Get The BEST Legal Keywords To Beat Your Competition Online!

The legal industry is a highly competitive market. As an attorney, you need a comprehensive, well-informed marketing strategy to reach new clients. A vital component of any marketing strategy is search engine optimization (SEO). There are many factors that include SEO, including keywords. But, just what are the best legal keywords to use, and how do you identify them? Let us take a look at the importance of keywords and keyword research and how you can find and use the keywords needed to ensure your website ranks high enough to generate traffic, leads, and clients.?

Why Are Keywords Important?

If you have any experience with digital marketing or SEO, you have probably stumbled across the term “keyword.” Understanding what keywords are and how to use them to boost ranking and visibility is crucial to any law firm’s marketing strategy .?

There are dual definitions for “keyword;” they inform search engines like Google about your website’s content, and they are the words and phrases people enter into a search engine when they are looking for specific information. A successful keyword strategy means that a potential client’s keyword search matches keywords on your website, allowing your site to appear in the search engine.??

While keywords are not the only factor in determining page rank, they do play a significant role. If your site’s content does not align with what people are searching for, it is unlikely they will find your site and seek your services.?

Understanding Keyword Intent?

Before you can start tackling keyword research, you need to understand user intent. If you have not already, identify your target audience and determine how your services can serve them. What area of law do you practice? What geographic areas are you targeting? Do your clients tend to fall into certain economic or education categories? Do you serve the prosecution or the defense? Once you have a concrete idea of your target market, you can start considering how they might search for your legal services.?

If you are stuck, there is no harm in asking current and past clients how they found you. If they came across your law firm in a search engine, consider their case and query to determine what keywords are currently working for you. Doing so can help you identify new keywords.??

Popular Keyword Research Tools?

To populate a list of the right keywords for your law firm’s website, you are going to need to consult the “experts.” Fortunately, there are numerous tools out there to help you with what can seem like a complicated task. It can be challenging to choose the best keyword tool for your specific needs, which is why you may need to experiment with a number of tools before you find one you like best.?

As new tools and algorithms are introduced, it is also essential to stay abreast of changes and which keyword research tools are trending. Keep reading to learn about some of the most popular keyword research tools on the market today.?

SEMrush?

SEMrush is one of the most well-known keyword research tools. The program is unique in that it shows you keywords that your competition is currently ranking for. With a massive database of over 20 billion keywords and 808 million crawled domains, Semrush tracks a variety of factors like organic search positions, AdWords ads, cost-per-click ads, and competitor analysis.?

Moz Keyword Explorer?

With Moz Keyword Explorer , you can quickly conduct general keyword research to determine which keywords you should be targeting now. The process is simple. All you have to do is enter a URL or keyword. From the free list, you can get an idea of how to prioritize which keywords you should target. If you create a Moz account, you will have access to Keyword Explorer records and other free SEO tools. With their paid services, you will have access to a comprehensive keyword analysis, keyword suggestions, and more.?

Google Search Console

Google Search Console offers a number of features that can help you improve page rank. The available tools report your site’s search traffic and performance, so you have the opportunity to address problems quickly. With Search Analytics, you can see which queries are bringing users to your site, which can inform current and future keyword usage.?

Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

Ahrefs Keywords Explorer is one of the most comprehensive keyword research tools on the market. Not only can you generate and save keyword lists to evaluate changes you may want to make to your website, but you can also view keyword difficulty scores and metrics from ten different search engines. You have the option to enter up to 10,000 keywords in one session to see data on phrase matches, search suggestions, queries, and more. With advanced metrics, you can access information on keywords’ clicks, clicks per search, percentage of clicks, percentage of paid clicks versus organic clicks, and return rate.?

KeywordTool.io

Keyword Tool helps users discover thousands of potential keywords on any topic–including your specific area of law. It works by generating Google’s search suggestions based on the Google domain and language you choose. Unlike the tools discussed above, the primary benefit of Keyword Tool is that it is completely free, and you can use the tool without creating an account. However, keep in mind that you will not be able to save your results for future reference through the platform itself.?

Remember that SEO is constantly evolving. The keyword research you conduct now might not be effective in six months. You will need to incorporate regular research into your marketing strategy to ensure your content stays relevant and accessible.?

How to Rank for the Best Legal Keywords?

Once you have a concrete list of keywords you want to target, it is time to start incorporating them into your website. Whether you decide to update old content, create new content, or both, there are specific locations to consider when looking to improve keyword rankings.?

• Page titles. For a webpage to show up on a search engine results page (SERP), the keyword needs to be included in its title. A page title is the first thing users see when typing in a query.??
• Meta descriptions. While meta descriptions are not considered a significant SEO factor, it is important to remember that users are likely going to read the meta description to narrow down the search results. A well-crafted meta description with the applicable keyword will increase the chances of searchers clicking on your website.??
• URLs. If you are adding new content to your website, it is crucial to pay attention to the URL you create. While URLs are generally more effective when they are short, you should try to incorporate your keyword or a version of it in the URL.
• Content. Finally, it is an absolute must to include your keywords in your content. Practice area pages and blogs are perfect spots to incorporate those key phrases. It is best to assign a keyword to a single page, which will allow you to optimize that page for that specific phrase. While you should include keywords often in content, it is crucial to do so naturally, so it does not feel forced.?

Once you have successfully incorporated your chosen keywords into your content and throughout the rest of your website, it is important to remember to track their performance. Many of the keyword tools mentioned above have features that allow you to track your keywords’ progress. Rankings change all the time, so you want to ensure you are staying on top of keyword trends and evaluating how your website is performing. You may experience some trial and error, which is normal. If that is the case, head back to the drawing board to see where you might take your keyword strategy next.?

How Law Quill Can Help Develop Quality Content?

Once you have an idea of the best legal keywords to use for the services you provide, you can start developing content that targets those keywords. Remember that it can take time to see results. If you are looking to outsource your content needs, Law Quill is ready to help.?

We welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free regarding your law firm website’s content and how we can take these tasks off your plate! Schedule a free visit with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call at your convenience on our calendar today . You can also email us at [email protected] .

Annette Choti, Esq. has over twenty four years of combined legal and digital marketing experience. She founded Law Quill, a full-service digital marketing agency for law firms and businesses in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Annette is a sought-after CLE and keynote speaker for Bar Associations and legal events throughout North America. She creates and hosts the?Legal Marketing Lounge?podcast, and is the author of the bestselling book, Click Magnet: The Ultimate Digital Marketing Guide For Law Firms. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so far from the law, if we are all being honest.