Law Firm SEO That Works.

Item: PaperStreet Web Design
Rating: 5

Working only with your firm,
not your competition.

Exclusive, Ethical, Results for Law Firms

Law Firm SEO Book SEO Results Directory Listings Review Management SEO Glossary

The idea of an SEO program was born in 2002 when one of our web design clients asked how one of their competitors ranked high in searches for “Maryland employment lawyer.” At that time, we did not know anything about SEO.

But we have always been a bold and innovative company. Our founder is a self-taught computer geek, in addition to being an attorney. We love challenges. We told the client we would figure it out . . . and we did. Two weeks later, we had our client ranked #1 for the same phrase. Our lawyer SEO program was born.

Fast forward 20 years and much has changed about SEO and getting law firms ranked high. However, our results have not changed. We are a Premier Google partner with Analytics IQ training, Search Advertising, and Mobile Advertising training certifications.

SEO for Law Firms is a Science

Search engine optimization is the science of making your web pages relevant to keyword phrases that a prospective client may use to search for and find your firm. You start by defining what keyword phrases we should target. We then create a content plan to target those phrases. We also create an authority plan to obtain backlinks, shares, and mentions. We review your entire site for any technical updates that need to be made (title tags, meta descriptions, rich snippets, site speed, and more). Finally, we meet monthly for big ideas to improve each campaign.

Is Attorney SEO Needed?

When we meet with new attorney clients, we’re often met with the same question: Is SEO really necessary?

The answer . . . depends.

We believe our job is to educate our clients. Some law firms rank naturally on their own due to the power of their domain and their quality content. Of course, they probably had help writing content, building a good website, and getting mentioned online. Those are the key elements. If you do that naturally, awesome.

For those clients, we don’t do anything except consult from time to time. Those clients do not need the same SEO plan as a new client with zero backlinks and no content. We believe that no SEO plan is the same. We customize deliverables based on what the client needs to obtain results.

Now, most clients who are in competitive areas, such as personal injury, criminal law, and family law, need more help. In those areas, attorneys are increasing their spending on digital marketing and those who don’t follow suit often have their websites languish on page two and beyond. That’s why it’s so important to choose an SEO company that knows how to produce real, long-term results. A company that understands legal marketing is an even better choice.

Reasons for a New SEO Agency

Poor Rankings

Your search results show on page two or below. In short, you are not getting any traffic and you need to rank higher for more organic search visibility.

New to the Game

You’re just learning about best practices and want to start off with good content and good links.

Trying to grow beyond word-of-mouth references

Happy clients help grow your practice but they won’t reach the audience that SEO can.

Penalized

You had great results, but suddenly fell out of favor with Google. You probably need help with a disavow file, backlink cleanup, or a copy edit to stop over-optimization.

Going Broke

You are wasting money monthly on a team and want to know how you can improve.

Too Busy

You want to be practicing law, not worrying about writing about the latest news in Corporate Law or reaching out to journalists to pick up backlinks.

5 Reasons PaperStreet Excels at SEO for Lawyers

20 Years of Experience

We started our SEO program in 2001 with one of our first web design clients. We became industry experts soon after, consistently ranking sites after launch. Over the past 20 years, tactics and technologies have changed to rank high. Our internet marketing team stays at the forefront of all the latest trends. The key is to produce a better website that offers real value to your clients. This is what our team strives for each day.

100+ Current Campaigns Under Management

We currently have a varied client roster from solo practitioners, to firms with 100+ attorneys. Our practice areas range from the ever-popular personal injury, to the more niche vaccine law. If you have a practice area that you want ranked high, let us know. We have probably worked in that area before.

Expert Advice

You can check out our 10,000 word Guide on Law Firm SEO and our Forbes article "8 Successful SEO Techniques".

Happy Clients Long-Term

At PaperStreet, we have long-term clients. We have 10 clients who have been with us for over 15 years. We have over 125 law practices and businesses that have been with us for over 10 years. We have more than 360 clients for over 5 years. Our dedication to our clients ensures long-term success.

90% Retention Rate on a Monthly Basis

After our initial term, our contracts are on a month-to-month basis. This means we need to earn our clients business monthly. Unlike our competitors who have multi-year agreements, we strive to work with our SEO clients each month to improve their rankings. Our track record of success shows.

Happy Clients. Positive Results.

PaperStreet Web Design
5 stars - "Unmatched SEO." Justin Smith

PaperStreet has handled our work for several years. Their expertise with search engine optimization is unmatched in my view. If you are looking for a company to optimize and market your website, I highly recommend PaperStreet!

Features of Any of Our Lawyer SEO Plans.
In Short - A Lot is Included.

