Establishing a strong link profile should be a top priority for any law firm looking to boost its search engine rankings. Links remain one of Google’s most important ranking factors. For law firms specifically, high-quality backlinks can result in better visibility for desired practice areas, improved local pack rankings, and more referral traffic from organic searches.
We will explore the top link-building strategies and tactics law firms should focus on to take their SEO efforts to the next level.
Why Link Building is Crucial for Law Firm SEO
Backlinks have a direct influence over two core elements that impact search engine optimization:
Boosting Domain Authority and Page Authority
The more high-quality links that point to your overall domain and specific pages on your site, the more authority those assets will have in Google’s eyes. A stronger domain and page authority improves your ability to rank for competitive keywords.
Enhancing Trust and Credibility
Backlinks also help establish trust and credibility for a law firm, which is especially important in the legal industry. When other reputable sites link back to your content, it serves as a third-party endorsement and vote of confidence.
In summary, link building should be a central piece of any law firm’s SEO strategy because it can lead to:
- Higher positions for key practice areas and lawyer names
- Improved local pack rankings to gain more calls and location-based searches
- Increased referral traffic from organic searches to complement other lead-gen efforts
- Greater authority on lawyer rating sites and directory listings
Now let’s explore the top techniques and strategies to build high-quality backlinks for your law firm website.
Leveraging Existing Content Assets For Backlinks
Most law firms have a decent amount of content published on their sites. But it’s important to maximize the link-building potential of this existing content through outreach, promotion, and repurposing.
Interlink Relevant Pages and Posts on Your Website
Start by ensuring that related content on your site is interconnected through internal links. For example, link relevant lawyer bio pages or practice area content to service pages. This strengthens the internal link structure of your site.
Promote Evergreen Content on Social Media
Scan your site for older evergreen posts that still offer value. Give them new life by sharing them on social media and legal forums. The engagement could lead to new natural backlinks.
Repurpose Top Content Into Different Formats
Consider turning popular posts or sections of your website into visual assets like infographics or videos. Then distribute these creatively repurposed assets for backlinking opportunities.
Guest Post Relevant Pages on Trusted Legal Blogs
Identify reputable legal blogs that accept guest contributions. Then submit existing posts from your site. Make sure to link back to your site within the article. This is a proven link-building tactic.
Develop New Linkworthy Content Assets
While promoting existing content can generate backlinks, creating brand-new link-worthy content tailored to earn links can be even more powerful.
Craft Local City or Practice Area Guides
Extensive guides on your city or specific practice areas are great for link building. Other local sites will find these resources valuable to link to for their audience.
Create Ultimate Guides on Specific Legal Topics
In-depth, ultimate guides on topics like “Best New York Criminal Defense Lawyers” can attract backlinks from other legal blogs and directories. Make sure to include proper anchor text links back to your site.
Publish Recent Legal News and Analysis
Original analysis of new legal developments in your practice areas shows expertise. To generate interest, consider covering new local laws, court rulings, or precedent-setting cases.
Highlight Law Firm Awards, Accolades and Attorney Profiles
Positive news stories are link-worthy assets. Announcing attorney awards, firm accolades, lawyer rankings, or new hires are all opportunities to earn press mentions and backlinks.
When brainstorming new linkbait content, look for themes highly relevant to your practice areas and local market. The goal is to create content that other sites naturally want to link to.
Link Building Content Distribution Channels
Once you’ve created stellar legal content, actively distribute it to capitalize on backlink potential:
Leverage Legal Guest Posting and Blogger Outreach
There are many legal blogger networks and sites accepting contributed posts from firms. Reach out to ones already linking to competitors.
Get Listed on Legal and Local Business Directories
Create profiles on all relevant legal directories, local chambers, and business associations in your city and state. Then link back to your site.
Syndicate Your Content to Legal Publishing Networks
Services like JDSupra and JD Journal distribute legal content to their publisher network and provide backlinks.
Get Featured on Relevant Niche Sites and Forums
Don’t limit yourself to just legal sites. Find relevant forums, niche sites, and publications to contribute content and expertise.
