Optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most effective ways to boost your law firm’s visibility and attract more clients. This free tool from Google helps you manage your law firm’s appearance in local search results and Google Maps.
Here’s how to enhance your GBP rank and stand out in local searches.
1. Get, Respond to, and Like Reviews
Getting Reviews: Client reviews are crucial in improving your GBP rank. Encourage your satisfied clients to leave positive reviews on your profile. No one likes doing this, but your law firm will fall behind quickly if you do not start.
Yes, people cheat by creating fake reviews, but you need to get over it and build a review plan and process today. The more reviews you have, especially positive ones, the better your profile will perform in search results.
Responding to Reviews: Engage with your clients by responding to their reviews, whether they are positive or negative. Google loves active responses. Try to do this weekly or even daily; time matters.
Responding to reviews also shows that you value client feedback and are committed to improving your service. Addressing negative reviews should be done after you have exhausted all efforts to remove the review.
Liking Reviews: Although you can’t “like” reviews on your own GBP, you should consider the feedback provided as valuable input. Anyone with a Google account can like your reviews. Your profile shows reviews with the most likes, so ask your team and friends to like your positive reviews.
2. Add High-Quality Images
Visual content plays a significant role in attracting potential clients and with Google. Adding high-quality images to your GBP can make your profile more engaging and visually appealing.
Consider including:
- Office Photos: Showcase your office environment to create a welcoming impression. Signage, the front door, the reception area, and the meeting room are all good pictures.
- Team Photos: Introduce your team to build trust and familiarity, but don’t be stale or stiff. Yes, headshots are fine, but take some pictures of the team working and interacting around the office. Make the client relate to the images.
- Event Photos: Share images from community events or seminars you’ve participated in to highlight your firm’s involvement. PR and community matter, so post the picture, even if it is little.
Regularly updating your images can keep your profile fresh and interesting and, over time, help improve your rank.
3. Utilize the Questions and Answers Feature
The GBP Questions and Answers (Q&A) feature allows potential clients to ask questions directly on your profile.
Take advantage of this by:
- Providing Clear Answers: Monitor and respond to questions promptly with clear and helpful information. Remember, not everyone understands legalize, so it is best to use common terms.
- Pre-empting Common Questions: Post and answer frequently asked questions yourself to provide valuable information and guide potential clients. You can ask and answer questions. Put a list together and add a couple a week.
A well-maintained Q&A section helps potential clients and shows that your firm is active and engaged.
4. Complete All the Information Requests
Ensure that all the information fields in your GBP are fully completed.
This includes:
- Business Name: Make sure it matches your official business name.
- Address: Verify that your address is correct and consistent with other online listings.
- Phone Number: Provide a direct contact number.
- Business Hours: Update your hours of operation regularly.
- Website: Include a link to your firm’s website.
- Social Media: List them all
Completing all available fields helps Google understand your business better and improves your chances of appearing in relevant local searches.
5. Build, Clean, and Maintain Citations
Citations mention your law firm’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) across various online platforms. They help establish credibility and improve local search rankings. Although the value has dropped for GBP ranking, good citation helps in all aspects of SEO.
Here’s how to manage them effectively:
- Build Citations: List your law firm on relevant directories and legal websites. Focus on high-quality, authoritative sites that are relevant to your practice area. You can use a tool like Brightlocal.com or Whitespark.ca to get things started.
- Clean Citations: Regularly check for and correct any inconsistencies in your NAP information across different platforms. Inaccurate or outdated citations can harm your GBP rank.
- Maintain Citations: Keep your citations updated with any changes to your business information. Regular maintenance ensures that your details are accurate and consistent.
- Niche Citations: Don’t forget niche citations and directories specific to the legal industry. These can include legal directories, bar association listings, and legal forums. They help establish your authority and relevance in the field.
Don’t Give Up on GBP -Work it a Little Everyday
Improving your Google Business Profile rank requires a combination of strategic actions and ongoing management. There are more steps than listed above, but these are a good core start.
You can significantly enhance your online visibility and attract more potential clients by actively engaging with reviews, adding compelling images, utilizing the Q&A feature, completing all information requests, and maintaining accurate citations.
If this seems overwhelming, call The Legal Marketing Company. Our team can answer your questions or manage your GBP.
