A step-by-step framework you can implement this week — 50+ SEO actions for personal injury firms

This checklist is built for managing partners, marketing managers, and SEO practitioners inside personal injury firms. If you're running a solo practice or a 20-attorney shop, you'll find actions for both.

Some items require technical setup (schema markup, site speed optimization). Others are pure strategy (review response workflow, service area page mapping). Many can be completed by your existing team in an afternoon; others justify hiring specialist support.

You don't need SEO experience to use this. Each action includes why it matters for personal injury search rankings, and we've flagged which items deliver fast wins vs. long-term foundation work.

One note on compliance: This checklist covers SEO best practices. PI attorney advertising is governed by state bar associations and the FTC. Verify all testimonials, case results, and performance claims comply with your state's rules before publishing. For detailed guidance, see our compliance resources below.

Not all 50+ actions matter equally. Some actions improve 10x the effort of others. Use this matrix to sequence your work:

• Critical (Do This Week): Google Business Profile setup, citation audit, title/meta tag cleanup, service area mapping
• High Impact (This Month): Review response workflow, on-page schema markup, H1/content structure fix, location page creation
• Sustainable (Ongoing): Content refresh cycle, review generation, backlink outreach, monthly monitoring

The checklist below follows this sequence. Firms that complete the "Critical" section often see local ranking improvements within 4–6 weeks. The "High Impact" section builds authority and conversion velocity over 2–3 months.

Skip the temptation to run all 50 at once. Prioritized execution beats scattered effort.

Google Business Profile Setup & Optimization

• Claim or verify your GBP profile (one per location)
• Add complete business information: phone, address, hours, website
• Upload service area (not just address pin) if you serve multiple counties
• Add 10+ high-quality photos monthly (interior, team, case settlements if compliant)
• Write a compelling business description (120 characters) that includes "personal injury attorney" and your service area
• Add service categories: Personal Injury Attorney, Accident Attorney, Workers' Compensation Attorney (match your focus)
• Create GBP Posts monthly with case updates, firm news, or educational content (compliant messaging only)
• Monitor and respond to all reviews within 24 hours

Local Citation Audit & Cleanup

• Audit your firm's listings on Avvo, FindLaw, Justia, Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell
• Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across all directories
• Claim and optimize your Avvo profile (high-authority legal vertical)
• Update practice areas, experience, and biography on each platform
• Remove duplicate or outdated listings (common issue for firms with multiple locations or rebrands)

These two actions alone often move firms 2–3 positions in local pack results within 8 weeks.

Title Tags & Meta Descriptions

• Rewrite all title tags to include primary service + location: "Personal Injury Attorney in [City] | [Firm Name]"
• Meta descriptions should answer "What does this page do for a user?" in 150 characters or less
• Add modifiers: "Free Consultation," "No Win, No Fee" where compliant and truthful
• Avoid keyword stuffing; aim for readability (these show up in search results)

Content Structure & Schema Markup

• Add Schema.org LocalBusiness markup to homepage (firm name, address, phone, hours, service area)
• Add BreadcrumbList schema to service area and location pages
• Implement Attorney schema on attorney bio pages (name, image, credentials, practice areas)
• Add AggregateRating schema if your firm has 15+ Google reviews (signals social proof to search engines)
• Audit H1 usage: one H1 per page, should match primary keyword
• Ensure mobile-friendly navigation (critical ranking signal)

Site Speed & Core Web Vitals

• Test your site on Google PageSpeed Insights; aim for 75+ on mobile
• Compress images and enable lazy loading
• Minimize render-blocking JavaScript and CSS
• Consider a content delivery network (CDN) if your site serves multiple regions

Service Area & Location Pages

• Create one dedicated page per service area (e.g., "Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles," "Car Accident Lawyer in Orange County")
• Include relevant local keywords naturally (3–5 instances per 300 words)
• Add service area schemaMarkup (LocalBusiness + ServiceArea) to each page
• Link location pages to relevant case studies or settlement examples (where compliant)
• For multi-location firms: create a locations hub page that links to all service area pages

Service Page Content

• Audit existing service pages (Car Accidents, Workers' Compensation, Wrongful Death, etc.)
• Rewrite thin or duplicate service pages; aim for 800–1,200 words per service
• Include clear CTAs ("Free Case Consultation," "Schedule Your Free Review")
• Add FAQ schema on service pages (boosts featured snippet potential)
• Link service pages to location pages where relevant (e.g., "Car Accidents in Los Angeles")

Content Refresh Cycle

• Identify your 10 highest-traffic pages from Google Search Console
• Refresh metadata, add new internal links, update case examples (quarterly)
• Add publication date and last-modified date markup (signals freshness to Google)

Review Management & Generation

• Set up a review response workflow: assign one person to respond to all reviews within 24 hours
• Thank positive reviewers; address negative reviews professionally (never defensive or dismissive)
• Create a simple client request system: email case-closed clients a one-click review link (with compliant messaging)
• Aim for 8–15 new reviews monthly (varies by firm size and client volume)
• Monitor Avvo, Google, and Yelp for new reviews; set Google Alerts for your firm name

Compliance & Testimonial Management

• Audit all published testimonials and case results: verify each one has proper disclaimers
• Add FTC-compliant disclosures if you're featuring client outcomes: "Results vary. Testimonials do not guarantee similar outcomes."
• Review your state bar's advertising rules (ABA Model Rules 7.1–7.3 provide a framework; your state may be stricter)
• Remove or update settlement claims that aren't representative of typical results
• If publishing case results publicly, verify they're accurate and compliant with state rules

Educational Content & Thought Leadership

• Start a blog or resource center: "What to Do After a Car Accident," "Workers' Comp FAQs," "Statute of Limitations by Injury Type"
• Focus on educational content first, promotional messaging second (builds authority and backlink potential)
• Link all educational content back to relevant service pages

Legal Directory & Citation Backlinks

• Submit your firm to major legal directories: Justia, FindLaw, Lawyer.com, Martindale-Hubbell, Super Lawyers
• These high-authority sites link directly to your site and boost domain authority
• Verify each submission (many require email confirmation)

Local & Industry Backlinks

• Identify local business associations, chambers of commerce, and industry groups in your service area
• Submit your firm to local directories and sponsors pages (often include a reciprocal link)
• Reach out to complementary professionals (medical providers, chiropractors, CPAs) for partnership content or guest posts

Content-Driven Backlinks

• Create high-value resources: "Personal Injury Settlement Checklist," "State-by-State Statute of Limitations Guide"
• Promote these resources to journalists, bloggers, and industry sites (builds backlinks and referral traffic)
• Monitor backlinks in Google Search Console; identify your top referring domains

Seasonal Campaign Links

• Create content around high-volume PI seasons (e.g., holiday travel injury prevention, back-to-school safety)
• Pitch this content to local news outlets and injury prevention organizations