The DUI Defense Firms Winning on Google All Start in the Same Place
A structured guide to every SEO decision your firm will face — from your Google Business Profile to bar advertising compliance to closing the gap on local competitors.
Browse every deep-dive in this cluster
Quick answer
What does a DUI lawyer need to rank on Google and get more cases?
DUI lawyers need a fully optimized Google Business Profile, consistent local citations, practice-specific content targeting arrest-night searches, and a technically sound website. Bar advertising rules add compliance requirements most agencies miss. Done right, local SEO is the Done right, local SEO is the highest-ROI channel available to DUI defense firms. available to DUI defense firms.
Key Takeaways
1Local search — especially Google's [Map Pack](/resources/dui-lawyers/local-seo-dui-lawyers) — is where most DUI clients begin their search, often within hours of an arrest
2Your Google Business Profile is your most important [digital asset](/resources/attorney/hub) and also the easiest to get wrong
3Bar advertising rules under ABA Model Rules 7.1–7.3 (and state-specific equivalents) apply directly to your website, reviews, and ad copy — this is not optional
4SEO results for DUI firms typically take 4–6 months to materialize; the firms who start earlier hold the ground longer
5A technical audit, local presence diagnostic, and compliance review are the three starting points every new campaign should run through
6The resources in this hub are sequenced — start with the audit, move to the checklist, then go deep on local SEO
Start with the audit guide — it gives you a diagnostic baseline across your website, local presence, and compliance posture. From there, the checklist gives you a prioritized action plan. If you have no existing SEO history, start with Google Business Profile optimization before anything else; it's the fastest path to local visibility.
Go to the local SEO guide. For most DUI defense firms, local search is where the majority of new clients originate, and the local SEO page covers the highest-use tactics in a single resource. The checklist is the second-best option if you want a faster, action-oriented format.
The audit guide includes a diagnostic framework you can run independently of your agency. It covers the technical, local, content, and compliance dimensions of DUI lawyer SEO. If your agency's work doesn't hold up to that framework, the hiring guide (linked from the hub) gives you evaluation criteria and questions to ask.
Yes, directly. ABA Model Rules 7.1 – 7.3 and state-specific equivalents govern what you can claim in website content, how you solicit reviews, and what testimonial language is permissible. The compliance page in this hub covers those rules in the context of DUI marketing specifically. Verify current rules with your state bar or ethics counsel — this hub provides educational context, not legal advice.
The audit guide is diagnostic — it helps you identify what's broken or missing in your current setup. The checklist is prescriptive — it gives you a sequenced list of actions to take once you know your gaps. Use the audit first, then the checklist. They're designed to work in sequence, not as alternatives.
Share the statistics page (for realistic benchmarking) and the compliance page (to confirm they understand bar advertising rules for DUI defense). If they can engage with both resources fluently — and adjust their proposal based on the compliance requirements — that's a good signal. If they're unfamiliar with either, that's a meaningful red flag.