Local SEO is one of the most powerful digital marketing components for lawyers. In recent years, local businesses have become more and more critical as legal businesses continue to grow at a rapid pace. This growth has led many in-demand professionals, such as lawyers and paralegals, to seek clients deep in their local communities.
If you are a lawyer, chances are that your business’s profile on Google is somewhat weak. The Google My Business and Business profile have been around for many years. However, they’ve recently seen an update, which means many SEOs still have a lot to learn about optimizing those profiles for search engines and helping their clients.
This article will help you understand what you need to know about local SEO and using a Google My Business profile for your law firm.
Overview of Local SEO and Google My Business
How can you become more visible online, improve your position in search engine results, and draw in more local customers?
The ideal method for boosting local SEO for attorneys is Google My Business (GMB).
Google will give greater significance to informative, mobile-friendly, and local query-optimized pages regarding local search. You can get assistance with these details for your website from an SEO agency for legal firms.
After you’ve handled those components, one more crucial step remains: properly setting up your GMB profile. With this configuration, your brand’s online visibility will be enhanced, and your law practice will be able to be seen at the top of the local Google Map results page. This is where potential clients are most inclined to click when searching for nearby firms.
It’s worth claiming and setting up your legal firm’s Google My Business profile. Keep reading to learn how to do so correctly.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business, now known as Google Business Profile, is a commercial and private business listing and search tool provided by Google. You must have a detailed listing if you want your legal practice to appear in geo-targeted results pages and on Google maps.
You can also advertise your law career and raise your search engine rating in local searches by completing your GMB information. Additionally, Google My Business Insights will be made available to you. This tool gives you data on how well your website is performing.
Use Insights to find out more about how well your law firm ranks in Google searches and on Google Maps. Additionally, it monitors the number of times your business profile is viewed, direct searches made to discover your firm, click-through rates, messages sent to your firm, recommendations requested, and phone calls made from your Google My Business profile.
For the most effective management of your law firm’s online presence, consider utilizing tools to schedule Google My Business posts in advance. This ensures consistent engagement with potential clients while optimizing your visibility on Google searches and Maps, crucial for enhancing your legal practice’s outreach and reputation.
Why GMB is Important for Your Law Firm
There are various advantages to claiming and filling out your firm’s GMB profile.
Google Maps will show your legal firm when you claim your profile. The volume of visitors to your website will rise due to this appearance. Additionally, it can result in more calls from potential customers. Local firms that fit the bill will be shown on Google maps whenever anyone searches for “attorneys in [your area]” or “labor lawyers close by.”
The prospective customer will be able to view the distance from their location to your legal business when it is shown. They will also be granted access to your company’s Google reviews and contact details. Your law firm’s name will link to a different page if they click it. More details about your business are available on this page.
Your Google My Business profile provides all the details that target clients view. You will only receive the GMB benefits if that data is accurate and current.
How to Create Your Google My Business Account and Start Using It
1. Set up a Google Account
You must first confirm that you currently have a Google account. The Google My Business listing for your business will be connected to this account. If you already have an account, go ahead to the next step.
To create a Google account, you need a mobile number, your name, date of birth, gender, and so on. Follow the prompts and make sure you fill in accurate details.
2. Check if your law firm listing already exists
Your law business might have been recommended to Google by someone else. Additionally, Google might add a listing for you. It is simple to verify this. Visit the Google My Business Profile Manager to get started. Look for the name of your law firm there.
Do you see the name of your law firm? If so, click on it right away. You can do that if the listing hasn’t already been claimed. It will prompt you to check and update the information about your legal firm. For verification, confirm that your address is accurate.
If your law firm isn’t listed, choose the “add your firm to Google” option.
3. Create your law firm GMB profile
If your law firm does not already exist, you can create one immediately. Fill out the following details and ensure what you provide is accurate.
- Your law firm’s name
- Select a category that your firm falls under
- The option to show or hide your location
- Your law firm’s physical address
- Your email, phone number, and website
4. Verification
Google will verify your provided details before showing your listing to potential clients. There are several methods to adopt for verification. You can pick the one that most suits your listing. It can be via email or phone.
While the verification process is ongoing, do not change any of the information you already provided.
Conclusion
GMB is a valuable tool for local companies, and your legal firm is one of them. You will have a competitive advantage over other legal offices if you appropriately set up your profile and optimize for your target audience.
Your business profile will draw in more prospective clients and give them the compelling evidence they need to employ you. Still, it will also let people know when you are not the suitable attorney for their particular case.
People will understand precisely why they need to choose your business after you complete your service section and publish articles.
Consider GMB as a simplified version of your law website that displays in local search results and maps.
