Measuring the ROI of SEO for Law Firms: A Step-by-Step Guide

Crafting a Marketing Strategy With Measurable Success

SEO’s digital nature allows law firms to track and measure return on investment (ROI) with precision. By analysing metrics such as keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates, law firms can determine the effectiveness of their SEO campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

Understanding Positive vs. Negative ROI in Legal Marketing

Positive ROI indicates that your marketing investments are generating more revenue than the costs incurred, while negative ROI signals a loss. To achieve positive ROI, a law firm needs strategic planning, consistent execution, and ongoing optimisation of its marketing initiatives. Monitoring and adjusting based on ROI insights can guide better marketing decisions.

Measuring the Results of On-Page SEO

On-page SEO efforts should be evaluated to ensure they are driving meaningful outcomes, such as increased visibility, client retention, and revenue growth. Use diagnostic tools like Ahrefs' Site Audit or Google Search Console to assess the impact of on-page changes and detect technical issues.

Ahrefs Site Audit

Ahrefs' Site Audit provides detailed reports on your website’s SEO health, identifying common SEO issues and allowing you to schedule regular progress checks.

Google Search Console

A free tool that tracks indexing status, errors, and search performance, Google Search Console is useful for law firms looking for cost-effective ways to monitor their SEO efforts.

How to Hold Your SEO Agency Accountable for Link Building

Backlinks are crucial for ranking in competitive legal markets. Ensure your SEO agency is acquiring high-quality links, not low-quality or spammy ones. Use tools like Ahrefs' Site Explorer to evaluate the quality of backlinks based on criteria such as:

1. Organic Traffic of the Referring Page: Higher traffic implies the site is trusted.
2. External Links from the Referring Page: Too many external links can indicate spam.
3. Domain Rating (DR): Aim for backlinks from sites with a DR of 30+.
4. Anchor Text Relevance: Ensure the surrounding content is relevant to your site.
5. Referring Domain Growth: Sites with increasing backlinks are a better investment.

How to Use Ahrefs Site Explorer to Measure Law Firm Marketing ROI

Evaluate link quality using Ahrefs Site Explorer by analysing metrics such as Domain Rating (DR), URL Rating (UR), and referring domains. Ensure your links come from legitimate, valuable websites rather than link-selling schemes.

Track the Keywords You Actually Care About

Focus on tracking 10-12 high-value keywords that are most relevant to your practice. For local keywords, use tools like Local Viking for tracking local search performance. Google Search Console can provide granular data on keyword queries, impressions, and clicks.

Tools for Tracking Keywords

1. Agency Analytics: A user-friendly tool with daily ranking updates and customisable dashboards.
2. Custom Solutions: For real-time data and keyword clustering, tailor tools to your specific needs.

Don't Let an SEO Agency Send an All-Traffic Report

SEO reports should focus on organic traffic rather than all traffic. Make sure your SEO agency segments traffic by source and does not include referral, direct, or social traffic unless you're running a full-service marketing campaign.

Using Google Analytics

Use the following views to measure organic traffic performance in Google Analytics 4:

1. Lifecycle → Acquisition → Traffic Acquisition: Provides a breakdown by traffic source.
2. Lifecycle → Engagement → Landing Page (Filtered by Session Medium = Organic): Shows the most popular landing pages from organic search.
3. Lifecycle → Engagement → Conversions (Add Secondary Dimension for First User Source / Medium): Tracks conversion sources.

Getting a Return on Your Investment from SEO Conversions

Conversions are the most crucial SEO metric. To measure SEO's impact on your bottom line, focus on tracking:

1. Contact Form Submissions: Use goal tracking in Google Analytics.
2. Live Chat Conversions: Track using services like Ngage or Apex.
3. Phone Call Conversions: Set up call tracking with tools like CallRail.

Google Analytics 4 Goal Tracking

Configure conversion events in GA4 to measure how well your website generates leads and cases.

Live Chat Conversion Tracking

Set up goals for live chat conversions in your analytics platform. Many chat services integrate with case management systems for comprehensive tracking.

Phone Call Conversion Tracking

Use dynamic call tracking to track phone call conversions accurately. This involves assigning different numbers to referral sources, allowing for detailed analysis.

The Attribution Mirage

Software-based attribution is limited and often overlooks demand-creation initiatives. Combine tracking metrics with qualitative insights from customer feedback to get a complete picture of your marketing effectiveness.

1. Software Tracking: Measures demand capture but not demand creation.
2. Customer Feedback: Offers qualitative insights that fill attribution gaps.

The Best Advice to Get Started and Keep Growing

By now, you should have a strong understanding of SEO for lawyers, covering:

• How Google Search works
• Core ranking factors
• Keyword targeting
• Site structure optimisation
• Link-building strategies
• Local SEO best practices
• Content optimisation
• Technical SEO fundamentals
• Measuring ROI effectively