SEO for law firms that brings
in the matters you want.
Humming Web’s SEO for law firms puts each of your practice areas in front of people searching for a lawyer right now, on Google, Google Maps and AI answers. A dedicated team of four writes within the advertising rules solicitors work under and reports on consultations booked.
Our SEO analyst will review your practice pages and email the fixes worth doing first.
Trusted by Australian businesses
What Australians search
when they need a lawyer.
People rarely search for “a lawyer”. They search for their problem: a car accident, a dismissal, a will, a separation. Each problem is a different search, a different page and a different value to your firm.
The spread is the point. A click on “car accident lawyers” is estimated at about $76, while “will lawyers near me” costs under $7. Practice areas with expensive clicks usually get the best return from organic rankings, because every visit you earn is one you don’t pay for. Family law and injury work have their own playbooks: see SEO for family lawyers and SEO for personal injury lawyers.
| Search term | Page that should rank | Monthly searches | Est. CPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| lawyer | Homepage and practice-area hub | 12,100 | $11.00 |
| workers compensation lawyers | Personal injury: workers compensation page | 12,100 | $51.47 |
| car accident lawyers | Personal injury: motor vehicle page | 9,900 | $76.38 |
| unfair dismissal lawyers | Employment law page | 8,100 | $9.10 |
| family lawyer | Family law practice page | 4,400 | $13.19 |
| lawyers near me | Google Business Profile and office page | 3,600 | $8.42 |
| will lawyers near me | Wills and estates page | 1,000 | $6.68 |
| immigration lawyer near me | Immigration page | 720 | $8.52 |
| property lawyers near me | Property and conveyancing page | 720 | $8.25 |
| criminal lawyer near me | Criminal law page | 480 | $16.98 |
One page per matter: how
law firm SEO is structured.
Law firm SEO works best when every practice area, and every common matter inside it, has its own page, so Google can match each search to the page that answers it.
A single “Our services” page listing ten practice areas ranks for none of them. Here’s the structure we build towards, part of how we approach SEO by industry: the structure follows how your clients search. Each matter page answers what happens next, how long it takes and what it might cost. Our writer drafts the SEO content and copywriting; your lawyers check it.
| Level | Page | Target search |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Hub | Practice areas | lawyer, law firm, lawyers near me |
| 1 · Hub | Office pages | One per real office, matched to its Business Profile |
| 1 · Hub | Lawyer profiles | Admission, accreditation, practice areas |
| 2 · Practice | Family law | family lawyer · 4,400 |
| 2 · Practice | Personal injury | personal injury lawyer · 4,400 |
| 2 · Practice | Employment law | employment lawyers near me · 590 |
| 2 · Practice | Wills and estates | will lawyers near me · 1,000 |
| 2 · Practice | Property and conveyancing | property lawyers near me · 720 |
| 3 · Matter | Divorce · Parenting · Property settlement | divorce lawyers · 2,900 |
| 3 · Matter | Workers compensation · Motor vehicle · Medical negligence | workers compensation lawyers · 12,100 |
| 3 · Matter | Unfair dismissal · Workplace disputes | unfair dismissal lawyers · 8,100 |
| 3 · Matter | Wills · Probate · Estate disputes | estate lawyers near me · 480 |
| 3 · Matter | Buying · Selling · Leases | Long-tail searches by suburb |
Legal SEO within the
solicitors’ advertising rules.
Your website is advertising, so every page we write has to meet Rule 36 of the Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules before it goes live.
As the Law Society of NSW sets out in its guide to advertising legal services, Rule 36 says advertising must not be false, misleading or deceptive, offensive or prohibited by law. It also says a solicitor must not give a false impression of specialist expertise or use the words “accredited specialist” unless they are accredited by the relevant professional association. The ACCC’s rules on false or misleading claims apply as well. General information, not legal advice. Personal injury work carries extra state rules, covered on our personal injury page.
- We writeWhat a matter involves, how your firm works and what clients can expect, in specific and checkable terms.
- We avoid“Best lawyer in town”, guaranteed outcomes and “specialist” wording for anyone who isn’t accredited.
- You approveEvery page goes to a nominated lawyer at your firm before it’s published.
What our SEO services
for lawyers include.
Eight areas, weighted by your audit and your practice areas. From $780/month incl. GST.
Your first 90 days
of lawyer SEO.
Expect map pack and long-tail movement in three to four months, and steady enquiries from core terms in six to twelve.
- 1 Month 1
Audit, tracking and priority fixes
- Audit of your site, Business Profiles and top competing firms
- GA4, Search Console and call tracking set up
- Practice-area keyword map agreed with your partners
- 2 Month 2
Practice pages and on-page work
- Priority practice and matter pages written for lawyer review
- Lawyer profiles, on-page SEO and internal linking
- 3 Month 3
Links, directories and first report
- Directory clean-up, links and digital PR outreach
- First full report and review call
After 90 days: the work continues month to month with no lock-in contract.
Which practice area is your website losing?
