Attorneys: Show Up #1 on Google with Local, SEO, and Ads

Kate Hood • 8 August 2025

Attorneys: Show Up #1 on Google with Local, SEO, and Ads

Every attorney wants the same thing from search: show up first when a qualified prospect types “best [practice area] lawyer near me.” The reality is more nuanced—there’s no single “#1,” and no one can guarantee it. But there is a proven, attorney-specific playbook to dominate the parts of Google that matter most: the Local Pack, organic results, and paid search. This guide breaks down exactly how to compete—and win—on each front.

At Hatch Strategies, we build and manage SEO and paid strategies for law firms. We handle the strategy, setup, and weekly optimization so you don’t have to. If you need ad creative or visuals, we partner with a local creative agency to keep everything on brand.

First, Understand What “#1 on Google” Really Means

The three real estate zones you can own

Local Pack (Map results): The three listings with pins and reviews. Critical for attorneys because most searches are local and service-driven.
Organic results (non-map): Traditional listings. Your practice-area pages and guides live here.
Paid search (Google Ads): Instant top-of-page visibility for high-intent queries.

To “rank #1,” you want consistent visibility across all three, weighted toward the one that best matches the searcher’s intent.

Step 1: Build a Local SEO Foundation That Wins the Map Pack

For most attorney queries (“personal injury lawyer near me,” “divorce attorney [city]”), the Local Pack gets the click. Here’s how to compete there.

Optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP)

Primary category: Match your main practice area (e.g., Personal Injury Attorney).
Secondary categories: Add relevant subs (e.g., Trial Attorney, Medical Malpractice Attorney).
Services & descriptions: List specific services (e.g., Car Accidents, Slip and Fall) with short, plain-English descriptions.
Hours, phone, website, appointment URL: Keep these current and consistent.
Photos & videos: Office exterior, interior, attorneys, community involvement. Update monthly.
Posts & Q&A: Publish short updates (wins, FAQs, guides) and answer common questions directly in GBP.

Earn and manage reviews (ethically)

Ask every satisfied client for a review.
Provide a simple direct link and a prompt (e.g., “What did you appreciate most about working with us?”).
Respond to every review—graciously to positive, professionally to negative.

Citations & consistency (NAP)

Ensure your Name, Address, Phone are identical across major legal directories (Avvo, Justia), data aggregators, and local listings (chamber, BBB).
Clean duplicate or outdated listings.

Proximity & practice-area coverage

You can’t move your office, but you can expand relevance: publish locally targeted pages for neighborhoods and nearby cities, and list those service areas in GBP.

Step 2: Publish Practice-Area Pages That Outperform

Your money pages—not your blog—win most high-intent searches. Treat each practice area like a flagship page.

What a top-performing practice-area page includes

Clear, human headline: “Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in [City]”
Fast, credible intro: Who you help, what you handle, why it matters.
Specific subpages/sections: Car wrecks, truck accidents, wrongful death, etc.
Proof: Case examples (no confidential info), testimonials, results (where allowed).
Process: What happens after you call; timeline and expectations.
FAQs: Address fees, statute of limitations, what to bring, next steps.
Local context: Courts you appear in, hospitals/precincts commonly involved (use discretion).
CTA every screen depth: Call, chat, book consultation.

On-page SEO essentials

One primary keyword per page (e.g., “car accident lawyer [city]”).
Use H2/H3 subheads that mirror real questions (“What compensation can I recover?”).
Internal links from related posts (“What to do after a crash”) and from the homepage/practice hub.
Schema markup: LocalBusiness/Attorney, FAQ, Review where appropriate.

Step 3: Create an Authority-Building Content Engine

Blogs and guides build E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) and rank for research-stage queries that funnel prospects to your money pages.

What to publish (and why)

Outcome-driven explainers: “What Is the Average Settlement for a [Injury] in [State]?”
Process checklists: “What to Bring to Your First Consultation for [Practice].”
Local law updates: Statute changes, court procedures, notable rulings (plain English).
Comparisons & how-tos: “Mediation vs. Litigation in [County] Family Court.”

How to structure posts for rankings

Answer the core question in the first 2–3 paragraphs.
Use H2/H3 every 150–200 words; add bullets and short paragraphs.
Link naturally to practice-area pages and contact/consult pages.
Add FAQ snippets at the end (good for rich results).
Refresh winners every 6–12 months.

Don’t want to write it? Hatch Strategies has blog writers experienced in legal topics. Prefer to keep content in-house? We’ll provide SEO briefs and optimize your drafts.

