Link building should be a key part of your legal firm’s SEO strategy.
It helps search engines to find and rank your pages, and with potential clients increasingly turning to search engines for legal guidance, your website needs to rank highly for relevant keywords to attract new business.
This is where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes into play, and within the realm of SEO, link building emerges as a crucial, yet often overlooked, tactic.
Understanding link building
You can write the perfect post or web page, but if search engines can’t follow at least one link to it, you will most likely not get the visitors you’re looking for.
Imagine links as votes of confidence in the digital world. When a high-quality, authoritative website links to your law firm’s website, it signals to search engines like Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
This, in turn, positively influences your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
The benefits of link building for law firms
Improved search engine ranking: Strong link profiles can significantly elevate your law firm’s website in SERPs, increasing organic traffic and attracting potential clients actively searching for legal services.
Enhanced brand awareness: Backlinks act as referrals, exposing your website to a wider audience and building brand recognition within your target market.
Increased credibility and authority: Links from authoritative legal websites and publications validate your expertise and establish you as a trusted resource in your practice area.
Targeted client acquisition: By acquiring links from websites relevant to your legal specialisation, you attract high-quality leads genuinely interested in your services.
Building links the right way
The key to successful link building lies in quality over quantity. Earning links from reputable sources holds far greater value than securing a multitude of low-quality backlinks.
Here’s how to approach link building ethically and effectively:
Create high-quality content: Publish informative, engaging and valuable content on your website that establishes you as a thought leader within your legal niche. This naturally attracts organic links from other websites referencing your expertise.
Guest blogging: Contribute guest articles to reputable legal blogs, news publications or law websites. This allows you to showcase your knowledge, gain valuable backlinks and reach a wider audience.
Industry directories: Submit your law firm’s details to relevant online directories and legal resources. This not only improves local SEO but also provides valuable backlinks.
Networking and partnerships: Forge connections with complementary businesses, legal associations and organisations or universities. Exploring potential co-branding opportunities or cross-promotions can generate valuable backlinks.
The potential drawbacks of link building:
While link building offers tremendous benefits, it’s important to be aware of potential pitfalls:
Unethical practices: Building links through spam-laden techniques or buying low-quality backlinks can severely penalise your website by search engines.
Time investment: Building high-quality links takes time and effort. Creating valuable content, forging partnerships and guest blogging require strategic planning and dedication.
FAQs
Can I pay for links?
While some link-building services are legitimate, search engines penalise websites for unnatural link profiles. Focus on organic link building through content creation and outreach.
How many backlinks do I need?
There’s no magic number. Focus on acquiring high-quality, relevant backlinks over sheer quantity.
How do I track my link-building efforts?
Utilise SEO tools to monitor your backlink profile, identify linking websites and track the impact of your link-building strategy.
Build genuine partnerships with high-quality links
Link building is a cornerstone of a successful SEO strategy for your law firm.
By investing time and effort into creating valuable content, building genuine partnerships, and adhering to ethical practices, you can attract high-quality backlinks, enhance your online visibility and ultimately attract a steady stream of potential clients through organic search.
Remember, link building is a long-term play – focus on building trust and authority through consistent effort, and watch your legal business thrive.
Ascensor are an award-winning digital agency based in Leeds that can help you unlock the potential of your website.
Get advice on how to craft a conversion-focused link building strategy to turn legal leads into clients.
We’ve got a proven track record of helping legal practices get more from their digital assets.
Get in touch with the Ascensor team to discover how we can help your firm grow.