The firms winning new clients from Google all share these 3 traits — here's the full playbook
A structured guide to every SEO topic that matters for law firms: local search, bar advertising compliance, reputation, ROI, and ROI, and what to expect month by month.
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Quick answer
What is an attorney SEO guide?
An attorney SEO guide covers An attorney SEO guide covers every search marketing decision a law firm faces a law firm faces — from Google Business Profile setup and local rankings to bar advertising compliance and hiring an agency. It organizes tactics by goal so attorneys can It organizes tactics by goal so attorneys can address the right problem in the right order in the right order, without wasted effort or compliance risk.
Key Takeaways
1Attorney SEO spans at least six distinct disciplines: local search, on-page optimization, technical health, reputation, compliance, and technical health, reputation, compliance, and [link authority](/resources/attorney/attorney-seo-vs-ppc-vs-lsa) — each requiring a different approach
2Bar advertising rules (ABA Model Rules 7.1–7.3 and state-specific regulations) apply to your website and Google Business Profile, not just paid ads
3Most law firms see meaningful ranking movement in 4–6 months; competitive markets like personal injury in major metros typically take longer
4Google Business Profile is the single highest-use asset for attorneys targeting local clients — before your website
5Cost and ROI benchmarks vary significantly by practice area, market size, and firm starting authority — avoid agency promises that ignore these variables
6Use this hub to route yourself to the right resource based on your current goal, not to read everything at once
Start with the Attorney SEO Definition page, which explains the fundamentals without jargon. Then read the Cost page to understand what a realistic investment looks like, and the Timeline page to set accurate expectations. Those three resources answer most first-mover questions before you speak to any agency.
The Google Business Profile Optimization page covers GBP setup, category selection, photo strategy, post frequency, and review management. It is part of the local subgraph alongside the Local SEO hub page and the Reputation Management page, which handles the ethics of review solicitation under bar advertising rules.
Two pages cover compliance: the Bar Advertising Rules page addresses ABA Model Rules 7.1 – 7.3 and state-specific advertising regulations as they apply to your digital presence, while the Attorney Website Compliance page covers ADA/WCAG accessibility, privacy policies, and intake form disclaimers. Both are educational — verify current rules with your state bar or a legal ethics attorney.
The Hiring an Attorney SEO Agency page gives you an evaluation framework, contract red flags, and specific questions to ask vendors. For self-assessment, use the Attorney SEO Audit Checklist alongside it. The Comparison page provides a side-by-side breakdown of in-house versus agency tradeoffs at different budget levels.
Start with the Attorney SEO Audit Checklist — it identifies whether the fundamentals are in place regardless of who did the work. Then use the ROI page to evaluate whether the metrics your agency reports are leading indicators of ranking and revenue movement, or metrics that look active but do not predict results.
The Attorney SEO Case Studies page covers documented engagements with context on market, practice area, starting authority, and outcomes. The Timeline page complements it by mapping what typically happens month by month, so you can benchmark your own firm's trajectory against realistic expectations rather than agency projections.