Law Firm SEO Expert & Attorney SEO Expert
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Law Firm SEO Expert

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Ross Kernez is a digital marketer, community builder, mentor, and author. He is the founder of NYC-based SEO Meetup, a group of 2900 marketing professionals who meet monthly to network and discuss the latest trends and happenings in the industry.
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Published: 30.11.2023
You, as a law firm owner you want make sure your website is up to date with all tech SEO stack and it is accessible for crawlers to discover your pages on the web. If you want me to be your seo advisor and web seo consultant, I am ready to help with anything related to SEO and online marketing. I can help you to save you time and effort by handling the technical aspects of SEO, such as keyword research, site analysis, and optimization. This will allow you to focus on running your business and other important tasks.
By working with me, you gain access to top-tier marketing leadership and the ability to implement advanced marketing strategies that are tailored to your unique business goals. My expertise covers a wide range of industries, enabling me to bring a fresh, adaptable perspective to each client. From omni channel marketing and brand development to demand generation and go-to-market strategies, I ensure that your business stays ahead of the curve, benefiting from the latest marketing trends and insights. Whether you're looking to enter new markets, boost lead generation, or enhance your overall brand presence, I can help craft and execute a strategic marketing plan that aligns with your business objectives.

Law Firm SEO Expert

Law Firm SEO Expert
"If you can work with Ross, make it happen — you won't regret it!"
— Jennifer Anderson
Why Work With Law Firm SEO Expert

By partnering with me, you gain access to top-tier marketing leadership, empowering your business to implement cutting-edge strategies specifically tailored to achieve your unique goals. With over 15 years of experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge across various industries, enabling me to adapt seamlessly to the distinct challenges and opportunities your business faces. My approach is comprehensive, incorporating omni-channel marketing, brand development, and demand generation to ensure your business not only stays competitive but also thrives in an ever-evolving marketplace.

In addition to core strategies like lead generation and customer acquisition, I focus on enhancing brand equity, fostering customer loyalty, and optimizing the customer journey across multiple channels. My process is data-driven, ensuring that every decision made is backed by actionable insights, maximizing return on investment (ROI) and streamlining resource allocation.

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    Law Firm SEO Expert
    Why should you hire Ross?

    As a Law Firm SEO Expert, I bring a unique blend of deep understanding of the legal industry’s intricacies and cutting-edge SEO tactics. Unlike general SEO professionals, my focus is solely on law firms. This specialization means I understand the specific challenges and opportunities in legal SEO, from targeting the right keywords to complying with advertising regulations. I have a history of successfully boosting online visibility for law firms. My strategies are proven to increase website traffic, client inquiries, and ultimately, case acquisitions.

    Myself and my team dig through this data and extract the nuggets that our attendees can learn from.

    Would you like to schedule a consultation with me?

    Why Hire Law Firm SEO Advisor

    I have worked in numerous large enterprises within the marketing & SEO departments. Taking these businesses up the search engine result pages (SERPS), these roles formed the bases of my experience.

    I have also been fortunate enough to advise & consult numerous smaller and medium businesses across a wide array of verticals and this also greatly enhanced my knowledge about the market and of course how to implement a ‘search’ strategy to garner visibility and generate revenue.

    I have also been fortunate enough to participate in some more unique projects

    Law Firm SEO Expert
    Law Firm SEO Expert
    Who is Ross Kernez?

    With over 15+ years of experience, I specialize in building marketing systems that consistently attract and retain customers. My approach is rooted in meticulous processes, ensuring that every aspect of my work is efficient, scalable, and impactful. From complex tasks like SEO to comprehensive strategies, I design systems that minimize friction and cost while maximizing results.

    Ross is deeply involved in the marketing and tech community, mentoring startups at organizations like Techstars and Starta. He is known for his expertise in search engine optimization, digital marketing, and leveraging data analytics for marketing success.

    Here’s some feedback from someone who has worked with Ross
    Working with Ross has been a game-changer for our law firm. From the initial consultation, it was clear they understood the unique challenges of legal SEO. Their team implemented a comprehensive strategy that included targeted keyword research, content optimization, and local SEO improvement
    — CHIDI E.
    I have been looking for Law Firm SEO Expert in the USA for a quite some time. Ross did an amazing job.
    — K.Batchelor
    His approach to SEO for law firms is both innovative and results-driven. He conducted thorough research to understand our practice areas and tailored their strategy to align with our goals.
    — A. Patel
    Law Firm SEO Expert
    What should you expect from your Law Firm SEO Expert

    Hiring the law firm seo specialist can be a cost-effective way to improve your website’s performance and generate a higher return on investment (ROI). A well-optimized website can attract more organic traffic, which can lead to increased sales and revenue for your business.

