Blogging for Lawyers: A Step-by-Step Guide to Attracting Clients Online

Creating a law firm blog transforms your website from a simple digital business card into a resource people trust, a place they return to, and ultimately, the reason they choose your firm. After all, for 70% of users, a well-written blog is more persuasive than any advertisement. We will cover blogging tips for lawyers that will help you attract clients from search and turn traffic into new cases.

Benefits of Blogging for Lawyers

A blog is the part of your site where you publish articles that answer real questions. Someone searching for legal advice lands on your content, gets the information they need, and learns about your firm. Do it right, and you solve multiple problems at once — from growing your law firm’s brand to increasing the number of calls or contact form submissions.

Way to Show Authority and Build Trust

People looking for a lawyer are not just searching for a service but also want confidence that they’re hiring someone who knows what they’re doing. Clear, well-written blog posts that break down complex legal issues prove that you do.

Search engines care about E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, and trust). A solid blog is a way to demonstrate these aspects and convince Google that your site deserves to rank.

Attracting Potential Clients

When people face a legal problem, they start looking for solutions online, often without realizing they need a lawyer. Instead of searching for “lawyer in New York” right away, they often begin with questions like “How do I contest a will?” or “What can I do if I was fired illegally?”

If your firm writes content answering such questions in your legal niche, you attract relevant traffic: people with a legal problem who already need a lawyer. If your article helps, they’re far more likely to reach out. That’s part of why 65% of law firms say their website is their top-performing channel for ROI.

Enhancing SEO Performance

Regular legal blog posts expand your site’s keyword footprint. More content means more chances to rank for low- and mid-volume searches. That’s important for search engine optimization (SEO) as it allows you to compete with big legal directories that dominate general “hire a lawyer” keywords.

A well-planned blog also:

• Brings in traffic from long-tail keywords (“how is property divided in a divorce with kids?”)
• Improves user engagement (high-quality content keeps people on your site longer — a positive signal for Google)
• Increases the chances of earning backlinks (links from other sites to your site), which strengthen domain authority and help service pages rank higher in search results
• Strengthens internal linking (blog posts can link to service pages and improve their visibility).

Writing a legal blog is an investment. It won’t pay off overnight, but in the long run, it delivers steady organic traffic and supports lead generation for attorneys.

Start Legal Blogging Step by Step

A law firm’s blog can be a source of client inquiries or just another forgotten section of the website. The difference? Strategy. Let’s see how to write a legal blog that attracts the right audience and strengthens SEO.

1. Choose a Professional Copywriter for Legal Blog Writing

So, blog content can help you attract clients. But the results depend on who writes it. There are three main options:

Content Marketing Agency

An agency handles the entire process, from topic selection to search engine optimization and performance analysis. This is essentially a guarantee that your legal blog content will be aligned with the sales funnel, properly structured, optimized for search engines, and formatted in a way that won’t cause ranking issues.

The main advantage of SEO copywriting services is the team-based approach. An SEO specialist researches relevant keywords and finds topics that will drive traffic. A copywriter prepares the text, and an editor provides a fresh perspective and helps refine any weaknesses. This is the best option for law firms that want ready-to-publish content with minimal involvement from their team in the process.

Freelancer

For a more flexible approach, you can work with an independent writer. But results vary.

Some freelance content writers understand SEO but lack legal expertise. Others know the law but don’t optimize for search. So, it’s important to carefully review portfolios rather than relying on the freelancer’s profile description.

With this approach, more responsibility falls on the law firm. You’ll need in-house staff to manage key tasks, such as:

• Creating a brief: A content writer needs clear guidelines: word count, target audience analysis, keyword list, article type, and other details. A vague brief = vague results.
• Quality control: Even the best writers rarely deliver a perfect first draft. Expect revisions.
• Ongoing content management: Publishing an article is just step one. You’ll need to track its performance and make adjustments when necessary. Laws also change, so the information needs to be updated according to the latest legal developments.

Considering that 65% of lawyers do not know which metrics to measure and track in their marketing campaigns, quality control and performance monitoring can be especially challenging. Ideally, an editor and an SEO specialist should be involved in this process.

Without proper keyword research considering search intent, competition analysis, etc., it’ll be harder to rank. And without editing, your content may not stand up to competitors who take that extra step. Managing this process across multiple freelancers is not always easy.

In-House Writer

Lawyers writing their own content may seem like a good idea as it guarantees legal accuracy. But from an SEO standpoint, it’s rarely effective. The content might be legally sound, but will it attract traffic?

The problem is that lawyers tend to write for peers, not potential clients. These articles often feature complex legal concepts, dense paragraphs, and no optimization.

A better approach? Hire a writer with proven legal writing skills to draft the article, and have a lawyer review it for legal accuracy.

Professional Legal Copywriting

Your blog should attract potential clients, not just visitors. We create content that ranks, builds trust, and converts.

