What Is Keyword Research and Why Should You Care?
When building a law firm’s website, there’s more to it than just how it looks. Before you even start designing, keyword research can help you figure out what your website should include. It’s like making a plan based on what people are already searching for online.
Starting a Legal Website
If you’re creating a website for a law firm, you probably think about things like:
- What colors should we use?
- What should the logo look like?
- Should there be videos or interactive tools?
But design isn’t the only thing that matters. You also need to decide what your website will talk about. You want to include helpful information your visitors are looking for — but how do you know what that is?
How People’s Searches Help You
Every day, people use Google to ask questions. What they type into the search bar is called a “search query.” These queries give us clues about what people want to know. The main words they use in those queries are called “keywords.”
For example, someone might search, “what to do after a car accident” or “steps after car crash.” Even though the phrases are different, they both include the keyword “car accident.” That tells us the person wants help after being in a crash.
How Keyword Research Works
Keyword research means looking at data to understand what people are searching for. Tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest let you see how many people are looking up certain topics in your area. This helps you decide what your website should talk about.
Let’s say you want to build pages for your law firm’s site. If you see that lots of people are searching for “DUI penalties” or “traffic tickets,” you’ll know that those are topics you should include on your site. This kind of info helps you figure out what sections and pages your website should have.
Planning the Structure of Your Website
Once you know which topics people are interested in, you can start mapping out your site. Think of it like drawing a blueprint. You decide:
- What pages you’ll have
- What each page will talk about
- How the pages connect
This helps your team stay organized — designers know how to build the site, writers know what to write, and marketers know how to promote it.
A Real-Life Example
Let’s say you’re a criminal defense lawyer. After doing keyword research, you notice a lot of people are searching for info about DUIs, traffic violations, and theft. Not many people are looking up violent crimes. That tells you to focus your website on the things people actually need help with.
You can even get more detailed. For example, if lots of people are searching for “penalties for second DUI” or “first DUI consequences,” that means you should consider writing separate pages for each. Or you could write one long page that covers all the levels of DUI charges.
Keep Using Keyword Research
Keyword research isn’t something you do just once. You can keep using it to update your website and make it better over time. It helps you understand your audience and make smart choices about your content.
Marilyn Jenkins, Founder
MJ Media Group, LLC | Law Marketing Zone
Marilyn Jenkins, a digital marketing expert with 16+ years of experience, helps businesses grow through paid advertising, social media management, and SEO, especially Google Business Profile optimization. Her clients have achieved significant growth, some exceeding $2 million in sales and experiencing 14x ROI. You can learn more about Marilyn at https://lawmarketingzone.com/