Top 20 Legal Keywords and Research Methods for 2023

Let’s kick things off by answering a critical question: What exactly are keywords?

In the simplest of terms, keywords are the words or phrases that people type into search engines when they’re looking for something. These could be anything from “divorce attorney in Birmingham” to “how to file for bankruptcy in the US”. The magic behind these keywords is that they connect your potential clients’ searches to your website or blog.

Think of keywords as the bridges that link your law firm to the people who need your services. They are the language your potential clients speak when they are lost in the search engine wilderness and they can guide these individuals straight to your virtual doorstep.

But it’s not just about any words picked at random. No, it’s about finding the right keywords — the ones your potential clients are using and that accurately represent the services you offer. That’s the key to a successful SEO strategy.

The world of SEO can be pretty complex, but the concept of keywords is simple: speak the language of your clients and they will find you. This understanding is the first step in navigating the sea of SEO. But what makes this even more fascinating are the different types of keywords and that’s what we’re going to dive into next.

The Main Types of Keywords

Now that we’ve covered the basics of what keywords are, let’s move a step further into this ocean of SEO. Not all keywords are created equal and understanding the different types of keywords can help you better connect with potential clients. Keywords can be categorised into several types, each with its unique characteristics and benefits.

In this section, we’ll uncover three main types of keywords: short-tail, long-tail and local keywords. Let’s dive into each one to see how they can benefit your law firm’s SEO strategy:

Short-Tail Keywords

Short-tail keywords are usually composed of one or two words. They’re quite broad and generic, like ‘lawyer’ or ‘attorney.’ While they may seem appealing due to their high search volume, they come with fierce competition.

Using these keywords might not yield the best results because it can be hard to rank higher than established law firms that have already staked their claim.

Long-Tail Keywords

On the other end of the spectrum, we have long-tail keywords. These are more specific and are typically composed of three or more words. Think “experienced bankruptcy attorney” or “how to file for child custody”.

These keywords have a lower search volume compared to short-tail keywords, but they can attract more targeted traffic. That means you’re more likely to attract potential clients who are specifically looking for the services you offer.

Local Keywords

Last but not least, let’s talk about local keywords. These are geographically-specific keywords that potential clients use when they’re looking for local services. An example of a local keyword might be “divorce lawyer in London”.

When you use local keywords in your website content, you increase your chances of appearing in “Near Me” searches and on Google Maps, making it easier for local clients to find you.

By now, you should have a clear understanding of what keywords are in general and the different types of keywords you might encounter in your journey of SEO keywords for lawyers. As you’ve probably guessed from the header of this section, we’d like to give you a headstart on your legal keyword journey.

Keep in mind that many industries, including law, are heavily local-focused. It’s very rare that someone in London, Ontario might be looking for legal services in Austin, Texas, for example!

With that in mind, here’s a list of the top legal keywords and a rough idea of their monthly search volume, to give you a rough idea of what to work towards:

You’ve got a handle on what keywords are and the different types we can play with. Now, let’s talk about an essential process that makes these keywords work for you – keyword research.

Keyword research is like a treasure hunt. It’s the process of digging deep to find those golden nuggets (keywords, in our case) that your potential clients are using to search for legal services similar to what you offer. It’s about understanding the language of your audience and tuning your website to speak this language fluently.

But it’s not just about finding a list of words and phrases. It’s about understanding how relevant these keywords are to your law firm, how often they’re being searched and how much competition there is for these terms. This information can help you identify which keywords have the potential to drive the most traffic to your site and which ones are less likely to pay off.

By conducting keyword research, you’ll be equipping yourself with a powerful tool: the ability to anticipate your clients’ needs and questions. You’ll know what they’re searching for, the exact phrases they’re using and you’ll be there with the answers they need. The result? A solid SEO strategy that not only boosts your visibility online but also fosters trust and authority with your clients.

Keywords aren’t just the backbone of your SEO strategy; they’re the lifeblood of your online presence. But to truly appreciate the significance of keywords in the digital legal landscape, it’s essential to understand the key roles they play.

Here, we’re going to delve into three core aspects that make keywords integral to your online visibility and success:

Boosting Search Engine Ranking

Keywords are crucial in helping your law firm climb up the search engine ranks. By using the right keywords — those phrases your potential clients are typing into the search bar — you increase your chances of appearing at the top of the search results. This visibility is vital in the digital age, where being seen is the first step to attracting potential clients.

Establishing Authority

The power of keywords extends beyond visibility. By incorporating relevant keywords into useful, informative content, you’re positioning your law firm as an authority in your field. When your website answers the questions that your potential clients are asking, they perceive you as a knowledgeable, reliable source of information. This can help foster trust, build your reputation and ultimately attract more clients to your firm.

