How To Market Your Multi-Location Law Firm Online

There are different strategies for marketing your multi-location law firm. Depending on your practice areas, you might consider creating multiple websites. Or, your focus may rest on improving your Google Business Profile. No matter how you go about marketing your firm’s multiple locations, it is essential to understand the best practices for doing so. At Law Quill, our marketing professionals will explore your options and help you determine which marketing strategies are best for you. Let's take a look at some common multi-location marketing strategies and what they could mean for your firm based on your goals and expansions. 

Multi-Location Law Firms and Website Creation 

One of the most common questions multi-location law firms have to answer when building an online presence is determining how many websites to create. Building more than one website may seem reasonable if you have multiple office locations. While there are reasons for law firms to have multiple websites, doing so requires objectivity, planning, and professionalism. 

Determining if you should have more than one law firm website is a complex decision. You may benefit from multiple websites if your firm fits into the following situations.

• Your multi-location law firm features several locations that have nothing to do with one another. 
• Your different locations offer different services that are not compatible – like if you offer both violent crime defense and estate planning. 
• You want to establish yourself as a thought leader in a specific area. 
• You are targeting time-sensitive cases. 

While those are situations where you may benefit from creating more than one law firm website, there are also specific situations where doing so is not advisable. 

• You have no specific reason or goal for having more than one website. 
• You are thinking of abandoning a website that is not working and shows little in the way of rehabilitation.
• Your competitors have many websites. 
• You are looking to shift gears with your marketing vendors. 
• You only want a new website design. 

No matter what your firm’s situation, it is beneficial to speak with digital marketing professionals before determining if multiple websites are the best strategy for marketing your multi-location law firm. If you do decide to create multiple websites, you need to be prepared for the unique challenges that come with doing so. 

The Challenges of Marketing Your Multi-Location Law Firm 

If you determine multiple websites are best for your law firm, you need to ensure you can handle the challenges that come with creating and maintaining more than one site. To confirm multiple websites is the direction you want to go, consider the following questions:

• Do you have the time and energy to manage more than one website? If you do not have the time or budget needed to produce quality websites, it may not be worth establishing multiple sites. Remember, it takes a significant amount of time and money to develop just one website.
• Do you have enough content to produce? If you are operating multiple offices because of disparities among your practice areas, you may have enough legal content to continue to keep your websites fresh. If, however, you know you do not have much to add to the conversation, it might be best to only maintain one website where you can share all of your content. 
• Do you have the patience needed to way for results? If you have any experience with SEO and digital marketing, you know results take time. The same goes for seeing traction from multiple websites. Mismanaged websites can quickly become money pits. 
• Are you aware of best practices and Google’s guidelines? In order for any website to succeed, the manager needs to play by Google’s rules. Tactics like buying links and other link schemes can hurt your website and online reputation. 
• Do you have the technical knowledge or support to manage multiple sites? Depending on your time availability and technical knowledge of SEO and best marketing practices, you might need to consult a vendor to manage your multiple websites. To do this, you will need to have money in your budget and ensure you find a reputable agency. 

How to Improve Your Local Search Results 

If your local search results are struggling, it could be from inconsistency issues with your firm’s information listed on the internet. To ensure you can perform as well as possible on Google, consider the following local search results tips. 

Contact Information 

The data included in your NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) needs to remain consistent in order for your multi-location law firm to do well in local search rankings. The more locations and phone numbers you have, the more NAP versions available.  

While you may not be able to control every NAP that exists for your law firm, like in the event a directory crawls inaccurate information, you can ensure that the information on your website and Google Business Profile is always correct. Some factors to consider when evaluating your NAP accuracy include: 

• Name. If your law firm has rebranded and taken on a new name or added a partner, you must ensure the various locations your name exists within your control online are correct. You can do this by searching for all name versions of your firm and updated or removing anything outdated.   
• Phone Number. Depending on your law firm locations, you could have multiple numbers for a single physical office. If that’s the case, make sure you choose one official contact number per office and update your website and profiles as needed. 
• Address. If your firm moves or expands, you could have multiple address listings. Always ensure the most current address is used, as well as check on details like suite numbers and zip code extensions. 
• URL. Updating a URL is tricky, as you risk breaking links and disrupting user sessions if you do not do it properly. If you do need to change a URL for any webpage on your site, ensure you go through the proper channels to make the updates. 

Website Consistency

Your NAP and URL are not the only elements that need to remain consistent across the Internet. Remember that your website is also a resource for sharing local data about your multi-location law firm. 

• Landing Pages. To ensure users and Google can easily find information on all of your office locations, you need to have separate landing pages. Each location page should include the address, phone number, operating hours, and services or departments available. You might also consider including a map and directions.  

• Accessibility. The landing pages you create need to be accessible to Google’s spiders – the ones that crawl and index web pages. A unique URL and a clear sitemap with internal linking are also recommended. 

• Formatting. When formatting dates, times, and other informative elements, make sure to use a commonly understood and consistent formatting across all web pages, websites, and social media. 

• Site Quality. As with any website, you need to remember the overall site quality and what Google considers best practices. The copy should be unique on every page, as well as relevant and well-written. You also want to ensure your site loads quickly and does not have any bugs that limit site features like chats and forms. 

Managing Google Business Profiles  

Google Business Profiles are essential tools law firms can use to build strong local visibility. That is why ensuring your Google Business is listed in local results and map results is crucial. However, Google has policy guidelines that you must follow when setting up your page. To make sure Google verifies your profile and makes it live, consider the following guidelines when creating or updating your account:

• Do not include keywords in your law firm name – only the exact law firm name. 
• Be sure to have unique phone numbers for every office location. 
• List your address exactly as it appears on your website. 
• Use the same law firm name and service categories across all locations. 
• Implement a local review strategy to help your listing stand out in local results and build your reputation. 

Google Business Profiles are important no matter the size of your law firm or how many offices you have. With the right strategy and monitoring, you should see an increase in local traction over time. 

How Law Quill Can Help With Law Firm Marketing 

If you are only focused on marketing your multi-location law firm, you may see your online visibility and website authority start to decline in other areas. Managing all aspects of the digital marketing process can be challenging, which is why Law Quill is prepared to take on that management for you and implement strategies that meet your marketing goals. 

 We are here to help and welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free regarding your law firm website’s content and how we can take these tasks off your plate! Schedule a free visit with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call at your convenience on our calendar today. You can also email us at support@lawquill.com.

Annette Choti, Esq. has over twenty four years of combined legal and digital marketing experience. She founded Law Quill, a full-service digital marketing agency for law firms and businesses in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Annette is a sought-after CLE and keynote speaker for Bar Associations and legal events throughout North America. She creates and hosts the Legal Marketing Lounge podcast, and is the author of the bestselling book, Click Magnet: The Ultimate Digital Marketing Guide For Law Firms. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so far from the law, if we are all being honest.