Albert Goodwin* If you’re like most lawyers, you’ve probably spent little time thinking about how your firm’s Google My Business (GMB) Profile looks. But with its many features and opportunities for optimization, this business listing can be an essential tool for law firm marketing and greatly assist with search engine optimization for lawyers.
According to a Forbes article, most businesses search online for a local law firm. LawFuel has written about the importance of online searching and optimization also. Hence, local SEO becomes crucial for law office marketing, and GMB is a vital part of this process.
This article will discuss what a Google Business Profile is and why it matters to your law firm’s bottom line. We’ll also walk through the steps necessary to create an effective listing that will attract potential clients.
What Is a Google Business Profile for Lawyers?
A Google Business profile is a free service that allows you to create a business listing on Google Maps. You can add information about your business and contact details, link to your website and social media accounts, as well as share photos of the interior or exterior of your office space.
Creating a GMB listing enables you to reach the most audience, as almost everyone uses Google’s search engine. Google’s search engine market share was 92.16% in mid-2020 and has remained over 90%.
If you have no idea about this, it is best to consult a law firm marketing agency, especially if you want other marketing services. An agency will know how to market a law firm in the best way. Hence, it can come up with a winning strategy. However, if creating a Google Business profile for lawyers is your sole goal, here are some tips to help you get started.
Why Do You Need One?
You need a Google Business profile for lawyers because it’s one of the core areas to do marketing for law firms. It lets you connect with potential clients, build your brand, and increase trust.
The benefits of having a Google Business Profile include the following:
- Improving your search rankings so that customers can find you easily online.
- Increasing conversion rate by making it easier for people to contact you directly from their search query results page.
- Building your brand’s online presence and making it easily accessible.
How to Create a Professional-Looking Profile
There are many things to consider when setting up your GMB profile. Below are some tips you can follow for success with GMB listings.
Update Information Regularly
Update your information regularly. The potential clients looking for services online will need your business’s details to contact you. If the information is outdated, the clients might not be able to contact you. For instance, suppose your business address is not updated. If the client goes to the wrong address, it will impact the overall customer experience. Hence, you should:
- Update your website address. If you have recently changed your website address and it is not reflected in Google, this can confuse potential clients trying to find you online.
- Update business hours and location information if they’ve changed since creating or last updating the profile.
- Add additional specialties or certifications that may apply.
- Update email addresses for personal and business accounts so clients can reach out via email without first having to call or visit in person at the office. This will make it easier for them because they don’t have another step before reaching out.
Ask Clients to Leave Reviews
Asking clients to leave reviews is a great way to attract new clients. BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2023 shows that 98% of people read reviews to decide which local business to go with. Here’s how you can encourage clients to leave reviews:
- In your email signature, include a link to your Google Business Profile and ask clients happy with your services to write reviews.
- At the end of each client meeting, hand them a business card with a link to your profile. This makes it easy for clients who want more information about you or want to refer friends or family members in the future.
- If someone mentions something negative about one of their past experiences with another lawyer, don’t be afraid to ask if they would consider giving feedback about their experience through Google Reviews, especially if there were any issues with billing practices or communication breakdowns between attorney and client.
Use High-Quality Images
Use high-quality images. Using relevant images for your business, appropriate for your target audience and consistent with your brand is essential.
For example, suppose you’re a criminal defense lawyer and want to attract clients in their 30s or 40s who are looking for someone to help them through difficult times. An image of you and a person you have helped in the past would be more effective than showing a police officer arresting someone at night with flashing lights in the background.
If possible, use images taken by professional photographers rather than stock photos from sites like Shutterstock because these can look dated or cheesy if not used properly. This will improve your chances of getting leads.
According to the International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), businesses that have posted more than 100 images get 520% more calls than others. This shows that quality images are crucial. You can click your professional photos with other clients to show friendliness and build trust that you can handle your prospects’ cases.
Optimize Your Listing With Keywords
As a lawyer, you know that your business name and address are essential. You should also consider using keywords in other parts of your Google business listing, such as the description and phone number.
People first see their company’s profile page on Google My Business when they search for a lawyer. It’s an opportunity to highlight what makes them unique and attract potential clients with words related to their practice area or legal specialty.
For example, if you’re an estate planner specializing in elder law, use this phrase somewhere within your description: “Elder Law Attorney | Estate Planning.” If someone searches for either term individually or both terms together, they’ll be able to find you more quickly than if there was no mention at all.
Conclusion
Creating a Google My Business profile is the place to start if you are in a dilemma about how to market your law firm. GMB profiles are a great way to attract new clients and grow your practice.
They can also help you stand out from the competition by allowing you to showcase your expertise and professionalism through an online presence that’s easy for people to find.
Author bio:
Albert Goodwin writes on legal issues, including consumer law, … His most recent article on LawFuel was ‘The Best Civil Rights Law Firms in NYC. He may be contacted at news@lawfuel.com
