1Claim Your Google Business Profile

The first place Google looks is your Google Business Profile (GBP). If you don't have one—or if you haven't verified it—you're invisible. Google doesn't rank law firms that can't be verified.

When a client searches "conveyancing solicitors in Leeds" or "family law solicitor Manchester", Google's local algorithm first checks which law firms have active, complete profiles in that area.

How to fix it:

  • Go to google.com/business and search for your solicitors firm by name
  • If it exists, claim it. Google will send you a postcard to your business address with a verification code
  • If it doesn't exist, create a new profile—choose "Lawyer" or "Legal Services" as your business type
  • Fill in your service area, hours, phone number, and website
  • Add practice areas in your description: "Conveyancing, Family Law, Wills & Probate, Employment Law"
  • In the About section, include your SRA number (authorisation number) for trust signals
  • Add high-quality photos (office exterior, team members, your practice certificate)
  • Wait 2–4 weeks for the postcard, then verify
Top tip

Include your SRA authorisation number and mention "Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority" in your GBP description. Clients search for regulated firms—this builds trust immediately.

2Fix Inconsistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone)

Google trusts consistency. If your business name, address, and phone number appear differently across the web, Google assumes you're unreliable or possibly a duplicate. This tanks your local ranking.

For solicitors, this is critical because clients cross-reference your information across Google, your website, the Law Society Find a Solicitor register, the Solicitors Regulation Authority register, Yell, and Thomson Local. One mismatch and they doubt you're legitimate.

What to check:

  • Your Google Business Profile name (should match your official business registration)
  • Your website contact page, footer, and "About" sections
  • Solicitors Regulation Authority register (check your listing for accuracy)
  • Law Society Find a Solicitor directory
  • Yell.com, Thomson Local, local chamber of commerce listings
  • Social media profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
  • LinkedIn company page (if you have one)

Fix any inconsistencies today. If your Google profile says "Smith Legal Ltd" but your website says "Smith Legal LLP", change one immediately. Your phone number must be identical everywhere too.

Common mistake

Many law firms have a main office number on Google but list their reception number differently on their website. Stick to one primary number everywhere, and ensure your SRA registration number is consistent across all profiles.

3Speed Up Your Website

Google's algorithm heavily weights page speed. A website that loads in 2 seconds will rank higher than one that takes 6 seconds—all else being equal. For solicitors, clients often search on mobile (often during work breaks or commutes), and slow loading kills conversions.

Many law firm websites are old, image-heavy (partner photos, office galleries), and slow. Mobile performance is critical because most "solicitor near me" searches happen on phones.

How to check your speed:

  • Go to pagespeed.web.dev and paste your website URL
  • Note your "Mobile" score (this is what Google prioritises)
  • Anything below 50 needs urgent fixing; 50–89 is acceptable; 90+ is excellent

Quick wins to improve speed:

  • Compress partner photos and office images (use Tinypng.com before uploading)
  • Remove unused plugins and scripts
  • Enable browser caching (your hosting provider can help)
  • Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare (free tier available)
  • Upgrade hosting if you're on a cheap shared server
  • Limit the use of custom fonts—stick to system fonts or one web font
Pro tip

Law firm websites are often image-heavy (partner photos, office interiors, team galleries). Compress and resize all images to web dimensions (max 1200px width) before uploading. This single fix can cut load time in half.

4Add Solicitors Schema Markup

Schema markup is code that tells Google "this page is about a law firm" and provides key details (service areas, SRA authorisation, reviews, hours). Without it, Google has to guess.

Law firms with schema markup typically rank 15–25% higher than those without, because Google can confidently display your firm details in search results (phone, address, star rating, SRA number).

How to add schema markup:

Add this JSON-LD code to your website's head section (ask your web developer to add it, or use a plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO):

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "LegalService", "name": "Your Solicitors Firm", "telephone": "01234 567890", "url": "https://yourwebsite.com", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "123 High Street", "addressLocality": "Manchester", "postalCode": "M1 1AB", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "areaServed": [ "Manchester", "Stockport", "Tameside" ], "serviceType": [ "Conveyancing", "Family Law", "Wills & Probate" ], "knowsAbout": ["SRA Authorisation"] }

Best practice

Include your SRA registration number and authorisation status in the schema. This builds trust with both Google and clients searching for regulated legal services.

