How to Do Keyword Research Like a Pro for Legal Marketing

Keyword research is the foundation of a successful legal marketing strategy. Whether you run a law firm, or legal marketing agency, or offer digital marketing services to attorneys, identifying the right keywords can help you attract high-intent leads, improve SEO rankings, and drive organic traffic to your website.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to do keyword research like a pro specifically for law firms and legal marketers using expert strategies and tools.

Step 1: Understand Your Target Audience in the Legal Niche

Before jumping into keyword tools, you need to understand:

Who are your potential clients? (e.g., individuals seeking legal help, businesses needing corporate law advice, etc.)

What legal problems do they have? (e.g., divorce, personal injury, immigration, employment law, etc.)

How do they search for legal services online?

Example Audience Segments:

Personal Injury Law Firm → People searching for:

• “Best personal injury lawyer near me”
• “What to do after a car accident?”
• “How much can I sue for a slip and fall?”

Family Law Attorney → People searching for:

• “How to file for divorce in NewJersey”
• “Child custody lawyer consultation”
• “Alimony laws in Florida”

Corporate Law Firm → Business owners searching for:

• “How to draft a business contract”
• “Best lawyer for startups”
• “Corporate law firm in LA”

Pro Tip:  Check Google Reviews, Quora, Reddit, and Facebook Groups to understand common legal concerns and search behaviors.

Step 2: Brainstorm Seed Keywords for Legal Services

Seed keywords are broad legal terms that will help generate more specific keyword ideas.

Example Seed Keywords for Different Legal Niches:

• Personal Injury Law: car accident lawyer, slip and fall attorney, injury claims
• Family Law: divorce attorney, child custody lawyer, spousal support
• Criminal Defense Law: DUI lawyer, defense attorney near me, felony charges
• Corporate Law: business lawyer, contract attorney, corporate litigation
• Estate Planning: wills and trusts attorney, probate lawyer, power of attorney

Think like a potential client: If someone needed legal help, what words would they type into Google?

Step 3: Use Legal Keyword Research Tools

Now, let’s use SEO tools to find high-traffic, low-competition keywords.

Best Free & Paid Keyword Research Tools for Law Firms

🔹 Google Keyword Planner (Free) – PPC & organic keyword insights

🔹 Ubersuggest (Free & Paid) – Search volume & keyword difficulty

🔹 Ahrefs Keywords Explorer (Paid) – Competitive analysis

🔹 SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool (Paid) – Finds long-tail keywords

🔹 AnswerThePublic (Free) – Great for question-based legal queries

🔹 Google Search Auto-Suggest (Free) – Shows actual searches

🔹 Google Trends (Free) – Helps track seasonal trends in legal queries

Step 4: Analyze Keyword Metrics (Search Volume, Difficulty & CPC)

When selecting keywords, focus on three key metrics:

1. Search Volume (SV)

How many people search for this keyword per month?

Example: “DUI lawyer near me” = 8,000 searches/month

2. Keyword Difficulty (KD)

How hard is it to rank for this keyword?

• Low KD (<30) = Easier to rank
• High KD (>60) = More competition

3. Cost-per-click (CPC)

How much are law firms bidding for this keyword in Google Ads?
Higher CPC = More valuable keyword

Example Keyword Analysis for Legal Niche:

Pro Tip:  To attract traffic and clients, target a mix of low-competition, long-tail keywords, and high-intent, high-CPC keywords.

Step 5: Find Long-Tail Keywords (Less Competition, Higher Conversions)

Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific, making them easier to rank for and more likely to convert.

Example Long-Tail Keywords for Law Firms:

Short-tail keyword: “divorce lawyer” (too broad, high competition)

Long-tail keyword: “affordable divorce lawyer for women in Los Angeles” (more targeted, easier to rank)

👉 Use Google Auto-Suggest, AnswerThePublic, or SEMrush to find long-tail keywords.

Step 6: Spy on Competitor Keywords

Find out what keywords other law firms are ranking for and use them to your advantage.

How to do it?

👉 Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to check competitor rankings

👉 Identify gaps in their keyword strategy

👉 Create better content around those keywords

Pro Tip:  If your competitor ranks for “best personal injury lawyer in Miami”, create a more detailed page on “Top-Rated Personal Injury Lawyers in Miami – What You Need to Know”.

Step 7: Optimize & Track Keyword Performance

👉 Place keywords in your title, URL, headers (H1, H2), and meta descriptions

👉 Add related keywords (LSI keywords) for better context

👉 Track rankings using Google Search Console or Ahrefs

Pro Tip:  Regularly update old blog posts with new keywords and internal links to maintain high rankings.

Tags:

You may also like