When people search online for a lawyer, their needs are serious and urgent. Whether it’s a criminal charge, a personal injury claim, adivorce, or bankruptcy, the information they find can affect their safety, future, or money.
Because of this, Google treats legal searches differently. These high-stakes queries require higher standards for the websites that provide answers.
This is where Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) comes in.
YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life.” It includes content that can affect a person’s well-being.
Legal content is a key example of this. When law firms publish online, they influence major life decisions. So, Google uses stricter rules to rank law firm websites than those in other fields where the stakes aren’t so high.
What factors does Google consider when ranking attorneys? What makes some law firms show up first in search results? Although the algorithm has over 200 ranking signals, some factors are more crucial than others for attorney SEO.
In this guide, we’ll break down the key ranking factors that determine how and where your law firm appears on Google. You’ll learn which elements are most important, how to improve them, and how they work together to enhance your search engine visibility on Google and Bing.
At Rankwise, we specialize in SEO for attorneys. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or a multi-location firm, we’ll help you climb the rankings, dominate your local market, and turn website traffic into real consultations.
Google’s Top Three Ranking Factors.
Back in 2016, Andrey Lipattsev, a senior strategist at Google, revealed the three most important ranking factors for attorney websites:
Content: The depth, accuracy, and relevance of your information.
Backlinks: Links from other authoritative websites to your domain and web pages.
RankBrain: Google’s machine learning system that interprets user intent.
These core elements have stayed consistent over the years. They form the foundation of every successful SEO campaign. Let’s explore what they mean for legal marketing and how to check all of the boxes so that your law firm website ranks well on Google.
1. Create Content That Meets User Needs with Substance.
Content is vital for SEO. For attorneys, it’s your chance to showcase your knowledge, build trust with visitors and search engines, and guide users regarding their legal issues.
What does Google consider to be “high-quality” content?
Relevance: Does the content match the user’s search?
Depth: Does it cover the topic thoroughly, or does it cover only surface-level info?
Clarity: Is it easy for a non-lawyer to understand your writing?
Structure: Is it organized for readability with headings, bullet points, and short, scannable paragraphs?
Keyword Strategy & Search Intent
Top law firm content doesn’t just rank for keywords, it aligns with search intent. This means understanding what someone wants when they Google a specific term or phrase.
Types of Search Intent:
Informational: “Do I need a lawyer for a car accident?”
Commercial: “Best DUI attorney in Los Angeles.”
Navigational: “Snell and Wilmer Law website.”
Each intent type needs a different SEO approach:
For informational searches, publish detailed blog posts and FAQs that thoroughly cover the topic at hand.
For commercial queries, optimize service pages with case studies and testimonials.
For navigational searches, ensure your website is indexed, and your brand is visible on search engines like Google and Bing.
Legal Content and YMYL Standards
Again, Google pays extra attention to legal websites because they fall under the YMYL umbrella. Misinformation could harm someone’s life or livelihood. So, for Google to trust your law firm website and to rank well, your content must be:
Accurate and up-to-date.
Written or reviewed by legal professionals.
Include author bios, credentials, and contact information to establish the author’s expertise in the content being provided.
2. Make Sure you Establish EAT.
Google uses the EAT framework, which refers to Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness to evaluate law firm websites, which fall under YMYL content.
To rank well, law firms can show legal expertise through attorney bios and accurate content, build authority with quality backlinks and media features, and earn trust with HTTPS security, clear contact info, real client reviews, and transparent legal disclaimers.
Strong EAT helps improve search engine visibility and client trust.
EAT looks primarily at the following factors:
Expertise: Are you a qualified legal expert?
Authoritativeness: Do others in the industry reference or link to you?
Trustworthiness: Is your content reliable and transparent?
For attorneys, this means:
Publishing bylined content with attorney bios and bar numbers.
Getting cited by legal publications or respected blogs.
Ensuring your site is secure (HTTPS) with visible contact info and client reviews.
You can improve your EAT by:
Creating author pages that showcase your legal credentials.
Including schema markup to help Google understand your website.
Gathering reviews on platforms like Google, Avvo, and Martindale-Hubbell.
3. Build Authority and Trust Through Backlinks.
Backlinks act like votes of confidence from other websites. When an authoritative domain links to your law firm’s site, it signals to Google that your content is valuable, providing help to users consuming your content. This boosts your online visibility and search engine rankings.
Not all backlinks are the same. Focus on building the following:
Relevant links: From legal blogs, bar association websites, and attorney directories.
Editorial links: Naturally placed within content, not forced.