5Target Practice-Area + Location Keywords

Solicitors are inherently local. A client in Bristol searching "conveyancing solicitor" gets Bristol results; one in Aberdeen gets different results. You need practice-area and location keywords throughout your website so Google knows both what you do and where you do it.

Without these keywords, your website ranks generically—if it ranks at all. With them, you appear when someone searches "conveyancing solicitors in Manchester" or "family law solicitor Leeds".

Target keywords like:

  • "Conveyancing solicitors [town]"
  • "Family law solicitor [area]"
  • "Probate solicitor [area]"
  • "Employment law solicitor [town]"
  • "Wills solicitor [area]"

How to add location + practice-area keywords:

  • Create a service area page for each practice area (e.g., "/conveyancing-manchester/", "/family-law-Leeds/")
  • Write unique 200–300 word descriptions for 3–5 of your biggest towns
  • In your page title, include location and practice area: "Conveyancing Solicitors in Manchester | Property Law"
  • Add your service areas and postcodes to your Google Business Profile
  • In website copy, naturally mention "We provide conveyancing services across Manchester, Stockport, and Tameside"
Content idea

Write a short blog post: "Conveyancing Timeline in Manchester: What to Expect" or "Family Law Changes 2026: What Solicitors Tell Clients". Include your location, link to your service pages, and answer real client questions.

6Gather Google Reviews

Reviews are Google's trust signal. A law firm with 60 five-star reviews will rank consistently above one with 5 reviews, regardless of other factors. Google's algorithm interprets reviews as proof that you deliver what you promise.

For legal services—where trust is everything—reviews are critical. Clients want to see that others have trusted you with their house purchase, family matters, or will. However, clients in legal situations are often reluctant to leave reviews about sensitive matters (divorce, bereavement, disputes).

How to get more reviews:

  • After completing a matter, email the client a link to your Google Business Profile review request (use Google's built-in review request link in your GBP dashboard)
  • Time the ask carefully—ask after the matter is concluded, not during a stressful phase (e.g., after a divorce finalises, not during proceedings)
  • Make it easy—put a QR code on your closing documents or engagement letter linking to your reviews page
  • Ask verbally: "If we've helped, we'd really appreciate a quick Google review—it helps other clients find us"
  • Respond to every review (thank positive reviewers, professionally address negative ones)
  • Aim for 1 review per 5 completed matters over 6 months
Important

Never offer discounts, money, or inducements for reviews. Google will detect this and may suspend your GBP. Asking for reviews is fine; incentivising them breaches Google's rules and SRA guidance, and will harm you more than help.

7Create Dedicated Pages per Practice Area

Google ranks individual pages, not websites. A dedicated page for "Conveyancing in Manchester" will outrank a generic "Our Services" page because it's highly relevant to specific search queries.

Many solicitors firms have a single "Services" page listing all practice areas. This is a missed opportunity. Clients searching for "wills solicitor in Bristol" need to find a page specifically about wills, located in Bristol—not a generic services overview.

What to create:

  • One dedicated page per practice area per location (if you have multiple offices)
  • Example structure: "/conveyancing-manchester/", "/conveyancing-stockport/", "/family-law-manchester/", "/probate-leeds/"
  • Each page should be 400–600 words, explaining:
    • What the service covers (e.g., residential conveyancing, new build purchases, remortgages)
    • Your process and timeline
    • Who you typically serve (first-time buyers, investors, sellers)
    • Why choose your firm (experience, SRA authorisation, client testimonials)
    • A clear call-to-action (call or book a consultation)
  • Include location keyword in the page title, H1, and first paragraph
  • Link from your GBP and main website to these dedicated pages
Best practice

If you have 4 practice areas and operate in 3 towns, you might create 12 dedicated pages (4 × 3). This gives Google multiple entry points and dramatically increases your chances of ranking in local search results.