SEO for Divorce Lawyers: Boost Your Online Visibility

For divorce lawyers, SEO is more than just an add-on to your marketing plan—it’s essential for attracting potential clients, staying competitive in their local market, and, ultimately, growing a family law practice.

Still, with search engine optimization (SEO) constantly changing, it can be challenging for divorce lawyers to know where to start and how to keep up. However, with the right methods, effectively integrating divorce lawyer SEO into your marketing strategy is more straightforward than you might think—and the increased visibility and new clients it can bring are worth the effort.

This blog post will explore the essentials of successful strategies for boosting SEO for divorce attorneys, from optimizing your family law firm’s website to embracing local SEO and learning how to track and measure your SEO efforts.

To further boost your law firm’s online presence on top of your organic and local SEO efforts, Google’s Local Services Ads for Clio ensures your practice appears when people in your area search for the family law services you offer. Post ads directly from Clio Grow—book a demo today!

Why SEO is essential for divorce lawyers

Today’s legal clients are increasingly looking to the web when they need to find legal services, with more than one in three people starting their search for an attorney online. 

As such, being easy to find online is a key focus for lawyers in all practice areas—but especially for divorce lawyers due to the nature of their potential clients’ needs. Because divorce cases are often stressful, personal, and location-specific, potential clients are searching for more than just any lawyer—they want a lawyer they can trust in their local area.

For divorce attorneys, increasing online visibility using targeted SEO strategies, such as local SEO, is vital. Effective SEO for family law firms and divorce lawyers​ drives targeted traffic to their website and helps ensure the firm ranks highly in search results when potential clients in their area search for a divorce lawyer, all while showcasing a credible presence online.

What a successful SEO strategy for lawyers looks like

SEO is crucial to a divorce lawyer’s overall marketing plan, but what should that SEO strategy look like?

While the exact goals and strategies will be tailored to the firm’s needs and capacity, the main components that divorce lawyers need for SEO generally fall into the following categories:

• Technical SEO: This refers to optimizing your website’s backend and structure to make it easier for search engines to understand. 

By using technical SEO techniques to make your website more “Google friendly”—such as making sure it loads quickly, is mobile friendly, and is easy to navigate—you improve its chances of ranking higher in search results.

• Local SEO: This refers to optimizing your firm’s online presence to increase exposure when potential customers search for your services in your local geographical area. 

Effective local SEO techniques for divorce lawyers include optimizing your Google My Business profile, getting listed in local directories, and using local SEO keywords on your firm’s website.

• Content: This refers to including specific content on your website that answers the inquiries or search terms that your potential clients are looking for. 

In practice, incorporating content into your SEO strategy could look like using keyword research and on-page SEO in your website content. When you make your website the best place possible to answer your potential client’s inquiries, Google is more likely to rank you higher in search results.

A solid organic SEO strategy that includes technical SEO, local SEO, and content—especially when combined with a paid search engine marketing (SEM) strategy—can help divorce lawyers improve visibility and rank higher on Google when people search for their services.

Next, let’s explore some specific, practical ways to implement these SEO strategies at your family law firm.

Optimizing your website for SEO

Your law firm’s website is your firm’s online base—it’s where search engines direct people who find your firm online. Whether you tackle it in-house or hire an SEO expert to help, there are several ways to boost your website’s SEO performance to make it more attractive to search engines and potential clients.

Keyword research and targeting for divorce lawyers

One of the most fundamental elements of SEO for family law​ and divorce lawyers is keyword optimization. 

Search engines evaluate your website’s content (including title and description tags, headings and subheadings, paragraph copy, and URL) for specific keywords. This lets the search engine know what your website is about and how well it answers someone’s specific search.

This makes keyword research and targeting very important for your firm’s website. By incorporating specific keywords, phrases, and their variations that potential clients are most likely to be searching for when looking for a divorce lawyer into your website, you increase your chances of showing up in search results and attracting more relevant visitors.

There’s no need to repeat the same keyword over and over—“divorce lawyer New Mexico” repeatedly would come off as spammy and unnatural—but use keywords to guide the core topic and focus of each page on your site, whether it’s your home page or a blog post.

For divorce lawyers who want to connect with local people searching for divorce lawyers in their area, a mix of keywords is essential. These may include:

• Informational keywords that potential clients use when researching divorce topics, such as “cost of divorce in [state],” “how to get child custody [state],” etc.
• Transactional keywords that potential clients use when actively looking for a divorce lawyer to hire, often with a local focus, such as “divorce lawyers near me,” “best divorce lawyers [city],” etc.

Transactional local keywords also signal to Google that the searchers have local intent, which can help increase your chances of appearing in the Local 3-Pack, increasing your firm’s visibility in local search results further (more on this later).