    SEO consultant for attorneys have specialized knowledge and skills related to optimizing websites for search engines. They can provide insights and recommendations that can help improve your website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

    You can be as hands-on as you like with this process or leave everything to me. But I will still need your help in understanding your business.

    Like any message in marketing, if you try to hire an SEO consultant for attorneys, you need to make sure they have enough experience working in online marketing. Overall, hiring an SEO consultant company can be a smart investment for businesses looking to improve their online visibility and attract more organic traffic to their website.

    FAQs

    What is SEO and Why is it Important for Law Firms?

    SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing your website and online content to improve visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). For law firms, SEO is crucial because it helps potential clients find your services when they search for legal assistance online. A well-optimized website can attract more traffic, increase brand awareness, and ultimately lead to more client engagements.

     

    How Does Law Firm SEO Differ from General SEO?

    Law Firm SEO is tailored to the specific needs of the legal market. It involves understanding the legal industry’s competitive landscape, targeting specific legal-related keywords, and creating content that addresses the unique questions and concerns of potential legal clients. Additionally, law firm SEO must adhere to strict ethical and legal advertising guidelines which are not typically a concern in other industries.

    What are the Key Components of a Successful Law Firm SEO Strategy?

    Essential elements of a successful law firm SEO strategy include:

    • Keyword Research: Identifying and targeting keywords that potential clients use when searching for legal services.
    • On-Page Optimization: Ensuring website elements like titles, meta descriptions, and content align with targeted keywords.
    • Quality Content Creation: Producing informative and engaging content that addresses the needs of your audience.
    • Local SEO: Optimizing for local search results, especially important for law firms targeting clients in specific geographic areas.
    • Backlink Building: Acquiring high-quality links from reputable websites to boost credibility and search engine ranking.
    • Technical SEO: Improving website structure, speed, and mobile responsiveness.

     

    How can i ensure my website is discovered and updated frequently by search engines?

    1. Search engines use ‘spiders’ or ‘bots’ to crawl the web from one website to another. Once they happen upon your website they will then crawl your website from one link to another. A good practice is to ensure that all your pages are interlinked naturally and logically and to ensure that your content is updated frequently.

     

     

    How does Google deal with duplicate content across the web?

    1. The 4 main ways search engines like Google deal with duplicate content are as follows;
      1. Filtering – When there are multiple pages of identical or very similar content Google will filter out the others and select one source that it believes to be the most relevant and authoritative.
      2. Canonicalization – If you have multiple pages with identical or similar content you may want to use the rel=”canonical” tag to prioritize the main page. This can prevent you from having your ‘non-preferred’ page outrank your ‘preferred’ page
      3. Penalization – If Google believes you are conducting ‘unsavory’ ‘deceptive’ practices they will simply penalize your site so that you lose position.
      4. Syndication – There are some natural and accepted scenarios where duplicate content is acceptable. For example with syndicated content or shared content (with the permission of the original creator). If this scenario applies to you, then you simply need to apply the appropriate tags.

     

    Can you give me some best practices for ‘mobile-first indexing’ for my website?

    1. Firstly it may be better to have a ‘responsive’ site design. This will make it easier for search engines like Google to crawl as there is just one version of the site and the possibility of large discrepancies between your desktop and mobile versions is eliminated. Also, ensure your page speed load times are low. Mobile phones generally have slower internet connections vs desktops.

     

    How can I optimize my content to appear in the ‘featured snippets’ on Google search?

    1. There are a few tried and tested methods for making your content ‘featured snippet’ worthy, i will mention 3 below;
      1. Answer a question – Try to ask and answer a question in your content and make it easy for Google.
      2. Apply ‘schema markup’ to your content and ‘label it’ so it is clear what your content is about.
      3. Headers – using headers that address the keyword/key phrases you want to rank for will also make it easy for Google algorithm to understand.

     

    What is the significance of schema markup, and how can I use it to rank higher in the SERPS’ (search engine result pages)?

    1. By incorporating appropriate and updated schema to your site’s pages you will enable Google to easily understand the specific features of your pages. If you want to get featured in rich snippets or if you want your reviews to be incorporated in the SERP’s then schema markup is essential.

     

    So what is search engine optimization (SEO) anyway? And how can it help my website rank higher on Google?

    1. Let’s simplify things.. You can break down SEO (search engine optimization) into 3 core parts. It’s the process of ensuring that your website is structurally sound in terms of its performance for the user, its architecture for the search engines, and finally, a good SEO strategy will also allow for ensuring your website gets the publicity it deserves by sharing and building backlinks maximizing the discoverability of your site.
    2. It can help your website rank higher in Google by ensuring that your website checks as many boxes as possible. As SEO’s we know what these boxes are and we go about creating and executing plans to achieve this goal.

