When properly managed, it displays all your information and makes it easy for prospective clients to learn about and get in touch with your firm. They should be able to easily check out your reviews, address, phone number, photos and more.
If your firm doesn’t have an optimized profile, you’re not showing up in Google Search and Maps and are likely missing out on free traffic and leads.
In this post, we’ll cover the five critical elements attorneys need to create a Google Business Profile that attracts more clients and strengthens their online presence.
Let’s start with photos.
You’ve likely come across Business Profiles with photos of a street, alley or parking lot. If you do not add any photos of your own, Google will add one from street view. This will confuse prospects, so it’s important to add at least four photos.
One will be your logo. Another will be your cover photo – either use a headshot of the main attorney or photo of the team members.
Then you’ll want to add headshots of every attorney at the firm and photos of the office. These should be the internal reception area of your office, plus the lobby, main entrance and exterior of your building.
Your photos should be 720 pixels tall by 720 pixels wide and in a JPG or PNG format. Ideally they will be professionally shot and high-resolution. These are the first visuals of your business that prospects will come across. Don’t fail to make a good first impression.
Next you’ll select your services and products – two very similar features.
These will show prospects what case types you accept.
We’ll address services first. Services are short (300 characters), digestible descriptions of what your firm offers that are prominent on mobile searches.
You’ll choose 1 primary category and up to 9 additional business categories. You must select from Google’s predefined categories, and can then add custom services under each.
For your primary category, don’t use “attorney” or “law firm”. Represent your main practice area by choosing something like “bankruptcy attorney,” “family lawyer,” “criminal defense attorney” and so on.
Your remaining business categories can list any other areas of law that you practice. For example, you may choose “personal injury” as a category, and then add custom services like “slip and fall cases,” “motorcycle accidents,” or “dog bites,” under it.
Keep in mind that you cannot create custom services that include a phone number, URL, or pricing.
Organizing custom services under broader categories will help potential clients find what they are looking for more easily.
Ready to create your firm's Google Business Profile?
Our experts can help you build a powerful online brand.
Next up are products. The Products section of a Business Profile is more prominent on desktop searches, allowing up to 1,000 characters, plus other features.
Products are where you go into more detail about every area of law that you practice. Here’s a checklist of every item you need to add to each product:
- An image (recommended size is 1200 x 900 pixels)
- A product name (up to 58 characters)
- A category
- A product description (up to 1000 characters)
- A button (such as “Learn More”)
- A link (this should take prospects to a relevant page on your website)
Having the same information on your website and Profile signals to Google that you are credible and helps build authority.
Taking advantage of the product catalog helps your offerings get more visibility and will help boost your local SEO efforts.
Now on to posts.
Google posts are similar to blog posts on your website. You can write up to 1,500 words, add an image, a video, and include a call-to-action button that you can link to your website or elsewhere.
Although more time-consuming to create, posts are critical for improving your local SEO results.
They give you the opportunity to share hyperlocal content that is specific to what’s going on in your area.
For example, if there is a music or art festival happening in your area, write a post about what happens if someone gets injured there, and who would be liable.
This type of content indicates to Google that your law firm is active in the local community, and, in turn, Google will feature your business more prominently in its search results.
Last, but not least, reviews.
Reviews are arguably the most important part of your Profile. They are the biggest influence on whether a person decides to contact you or not, and are the best channel to demonstrate credibility – with prospects and with Google.
Positive reviews boost your search rankings, and Google often rewards businesses that have a large collection of positive reviews.
Don’t be afraid to ask clients to write you a review once you finish working with them. Mention it in person and send them a friendly email or text that links directly to your reviews.
Also, take a few minutes to respond to the client to thank them for leaving a review. The client will appreciate the message and Google will see that you are actively engaging on your Profile.
Negative reviews are very difficult to get removed. You can flag the review and submit a report to Google, but there is no guarantee that they will delete the review for you.
What you can do is respond to the review intelligently and thoughtfully. This shows that you’re engaged and gives you the chance to demonstrate your firm’s commitment to excellent service. In some cases, the client may decide to take down the review themselves.
Either way, you’ll get to tell your side of the story and show prospects your communication style.
A Google Business Profile is a free and powerful tool which, when managed effectively, can boost your local SEO performance.
If you don’t have the time to set up and maintain your Profile, we can help!
Our team can effectively and affordably manage your Profile, which will help you rank higher on Google Maps and searches, generating more calls to you and, equally important, help you rank higher in any other advertising you do on Google.
Complete the form below, and our team will get in touch.
Ready to grow your firm?
Get a customized marketing plan to help your firm attract and retain more clients.
About the Author
Carly Shelton is the Director of Marketing at Convert It. For the past 10 years, she has worked with legal marketing agencies to grow their businesses by creating engaging content, building a polished online brand and generating high-quality leads.
Convert It Marketing
For the past 13 years, Convert It has provided easy, effective and affordable marketing services to solo and boutique law firms nationwide. Our marketing strategies are designed to attract, engage and convert prospects into paying clients, then amplify their positive experiences to attract more clients.
Perspectives 