The SEO specialists at our digital marketing agency know that the most efficient and cost-effective way to promote your law firm is through local SEO. This concept involves making your website visible in searches made by users in your local area. They are the most likely to schedule an appointment and drive to your offices.
Citations are an essential part of your local SEO strategy. In this article, we will explain citations and how they help you find more clients for your law firm.
Citations: Definition and Examples
First of all, what exactly are citations? They represent any reference to your law firm on a third-party website. The basic information the reference must contain to count as a citation is:
- The name of your law firm
- The physical address of your offices
- The phone number.
These are called collectively NAP citations, and they are what Google is looking for when searching websites to display for local search queries.
Now, where exactly do you find these NAP citations? The most popular websites where you should create business profiles are:
- Google Business Profile
- Professional directories
- Yellowpages
- Yelp
- Foursquare
- Google and Apple Maps.
How Citations Influence Local SEO
Let us start by explaining the basic criteria Google uses for local search results. Local searches are online searches performed by users who specify an area of service, such as:
- Near me
- In (city name)
- Near (address, landmark).
The search engine relies on three main factors to select the best results for the query:
- Relevance
- Distance
- Prominence.
When it comes to relevance and prominence, SEO specialists work to create helpful, original, and accurate content that provides users with the answers they are looking for. When it comes to distance, NAP citations are useful to determine whether your law firm is located within a reasonable driving area from the user’s location.
Best Practices for NAP Citations to Improve Local SEO Rankings
One of the key activities in local SEO efforts is increasing the number of your law firm NAP citations and ensuring that they comply with Google rules. Here is how the SEO specialists at our agency achieve this.
1. Displaying Complete NAP Information on All Your Digital Properties
NAP citations must be complete and accurate on all digital properties you control. This means:
- Your website
- Your Google Business Profile listing
- Your social media pages.
The information must be 100% accurate and free of any errors, including typos. You must remember that Google will verify your Google Business Profile listing, either by phone, email, or by sending a postcard to your offices. Thus, accuracy is essential.
2. Ensuring Consistency across All NAP Citations
Here is another important thing to remember: Google is a machine, not a person. It is unable to grasp the subtle difference in NAP citations. Thus, they must follow the same format on all websites.
Before you start creating profiles on various directories, you must create an address format and use it everywhere. For example:
- City, street name and number, floor, office
- Street and number, floor, office, city
Using a mix of formats may lead to Google thinking there are two different businesses. Thus, your law firm would end up competing against itself.
3. Updating NAP Information Promptly on All Websites
Whenever your law firm changes offices, you must update the contact details everywhere: on your website, social media, business directories, etc. Leaving old addresses and phone numbers in NAP citations is among the biggest mistakes that hurt your local SEO rankings.
Let Our SEO Specialists Build and Manage Your NAP Citations!
At EverConvert you will find a multidisciplinary team specializing in digital marketing and SEO strategies for law firms. We know where to post NAP citations to boost your local SEO rankings and find new clients for your firm.
Do not leave your SEO strategy to chance! Call us to schedule an initial appointment with our consultants!