     

    What are on-page elements, such as title tags and meta descriptions, and how can i optimize them for better SEO performance?

    1. Title tags allow search engines to grasp the topic your page is addressing. Through correct keyword selection, you will ensure your page is being served for the relevant keyword keyphrase.
    2. Meta descriptions are descriptions placed under your title and URL that provide people with a short summary of what your page is about or how it differs from other pages on the SERP (search engine results page).

     

    What are keywords, and how should i go about selecting them?

    1. Keywords are words or phrases a searcher will use when searching for information. If a page has the relevant keywords and keyphrases it is on the road to being eligible for display to users. Of course, there is more to the puzzle such as context and a whole host of other criteria. But keywords are really the starting point of SEO.
    2. When selecting keywords you need to ensure that you are taking a few things into account:
      1. How is your prospect searching for what you are offering? Or the problem you are helping them solve? You can research this with tools but really you need to understand how YOUR specific target audience is searching and what they are expecting. That’s the long-term overall strategy.
      2. Intent: What is the intent behind the search? If most people actually want information vs product recommendations and you are offering the latter, you will probably end up way behind.
      3. Difficulty: Before writing on a topic check to see how difficult it will be to rank for this keyword. I.E: how much competition is there for this keyword? Once you find out you might be glad you checked and immediately decide upon another keyword as the trouble and probability could be too slim and not worth the time and hassle.

     

    Once I have selected keywords then what?

    1. Once you have selected the keywords that you believe your target audience is searching for, then I would suggest you check the opportunities and prioritize which keyword to start with. This is a simple and effective strategy that will give you 80% of the results for 20% of the efforts.
    2. Are there any SEO considerations specific to e-commerce websites?The first one that spring to mind is that within the world of eCommerce. Reviews are king. Google understands how much weight people assign towards informative and genuine reviews. These reviews will not only enhance your product pages and help convert customers. But these reviews when properly ‘labelled’ as in the case of using the structured data markup will help google position them alongside your title and meta description. Another SEO tip for ecom sites is to ensure you are ranking the relevant type of page for specific keywords or keyphrases based on what Google prefers and is showing on the SERPS. So if Google is only showing product category pages for a keyword do not try and rank a blog post for this keyword.
    3. How can I optimize my website for multiple languages and target international audiences?

    There are many factors to consider when expanding into new territories, here are a few to consider:

    1. The first thing that comes to mind, is to ensure that you’re translations are colloquially correct. Just using a translation app or service can leave your content lacking depth and clarity. If you are expanding into a new territory with a different language invest in having native speakers translate or at a minimum check through your translations. 
    2. Secondly, ensure you are performing a new round of keyword research to ensure you are ranking for relevant keywords. Some keywords when translated may not yield the same traffic or intent. Consider cultural nuisance and local search trends.

     

    What is the role of site architecture in SEO, and how can I improve the structure of my website?

    When outlining your site architecture, your goal is twofold. 

    First to make your website easy to crawl for the search engines’ spider bots

    Second, to make the general user experience seamless and effortless.

    In general, Implement a well-thought-out internal linking strategy to connect related pages within your website. Internal links help distribute link authority, improve crawl ability, and guide search engines to important pages. Also, using descriptive anchor text and prioritizing linking to high-value pages will ensure your top pages gain more authority. A simple yet effective strategy.

    How does user experience (UX) impact SEO, and what are some UX optimization tips?

    User experience (UX) holds a significant influence over SEO as search engines prioritize delivering the best possible browsing experience to users. When users have a positive experience on a website, it indicates to search engines that the site is valuable and relevant. Conversely, poor UX can lead to high bounce rates and diminished organic visibility. The following strategies will enable a better UX for your visitors.

    Mobile-friendliness is crucial as more users browse the web on mobile devices.  According to allconnect.com mobile phones generated over 60% of web traffic in 2022. Responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes ensure seamless experiences and boost SEO performance.

    Intuitive navigation is essential for helping users find information easily. Employ clear labels, logical hierarchies, and breadcrumb navigation to enhance UX and facilitate smooth navigation.

    Ensure user-friendly forms. Minimize form fields, provide clear instructions, and consider auto-fill options for a seamless form-filling experience, increasing conversions.

    Are backlinks still important for SEO in 2023?

