When I first heard the term SEO (search engine optimisation), I immediately saw its potential to help my own legal PR business grow. But I assumed it was a highly technical area that would require specialist support well beyond my modest freelance marketing budget. Fortunately, I was wrong.
Over the years, I’ve picked up some straightforward SEO tactics that have led to a big increase in enquiries and helped my business grow. The good news? The same principles can work for law firms of all kinds and sizes.
Improving your Google rankings doesn’t just help potential clients find you. It also makes your content more likely to be picked up as a source when people use tools like ChatGPT to research legal issues. In other words, strong SEO can boost both your online visibility and your authority in the fast-growing world of AI-powered search.
So what is SEO? It’s the process of improving your website so that it appears more prominently when people search for relevant services or products online. For example, if you search for “legal PR consultant” or “legal PR agency” on Google, you’ll see my own website, Welch PR, listed on the first page. That’s not because I’ve invested thousands on improving my rankings, it’s because I’ve applied a few simple but effective SEO practices.
Search engines like Google use automated bots to scan websites and evaluate hundreds of ranking factors to decide which pages to show for a given search. The more of these factors your site ticks off, the higher your ranking is likely to be.
My top three SEO tips are as follows:
1. Choose and use the right keywords
Keywords are the backbone of SEO. They’re the words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for legal help.
Start by thinking about the services you offer and the locations you serve. For instance:
- “Divorce lawyer, Chichester”
- “Dental negligence solicitor UK”
- “How much holiday am I entitled to?”
Think like your clients: what questions are they asking? What problems are they trying to solve?
Tools like Google Analytics and Google Keyword Planner can help you understand which keywords are driving traffic to your site. Once you’ve identified your key terms, use them naturally throughout your content, including:
- Page titles and meta descriptions
- Subheadings and introductory paragraphs
- Image titles and alt tags
✅ Tip: Keywords should be sprinkled throughout your content in a way that feels natural and helpful but not forced.
2. Keep your content relevant and regular
Search engines favour content that is useful and regularly updated.
This means writing blogs and web pages that:
- Answer common legal questions
- Offer clear, digestible advice
- Are easy to navigate with subheadings and bullet points
- Include relevant keywords without overdoing it
Surprisingly, longer posts (around 1,500 words) tend to perform well in search rankings, but if you’re just starting out, 500 plus word posts are a great foundation.
✅ Tip: Aim to post new content at least once or twice a month and share it on your firm’s social media accounts to boost visibility.
3. Include internal and external Links
Internal links – those pointing to other pages on your own site encourage users to explore and stay longer, which helps your SEO. For example, if you’re writing a blog about employment rights, link it to your employment law service page.
External backlinks – links from other websites to yours are even more powerful. They show search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. For example, you could offer a guest post on relevant industry or local business platforms. You could also offer links with trusted partners such as referrers and barristers’ sets.
✅ Tip: Just one or two backlinks in all your content could make a real difference to your google ranking.
Google provides clear advice on how to improve your website’s performance. For more information, I would recommend taking a look at their Webmaster Guidelines .
Final Thoughts
SEO doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. By focusing on keywords, quality content, and a smart linking strategy, your law firm can rise up the rankings on Google and attract the right kind of clients. As tools like ChatGPT become more widely used for research, ranking highly online also increases the chances that your firm’s content will be referenced or drawn upon in AI generated content thereby strengthening your firm’s profile and credibility.
If you’re not sure where to begin? Feel free to get in touch – I’m always happy to offer a few pointers during a 30 minute introductory call.
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