Simple SEO Wins: What You Can Do This Month to Improve Your Rankings

Search engine optimization often feels technical and time-consuming.

For law firms focused on client work, SEO can easily move to the bottom of the list. But it doesn’t always require a full strategy overhaul. In fact, there are small but meaningful steps you can take this month that will improve how your website performs in search results.

Here are several simple actions your team can take one per week, or all at once  to help your firm get found more often by potential clients.

Keep Your Google Business Profile Updated and Active

Most law firms already have a Google Business Profile, but it needs regular attention to stay competitive.

This month, aim to:

• Update your business hours and practice area description
• Choose the most accurate business category (e.g., “Estate Planning Attorney”)
• Add recent office or team photos
• Post an update weekly — even short answers to common questions work well
• Ask three past clients to leave a review and respond to any recent ones

Why this matters: Google favors active, complete listings. A regularly updated profile helps your firm appear more often in local search results and the map section especially for mobile users.

Update Your Homepage Title and Meta Description

These are the short pieces of text that appear in search results. They influence whether someone clicks through to your site.

What to do:

• Check if your homepage title includes your primary service and location
  Example: “Wills and Trusts Lawyer in Orange County”
• Make sure your meta description clearly communicates your value
  Example: “Helping families protect their assets with clear, legally sound estate plans.”
  

Why this matters: Google often uses these fields to display your listing. A clear, benefit-driven description encourages more clicks.

Strengthen Internal Linking

Search engines use links to understand your site structure and importance of pages. Internal links also help visitors explore more of your content.

Try these updates:

• Add links between your blog posts and relevant practice area pages
• Link your contact page from the bottom of high-traffic posts
• Avoid using “click here” as the link text — describe what the user will get

Why this matters: Strong internal links help both people and search engines find your most important content.

Refresh One Existing Blog Post

Updating an older blog is often faster than writing a new one and it can improve your rankings.

What to do:

• Pick one post that gets some traffic but hasn’t been updated in over a year
• Improve the headline to make it clearer or more specific
• Add a few new insights or examples
• Update information that may be outdated
• Add some internal links

Why this matters: Google prefers fresh, relevant content. A quick update can bring new attention to an older piece.

Add FAQs to One Practice Area Page

Think about the questions clients ask during consultations. Use those to strengthen your service pages.

This month:

• Choose one core service (like probate or asset protection)
• Add three to five client-centered questions and answers
• Keep answers brief and written in plain English

Why this matters: FAQ content increases relevance, improves engagement, and gives your page a chance to appear in voice search and featured snippets.

Add Alt Text to Images for Accessibility and SEO

Search engines can’t “see” images, they rely on alt text to understand what an image represents. This small detail also improves accessibility for users with screen readers.

Here’s what to do:

• Choose three to five images across your homepage and service pages
• Add descriptive alt text that includes context and, where natural, a relevant keyword
  Example: “Attorney meeting with estate planning client in Boston office”

Tips:

• Keep it short and relevant (aim for 3–10 words)
• Don’t stuff keywords,  describe the image naturally

Why this matters: Alt text helps search engines better index your site and supports accessibility compliance..

Improve Practice Area Page Headlines

Generic headlines like “Estate Planning” or “Probate” don’t tell visitors what to expect. Specific, benefit-focused headlines keep readers engaged and signal stronger relevance to search engines.

Try this:

• Change “Estate Planning” to “Plan Ahead and Protect Your Family’s Future”
• Add a short supporting line to frame the content before listing services

Why this matters: Headlines shape how clients interact with your content. Clear, compelling titles improve both SEO and on-page engagement.

Compress Images to Improve Load Time

Large, unoptimized images can slow down your website. A few minutes spent reducing image sizes can make your site feel faster and rank better.

Steps:

• Use free tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel to compress images
• Focus on the homepage and practice area pages first
• Replace full-size background photos that slow page speed

Why this matters: Page speed is a ranking factor, especially on mobile. Faster sites keep visitors engaged and reduce bounce rates.

Check the Mobile Experience

Open your website on your phone and go through it like a potential client would.

Ask yourself:

• Can I read everything easily without pinching the screen?
• Do contact buttons work with one tap?
• Is the menu simple to use?

Why this matters: Most legal searches happen on mobile. A poor mobile experience discourages potential clients and affects your visibility in mobile search and you may suffer a loss in your rankings.

By making these small, focused updates,  like refreshing your Google profile, improving a single blog post, or reviewing your homepage copy — you can build momentum without a heavy lift.

These updates take hours, not weeks, but they help your website stay relevant, competitive, and easier to find.

If you’re looking for more ways to grow your online presence, the Academy’s Online Marketing Group is here to support your efforts. Reach out today to explore how we can help your website work smarter for your firm.

Komal Haider

Online Marketing Group (OMG) Program Manager
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com