    1. Yes. However, things could change pretty fast with the introduction of new AI chatbot technologies, most notably Open AI’s – chatGPT, Microsoft’s – Bing & most recently Google’s – BARD. The landscape is evolving rapidly and any good SEO worth his or her salt will also be ready to pivot and adapt. Now is a more critical time than ever before. With the introduction of Google’s BARD AI chatbot, we are on the cusp of something that has the potential to shake up the world of SEO and the SERPS at large.

    How Long Does it Take to See Results from SEO for Law Firms? SEO is a long-term strategy. For law firms, it can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to see significant changes in rankings and web traffic. The timeframe varies based on competition, the current state of your website, and the aggressiveness of your SEO strategy.

    How Can I Measure the Success of My Law Firm’s SEO Campaign? Success can be measured using various metrics, such as:

    • Rankings: Improvement in search engine positions for targeted keywords.
    • Website Traffic: An increase in the number of visitors to your site.
    • Lead Generation: More inquiries and contact form submissions.
    • Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who turn into clients. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help track these metrics.

    Is Blogging Important for Law Firm SEO?

    Yes, blogging is a critical element. It allows law firms to create relevant, informative content that addresses common questions and topics in their area of practice. This not only helps with keyword rankings but also establishes the firm as a thought leader in the legal field.

    How Does Local SEO Benefit Law Firms?

    Local SEO helps law firms appear in local search results, which is essential for attracting clients in your geographic area. This includes optimizing your Google My Business listing, getting listed in local directories, and ensuring your website mentions local-specific keywords.

     

    What are the Best Practices for Law Firm Websites to Improve SEO? Best practices include:

    • User-Friendly Design: Ensuring the website is easy to navigate and accessible.
    • Mobile Responsiveness: Optimizing for different device sizes.
    • High-Quality Content: Providing valuable information that meets the needs of your audience.
    • Fast Loading Speed: Ensuring your site loads quickly to improve user experience and SEO.
    • Secure Website (HTTPS): Using secure protocols to protect user data.

     

    How should i go about creating effective Title tags and meta descriptions?

    1. For title tags, research what your top-ranking competitors are doing for the keyword or key phrase you are wanting to rank for. Look for common themes amongst the top positions and ensure you are not straying too far from their titles. If they are ranking well then Google must appreciate their title tag.
    2. When crafting meta descriptions that ‘win the click’ you need to put your copywriting hat on and start digging in to the thought process behind the intent of the search, the problem you are solving on the page, and ensuring that your offer or ‘reasons to click’ is stronger than that of your competitors. Sometimes this can be as simple as ensuring that you have a ‘review stars markup’ below your meta description.
    3. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) GA4 is set to completely replace its predecessor UA (Universal Analytics) in July 2023. GA4 gives you the possibility of accurately tracking user interactions with your pages and it various buttons and other elements. You can then create customized and detailed reports to better understand how your prospects and customers are moving through and interacting with your site.

     

    How to Stay Compliant with Legal Advertising Rules in SEO? Compliance involves:

    • Truthful and Accurate Content: Avoiding misleading or false information.
    • Clear Advertising Disclosure: If a page is promotional, it should be clearly stated.
    • Respecting Confidentiality: Not sharing client information without consent.
    • Adhering to State Bar Regulations: Each state has its own rules regarding legal advertising.

     

    Is it necessary to hire an SEO agency or consultant for better rankings?

    1. The short answer would be yes. The hard part is finding an agency that you can trust with your budget and your website. If you can find a good agency to work alongside then the results will come much faster than if you were to try it alone.

     

    What are some common SEO mistakes to avoid?

    1. There are many, but allow me to provide one that i do not see mentioned too often. When implementing changes to your site with the goal of getting a lift in performance. Ensure that you are creating a strategy for your changes. Dont just change something with no solid hypothesis behind the change. Formulate a hypothesis of the reasons for the change, what you expect to see and why. Also, whilst A/B tests can provide very clear data they can also take a long while or a lot of impressions to reach a high level of confidence. I will provide a simple example; Changing the color of a button is a simple and clear test but what are you really learning about the psychology of your prospect or customer? Whilst multivariate testing can be slightly more ambiguous. It can reveal a larger relative difference in the lift and the learning.

     

    How often should I update my website’s content for better SEO?

    1. Depending on what niche or vertical you are in content freshness can range from not very important to crucial. If you are publishing ‘news article’ or time-sensitive information then naturally you will need to post often and update frequently. If your content is more evergreen then i would suggest taking a more organic approach to ‘freshness’. Ensure you respond to comments and update the information when it is relevant to do so.

     

    Can social media activity impact my website’s search engine rankings?

