Competition in the digital world is particularly fierce these days and lawyers and law firms have to think ahead about the methods of their online marketing. As more individuals turn to search engines to source local legal services, it’s important to know what the difference between Local SEO and Traditional SEO is in order to keep up with the current trends. Although they belong to the same field as search engine optimization, these two work on the opposite sides. In this article, we will see the major differences and set forth the sense underlying why local SEO for lawyers is a necessary business investment to get local customers.
What Is Traditional SEO?
A traditional form of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) aims to accomplish the task of enhancing the visibility of a particular website nationally or internationally. The idea is to appear somewhere in the top of search engine result pages (SERPs) when using general keywords that are not location-based such as personal injury lawyer or criminal defense attorney. This includes optimisation of contents on site, speeding up the site, creation of backlinks and sound user experience.
What is Local SEO?
In contrast to that, local SEO is specially created to make businesses appear in local search results. In the case of law firms, it’s possible to be seen when a person needs services such as a divorce lawyer near me or an estate attorney in Houston. Some of the Local SEO techniques include claiming a Google Business Profile, optimising it, gaining positive reviews, creating/building citations on local directories, and using geo-specific keywords on your site.
Local SEO takes into account the importance of the proximity, relevance, and prominence in the definite geographical location.
Traditional SEO can be useful at a general level, but it cannot necessarily target the potential clients based in their city or neighborhood when they are searching methods of finding legal assistance.
Main Distinctions Between The Local and The Traditional SEO
- The Search Intent and Audience
- Traditional SEO is aimed at users who are capable of obtaining general information or do not need the location-specific services.
- Local SEO is focused on the users, who seek legal services in a given locale.
- Ranking Factors
- Old-fashioned methods of SEO are based on domain authority, quality, and backlinks.
- Local SEO introduces local signals, Google Business Profile enhancement, local citation and review into the ranking equation.
- Keyword Targeting
- The conventional SEO employs untargeted keywords (e.g. business lawyer).
- In local search engine optimization, geo-target keywords are employed (examples: business lawyer in Los Angeles).
- The Appearance of a Search Result
- Organic search listing is the purpose of traditional SEO.
- Local SEO aims to appear in the so-called Local Pack the three listings and a map which will be on the top of the local search listings.
Which of the two should law firms concentrate on?
Both local SEO and traditional one can be used in a complex approach, still, in case your law firm is interested in attracting people in a specific city or region, they should be initially focused on local SEO. The majority of individuals who require a legal service provider prefer a trusted close person who can easily be reached and searched; Local SEO places you literally in front of the potential client.
Once typical SEO attracts long-term authority and brand familiarity, when it comes to individual provinces or cities, Local SEO is what brings the traffic of potential clients high in conversion rates. Whether it is a general or local search your firm is implementing, with the understanding of the strengths of each and the strategic implementation of balance, the two worlds will shift to your firm and you will attract the right clients who you want at the right time.