High-authority links: From trusted domains (e.g., .edu, .gov).
Where to Get Legal Backlinks:
Guest posts on legal industry blogs.
Get featured in local news stories.
Sponsor community events and ask for a backlink to your website.
Submit your attorney info to high-quality directories. This includes creating profiles with websites such as Justia, Avvo, FindLaw, State Bar Association, Nolo, Justia, LegalZoom, etc.
Avoid black-hat SEO tactics like buying links or using private blog networks to build links to your attorney website. While these tactics may work in the short term, they do more harm than good in the long term.
4. Make Sure Your Technical SEO is Solid.
Technical SEO ensures your website is structured for easy crawling and indexing. It also improves speed, security, and overall performance. Technical SEO involves ensuring that search engines can crawl, index, and understand your website. It includes fixing site speed, HTTPS security, broken links, redirect loops, mobile-friendliness, structured data, creating clean URLs, and internal linking. All of these technical items make your site easier to find and rank on search engines like Google.
Technical SEO Requirements for Law Firms.
HTTPS Security: Every law firm site must have SSL encryption.
Fast Load Times: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check speed.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site works well on all devices, including mobile devices.
Clean URL Structure: URLs should be short, descriptive, and keyword-rich.
Meta Titles & Descriptions: Write unique tags for each page to improve clicks.
Image Optimization: Compress images and use descriptive alt text.
5. Ensure Your Website Provides a Good User Experience.
Google rewards sites that provide a great user experience. UX affects bounce rates and dwell time. A lower bounce rate and more extended visits to your website show Google that users find your content helpful. The longer people engage with your content, the better your search engine rankings will be.
What Provides a Positive User Experience?
Clear Navigation: Users should find what they need quickly.
Readable Fonts: Avoid walls of text or complex jargon.
Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Use buttons like “Schedule a Free Consultation.”
Visuals: Use videos, infographics, and images to enhance engagement.
Google’s Page Experience update emphasizes Core Web Vitals, which measure:
Loading: How fast does your page load?
Interactivity: How quickly can users interact with your content?
Visual Stability: Does the layout shift unexpectedly?
Improving UX helps with rankings and increases conversion rates.
6. Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices.
More than 60% of Google searches happen on mobile devices. That number is higher for local queries like “criminal defense attorney near me.”
Why Mobile-First Indexing Matters:
Since 2021, Google uses the mobile version of your site for rankings. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re at a huge disadvantage.
Mobile Optimization Checklist:
Create a responsive design for all screen sizes.
Use large, clickable buttons.
Minimize or eliminate pop-ups and distractions.
Ensure your web pages load fast on 4G and 5G networks.
Run your site through Google’s testing tools to test and ensure your website meets the requirements they’ve set forth.
7. Work on Your Local SEO.
Most people looking for a lawyer want someone nearby. That’s why local SEO is crucial. Local SEO helps your law firm show up in search results when people nearby look for legal help. It includes optimizing your Google Business Profile, using consistent contact info (NAP), earning local reviews, and getting listed in attorney directories so clients in your area can find and choose you fast.
Local SEO Ranking Factors:
Google Business Profile (GBP): Claim and optimize your profile with accurate and consistent information.
NAP Consistency: Your Name, Address, and Phone number must match everywhere. The more consistent your NAP, the better you will rank for local search queries.
Local Citations: Ensure your law firm appears on local and attorney directories.
Reviews: Encourage clients to leave Google reviews and respond professionally.
Appearing in Google’s “Map Pack” quickly generates calls. Optimize your profile with keywords, practice areas, and good images.
8. Monitor and Improve Your Online Reviews and Reputation.
Managing your reputation is part of SEO. Positive reviews build trust, influence clicks, and boost your EAT. Negative reviews can not only hurt your reputation, but also your search engine rankings. So, monitor your reviews and respond to any negative ones professionally.
How Reviews Impact Rankings:
Volume: More reviews increase credibility.
Rating: Google considers your average star rating. Better ratings are rewarded with better search engine rankings and visibility.
Freshness: Recent reviews show active engagement.
Encourage reviews on:
Google
Yelp
Avvo
Facebook
Martindale-Hubbell
Add a review widget on your site and follow up with clients after their case for testimonials.
Why Should Attorneys Care About Google’s Ranking Factors?
Attorneys should care about Google’s ranking factors because they determine whether your law firm shows up when potential clients search for legal help or information.
Most people needing legal services start with a Google search, and over 75% never scroll past the first page of results. So, if your law firm doesn’t rank on the first page of Google, you’re missing out on valuable leads even if you’re the best attorney in your area.
