Most London law firms waste thousands on SEO that brings traffic but no clients. Rankings for “lawyer London” mean nothing if the visitors aren’t qualified leads.
Here’s how to do law firm SEO that actually grows your practice.
Why Generic SEO Doesn’t Work for Law Firms
Legal SEO is different from regular SEO.
The problems:
Extremely competitive keywords. High-value leads mean aggressive competition. SRA regulations on marketing claims. Trust and credibility matter more than other industries. Long sales cycles requiring multiple touchpoints.
You can’t just copy what works for e-commerce or local restaurants.
Practice Area Pages: Your Foundation
Each practice area needs its own optimized page.
Structure:
Separate page for each specialty. Family law. Personal injury. Immigration. Employment law. Criminal defense.
Not one “services” page listing everything. That ranks for nothing.
What each page needs:
Clear description of that practice area. What cases you handle specifically. Your experience and results in this area. Why clients choose you. Clear call-to-action. Testimonials specific to that practice. London-specific content where relevant.
Keyword targeting:
“immigration lawyer London” not just “lawyer London.” “employment tribunal solicitor” not just “employment law.”
Specific beats generic every time.
Content That Demonstrates Expertise
Google wants to show expert content for legal queries. Your content must prove you’re an expert.
What to write about:
Changes in law affecting your clients. Case studies showing your results. Step-by-step guides for legal processes. Common mistakes clients make. FAQs answered thoroughly. Local London legal issues.
Authority signals:
Cite actual legislation and cases. Show your qualifications prominently. Link to official legal resources. Use proper legal terminology. Demonstrate deep knowledge.
What not to do:
Generic legal advice anyone could write. Copied content from other law firms. Guaranteed outcomes (SRA violation). Content written by non-lawyers.
Local SEO for London Law Firms
Most clients search for lawyers near them.
Google Business Profile:
Complete every section. Choose specific legal categories. List all practice areas. Add office photos. Get reviews from satisfied clients. Post regular updates.
Local content:
Write about legal issues specific to London. Reference local courts you practice in. Mention London boroughs you serve. Cover local news affecting your practice area.
Citations:
List in legal directories. Law Society Find a Solicitor. Solicitors Regulation Authority. UK legal directories. London-specific business directories.
Keep your firm name, address, phone consistent everywhere.
Client Reviews and Testimonials
Reviews massively impact both rankings and conversions.
Getting reviews:
Ask satisfied clients directly. Send follow-up emails after case resolution. Make it easy with direct review links. Timing matters, ask when they’re happiest.
SRA compliance:
Don’t offer incentives for reviews. Don’t edit or fabricate reviews. Respond professionally to negative reviews. Disclose if reviews are solicited.
Where to get reviews:
Google Business Profile most important. Trustpilot for professional trust. Legal-specific review sites. LinkedIn recommendations.
Target 10+ Google reviews minimum. 50+ builds strong authority.
Link Building for Law Firms
Quality backlinks from legal and London sources.
Valuable links:
Legal directories and associations. Law Society profile. Local news coverage. Guest posts on legal blogs. London business associations. University law department mentions.
What works:
Original legal research or surveys. Newsworthy expert commentary. Educational resources for public. Partnerships with complementary services.
What doesn’t work:
Buying links from link farms. Generic guest posts on random blogs. Low-quality directory spam.
One link from a respected legal publication beats 100 random links.
Technical SEO Essentials
Your website’s technical foundation affects rankings.
Speed:
Law firm sites must load in under 3 seconds. Heavy images and plugins slow sites down. Use proper hosting, not cheap shared hosting.
Mobile:
Most local searches happen on mobile. Your site must work perfectly on phones. Click-to-call buttons prominent. Forms easy to fill on small screens.
Security:
HTTPS is mandatory. Update WordPress and plugins regularly. Regular security scanning. Client trust requires secure site.
Structure:
Clear navigation to practice areas. Logical URL structure. Proper heading hierarchy. Internal linking between related pages.
Want More Clients from SEO?
We’ll audit your law firm’s website and show you exactly what’s holding you back from ranking and converting.
Email us: contact@algosemantic.com
Call us: +44 7412 808430
AlgoSemantic. The algorithm behind your success.