    1. There appears to be a more indirect effect from social media activity and search rankings. By exposing your brand to more users and strategically placing links to your website in posts you can boost traffic to your site. Also, social media exposure can allow you to garner more backlinks form other sites and businesses.

     

    What are the benefits of local SEO for small businesses?

    1. Local SEO has the power to make people in your local area aware of both your business and any offers you may be running.

     

    What is the impact of voice search on SEO, and how can I optimize my website for it?

    1. According to ‘backlinko’ 65% of consumers ages 25-49 years old talk to their voice-enabled devices daily(backlinko.com). We can thank voice assistants like siri, alexa, google assistant for this. But how can we improve the likelihood of ranking above the rest for voice searches? Voice searches are longer and more conversational by nature. So the 1st place to start is creating questions and answers to mimc this type of conversational language. Creating thorough FAQ’s would seem like a good place to begin.

     

    Are there any specific SEO strategies for local businesses to improve their online visibility?

    1. The 1st step would be to claim your GMB (google my business listing) and ensure that the primary keyword you want to be discovered for is in your GMB title. Also, ensure to build a simple 1-page website (or more if its required) and ensure all your business details, services, location and contact diesel are correct and up to date.

     

    What are the best practices for optimizing images on my website for better SEO?

    1. Ensure your images are compressed in size significantly, ideally, keep them below 500kb.
    2. Title your image file names accurately to represent the image being used. E.G: if you image is a blue porsche, then set the image file name to something like ‘blue-porsche’ rather then IMG6789
    3. Add ‘Alt text’ to your images, don’t spam it with keywords. Instead create ‘alt-text’ that will help visually impaired users understand the context of your images.

     

    Can I rely solely on paid advertising and neglect SEO?

    1. You can, in many instances. However you will find that your CPA (cost per acquisition) will steadily increase over time and may not be very sustainable from the beginning. With SEO you invest money in the beginning and it slowly and steadily gets more profitable over time.

    What is the role of content marketing in an effective SEO strategy?

    Content marketing serves multiple crucial roles within an effective SEO strategy. It provides the substance that search engines evaluate and index, leading to higher rankings in search results. By naturally incorporating targeted keywords, relevant and valuable content significantly aids search engines in comprehending the context and relevance of a website or webpage. This comprehensive approach ensures long-term sustainability and gradual profitability, as with SEO, you make an initial investment that progressively becomes more lucrative over time.

    Are there any SEO best practices for optimizing video content on my website?

    Here are a few best practices to consider when optimizing your video content for SEO:

    Conduct keyword research specific to what your target audience is searching for. Analyse successful, competing videos and determine which keywords they are using to aid you.

    Craft compelling and descriptive titles for your videos that incorporate relevant keywords. Don’t just focus on keywords but focus on ‘winning the play’. A similar concept to ‘winning the click’. Winning the play is tempting your viewer with enough information that they feel compelled to watch the video to learn more. Write detailed and accurate descriptions that provide context and include keywords naturally. Be sure to optimize the meta tags and metadata associated with the video as well. If you can satisfy the algorithm with the technical details and get views and engagement you will double the power of your efforts. Engagement and views will show the algorithm that your content is worth showing to more viewers.

    Can I do SEO myself, or should I hire a professional SEO agency?

    If you cannot afford the investment needed for an SEO agency then taking a DIY approach may be your only viable solution until your budget allows you to off-load this monumental effort to a professional agency so that you can focus on other tasks such as learning more about your customers and how you can serve them better. An effective SEO agency that believes your business and niche have the potential to grow sufficiently. Can potentially transform your business. We have worked with clients who have jumped from 4 figures a month to 6 figures a month. Of course, this took an investment, but for those clients, the investment was paid off long ago.

    What are the top 3 tips for optimizing title tags and meta descriptions?

    1. Ensure titles are no longer than 60 characters.
    2. Keep meta descriptions less than 160 characters to allow all the text to be readable, however, this is a general rule, sometimes Google will display longer descriptions and also take into account that mobile users will see even less text so you may want to keep the core of your message to below 120 characters.
    3. Create customized meta descriptions, there’s nothing worse than when a company reuses meta descriptions on multiple pages. Here’s a bonus
    4. Your meta description is your sales pitch to win the click. This makes it immensely valuable! Not for SEO but to win the click! I just wanted to reiterate that ‘Win the click!’ Sum up your process-level value proposition in your meta description. Why should they click your listing vs the others? Analyze your competition in the search and create stronger, better more compelling reasons for the user to click your listing.
    5. What are 3 tips i can discover to achieve better search engine rankings on Google?
      1. Ensure that your website is fast
      2. Ensure that there are no technical errors on your site
      3. Ensure that your website is mobile friendly