Your next client is probably searching for legal help on their phone right now. And if you’re not showing up on page one of Google, you’re basically invisible.

Today, SEO and Google advertising have officially claimed the top two spots on most law firms’ marketing priority lists. And for good reason. Search engine optimization (SEO) is all about tweaking your website to rank higher in search results and build lasting visibility. Meanwhile, paid search gives you quick wins by paying the same search engines to put your ads front and center. 

But here’s the thing: law firms can’t afford to waste time or money on outdated tactics that don’t work anymore.

Here’s how to win with SEO without breaking your limited budget.

Go Local or Go Home

Here’s a fun fact your intake team should love: 46% of all Google searches are looking for local info, and a whopping 97% of people use search engines to find local businesses. That includes law firms. If your firm isn’t showing up, you’re not just missing clicks — you’re missing clients.

If your firm isn’t listed or optimized on Google Business Profile, you’re leaving leads on the table. And guess what? It’ll cost you nothing!

What to do today:

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
• Add your correct name, address, phone number, hours, and legal services
• Choose the right categories (e.g., “Personal Injury Attorney,” not “Consultant”)
• Ask happy clients for Google reviews (and respond to every single one)

Local SEO is your first line of defense in showing up where it matters — right when someone near you needs legal help.

Keywords Are Conversations

Old-school SEO told you to stuff every sentence with “Scranton car accident lawyer.” Today? Google’s smarter — and your clients are, too.

Modern SEO is all about natural language and intent-based content. That means writing for what your clients are actually searching — like “What do I do after a hit-and-run in Scranton?” — not just listing “Personal Injury Law” on your homepage. It’s less about keywords and more about answering real questions, solving real problems, and showing up when it matters most. 

Writing this way also sets you up to win at Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). By directly addressing user questions, you increase the odds your content will land in featured snippets, voice search results, and those increasingly common AI-powered answers.

What to do today:

• Use tools like Ubersuggest or Answer the Public to find search terms real people use
• Write content that answers common questions (“Should I call a lawyer after a minor crash?”)
• Use headings, bullet points, and clear structure to keep content scannable and readable

Pro tip: Think blog posts, not law review articles. Talk like a lawyer, write like someone who gets it. .

Content Still Reigns Supreme (But Make It Skimmable)

Publishing keyword-rich blog posts and practice area pages still matters for SEO. But quality beats quantity.

The best content is:

• Easy to read on mobile, especially since 59% of all website traffic now comes from mobile devices. Think bullets rather than pages of paragraphs. (Like this blog post!)
• Based on what your clients really care about
• Supported by examples, FAQs, and clear calls to action

What to do today:

• Write one strong blog post per month based on client FAQs
• Use a tool like Yoast SEO if you’re on WordPress, SEMRush for site health audits and keyword tracking, or Clearscope to optimize content readability and relevance.
• Add internal links (i.e., from your homepage to blog posts) to help Google understand your site structure

Want bonus points? Add schema markup so your FAQs show up as rich results. This bit of code helps Google understand your content better and can make your answers appear right on the search results page, boosting visibility and clicks without users even leaving Google. It's like giving your content a highlighter pen.

Pay to Play? Pair It With SEO

We’re not here to dunk on paid ads — Google Ads generate roughly $2 in revenue for every $1 spent.

But paid search and SEO work best together. While Google Ads bring instant visibility, SEO builds authority over time. Unlike ads, organic rankings stick around even after your budget runs out. And continuing to write using natural language can get you found through ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini, so you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck.

What to do today:

• Use Google Ads Keyword Planner to see what your ideal clients are searching
• Target keywords with high intent and low competition (if possible), and do your best to localize your content to your specific geography
• Set a small monthly budget and A/B test ads that send traffic to well-optimized landing pages

Smaller firm? Smaller budget? You can still win. Just pair smart SEO with laser-focused paid campaigns.

In Case You Skimmed (Like Your Clients Do): SEO Wins

Law firm SEO isn’t magic, but it’s necessary. Especially when you’re a local firm competing with big-budget competitors. The good news? You don’t need a marketing department — just a smart strategy and the right tools.

While SEO helps you get found, Smokeball helps you deliver once the client says yes. From automated documents and calendaring to email management, time tracking, and performance reporting, Smokeball’s legal practice management software gives you the tools to run your firm more efficiently — without juggling five different systems.

Book a free demo to see how smarter practice management is the next piece of the puzzle after smarter law firm SEO.