There are many ways to conduct keyword research to determine your target keywords. Consider:

• Utilizing keyword research tools, free or paid
• Using Google Trends to identify trending topics and keywords
• Looking for commonly asked questions (such as “People Always Ask” questions on Google)

On-page optimization techniques for better search rankings

In addition to keyword research, there are several ways divorce attorneys can improve their website’s ability to rank higher in search engine results. Examples of on-page optimization techniques to consider include:

Build quality content

Create informative, high-quality, valuable content—complete with relevant keywords—that attracts and engages potential clients. Consider creating content like informative how-to articles and guides, blog posts, explainer videos, and resource pages on relevant divorce topics. 

For example, you could write a blog post explaining “What to Expect During a Divorce in [Your State]” or create a downloadable resource outlining “How to Prepare for a Divorce: A Checklist.” This content should aim to answer the questions and address the search intent your potential clients are searching for online.

You can learn more about creating valuable content to make your law firm stand out by watching our webinar “Content Creation and SEO for Lawyers.”

Make URL slugs SEO-friendly

Ensure that the slugs of URLs on each page are descriptive, include primary keywords, and are not time-limited (i.e., avoid including dates in blog post slugs). 

For example, the URL slug for the page “How to Prepare for a Divorce: A Checklist” could be: www.yourlawfirm.com/resources/divorce-preparation-tips, where “divorce-preparation-tips” is the slug.

Include accurate, informative meta descriptions

Meta descriptions are short (typically around a sentence, between 150–160 characters) summaries of a page on a website. In search engine results, the meta description appears beneath the page title and URL. A descriptive, unique, and compelling meta description encourages the searcher to click on your link.

For example, if you’re a California divorce lawyer with a blog post “How to Prepare for a Divorce in California: A Checklist,” your meta description may be: “Preparing for a divorce in California? Learn how to get organized and navigate the process with this practical checklist from a California divorce lawyer.”

Use internal links

Internal links, which link between pages in your website help search engines crawl and index your site while improving user navigation. A strong internal linking strategy can reduce bounce rates, improve page visibility, and ultimately support better search engine rankings.

For example, in your blog, “What to Expect During a Divorce in [Your State]”, you should link to your other blogs that the reader might find valuable, such as, “How to Prepare for a Divorce: A Checklist”. 

Include visual content

Photos, videos, and other high-quality visual content enhance user engagement, increase time on site, and improve click-through rates, all of which signal value to search engines and boost SEO rankings.

For example, you could add relevant images or short videos to informative blog articles on your firm’s website.

Technical SEO for divorce lawyer websites

Effective technical SEO—or backend strategies that help search engines better crawl, index, and rank your website—are essential for ensuring users and search engines find your site easy to navigate.

Examples of strategies for technical SEO for divorce lawyers include:

• Following Google’s guidelines. Google doesn’t hide how you can improve technical SEO for your website—stay up to date and follow the Webmaster Guidelines for tips.
• Ensure your website is fast and mobile-friendly. Your site should load quickly and be easily viewable on a variety of screen sizes and mobile devices, especially since Google now uses mobile-first indexing.
• Make your site easy to navigate and use proper tags. Ensure title tags include the main search terms you are targeting (i.e., the primary keyword), and ensure each website page has an on-page title with an H1 tag.
• Use structured data. Structured data, or “schema markup,” makes it easier for search engines to understand your website’s content and help it stand out.

Local SEO for divorce lawyers

Local SEO allows a business to optimize its online presence—such as its website and Google My Business profile—and improve its visibility in local search results when people search for the business or service online. For divorce lawyers, local SEO means improving their visibility in online search results when potential clients are searching for a divorce lawyer in their area.

How can local SEO help divorce lawyers attract more clients?

When people seek help with sensitive family law issues like divorce, it’s natural for them to look for someone in their area, whether via a personal referral, reading reviews, or searching online. This focus on local intent is why local SEO is crucial for divorce lawyers looking to attract new clients. 

When ranking family law firms in local searches to determine which appear at the top of the page, search engines like Google look to three key factors:

• Relevance to the search inquiry
• Distance to the searcher
• Prominence and authority

Let’s say a potential client is looking online for a divorce lawyer to help them, and they search “best divorce lawyers in Albuquerque.” If you’re a divorce lawyer in the Albuquerque area, what local SEO steps would improve your chances of showing up first in that person’s search? 

Below, we’ll review a few key local SEO strategies for divorce lawyers:

1. Optimize your Google Business Profile

The first step for any law firm looking to improve local SEO is to check that they’ve claimed and optimized their free Google Business Profile. In addition to essential details like your firm’s address and contact details, you can build out your firm’s Google Business Profile by adding branding elements (like your logo and photos) or specific features (such as “Divorce Lawyer”) to your profile, creating posts with relevant information, and responding to customer reviews.

For law firms, an optimized Google Business Profile is an easy opportunity to outline details about the firm on Google and to get featured in Google Maps and Google Search—all of which make it easier for local customers to find you in local search.

2. Get listed in local directories and citation sites

Getting listed in local online directories and citation sites for lawyers is another simple strategy for family lawyers to increase their chances of being found by potential clients locally and enhance authority. This works when people search and find your firm directly in apps or listings, and as an additional way to improve visibility in local searches.

