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A Tech Adoption Guide for Lawyers

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Google / Search Engines, Small Law Firms

Google My Business For Law Firms

Every law firm should take the time to claim and optimize their Google My Business page to provide valuable information for potential clients as well as help their overall SEO.

If SEO (search engine optimization) seems overwhelming to you, know you are not alone. You went to law school to become a lawyer, not a digital marketing expert. Last week, the focus was on demystifying SEO and why it is so critical that law firms take advantage of online real estate to build a larger digital footprint. While this column will continue to provide you with action steps regarding how best to develop your website SEO, one of the most important things you can do before anything else is to claim and build your Google My Business page. 

Why Google My Business Is Critical For Law Firms 

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that law firms can use to manage their online presence throughout all of Google, which includes Google reviews, Google maps, and even Google search itself. GMB allows potential clients to find your law firm, explains how your expertise makes your law firm the best choice, and provides an important piece of your SEO puzzle to help Google understand how to rank you in their search engine. 

When a law firm claims its GMB, it ensures that Google understands the connection between the law firm’s website, their physical location, their online reviews, and the law firm as a whole. It allows Google the opportunity to easily synthesize all of this information and better understand your law firm’s expertise and services. The more that Google understands what your law firm offers, where you are located, and why you are an expert in your field, the more likely it is that Google will rank you higher in their search engine. GMB spotlights everything important about your law firm, from its location, its online reviews, to the services you provide. 

GMB will provide the following information to your potential clients as well: 

  • The name of your law firm and the services you provide
  • A link to your law firm’s website for more information 
  • Contact information so that a potential client can immediately call or email your law firm 
  • Directions to your law firm so that a potential client understands your location 
  • Your hours of operation, which may truly benefit you if you have a 24/7 answering service
  • Google online reviews of your law firm which act as testimonials to your service 
  • A Question and Answer section that provides potential clients immediate answers to their questions and established you as an authority in your field 
  • Photographs of your law firm, recent court wins, accreditations, memberships, or your law firm staff
  • Articles that explain in more detail the services you provide, recent wins in court, or settlements achieved for clients

Claim Your Law Firm’s Google My Business Page 

Your first step is to claim your law firm’s GMB page by going to the Google My Business page and clicking “Manage Now.” You will need to enter your law firm’s physical location, hours of operation, and all contact information. Make sure that you use your law firm’s actual name, and do not attempt to add keywords in this section. Google needs to synthesize all of your law firm information throughout the internet, and therefore, the name of your law firm needs to match throughout all of the different areas that Google searches. Additionally, if your law firm has several different locations, you can create separate listings for each location, which gives you even more free online real estate to advertise your law firm. 

Next, you will need to choose a particular category for your law firm and it is always best to be as specific as possible. For example, instead of “attorney,” choose “personal injury attorney.” This helps not only Google understand your law firm, but your potential clients as well. These categories are already pre-populated, so make sure to choose wisely. 

After entering all of this information, Google will send you a physical card in the mail with a specific code. You will need to include this code on your GMB page to complete the process of claiming your law firm’s GMB page. 

Optimize Your Law Firm’s Google My Business Page

Once you have officially claimed your law firm’s GMG page, make sure to take the time to optimize it. Remember, this is free real estate on the internet that can act as an incredible tool to funnel potential clients to your website, or to simply call you for a consultation immediately. Some of the ways to optimize your law firm’s GMB page include the following: 

  • Make sure your law firm’s profile is complete
  • Craft a clear and concise business description using long-tail keywords that specifically describe what services your law firm provides 
  • Include images of your brand, your attorneys, a tour of your office or recent accreditations or awards
  • Include any special events your business may be involved in such as a charity event or any philanthropic events you may participate in within your community 
  • Use the Question and Answer section to fully help potential clients understand your services 
  • Provide consistent updates by adding fresh articles all the time on GMB (articles “expire” after a certain amount of time, therefore it is important to consistently provide informative and useful content on your GMB page for both potential clients as well as to show Google that you are an expert in your field 
  • Answer and respond to all of your law firm’s reviews on Google (if you receive a negative review, remember to always answer kindly, or submit a complaint to Google if it is from a person who was never a client or is providing a dishonest review of your law firm)

This Week’s Digital Marketing Action Steps: 

  • Claim Your Google My Business Page: Take the time to visit your Google My Business area on the internet, fill out the foundational information, and request that Google send you the code to officially claim your GMB page. 
  • Optimize Your Google My Business Page: After receiving the code in the mail from Google, begin to optimize your GMB page by adding in photos, additional contact information, hours of service, and adding a few articles to showcase your expertise. 

Annette Choti graduated from law school 20 years ago, and is now the CEO & Owner of Law Quill, a legal digital marketing agency focused on small and solo law firms. Law Quill is the only legal digital marketing agency that provides unique, SEO-optimized content, pre-packaged content, and courses for lawyers to learn SEO themselves through Law Quill Academy. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so different from the legal field if we are all being honest. Annette can be found on LinkedIn or at annette@lawquill.com