones, and improperly sized pop-ups can create an even more frustrating experience, making it nearly impossible for users to view the content they were originally interested in.
By allowing visitors to come to you naturally—through informative content, subtle prompts, and helpful navigation—you create a more welcoming, engaging, and ultimately effective website experience. This approach fosters a sense of trust and comfort that can encourage potential clients to stay on your site longer and consider reaching out for legal assistance. In the digital realm, patience and subtlety can go a long way, leading to better engagement and conversions without the need to resort to aggressive tactics.
6. Ensure Usability Across All Devices
In today's digital landscape, a significant portion of users access websites via mobile devices, making usability vital for maximizing conversions. It is essential that your law firm’s website provides a seamless user experience across all platforms, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Implementing a responsive design means that your site will automatically adjust to fit different screen sizes without losing functionality or aesthetic appeal. Moreover, usability is increasingly becoming an important SEO ranking factor.
Regularly evaluate crucial aspects such as loading times, menu navigation, button sizes, and the overall accessibility of information. For instance, ensure that buttons are easily clickable on mobile devices and that your site loads quickly to prevent potential clients from bouncing to a competitor’s site.
A user-friendly experience increases the likelihood of prospective clients staying on your site longer, engaging with your content, and ultimately converting into clients. Moreover, a well-optimized site that performs flawlessly across devices not only improves user satisfaction but can also contribute positively to your SEO rankings.
7. Rethink the Way You Think about Forms
Every law firm has the same basic form embedded on its website. They're so common that people's eyes can just skip over a standard contact form.
Your form should be more engaging and interesting for viewers to stand out from the crowd. By reworking how you think about forms, you can capture the same contact data and possibly even more valuable information.
Here are some ideas for how law firms can collect the same or better data:
- Use a scorecard
- Develop an injury payment settlement calculator
- Create a quiz that helps someone answer key questions about their claim
You'll still gather their contact information, but you'll also get helpful case details to determine whether the lead is worth following up on.
Here's an example of an interactive calculator from Miley Legal. Instead of filling out a “name, email, phone number” contact form, a potential client can get a free estimate of their case value. At the same time, the firm gets a new personal injury lead in their CRM.
Interactive items on your website provide value to the visitor beyond just submitting their information to be contacted by a lawyer. They walk away with a better understanding of their own case, what's at stake, or some knowledge that better equips them to resolve their legal issue.
8. Create Content that Educates Across the Entire Lifecycle
Not all website visitors find your content at the same stage in their legal cases. They might all be looking for different information, too.
One reader might wonder how long they have to file an injury claim, while another is thinking about the opposite end of a case. Other potential clients might be curious about how settlement works and pays out. Using these possible search queries, you can create relevant content for both readers.
Create high-quality content for every stage of your prospective clients' lives, from the time they get hurt in an accident to after settlement or trial.
Aligning your original content with your audience's various awareness stages and the marketing funnel can improve your website conversions.
Your prospective clients should fall into one of three buckets:
For someone who has recently learned about you but isn't yet convinced you're the right firm for them, you can create educational blog posts while also dropping in ideas about your unique value proposition.
People who are deeper in the funnel need a way to convert. You can create service landing pages that give them convenient options to get in touch.
When you create content that hits each stage of the funnel, you can use internal linking tactics to quickly turn top-of-funnel visitors into new leads.
9. Incorporate Clear Calls to Action
Capturing a visitor's attention with high-quality content is just the first step; the next crucial aspect is guiding them toward taking actionable steps. Clear and concise calls to action (CTAs) should be strategically placed throughout your website, helping users understand what to do next.
Whether you want potential clients to contact your firm, schedule a consultation, sign up for a newsletter, or read a related article, your CTAs should convey that next step compellingly. Use persuasive language that creates a sense of urgency or emphasizes the benefit of taking action, such as "Get Your Free Consultation Today!" or "Find Out How We Can Help You."
Consider varying your CTAs to cater to the diverse intent of visitors searching for law firms. Some may be ready to book a consultation, while others may want to first explore related resources or download a free guide. By making your CTAs clear, enticing, and easily accessible, you’ll not only enhance user engagement but also significantly increase your conversion rates, turning curious visitors into loyal clients.
10. Keep in Touch and Stay Top of Mind
If you put in all the upfront work to get someone to your website, don't lose them there. All too often, someone closes a tab and forgets your firm's name.
While they might start their search all over again, it's easy for you to retarget those previous viewers with Google Ads or Facebook ads if you have a developed PPC funnel strategy.
Whenever you retarget someone, align the content your ad points them to with where they are at in the marketing funnel. For example, someone who visited your landing page with a settlement calculator may get retargeted with ads that place some urgency on them filing a claim sooner rather than later to help them get compensation.
When your law firm's name and branding appear again after their first visit, potential clients are reminded of their need for an attorney, and at that point, they may be ready to contact you. Your goal is to move your potential clients further down toward the bottom of the marketing funnel.
Revise Your Website for Better Conversions Now
Law firm websites optimized for search engines and their target audience stand a far better chance of getting visitors' attention and keeping it. Whether it's by creating interactive materials or retargeting ads that put your firm's name back in front of them, it all starts with a well-designed website.
Work with an attorney marketing expert to boost your position in the search engine rankings, attract more traffic, and convert more leads. Rankings.io can help you implement a winning law firm marketing strategy.
SEO for lawyers doesn't need to be overwhelming or confusing when you partner with the right team. Contact us to see how we can help your firm grow with an optimized website.