Attracting Quality Traffic

The strategic use of keywords allows you to attract high-quality traffic. By targeting specific, relevant keywords, you’re more likely to pull in visitors who are actively seeking the services you offer. These are the individuals who are more likely to convert from casual website visitors into actual clients.

Now that we’ve set the stage with all this talk about the importance of keywords, it’s time to get into the action. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you start your keyword research journey, tailored specifically for attorneys. Fear not! It’s not as complex as it may sound.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Understand Your Practice Areas

Before diving into the world of keywords, it’s pivotal to establish a solid understanding of your unique practice areas. Knowing whether you’re a family lawyer, a criminal defence attorney or perhaps a bankruptcy law specialist will serve as a compass guiding your keyword research. In essence, your specialisation will dictate which areas you’ll want to emphasise in your SEO strategy

Equipped with this understanding, you’ll be able to generate a list of potential keywords that directly relate to your practice. Remember, the more accurately you target your specific area of law, the more relevant traffic you’ll attract. It’s not just about getting people to your site; it’s about getting the right people to your site.

Step 2: Think Like Your Potential Clients

The next step requires some empathy and imagination. The goal here is to view the world through your potential clients’ eyes. Ask yourself, what terms or phrases would they use when searching for your services? You might think in terms like “personal injury attorney”, but a distressed client might instead search for “compensation for workplace injury”.

To help with this, consider having conversations with your existing clients to understand their language and concerns better. This will not only help you connect with them more deeply but also enable you to tune your content to match the questions and keywords they’re likely to use.

Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools

Now we’re getting technical. It’s time to utilise the power of keyword research tools. These tools — like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush or Ahrefs — are built to offer you a list of keyword ideas, give you insights into how often they’re searched and provide data on how high the competition is for each keyword.

Don’t be daunted by the numbers and data these tools throw at you. Embrace them. These figures will give you a solid understanding of what your potential clients are searching for and how you can optimise your content to meet those queries. We’ll explore more about these tools in the next section.

Step 4: Evaluate Keyword Relevance, Search Volume and Difficulty

The universe of keywords is vast and not all of them will be beneficial for your firm. The goal here is to cherry-pick those keywords that are highly relevant to your services, have a substantial search volume and low-to-moderate competition. This might sound like looking for a needle in a haystack, but with the right tools and persistence, you can find those gems.

Remember, relevance is king. A highly relevant keyword that closely aligns with your services will do a better job of attracting the right audience than a high-volume but loosely relevant keyword. Balancing these aspects—relevance, search volume and competition—is your key to a successful keyword strategy.

Step 5: Prioritise Long-Tail and Local Keywords

In the legal industry, the secret sauce often lies in focusing on long-tail and local keywords. These keywords — such as “family lawyer in Yorkshire“ or “how to file for divorce in Miami” — might not have the highest search volumes, but they can attract a more targeted audience. This specificity means you’re likely to pull in visitors who are actively seeking your specific services and are, therefore, more likely to convert into clients.

Long-tail keywords also tend to have less competition, which can increase your chances of ranking higher in search results. Meanwhile, local keywords help you reach potential clients in your area, which is particularly important for law firms that depend on local business.

Step 6: Implement Keywords Strategically

You’ve done the hard work of finding your golden keywords, but now it’s time to put them to use. This step involves implementing your chosen keywords into your website content, blog posts, page titles, meta descriptions and more. It’s crucial to weave these keywords naturally into your content. Remember, the goal is to provide valuable information to your clients, not to confuse or frustrate them with awkward keyword stuffing.

Strategic keyword implementation is a delicate balancing act. While it’s important to include your chosen keywords, overuse can lead to penalties from search engines. Strive for a balance that allows for high search engine visibility without compromising the quality and readability of your content.

With the fundamentals of keyword research under our belt, let’s switch gears and explore the powerful tools designed to streamline and supercharge this process. Remember, keyword research doesn’t have to be an uphill battle; with the right tools, it can be a smooth and even enjoyable part of your SEO journey.

With that said, let’s delve into three keyword research powerhouses that are particularly beneficial for lawyers.

Google Keyword Planner

The first stop on our tool tour is Google’s very own Keyword Planner. This free tool offers a wealth of keyword insights straight from the world’s most popular search engine. You can uncover new keyword ideas, understand how often certain keywords are searched and even see how keyword trends have evolved over time.

