Is Your Law Firm Competitive? Running an SEO Self-Audit
May 2022
Is Your Law Firm Competitive? Running an SEO Self-Audit
Related: Five Foolproof SEO Tips for Law Firms , Why Quality Matters in Law Firm SEO , How an SEO Audit Can Improve Your Website’s Ranking
In the legal sector, competition can be fierce, especially in high-demand practices such as personal injury law or real estate law. Local users in need of these services frequently head to search engines first to research who to call for help. If you can't compete on the search engine results pages, it will be hard for your firm to compete in the "real world," too. Engaging in effective search engine optimization is one of the keys to helping your firm stand out from the crowd and attract fresh views.
Are your current SEO efforts actually making a difference in your competitive posture? Good SEO isn't a "set it and forget it" process. Success requires periodic tweaks, new additions, and a clear look at what works and what does not. Conducting an SEO self-audit on your website can help reveal areas of strength while highlighting spaces that need more work and attention. What should this self-audit include?
Have You Ticked the Boxes for Good SEO Content?
Examining the content of your page is an important first step, and there are numerous free and paid tools you can use to "grade" your content. Important attributes to consider are length, keyword inclusion, quality of the content, and the presence of high-value metadata, including a description and a page title.
Examine Analytics for Organic Traffic
Google Analytics offers a treasure trove of information that will help you determine the effectiveness of your SEO. Check Analytics to see how much organic traffic you receive and have received overtime since deploying your new SEO and content. Remember, traffic is ultimately your goal — you may not always rank #1, but if you're bringing in consistent traffic, you're still doing something right.
See How Many Pages You've Ranked
Through Google Search Console, website owners can also see just how many of their pages have attained rankings and where they fall on the SERPs. Your goal should be to rank as many pages as possible, especially for your target keywords. If you're only ranking a few pages out of dozens, you need to make a change.
Evaluate the Health of Your Backlink Profile
Use free web analyzers to crawl the web and determine the health of your current backlinks. Backlinks provide authority to your domain and help it stand out from others as more trustworthy and valuable. If you aren't making many backlink connections, this is a sign to invest in more content and outreach.
Look at Your Internal Performance Numbers
Finally, it's worth looking at your actual business performance — the real effects of good SEO will often appear here. Are you bringing in more new clients? Is your website generating qualified leads you can follow up on for opportunity? If you don't see any changes in incoming leads and bottom-line numbers, your SEO might need an upgrade.
Finding Help To Improve Your Online Presence
Effective SEO is a complex, multi-faceted undertaking that requires experience and demands an understanding of the contemporary search environment. When your self-audit reveals areas of shortcoming or opportunities for improvement, consider the value of connecting with an experienced team to explore how best to build your web presence. Find out more when you connect with the professionals at Inherent today.