Working as a family law attorney means you focus on protecting people’s rights regarding family issues like divorce, asset division, marital disagreements, child custody, neglect, and abuse.
With so much to focus on, you probably do not have much time for SEO (search engine optimization). However, it is important to ensure clients can find your law firm when they need family law services. At The Legal Marketing Company, we have a team of SEO pros who can help ensure your website is optimized with the right keywords so that searchers find it.
Along with providing keyword and SEO services for your website, we also want you to understand how keywords work and why they are so important to your website. This will help you better understand why investing in our services makes sense.
The Importance of Using the Right Keywords for Your Family Law Website
While keywords are just one part of SEO, they are an extremely important part.
You may wonder – how do keywords work with SEO?
There are a few elements of SEO that keywords directly impact, including the following:
- Keywords ensure your blog is accessible and “seen” by search engines.
- Keywords guide your content to ensure readers get the information they seek.
- Keywords help with content development that is seen as authoritative and will earn links and citations.
- Keywords help increase your site’s CTR (click-through rate).
- The right keywords attract searchers and search engines.
Keywords Defined
As mentioned above, keywords are one part of the SEO equation. A keyword is a word or phrase someone uses to find related content.
For family law websites, keywords may include things like “divorce lawyer near me” or “help with child custody.”
However, you cannot just “guess” what keywords to do. There is a process and tools that can help you choose keywords that will benefit your website.
This is where keyword research comes in.
The Keyword Research Process
When you are ready to find keywords for your family law website, it starts with keyword research. The process of this is outlined here.
Establish Your Goals
You do not start a journey if you do not know the destination. This applies to keyword research. You must consider your long-term goals now before doing anything else.
Examples of goals include:
- Generate more leads
- Increase site engagement
- Increase law firm awareness
Your goal will be unique to your law firm and your needs; however, defining this goal can guide your keyword research.
Make a List
Now that you have a goal, it is time to give it structure. You want to do more than randomly add words to blogs and social media posts.
When you create a list, start with these tips:
- Create a list of things people would search for about your firm.
- Use an online keyword generator as a starting point.
- Combine the keywords into a master list to sort and analyze them.
When considering keywords, there are a few things you need to know. These include:
- Search engine volume. This is the number of searches the keyword receives in a set amount of time.
- Competition. If you choose only competitive keywords, getting your website to rank may be extremely difficult.
- Current keywords on your site that are ranking. You likely have some keywords on your website you rank for now. Make a list of these.
Once you have your initial list, you can continue adding to it.
Evaluate SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)
While you can find several automated tools to handle keyword research for you, it is still necessary to validate the phrases you are considering. This is where the SERPs must be considered.
A SERP analysis can help you determine if the keywords are relevant to what you offer. You can also see if it is possible to outrank your competition for certain keywords.
You can conduct a SERP analysis with a few steps:
- Enter your site’s top-performing keywords in the search engine.
- Look at the results that appear.
- Check the location of paid and organic listings.
- Determine the density of the results.
If the search results do not meet your expectations, it probably means you need to choose different keywords.
See What the Competition Is Doing
It may seem odd to “spy” on the competition; however, these people are trying to do the same thing you are. Taking a peek at their efforts and results can help you in the long run.
When you look at your competitor’s rankings, note what phrases and terms they use regularly. You can use this “pool” of keywords on your own website. Look at the page topics, metatags, and titles, too.
Consider Keyword Intent
Intent is a crucial factor to consider when choosing keywords. There are three main categories of keyword intent, which include the following:
- Navigational. Directs a user to a different web page.
- Informational. Provides valuable information on a given topic.
- Transactional. Provides information on a transactional objective.
Someone who searches for “family law firms near me” does not want to know “how to file for divorce.” They want a service page. This is the idea behind keyword intent.
This means that each keyword you use needs to serve a unique purpose. Selecting the right keywords means putting yourself in your client’s position. Understanding the purpose of keyword intent will help you meet the needs of potential clients.
Use Long-Tail Keywords
Using long-tail keywords can benefit your family law firm’s SEO significantly. In fact, long-tail keywords outrank one-word searches regularly.
Long-tail keywords are so effective because they typically match specific inquiries and lead to more qualified leads.
Let Our Legal Marketing Agency Help You Develop a Winning Keyword Strategy
Choosing the right keywords for your website can help you rank well in search engines, generate more traffic, and help bring more qualified clients to your site. At The Legal Marketing Company, we can help you create an effective keyword strategy that gets results. Call today to schedule a free consultation.