Add your firm’s information to any major local listings (such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Apple Maps) and reputable legal directories (like Avvo, Nolo, or FindLaw). Just be sure to be consistent with the spelling and formatting of your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) information to optimize credibility with search sites.

3. Aim for Google’s Local 3-Pack

Another way for divorce lawyers to gain visibility with potential clients in their area is to target Google’s Local 3-Pack. 

Google’s Local 3-Pack (also known as the Google 3-Pack or Google’s Local Pack) is a listing of the top three businesses local to the searcher’s location found at the top of the search results page alongside a map when someone searches for local businesses. 

The three businesses that are represented in Google’s Local 3-Pack for any particular search depend on which businesses Google deems as the most relevant results that match what the searcher is looking for. For divorce lawyers, showing up in Google’s Local 3-Pack when someone searches—for example, “divorce attorneys near me”—is an excellent way to increase your firm’s visibility for a high-intent searcher.

Strategies to help your firm rank in Google’s Local 3-Pack for high-intent searches include:

• Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile. Ensure that all your information is up-to-date and includes local keywords.
• Incorporate location-specific keywords into your online content. For example, if you are a divorce attorney in Albuquerque, you could ensure keywords like “divorce lawyer in Albuquerque” naturally fit into your website content, meta tags, and Google Business Profile.).
• Manage online reviews. If it’s allowed in your jurisdiction, allow clients to leave reviews of your services online and respond to them professionally—after all, more positive reviews lead to increased prominence, trust, and higher search rankings. 

Just be sure to follow all rules of professional conduct and ethical guidelines about reviews in your jurisdiction. 

Building high-quality backlinks

Backlinks—or referral links included on other websites that point online traffic to your website—are another important element of effective SEO for divorce lawyers. 

You can think of backlinks as a popularity contest, where backlinks—particularly from popular websites—work like votes. The more high-authority backlinks your website has, the more credibility it will have for search engines, which means the higher it will rank your site for the search results of potential clients.

Strategies for acquiring authoritative and relevant backlinks include:

• Leverage guest blogging opportunities with legal and local websites. Write informative blog posts and have them published on credible, relevant websites (such as reputable family law websites). Include a link back to your firm’s website (either in the content or in your bio). You could write a blog on the first steps you need to take when your spouse asks for a divorce, for example.
• Be a thought leader. Similarly, consider writing articles providing your professional opinions on current topics for industry or professional websites.
• Network with other professionals for referrals and link opportunities. Networking with other attorneys and professionals is a good strategy for driving new leads to your firm. Make the most of networking by looking for opportunities to link on each other’s websites.

Measuring and analyzing SEO performance

So you’ve revamped your website to optimize for SEO and win new clients—that doesn’t mean you can check SEO off as a completed task.

To make the most out of your divorce lawyer SEO, you need to measure, analyze, and refine your efforts over time.

Using analytics tools like Google Analytics to monitor specific key performance indicators can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your SEO campaigns. When you know what’s working and what’s not with your SEO, you’ll be better equipped to make data-driven decisions.

Consider tracking the following essential SEO metrics:

• Organic search traffic, or the number of website visitors coming from search engines
• User behavior of website visitors, such as:
  • Click-through rate (how many people are clicking on your website from search results)
  • Bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing one page)
  • Conversion rate (the percentage of visitors who took a desired action, like booking a consultation or filling out a form)
• Keyword rankings, to assess how well your firm’s website ranks for the specific keywords you’re targeting

Staying ahead with SEO trends and updates

SEO is ever-evolving, especially lately, with the rise of AI overviews in search results. Google and the standards of what works best for SEO are always changing, so keeping up with algorithm changes and search engine updates is important.

By adapting your firm’s SEO strategies to meet evolving user search behavior and optimizing for emerging trends like AI overviews and rich SERP features, you can stay ahead of the competition and help set your firm up for optimal search results.

To stay current with trends and to keep informed on SEO best practices for your law firm’s website, you can:

• Follow reputable SEO-related resources like the Google Search Central blog or Search Engine Journal
• Regularly check Google Search Console for insights into your site’s performance
• Monitor your site’s SEO performance with SEO tools like SEMrush

Our guide to SEO for lawyers and digital marketing hub are also good places to start.

Conclusion

While effective SEO for divorce lawyers takes time and strategy, the effort is worth it. By staying on top of the latest in SEO best practices and implementing SEO strategies you can boost your firm’s online visibility and client base.

Providing valuable content and driving targeted traffic to your firm’s website make it easier for prospective clients to find your services. This offers practical benefits for your firm’s growth, and ultimately, it gives you the opportunity to help more people through challenging and sensitive divorce cases.

The first step for SEO is to have a professional, secure law firm website. If you’re at this stage, Clio’s law firm website builder makes it quick and easy to get started. In addition to your organic and local SEO strategies, you can also consider using  Google’s Local Services Ads for Clio to make sure your practice shows up when local people search for your legal services. And, to manage new qualified leads more efficiently, Clio Grow’s intake forms can help.

We published this blog post in November 2024. Last updated: November 27, 2024.

Categorized in: Marketing