What sets Google Keyword Planner apart is its integration with Google Ads. You can estimate how different keywords might perform in your ad campaigns, making it an invaluable tool if you’re considering dipping your toes into the world of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. For lawyers looking to expand their online presence, Google Keyword Planner is an excellent starting point.

SemRush

Next up, we have SEMrush, a comprehensive SEO tool that offers a wealth of keyword research features. With SEMrush, you can discover new keyword opportunities, see how difficult it would be to rank for certain keywords and understand where your competitors are ranking.

SEMrush goes beyond just keyword research. Its suite of tools also includes SEO auditing, backlink analysis and even social media tracking. It’s more than just a keyword tool; it’s a complete SEO powerhouse. For law firms looking to take their SEO game to the next level, SEMrush is worth considering.

Ahrefs

Continuing on with our list of SEO keyword powerhouses, , we have Ahrefs. This tool might be best known for its backlink analysis features, but its keyword research capabilities are just as impressive. Ahrefs offers keyword suggestions, search volume data, keyword difficulty scores and more.

Perhaps the standout feature of Ahrefs is its ‘clicks’ metric, which shows not just how many people search for a keyword, but how many actually click on the search results. This can provide valuable insights into user behaviour and help you identify high-potential keywords. For lawyers keen on deep-diving into SEO, Ahrefs provides a robust toolkit.

Moz

Last on our list, but definitely not least, is Moz. This all-in-one SEO toolset offers robust keyword research capabilities that can help you discover and prioritise the best keywords for your law practice. With features like Keyword Explorer and Rank Tracker, the paid Moz Pro version gives you a comprehensive understanding of your keywords’ potential performance and your current search engine rankings.

But that’s not all Moz Pro brings to the table. Its SEO toolset includes features like on-page optimisation recommendations, SEO audit and crawl reports and a powerful link research tool. What makes Moz Pro stand out is its user-friendly interface and rich educational resources, making SEO more approachable for beginners.

It’s time to cap things off with some best SEO practices tailored specifically for lawyers. If you follow these tips and implement the keyword research methods we’ve explored, you’ll be well on your way to improving your law firm’s online visibility and attracting more potential clients.

So, without further ado, let’s delve into the five best SEO practices for lawyers:

1. Maintain a Clean, User-Friendly Website

In the digital realm, your website is your law firm’s first impression and as we all know, first impressions matter. A well-designed, easy-to-navigate website can not only improve your site’s search engine rankings but also boost user engagement and conversion rates. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, load times are fast and information is easy to find and understand.

2. Produce High-Quality, Relevant Content

Content is king in the world of SEO. Regularly producing high-quality, relevant content — be it blog posts, articles or even videos — helps establish your firm as an authority in your legal niche. But more than that, it provides opportunities to naturally incorporate your target keywords, boosting your SEO efforts. Remember, your content should provide real value to your potential clients, answering their questions and addressing their concerns.

3. Optimise Your Local SEO

For many law firms, their clientele is local. Therefore, optimising your website for local search results can be a game-changer. This can involve creating a Google My Business listing, ensuring your firm’s name, address and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online platforms and encouraging happy clients to leave online reviews. A solid local SEO strategy can help you reach potential clients in your area when they need your services the most.

4. Leverage the Power of Backlinks

Backlinks — links from other websites to your own — are a key ranking factor for search engines. They serve as endorsements of your content’s quality and relevance. To build a strong backlink profile, consider guest blogging on reputable legal sites, creating valuable content that others want to link to or even partnering with local businesses for link exchanges.

5. Regularly Monitor and Adjust Your SEO Strategy

SEO isn’t a set-and-forget strategy; it requires regular monitoring and adjustment. Keep an eye on your site’s performance using tools like Google Analytics and the keyword research tools we discussed earlier. Stay abreast of SEO trends and algorithm updates. Most importantly, be willing to adapt your strategy based on your findings. The world of SEO is always evolving and so too should your strategy.

Conclusion

We’ve journeyed through the vast realm of legal SEO, starting with the fundamentals of keywords and their crucial role in the digital landscape. We’ve delved into the mechanics of keyword research, explored a toolkit of powerful research aids and equipped you with the top SEO practices to propel your law firm’s online presence.

Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring continuous commitment and refinement. But you’re not alone in this race. Here, we’re more than an SEO agency — we’re your strategic partner, armed with the latest strategies, tools and insights to help your law firm stand out in the crowded digital landscape.

Why go it alone when you can have a seasoned team guiding you every step of the way? Our results-crazy team at Teranga is committed to turning your SEO challenges into victories. Reach out to us today for a free discovery call and let’s transform the digital landscape into your law firm’s next success story!