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In the world of marketing, a citation is a positive thing. Let’s define citations before we go any further! Citations are online mentions of your law firm, and the more citations your law firm has, the better your business will rank in local searches. Learn more about the benefits of law firm citations and how to collect more of these valuable mentions online.
Law Firm Citations Are Locally Profitable
Citations are especially important for local searches, They include your law firm’s company name, office address and phone number. Two examples of local citations would be the yellow pages and the local Chamber of Commerce listings. The more citations you acquire, the more chance your law firm has of ranking well in a particular area.
Law Firm Citations Must Be Accurate
One of the most important things about citations is that they must be accurate. Every mention of your law firm must contain a consistent NAP (name, address and phone number) across the internet, because this consistency tells Google your business is reliable. If your NAP is not found identically across the internet, your site or business listing may be downgraded. It is up to you to check the accuracy and uniformity of your citations, so start with your Google My Business listing and then scour the other citations you find online to confirm that all of them are identical.
How to Optimize Law Firm Citations
There are a few different ways to discover, examine and gather more law firm citations. Keep in mind that gaining a citation in a place outside your local area is not as valuable as one that focuses on local businesses.
Check Current Citations
You can use helpful tools to see where your law firm citations are, and then examine these to ensure they include a consistent NAP. Here are three ways to check your citations:
- Free Tools, such as Moz, Yext and Local Galex can get you started and inform you where your law firm is currently listed. From there, you can sign up for additional directories.
- Paid Tools, like Advice Local.com can take your law firm listing and spread it throughout directories for a minimal fee.
- Do it Yourself. You can search out relevant directories manually, and there are some online tools that can help, including: Google Advanced Operators or Scrapebox.
Confirm Consistency
Company names should not vary even slightly from one platform to the next. Check your website and Google My Business listing for uniformity and search online to see if every citation matches up. The exact spelling, phrasing and all parts of an address are important here, so if you have listed your suite number on your website, make sure you do so everywhere else. If your citations are not consistent, you risk confusing Google and having your listing removed.
Include Specifics
Local SEO is crucial for law firms, and it can generate valuable leads. By adding specifics about your practice or niche, you can rise up in the search results.
Prove Your Expertise
Some attorneys use Terkel or HARO to answer common legal questions and provide experienced answers. This is an ideal way to get your law firm’s name published in articles relevant to your expertise, and give you a boost above the competition.
Add One Citation Every Week
Multiple citations from relevant sources are especially valuable, and this is a key tactic in SEO strategies. Although some citations may only list a company’s NAP, others may include reviews, backlinks, and images. The legal industry has dozens of reputable legal directories where your law firm can build up a stash of citations, so aim to add one citation every week in a new legal directory.
Multiply Your Citations
Even if you already have law firm citations in legal directories, you can also add the individual attorneys who work there. If your law firm has four lawyers, quadruple your citations by completing a listing for each one of them, citing your law firm’s consistent name, address and phone number for each citation.
Conduct a Monthly Citation Audit
Utilize a solid local SEO tool that can track your citations, such as Whitespark or BrightLocal. One of these can identify your current citations, and make a new list based on your competitors’ citations. Hire a virtual assistant to create new citations, and conduct a monthly audit to confirm that you are taking advantage of new citation opportunities.
Where to Get More Quality Law Firm Citations
Although there are many places to gain law firm citations, some are more valuable than others. While you are looking for key places to gain law firm citations, do not forget to peek in on what your competition is doing. By entering their name and location, you can follow their citations and collect insight on new opportunities. Here are some key places to add a citation, or examine one you already have.
Start with Google, since more than 40% of Google searches are local ones. Google My Business listings showcase businesses that are local to the searcher. Besides Google, you can consider data aggregators, which include sites like Yelp, Tripadvisor and the Yellow Pages. Other places to input your law firm citations include the following:
Local Newspapers and Directories
Because these publications are focused on local, they hold a high value for your law firm. Local newspapers include paper and online versions, and these are great places to publicize your involvement in community events and calendar listings.
Your Law Firm Website
This may seem obvious, but many law firms do not fully take advantage of this free real estate. Besides being a place to confirm your consistent NAP, your website is an authoritative expression of your brand and services.
Review-Based Websites
Review websites are ideal places to insert law firm citations, because people are often here browsing for service providers. These include sites like: Avvo, FindLaw, Justia, Lawyers.com and Better Business Bureau. To be effective here, your law firm must have an accumulation of positive reviews, so make it a goal to ask each and every client for a review when wrapping up a case.
How Law Quill Can Help
Law firm citations are simply mentions of your company in cyberworld, and they are especially potent for local searches. Each citation should be perfectly consistent, in order to be in step and in favor with Google. How can your law firm maximize the local benefit of citations? Start by using a free or paid marketing tool to discover where your citations are. After confirming the consistency of each one, make it a goal to add more regularly. You can do this by signing up for legal directories and data aggregators. The more citations you collect, the more chance your law firm will rise to the top of Google’s local search results.
We are here to help and would welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free regarding your law firm website’s content, and how we can take these tasks off your plate! Schedule a free visit with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call at your convenience on our calendar today. You can also email us at support@lawquill.com.
