This Law Firm Grew Its Organic Traffic By
587 Percent In 2 Years With Local SEO

ChallengesThe Problem

A Chicago-based law firm was struggling to find profits using traditional advertising methods. Law directories, referral sites, and citation sources were no longer sending new clients.

  • Search Traffic Needed – The law firm knew customers were searching for their services online, but the firm had no presence on the front page of search results for their most relevant queries.
  • Overwhelming Competition – In a high-population area, the phrase “Chicago personal injury lawyer” was both extremely lucrative and extremely competitive. Illinois is home to over 91,000 registered lawyers, with many of them residing near the firm in downtown Fort Worth.
  • A New Direction – With traditional ad spending struggling to produce a positive ROI, the Chicago-based firm knew they needed a front-page presence in Google in order to successfully compete with law firms in the area.

The Solution

While the law firm focused on personal injury cases, their clientele still featured considerable variety, including representation for individuals and families.

Priority number one was to determine where existing investments were paying off. We set up comprehensive tracking analytics to determine precisely where new clients were coming from, including which traffic sources and which landing pages produced results.

  • Developing A Strategy – We synthesized this data with our knowledge of their brand, competitors, and industry, then applied our knowledge of the search engines in order to devise a strategy to boost visibility.
  • Market Research – We identified a list of keywords that the firm’s clients would be searching, and developed a comprehensive content map that would make the firm as authoritative as possible on the subject of personal injury law in Chicago.
  • Mind The Gap – Any gaps between services offered by the firm and the content available on the site were addressed and filled. This would help future clients combat anxiety about taking action and contacting the firm, as well as allow the firm to populate a wider variety of long-tail keywords in the search results.
  • Addressing Concerns – We fine-tuned existing content and rearranged it into a user-friendly, search engine-friendly hierarchy. We identified and addressed future client concerns about what to do in cases of car accidents, brain injuries, medical malpractice, and various other personal injury circumstances.
  • Becoming An Authority – The goal was to turn up on the front page of search results for Chicago-based searchers who were going through these stressful situations, and to become a trusted authority for these future clients.
  • Earning Trust Signals – In addition to this comprehensive content strategy, we invested in various off-page optimizations, including placing NAP (name, address, phone number) citations in trusted resources, correcting NAP discrepancies, and building press and links with authoritative local online resources.

Results

Work began in July of 2015. By July of 2017, organic search traffic had increased by a staggering 587 percent, a trend which has continued month-to-month.

Other Key Changes:

  • Page views are up by 100 percent
  • Visibility in the local “3 pack” (where only 3 Google Maps listings are displayed) for a wide variety of highly relevant keywords
  • User engagement has increased, with time on site doubling from 1:05 to 2:13

 

What Went Into It

Putting the strategy into effect required careful and focused efforts.

  • Extensive keyword research – We identified several verticals in the personal injury space to ensure that all bases were covered
  • Ongoing content marketing – Based on our market research and strategic planning, we put a content marketing strategy into place, with content produced by an industry-trained professional copyrighter
  • Meta data optimization – We optimized the meta data and related content to improve the search engine’s understanding of the firm’s topical range
  • Technical optimization – A dedicated team of webmasters audited the site for technical obstacles to search engine indexation and ranking, and made ongoing edits to address these concerns
  • Directory citation – We ensured that the firm was listed in all authoritative references with the correct name, address, and phone number included, an incredibly important step necessary in order to boost Google Maps and local search results
  • Local link creation – We built and attracted links from authoritative local websites in order to boost trust and local intent with the search engines
  • Transparent reporting – We provided the firm with comprehensive, clear reports of our efforts and their impacts each month

The Lesson

As more clients turn to internet search results for answers to their legal questions, law firms are increasingly unable to rely on free consultations, referrals, and word of mouth alone to find new clients. With traditional marketing investments losing ROI every year, investment in search engine optimization becomes a crucial step with a cumulative effect on growth.

Putting our local SEO experience to use, the firm was able to successfully secure a position on the front page of the search results, and has earned considerable ROI as a result. With their brand turning up in an increasingly broad range of search results, their cumulative investment continues to add to their monthly bottom line.

Ready To Take Your Firm To The Next
Level?

We work with you to develop a strategy that works for your business. Want to learn more about how SEO adds to your monthly
bottom line? Let’s discuss your plans for the future and the opportunities you may be missing. No obligations or commitments are
necessary.

Talk To Us →