Step 4: Earn Safe, High-Quality Backlinks (What Google Rewards Now)

Backlinks still move the needle—if they’re relevant and earned ethically.

Smart places attorneys can earn links

Legal directories with real vetting (Avvo, Justia, local bar associations).
Local partnerships: Sponsorships, scholarship pages, community orgs, chambers.
Media & PR: Provide quotes to local journalists; write op-eds on legal issues.
Resource pages: Create “best of” local resources (hospitals, shelters, crash reports) and outreach to those orgs.

What to avoid

Link farms, paid link schemes, and irrelevant guest posts. Short-term gain, long-term risk.

Step 5: Fix Technical & UX Issues That Quietly Kill Rankings

Google can’t rank what it can’t crawl—or what frustrates mobile users.

Technical must-haves

Fast pages: Compress images, lazy-load below the fold, minimize bloat.
Clean indexation: No duplicate practice pages with thin variations.
Logical architecture: Homepage → practice hubs → sub-practice pages → blog resources.
HTTPS, sitemap, robots.txt: Basic hygiene, always current.

UX for conversions

Prominent CTAs (call, form, chat) above the fold on mobile.
Short forms (name, email/phone, brief message).
Sticky phone button on mobile.
Trust signals: Bar logos, associations, reviews, clear fee policy.

Step 6: Track What Matters (Not Just Rankings)

You’re growing a law firm, not chasing vanity metrics. Measure qualified actions and make decisions from there.

Set up and monitor

Google Analytics + Search Console with clean conversion tracking.
Call tracking tied to organic vs. paid.
Form submissions categorized by practice area.
Local metrics: GBP impressions, calls, direction requests, and keyword insights.
Lead quality feedback loop: Tag hires vs. non-hires to refine keywords and pages.

Step 7: Add Paid Search to Own Page One Today

SEO builds durable visibility; Google Ads puts you on page one tomorrow while SEO ramps. For attorneys, a balanced plan is usually best.

How to run Google Ads the smart way

High-intent keywords only to start (“car accident lawyer [city]”, “DUI attorney near me”).
Exact + phrase match for control; build negatives weekly.
Ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets) to expand real estate.
Dedicated landing pages that match the query and remove friction.
Call-only campaigns during peak hours if your intake is strong.

We strategize, facilitate, and monitor Google Ads for law firms—making weekly tweaks so budgets work harder. If you need ad visuals or video, we’ll loop in our creative partner.

Attorney-Specific Keyword Game Plan

Start with practice area + city and expand to adjacent intent.

Core patterns

“[Practice] lawyer [city]” (e.g., personal injury lawyer Birmingham)
“Best [practice] attorney near me”
“[Practice] free consultation [city/state]”
“[Injury/issue] settlement [state]”
“How long do I have to file [case] in [state]” (statute of limitations)

Map each to its own page or post. Don’t cram five different intents into one URL.

Timeline & Expectations (Realistic, Not Hype)

Weeks 1–4: Technical cleanup, GBP optimization, practice-area page upgrades, launch paid search if using it.
Months 2–3: First content wins, Local Pack traction for branded/practice terms, CPC efficiencies from weekly optimizations.
Months 3–6: Non-brand rankings improve, more calls and form fills from organic, better GBP visibility across neighborhoods.
Months 6–12: Durable rankings across multiple practice pages; content/links compound.

No one can promise #1 for every term—but the firms that execute consistently across local, organic, and paid are the ones you keep seeing at the top.

Common Mistakes That Hold Law Firms Back

Thin practice pages with generic text and no proof.
One “Areas of Practice” page instead of dedicated pages per service.
Neglected GBP with wrong categories or few reviews.
Blogging without intent, chasing traffic that doesn’t convert.
No tracking, so you can’t tell what’s working.
DIYing everything and burning out—momentum stalls.

Avoid these, and you’ve already outpaced half your competitors.

Your Convert-Focused Attorney Checklist (Copy/Paste)

Optimize GBP (categories, services, photos, posts, Q&A).
Build one strong page per practice area (plus sub-practice pages).
Publish authority content monthly that answers legal questions in plain English.
Earn quality local/legal links; avoid shortcuts.
Fix speed, mobile UX, and navigation; add sticky call button on mobile.
Track calls and forms by channel; review lead quality monthly.
Layer in Google Ads for high-intent terms; optimize weekly.

Want to Show Up Where Clients Are Looking?

Hatch Strategies helps law firms own page one the right way—with a practical mix of Local SEO, organic content, and Google Ads. We set the strategy, handle the build, and make weekly optimizations so you don’t have to.