50 Point SEO Checklistfor Law Firms

On-PageEvery site should have a title tag with the primary keywords for the page along with the �rm name.

The title tag should be under 60 characters, ideally.

Call-to-action (CTA) within the body content of every page. This can include links to your contactpage, phone numbers, etc.

NAP (name, address and telephone number) should be identical and be visible on at least locationor contact web page.

Text should be 500+ words and qualitative.

Include at least 2 internal links on every page to other practice area web pages on your website.

Make sure your H1/primary headline is interesting and includes your main keyword.

It’s ideal to include related keywords to your primary keyword in your sub headlines.

Make sure that the page, search results, or entire site doesn't just sell, you want to provide real valueand interesting content for your readers.

KeywordsDo not overuse keywords in your content.

Do not use keywords that are not very relevant to your content.

Make sure your sub-page URLs aren’t stu�ed with keywords. They should be short (no more than2-3 words and separated by hyphens).

GeneralIf you have a blog - make sure the link is easy to �nd, either in the main menu or footer menu.

Make sure you have a mobile-friendly site – check herehttps://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/Make sure your site is attractive in comparison to your competition. An old site will have a highbounce rate which will tell Google that you’re providing a poor experience.

Check your page load time and make necessary improvements.Use sites like Pingdom or webpagetest.org.

If you operate in one speci�c area, optimize by location.

Organize your site's architecture into silos focusing on your top practice areas and locations.

Make your phone number is setup to “Click to Call” on mobile devices.

Always provide real value to customers when posting on your blog, on new pages or on social media.

Make sure your site doesn’t have any broken links.

Don't have too many internal links within your content. Two to three links is ideal per page.

If your writing level is too advanced, it also won’t rank well in Google. Reading level shouldbe 8th grade.

Can Google and users quickly �nd the pages that matter most from your key landing pages?Improve your internal linking to ensure these pages are accessible.

Make sure you have an XML sitemap.

Develop a 'think links' culture in your �rm for opportunities for links in what you are alreadydoing in your �eld and community.

Incorporate Press Releases into your marketing strategy. Having a well-optimized websiteis not enough.

You need great social media, press releases, and directories.

Conduct a mini-review of website - Have a friend or employees conduct tasks on the site andsee how they fare and that the site is easy to navigate.

You can use tools like email marketing to increase rankings, lower bounce rates, and increaseconversion rates.

Check Google Webmaster tools for what pages already rank for and what users are searchingto �nd that page.

Have your secondary city Google My Business pro�les pointing to your city pages, notthe home page.

Make sure your Google My Business pages are veri�ed.

Get reviews on your Google My Business listing.

Google My Business

Make sure your images have descriptive alt text. Use only relevant keywords and make sure not to‘stu�’ keywords into it.

Images should have an alt tag - "inspect element" and see if the images have an alt tag that'sdescriptive of the page/keyword.

Make sure image sizes are web-friendly.

Do not write your titles in an image - use text, not images to convey important information.

Images

Try to update your site once per week with new content. This can be through your blog or by addingnew practice area pages.

Every page should have unique content.

Look for duplicate pages.

Content

Make sure your site is listed on the major legal directories such as FindLaw, Lawyer.com, AVVO,HG.org and Justia (premium listings not required).

Make sure your site is listed on major local directories like Yelp, Foursquare, YellowPages.comYahoo Local and SuperPages.com.

Double check that you really have a link from the top directories and professional orgs, not just a NAP citation.

Name, address and phone on major directories like FindLaw, Lawyers...etc should match exactly what’son your Google My Business page.

Directories

Make sure you’re active on social media- regular posts at least 3 times a week- once a day is preferable.

Keep the same tone and style in your language on all pages and on social media - that's your brand personality.

Optimize URLs for social media channels.

Include social share buttons on site pages.

Make sure your pro�les are completed with all necessary information so it is easy for customers to contact you.

Share valuable information on social media, don’t just ‘sell’.

Social Media

Not sure if your SEO team is doing everything? Why not grade them with our “SEO Report Card Tool”?

https://goblack�n.com/seo-audit/