Research & Strategy

Start by determining which keyword phrases will be more effective by looking at past searches. You can use Google Keyword Planner as a great resource (you just need a free Google account). Narrow down your keywords by selecting those that are within reach AND will help your law practice grow in the practice areas you care most about.

Site Architecture & On-Page Changes

You need to organize your website to be search friendly and easy to navigate. Keep your site as close as possible to flat, with a small pyramid of pages. You also need to create friendly URLs, tags, and code.

Authority

You also need to obtain links, thus ensuring that you are well positioned to rank high. Law firms do this in several ways: 1) legal directories, 2) regular directories, 3) local listings, 4) writing content and publishing offsite, 5) getting PR / media mentions, 6) getting social, 7) sponsoring local events, 8) sponsoring national events, 9) outreach to bloggers, and 10) building such a great website that people want to link to it as a resource

Content

Search engines award points to websites that offer relevant information. You need to make sure your main practice areas have between 2,000 and 5,000 words per topic. Become THE dominant resource online.

Social Media

Not only should you publish content, but you also need to make sure that others notice it. Digital marketing for social media evolves every day and more and more platforms need to be utilized.

Analysis of Campaign & Consulting

Search rankings change constantly. Each month you should review your bounce rate, impressions, time on page, exit pages, and of course sessions.

Law Firm SEO FAQ's

Do I need an Attorney SEO agency?

In short, maybe. While we can provide resources to help you understand the “basics,” Law Firm SEO is far from simple. The guidelines and standards for what works and what doesn’t are constantly changing and evolving. We view them like a puzzle or a code that we need to crack, and it can sometimes be challenging. It takes expert knowledge and experience to get the results you need, and more than anything, it takes time. As a lawyer, we know you’re busy handling cases and clients. They need your utmost attention. Leave the technical stuff to us. Finally, check out How We Generated 145 Leads for a Law Firm.

Do you have a SEO Process Chart?

Of course. View our SEO Process Chart here. We believe the initial setup process should be as collaborative as possible. The more insight you provide about your goals, practice areas and let us learn about your business, the better we'll be able to customize our research and strategy. Our detailed process of setting up a SEO campaign consists of hundreds of steps but they can fundamentally be shortened down to: Keyword Analysis and Strategy, Content Development, Authoritative Link Building, and Reporting and Consultation.

How are your fees set up?

We offer a wide variety of package plans to fit the needs of most firms. To read more about each, please view our SEO plans page.

Do you offer any guarantees?

While we do not promise any guarantees, we work aggressively to maintain a retention rate of 90% and higher of all SEO clients. We view all campaigns as a symbiotic relationship and our success is your success.

Does PaperStreet handle everything for your SEO campaign?

As with any marketing, success is derived from partnerships of the same common goal. While PaperStreet will handle the overwhelming majority of the work, partnerships are critical to the success of your campaign. The more your firm is involved, the higher you will rank. Below are a list of some of our blog posts on partnerships:

What makes PaperStreet different from other Lawyer SEO agencies?

We pride ourselves on our results, our exclusivity, and our transparency. We like to showcase our proven results; we offer exclusive agreements by working for only one firm for each particular practice areas per region for most of our advanced packages; and we uphold full transparency in the work within your campaign – we involve our clients in all aspects of our process and provide full disclosure in all work completed within the campaign.

How is SEO success measured for law firms?

The simple answer: getting a return on your investment. Once we obtain top rankings, translating these rankings first to traffic on your website; then, most importantly, to conversions from the website. Conversions for attorney SEO campaigns are typically a phone call of contact form submission.

How does PaperStreet decide which keywords to use?

At PaperStreet, we rely on in-depth keyword research to determine which keywords will be the most relevant, most competitive and most lucrative for your law firm. Some of our steps for this process include:

Establish your geographical area. Determining the region you want to focus on -- whether it’s a specific city, county or sometimes even nationwide -- is the first step to creating an effective list of keywords.
Identify keywords based on content. Content based around keyword phrases is viewed as more relevant by search engines and will help improve your rankings.
Add keyword suffix terms. Don’t just focus on one term! In the legal industry, there are so many options available to you. Use the terms “lawyer,” “lawyers,” “attorney,” “attorneys,” “law firm,” and “law firms” for the best results.
Use suggestion tools. Tools like Google Adwords’ Keyword Planner and other sites like Ubersuggest are a great resource for generating ideas you might have missed. Adwords’ Keyword Planner Tool and other sites like Ubersuggest are a great resource for generating ideas you might have missed.

Does PaperStreet outsource?

No, we do not outsource our work. We do all our own research, strategy, writing, editing, development, design, link building, reporting, analytics and consulting.

Can you work with my design / development team?