Get a free audit showing where competing firms outrank you. No lock-in.
SEO for lawyers or Google Ads:
which comes first?
The main difference is Google Ads buy clicks today at legal-market prices, while SEO for lawyers builds rankings that keep bringing enquiries without a cost per click. We run Google Ads campaigns and Meta ads management as well, so one team can tell you honestly which practice areas should be paid, organic or both. Site holding you back? Our WordPress web design team can rebuild it.
- 1 Ads first
When you need it busy now
A new firm, office or practice area you need busy now.
Google Ads campaigns - 2 SEO first
Costly clicks, steady demand
Practice areas with costly clicks and steady demand.
- 3 Both
Ads fill the gaps
Ads fill gaps while rankings build.
One set of numbers. Calls and enquiries from every channel are tracked together, so you know what each dollar returns.
Specialist pages for family law,
injury work and other professions.
Some practice areas have their own search patterns and rules, so they get their own plan. Also see SEO for real estate.
Family lawyers
Divorce, parenting and property searches, handled with care.
SEO for family lawyersPersonal injury lawyers
Costly clicks and state advertising limits on injury work.
SEO for personal injury lawyersAccountants
Tax-time demand and registration trust signals.
SEO for accountantsFinancial services
Advice pages written with licensing disclosures in mind.
SEO for financial servicesWhat law firm SEO costs, and
how to choose an agency.
Law firm SEO with Humming Web costs $1,000 to $5,000 a month, depending on how many practice areas and offices you target and how competitive they are. Our SEO pricing page explains what moves the price. Here’s how the main options for local SEO for lawyers compare.
| Criteria | Humming Web | Large agency | Freelancer | In-house |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | SEO lead, SEO analyst, content writer, account executive | A team behind an account manager | One person | Usually a marketing generalist |
| Copy review | Checked against Rule 36, approved by your lawyer | Varies | Varies | Your own process |
| Contract | No lock-in | Often 6 to 12 months | Usually flexible | Employment terms |
5 red flags when choosing an SEO agency for law firms
- Guaranteed page-one rankings. Nobody controls Google.
- “Specialist” copy for unaccredited lawyers. Rule 36 says no.
- Reviews bought or swapped. They breach Google’s policies and consumer law.
- The same page for ten practice areas. It ranks for none of them.
- Reports with no consultations in them. Rankings don’t bill hours.
The four people behind
your firm’s SEO.
The same team from the first audit, with your lawyers approving every page.
SEO lead
Decides which practice areas and matters to push first.
SEO analyst
Runs the technical fixes, tracking and enquiry reporting.
Content writer
Drafts practice pages and profiles for your lawyers to review.
Account executive
Your day-to-day contact who runs the monthly review call.
Law firm SEO questions.
What is SEO for law firms?
SEO for law firms is ongoing work that helps a firm's website and Google Business Profile rank for the legal problems people search, so more of them book a consultation. It covers practice-area pages, lawyer profiles, local listings, technical fixes, links and enquiry tracking.
How much does SEO cost for a law firm in Australia?
SEO for a law firm with Humming Web costs between $1,000 and $5,000 monthly, following the practice areas you want found and how hard firms bid on them. Injury work in a capital city needs more than wills in a regional town. Local SEO starts from $780/month.
How long does SEO take for law firms?
Most law firms see map pack and long-tail movement in three to four months and steady enquiries from core practice terms in six to twelve months. Established domains move faster than new ones, and quieter practice areas move faster than personal injury.
Does SEO work for law firms?
Yes, if people search for the work you do and you can commit for six months or more. It works less well for firms that rely mostly on referrals for niche work, or that need a full diary next week rather than next year.
What is the best SEO for lawyers?
The best SEO for lawyers is one that builds a page for each matter type, keeps copy within Rule 36 and reports on consultations rather than rankings alone. Ask any agency to show you their review process and what their reports contain.
Can you write content that meets the solicitors' advertising rules?
Yes. We write to Rule 36 of the Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules, avoid unverifiable or specialist claims, and send every page to a nominated lawyer at your firm for approval. Your firm stays responsible for its advertising, so the final sign-off is always yours.
Should a law firm have a page for every practice area?
Yes. Each practice area needs its own page, and common matters inside it need their own pages too. One page covering many areas rarely ranks for any of them, because it can't answer each search in enough depth.
Do Google reviews help a law firm rank?
Yes. Google says review count and rating play a part in local rankings, and its guide to improving your local ranking covers how. Reviews must be genuine: never buy, swap or reward them, and reply without revealing client details.
Does each office of a law firm need its own Google Business Profile?
Yes, if lawyers work from that office and meet clients there during listed hours. Google's guidelines don't allow profiles for unstaffed addresses, so a virtual office risks suspension. Each real office gets its own profile and location page.
Which practice area is
your website losing?
Your free audit reviews your practice pages, Business Profile and the firms outranking you, then ranks your top fixes by the matters they could win.
- Practice and matter pages
- Business Profile for each office
- Consultations reported monthly
- No lock-in contract