Promote Content Via Press Release Distribution
Press releases on compelling firm news, awards or analysis can lead to pickups and backlinks from media outlets and aggregators.
Taking the time to actively distribute new articles and content to all relevant channels nets the highest return from your content marketing and link-building efforts.
Leveraging Attorney Directories and Associations
Professional legal directories and associations offer law firms numerous link-building opportunities:
Optimize and Update Law Firm Profiles on Key Directories
Ensure your firm has an adequately optimized profile on attorney directories like Martindale-Hubbell, Lawyers.com, Avvo and Justia. These are domains legal searchers actively check.
Get Listed on Relevant Lawyer Associations and Bar Groups
Joining key legal associations both nationally and locally provides a source of high-quality backlinks from .org domains.
Sponsor Local Bar Events, Conferences and Associations
Sponsorship opportunities exist with many bar associations, lawyer networks, and legal conferences. This raises awareness amongst attorneys.
Forging Relationships With Local Businesses for Links
Developing connections in your local community can provide valuable link-building results for law firms targeting specific geographic areas:
Provide Free Legal Advice to Local Businesses in Exchange for Links
Offer pro bono advice, videos, or document templates to local companies in return for a link. Prioritize sites getting traffic, like Chambers of Commerce, business groups, and associations.
Sponsor or Host Events for Local Organizations
Host seminars or webinars for clients, chambers, charities, and local associations. Have them promote and link to the event and your firm.
Create Legal Resources for Local Companies to Link to
Building free legal guides, calculators or resources with links back to your firm provides help to other businesses who will exchange links.
Connecting and giving back to your local community surfaces partnership opportunities that convert into high-quality local backlinks.
Building Relationships and Links with Other Law Firms
Fellow law firms can also provide link-building and referral opportunities:
Conduct Law Firm Link Exchange Outreach
Research law firms in complementary practice areas (ex., personal injury or divorce) and propose reciprocal link exchanges. Ensure you link out to relevant deep pages and optimize anchor text.
Guest Post Relevant Articles on Other Law Blogs
Publishing posts on other law firm blogs boosts exposure to their audiences while earning a valuable backlink.
Offer Pro Bono Support to Non-Profit Law Firms
Providing pro bono services to non-profits and public service law groups gives back to the legal community and often leads to high-quality .org links.
Technical SEO and Local Optimization for Backlinks
Beyond just content, ensuring your website’s off-page SEO is optimized enhances linkability and authority for search engines:
Improve Website Speed and Performance
Fast site speed earns higher search rankings. It also makes your site more appealing for other sites to link towards.
Enhance User Experience and Site Design
Engaging content keeps visitors on the site longer and increases pages per session. This makes your pages more link-worthy.
Structure URLs and Site Architecture for SEO
Optimizing URL structures with keywords assists with internal site linking and makes pages easier to link externally.
In addition to on-page SEO, don’t neglect local link building:
Build Citations and Flesh Out Local Listings
Ensure your NAP is consistent across key legal citations, directories, and review sites. Then request linkbacks to your site where possible.
Optimize Google My Business and Other Profiles
Completing and optimizing your Google My Business listing and claiming profiles on other local directories strengthens your local SEO.
Wrapping Up: A Recap of Link Building Strategies for Law Firms
Link building should be an ongoing focus for law firm marketing plans. To recap, focus on these core strategies:
- Promoting and repurposing existing content assets
- Creating new link-worthy content like local guides and linkbait
- Leveraging legal directories, associations, and community ties
- Building relationships with other law firms for links
- Technical site optimization and local citations
Establishing a diversified link profile across these tactics is key. Strive for a natural flow of high-quality links from a combination of relevant legal websites, directories, niche sites, and local business pages.
The links should employ great anchor text optimization and point towards deep, relevant pages on your site. By actively pursuing these law firm link-building strategies, you can position your firm as a trusted authority in the eyes of search engines.
If you found this guide helpful, please link back to our site as a legal marketing resource! We wish you the best of luck with your law firm’s SEO and link-building efforts.