Yes, our team can work with any design and development team. We have worked on SEO only campaigns with attorney marketing teams. Of course, we are also a web design and development team, so can assist as needed too.

Does PaperStreet adhere to White Hat SEO principles?

Yes. We have never (and never will) resort to the unscrupulous SEO tactics that have caught up to some companies, getting them blacklisted by Google. In fact, we have helped many firms that have come to us for assistance in cleaning up their websites and getting rankings restored. While it might take more time and effort, these techniques can and will achieve long-term success. We focus on high-quality backlinks; original, reader-friendly content; heavily-researched keywords and more to ensure results for our clients.

Does PaperStreet offer a Google Penalty Recovery Services?

Yes. If your website has low-quality backlinks, Google may have noticed this also. As such, these backlinks can be pulling down your website in rankings. We offer services to disavow and remove manual action penalties caused by these low-quality backlinks.

Does PaperStreet offer General Law Firm SEO Consulting?

Yes. Please contact us for specific plans on how we may be able to assist.

Do you pay attention to Google Algorithm updates and do they matter?

Yes and yes. We continually monitor any changes, however minor they may seem. Any changes within any algorithm can potentially affect change and we want to make sure that we stay on top of any updates that can affect our campaigns. Below are a list of some of our blog posts on algorithm updates:

Which SEO tools do you use?

It's important to make sure the technical aspects of the website are in good shape. This ensures Google can easily access the website and understand it completely. We use applications such as Google Analytics and Search Console, Screaming Frog, XENU, MOZ, Sitebeam, and Advanced Web Rankings to name a few. Below are a list of some of our blog posts on Google Webmaster Tools and Analytics:

How does PaperStreet aid in our local SEO?

By focusing on your local SEO marketing goals. We optimize your website to ensure it has all of your local information according to best practices. We work with our clients to create local content such as city pages and local blog posts. We claim and update all major local listings and provide recommendations on backlink opportunities including sponsorships and publications to dominate within a local market.

Will you share all of the SEO changes you make to our site?

Yes. We never arbitrarily make updates to a website without approval. All changes and updates will be approved first before being made online.

How often will you deliver reports?

All reports are sent out within the first two weeks of each month. The reports sent outline the work completed over the previous month. Additionally, monthly consultation is included as part of all SEO campaigns at PaperStreet.

Will SEO help my law firm?

Yes, so long as you follow the best practices guidelines, an SEO strategy can help your site. You can also seriously mess up your website and hurt your rankings if you try to scheme / scam Google.

How long will SEO take?

The SEO process can take anywhere from 60 days to over a year. The time it takes depends on your existing website, its content, its authority and the same for your competitors. Niche keyword phrases can be ranked high typically quicker than the most highly sought after competitive phrases.

Do you have a Google Analytics Quick Guide?

Want to know how to quickly use and understand Google Analytics? Learn more about Google Analytics.

What is your Best Practices Guide for obtaining Online Business Reviews?

Not sure how to obtain online reviews for your business? Learn more about online reviews.

SEO Drives Results for Law Firms

FACT: You can build a beautiful website for your law firm, but without implementing SEO practices, no one will visit it. Search engines display results based on algorithms which rank websites based on the content that is relevant to the most users. SEO is based on non-paid advertising, and when done correctly, it can help drive people to your site based on “organic” searches.

SEO Tips and Tricks

We Are SEO Experts

Over-Optimize? #Fail

SEO Hack for YouTube

What is Link Building?

Partnerships are Important

Keyword Research, On-Page Optimization & Other Technical Details

To optimize a site correctly, PaperStreet’s SEO team will conduct a thorough review, identifying targeted keywords. While keywords may seem simple, they’re anything but so! Selecting keywords for your website encompasses a variety of factors, including search volume, relevance and your competition. Additionally, our team will delve into top search queries to make sure that you target any potential opportunities for SEO searches based on your targeted geographic location.

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

What is Technical SEO?

Keyword Research?

Link Building to Increase Page Authority

Link building is when other websites link back to your site. Link building plays a significant factor in how Google ranks websites. If high-quality sites link back to your site, Google views your site as an authoritative reference that is trustworthy, rating it even higher in search results.

How to Optimize Headlines

Why Website Speed Matters

Backlinks & Citations

Multimedia Presentation of Your Legal Content

Effective SEO requires content, but not just any content. The content must be meaningful to your potential clients in that it is easy to understand and demonstrates your legal expertise. How you present that content is up to you. Web pages, blog posts, infographics, social media posts and videos are all means of promoting your law firm’s brand that PaperStreet can assist with. Below are some videos offering some pointers for how to best present your content.

How Can We Help? 954-523-2181