Legal Services Marketing

Solicitor Local SEO: Ranking for Legal Queries in Your City

By Harrison Hill· Founder & Chief Strategist
12 min read

Legal services are inherently local. When someone needs a solicitor, they search "[practice area] solicitor [city]"—and the firms appearing in Google's Local Pack and top organic results capture the overwhelming majority of enquiries.

At iNDEXHILL, we build local SEO strategies for professional services firms. This guide covers the specific tactics that help solicitors rank for high-value practice area queries in their geographic market.

Google Business Profile for Law Firms

Your Google Business Profile determines Local Pack visibility. For law firms, profile completeness and review quality are the primary ranking factors.

Category Selection

  • Primary category — Choose the most relevant: "Family law attorney", "Solicitor", "Law firm"
  • Additional categories — Add all practice areas: "Conveyancer", "Employment attorney", "Criminal justice attorney"

Profile Optimisation

  • Business description — 750 chars covering practice areas, geographic reach, and credentials
  • Services — List every practice area as a service with description
  • Attributes — Accessibility, languages spoken, appointment required
  • Photos — Office exterior, reception, meeting rooms, team headshots
  • Q&A — Proactively add common questions about your services

Multi-Location Firms

  • Separate GBP per office — Each location needs its own verified profile
  • Consistent NAP — Name, address, phone must be identical across all citations
  • Unique descriptions — Tailor each profile to that office's specialisms

Practice Area Page Strategy

Each practice area needs a dedicated page targeting "[practice area] solicitor [city]" queries. These are your primary landing pages for local search.

Page Structure

  • H1 — "[Practice Area] Solicitors in [City]"
  • Overview — What this area covers, who needs it
  • Services covered — Specific legal services within this practice area
  • Process — What clients can expect, typical timelines
  • Pricing transparency — Fee structures, fixed fees where applicable
  • Team — Solicitors specialising in this area with credentials
  • FAQs — Common questions about this practice area
  • CTA — Free initial consultation, phone number, form

Content Depth

Practice area pages should be 800-1,200 words minimum. Google's YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) standards apply to legal content—thin pages won't rank.

Schema Markup

  • LegalService schema — Practice area, jurisdiction, fee structure
  • FAQPage schema — Structured FAQ data for rich snippets
  • Attorney schema — Individual solicitor profiles with credentials

How we do this at iNDEXHILL

Our Local SEO services are built around this exact framework, designed for businesses that need predictable growth.

See how we applied this approach in our client case studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Very competitive in major cities, moderate in smaller towns. London, Manchester, and Birmingham have dozens of firms competing for the same practice area terms. However, many firms neglect local SEO entirely—meaning consistent effort in GBP optimisation, reviews, and content can achieve strong results within 6-12 months.

Yes, and you should. Each practice area gets its own page and keyword targets. However, prioritise your highest-value and most competitive practice areas first. Build out 2-3 practice areas fully before expanding to lower-priority areas.

The SRA doesn't restrict SEO specifically, but marketing rules apply. Content must be accurate, not misleading, and clearly distinguish information from advice. Client testimonials and case results must be genuine and not create unrealistic expectations. Always include appropriate disclaimers.

Legal directories (Chambers, Legal 500, The Law Society) provide valuable backlinks and citations. Ensure your firm is listed with consistent NAP information. These listings also build E-E-A-T signals that support organic rankings for YMYL content.

Want help implementing this?

If you're looking to scale organic growth, we offer a free SEO audit to identify quick wins and growth opportunities.

Request a free SEO audit

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