What Are the Different Types of Keywords for Law Firm SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for any law firm looking to bring in new clients. But SEO can be particularly challenging, especially for law firms, as legal keywords are some of the hardest to rank for.

One of the most important aspects of law firm SEO is choosing the right keywords to optimize your website’s content and improve its ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Keywords are the foundation of any SEO strategy and play a significant role in determining whether your website will attract potential clients.

In this post, we’ll discuss the different types of keywords for law firm SEO and provide best practices for using them effectively to enhance your online presence and attract more clients to your law firm.

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4 types of keywords for lawyers

Let’s dive into the four types of keywords that you’ll run into when you begin keyword research.

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Primary keywords

Primary keywords are the main keywords that describe your law firm’s services and areas of practice. They’re the most important and frequently searched keywords related to your law firm.

Primary keywords are typically broader and more general than other types of keywords. They have a high search volume but high competition and are challenging to rank for.

These keywords form the foundation of your law firm’s SEO, as they send signals to Google telling the search engine what your website is about and whether it’s relevant to a user’s search query.

You can incorporate these keywords in your website’s content, meta descriptions, and title tags to improve your website’s ranking for said keywords.

And these keywords also inform the secondary and long-tail keywords you target. For example, if your primary keyword is “personal injury lawyer,” a long-tail keyword you could target to support that is “how to find a personal injury lawyer in Chicago.”

Here are some examples of primary keywords:

• Immigration lawyer
• Personal injury lawyer
• Criminal defence lawyer

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Secondary keywords

Secondary keywords are related keywords that support and complement your primary keywords. They are more specific and targeted than primary keywords and can include related terms, synonyms, or variations of your primary keywords.

They help search engines understand the context and relevance of your website’s content, making it easier for potential clients to find you online.

Incorporating secondary keywords in your website’s content can help you rank for a broader range of search queries and attract more targeted traffic to your law firm’s website. They typically have less traffic (but still significant) and lower competition than primary keywords.

Secondary keywords also help diversify your SEO strategy, making it less reliant on a single primary keyword.

If you include relevant secondary keywords (those that relate to your practice areas), you can establish your law firm as an authority and generate more high-quality leads.

Here are some examples of secondary keywords:

• Car accident lawyer
• Slip and fall attorney
• DUI defense lawyer

These keywords are related to the primary keywords of a law firm but are more specific to a particular area of practice or legal issue. Using secondary keywords in your website’s content can provide more context and information to potential clients searching for specific legal services or information.

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Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are highly specific and targeted keyword phrases that are longer and more specific than primary or secondary keywords. They’re less frequently searched but often have a higher conversion rate as they attract more qualified leads looking for specific legal services or information.

Long-tail keywords can be a powerful tool for law firm SEO as they allow you to target potential clients who are further along in the decision-making process and are more likely to convert.

Long-tail keywords are the best type of keyword to create content around. When you rank for the right long-tail keywords, you’ll begin attracting high-value, qualified leads that are more likely to convert.

Here are some examples of long-tail keywords:

• How to file for divorce in California
• What is the statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Texas
• Can an undocumented immigrant get a driver’s license in New York

These keyword phrases are highly specific and targeted, often reflecting the intent and needs of potential clients searching for legal services or information.

By incorporating long-tail keywords in your website’s content, you can provide more relevant and valuable information to potential clients and improve your law firm’s chances of converting them into paying clients.

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Geo-targeted keywords

Geo-targeted keywords are location-specific keywords that include the name of a city, region, or state. They’re used to target prospective clients who’re searching for legal services in a particular location.

Geo-targeted keywords should be used in combination with primary, secondary, or long-tail keywords to target local keywords that you know will convert.

Incorporating geo-targeted keywords in your law firm’s local SEO strategy is essential if you want to attract potential clients in your local area. For example, a criminal defense law firm in Chicago would want to rank for “Chicago criminal defense lawyer” and other related terms.

Targeting potential clients searching for legal services in your location can improve your law firm’s visibility in local search results and help you attract qualified leads more than any other type of keyword.

Here are some examples of geo-targeted keywords:

• Personal injury lawyer Los Angeles
• Family law attorney in Houston
• Criminal defense lawyer in New York City

These keyword phrases include the name of a specific location and reflect the intent of potential clients searching for legal services in that area.

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Best practices for using keywords in law firm SEO

Consider these tips when incorporating keywords on your law firm’s website.

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Keyword research

Keyword research is a crucial part of any law firm’s SEO strategy.

It helps you identify the keywords and phrases that potential clients use when looking for legal services like your own.

By conducting thorough keyword research, you can identify the most relevant keywords for your law firm that’ll help you generate leads.

There are many keyword research tools out there, including:

• Google Keyword Planner
• Ahrefs
• SEMrush
• Moz Keyword Explorer
• Ubersuggest

These tools provide insights into keyword search volume, competition, and potential traffic of different keywords and phrases.

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Keyword placement

Once you’ve put together a keyword list, strategically place these keywords across your website.

Proper keyword placement helps search engines like Google understand the content on your website and know where to rank it.

Here are some strategies:

• Title tags and meta descriptions: Place your law firm’s primary and secondary keywords in your pages’ title tags and meta descriptions.
• Header tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize your website’s content. Include keywords in your headers on all pages, including your homepage.
• Body content: Place the keywords you’re targeting on that page in your body content.
• Alt tags: Use alt tags to describe the images on your website, using keywords where it makes sense.
• URL structure: Use descriptive and keyword-rich URLs for your law firm’s website pages to help search engines understand the content of each page.

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Keyword density

Keyword density refers to the number of times a keyword or phrase appears on a page in relation to the total word count. It’s a metric used by Google and other search engines to determine the relevance of a page to a specific keyword.

Keep in mind that keyword density is not the only factor search engines use to rank pages. Overusing keywords can lead to keyword stuffing, negatively affecting your overall SEO.

Here are a few tips to make sure you’re not overusing keywords.

• Use keywords naturally: Use keywords and phrases naturally throughout your content. Look for places where it makes sense to use them.
• Focus on quality content: Instead of focusing solely on keyword density, create helpful content and insert keywords where they add value.
• Use variations of your keywords: Instead of repeatedly using the same keyword or phrase, use variations of the keyword. For example, swap “DUI lawyer Chicago” for “Chicago DUI lawyer.“

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Use your legal keywords strategically

Using the right types of keywords is crucial for a successful law firm SEO strategy.

By understanding the different types of keywords, such as primary, secondary, long-tail, and geo-targeted keywords, and implementing best practices for keyword research, placement, and density, you can help search engines understand the content on your website and rank it higher on search results pages.