Google’s algorithm evaluates hundreds of signals to decide which law firms appear first. These include the quality of your content, the trustworthiness of your site, how fast it loads, whether it’s mobile-friendly, and how many reputable sites link back to you.
For law firms, meeting these standards is no longer optional; it’s critical for your practice to succeed in this online-first world. This makes attorney SEO a necessity for any serious attorney. Ranking well builds trust, attracts better leads, and helps your practice grow faster than word-of-mouth.
At Rankwise, we specialize in SEO services built exclusively for attorneys. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or a multi-location firm, we’ll help you climb the rankings, dominate your local market, and turn website traffic into real consultations.
Common Mistakes That Attorneys Make
1. Ignoring Local SEO Optimization.
Many law firms overlook local SEO, assuming that general SEO optimization is enough. Most legal clients look for help in their city or county. They often search using phrases like “divorce lawyer near me” or “best DUI attorney in Santa Ana.”
Why it matters.
Without local optimization, your firm won’t show up in the Google Map Pack, where most high-intent local traffic goes. If you haven’t claimed or optimized your Google Business Profile, you’re missing a simple way to get more calls and consultations.
How to fix it.
Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile.
Use consistent Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) info across directories.
Target local keywords in your content and metadata.
Encourage happy clients to leave Google reviews.
2. Writing for Google and Forgetting About People.
A common mistake attorneys make is stuffing keywords into pages just to rank, ignoring the real user on the other end. Legal content can feel robotic, vague, or overly complex, which often confuses visitors or causes them to lose interest.
Why it matters.
Google’s algorithm prioritizes helpful, human-first content, especially for YMYL sites. If your content doesn’t answer real questions clearly and concisely, users bounce, and rankings suffer as a result.
How to fix it.
Understand the user intent behind keywords.
Use simple English; steer clear of legal jargon when you can.
Use headings, bullet points, and visuals to improve readability.
Solve real problems, not just add keywords.
3. Neglecting Mobile Usability.
If your website looks great on a desktop but clunky or broken on a phone, Google will take note and penalize your rankings. Mobile-first indexing means Google uses your mobile site to determine rankings, not your desktop version.
Why it matters.
Over 60% of legal searches happen on mobile devices. A poor mobile experience means higher bounce rates, lower engagement, and fewer leads.
How to fix it:
Use a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes.
Speed up page loading, especially on mobile networks.
Make buttons and form fields easy to tap.
Eliminate pop-ups or elements that block the screen.
4. Not Building Backlinks from Authoritative Sources.
Some attorneys invest time in writing great content but never get around to promoting it. Your content needs backlinks from trusted sites to rank well. This is crucial in competitive fields like the legal field.
Why it matters.
Backlinks remain one of Google’s top-ranking signals. A law firm site with fewer or lower-quality backlinks than its competitors will likely stay buried.
How to fix it.
Reach out to legal blogs or local news for guest posts or interviews.
Submit your firm to high-quality legal directories (Avvo, Justia, etc.).
Create shareable content like legal guides, checklists, or FAQs.
Partner with local nonprofits, sponsors, or events that will link to your site.
5. Failing to Track and Measure SEO Performance.
Too many law firms “set and forget” their SEO. They might hire someone to optimize their site but never measure what’s working or what’s not. Without data, you can’t refine your strategy or improve your ROI.
Why it matters.
SEO is not a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing strategy. You need to know which pages are ranking, which keywords are driving leads, and where users drop off.
How to fix it.
Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
Monitor organic traffic, bounce rate, rankings, and conversions.
Use call-tracking tools to connect leads to specific pages.
Regularly audit your site to catch technical errors or lost rankings.
SEO for Law Firms is All About Building Trust.
SEO isn’t about keyword stuffing or chasing algorithms. It’s about showing Google and potential clients that you offer real value. The best SEO strategies focus on clarity, relevance, and trustworthiness.
Just as a recap, the most important SEO ranking factors for law firms are:
Creating high-quality, intent-driven content.
Obtaining backlinks from authoritative legal and local sources.
Improving technical SEO and site speed.
Creating an exceptional user experience.
Designing your website and page for mobile devices.
Optimizing your local SEO and Google Business Profile.
Monitoring and responding to reviews and reputation.
When these pieces work together, your law firm will rise in search results, connect with more qualified leads, and take on more clients.
If you’re serious about ranking higher, attracting better clients, and growing your legal practice, don’t leave it to guesswork. Rankwise SEO agency provides customized SEO services for law firms. We find out what’s blocking your site and show you how to fix it quickly.