• Target client-focused legal searches
• Increase authority and drive inquiries
• Improve your search rankings

Start Growing My Legal Blog

2. Build a Blog Around Your Legal Practice Areas

Your potential clients do not just search for a law firm. They look for specialists who understand their issue. That means a blog should not just touch on general legal topics but provide valuable content with comprehensive information for your specific practice area.

If a firm provides multiple legal services, its blog should be structured so that clients can easily find relevant materials. Hendershot Cowart P.C., for example, organizes its content into sections for corporate, healthcare, and family law. Clients can filter blog posts by category to access only the materials that matter to them:

3. Conduct Keyword Research and Create a Content Plan

Effective law firm blog content writing starts with understanding what users are searching for. If your content does not align with real audience queries, it will never reach the top. Your audience’s search queries are your keywords.

How do you choose the right keywords for your blog posts? Here is a list of helpful tools:

• Google Keyword Planner (free but limited for inactive ad accounts)
• Ahrefs (provides keyword metrics such as frequency, competition, and ranking difficulty)
• Semrush (offers similar data plus competitor analysis)
• AlsoAsked and AnswerThePublic (identify user questions on a topic).

Keyword Metrics

Say you decide to use Ahrefs to build your keyword strategy. What metrics should you focus on?

The first one is Keyword Difficulty (KD). This shows how hard it is to rank for a keyword. If KD is high, you will need links from other sites and a strong domain (a Domain Rating of at least 40). This is one of the few SEO cases where “more is less” actually applies.

If your site is new, targeting only KD 50+ keywords makes little sense. Competing with major law firms right away is unrealistic. Instead, look at queries with KD under 30 but still with some search traffic.

Next is Search Volume. Many people chase high-volume keywords, but general words like “lawyer” or “corporate law” rarely deliver results. Large sites dominate these terms. In SEO for lawyers, real traffic often comes from mid- and low-volume searches.

For example, instead of focusing only on the long-term goal of ranking for “file for divorce,” you can also target “how to file for divorce in [your state]”.

Searches like “how to file for divorce in Ohio” have lower volume but, more often than not, a higher conversion rate. This is also a local keyword with strong intent, meaning it has just as much potential to bring in clients as “divorce lawyer.”

However, the search volume of a single keyword is just a snapshot. Traffic Potential (TP) is another key metric. It estimates the total traffic an article could get if it ranks at the top. Pages rarely rank for only one keyword, so isolated search frequency is not that useful. The real focus should be on the entire keyword cluster that a page can rank for.

Let’s say you find the keyword “how to get full custody of a child” with a search volume of 900. That means this exact phrase is searched about 900 times per month.

But a page optimized for this keyword will not just rank for that one phrase. It will also attract traffic from similar queries, such as:

• “How to get sole custody of a child”
• “Full custody vs. sole custody”
• “Chances of getting full custody as a father”
• “How hard is it to get full custody of a child”

Each of these keywords adds another 100 to 300 impressions. So, the total potential traffic for the page could be 1,800+ visits instead of just 900.

Competitor Analysis

SERP analysis also helps you understand the competition. If the top results for a certain keyword are filled with high-authority domains backed by hundreds of links, breaking into the rankings will be a long, uphill battle.

But if you see blogs and mid-level sites ranking, that means the competition is weaker, and you have a real shot at getting visibility. This is the case for many legal queries, especially mid- and low-volume ones.

To analyze competitors in Ahrefs or Semrush, enter a competitor’s URL and see which keywords are driving their traffic. For example, we’ve analyzed dhclegal.com and examined how their keywords are performing. Most of their traffic comes from branded searches, but several other keywords also contribute significantly to their overall visibility:

You can filter results to find only low-competition keywords (KD under 20) or queries where the competitor ranks in the top 10. This helps identify valuable legal blog topics and build your content strategy.

Content Marketing Strategy

Without a clear plan, blogging for attorneys turns into chaos. An SEO content strategy ensures that your blog delivers consistent results instead of relying on luck. Here is how to build it effectively:

• Organize blog structure: Break content into categories according to your law practice areas, like corporate law, family law, and immigration law. This improves site structure and navigation.
• Prioritize high-impact articles: Start with topics that have strong search demand and conversion potential. “How much does a personal injury lawyer cost?” will drive more leads than a vague article like “Why legal help is important.”
• Create a content funnel: Each article should lead the reader to the next step, from general information to a specific solution and then to a consultation request.
• Plan internal linking: Connect articles logically to keep users engaged longer. Google recommends using descriptive anchor text instead of vague phrases like “Click here.” Here’s what a descriptive anchor text looks like:

4. Use Legal Blogging Best Practices

At first, business owners often see law firm blogging as a simple task: write a few articles, add some keywords, and you’re done. Many are later shocked by just how many nuances and hidden complexities this process involves. Let’s talk about them and explore the best practices for legal blog writing.

Match Content to Client’s Intent

Not all visitors are at the same point in the decision-making process. So, you need to match content to the client’s decision stage.

Some are just researching a problem, like “What taxes does an LLC pay?” Others are ready to take action, like “How do I register an LLC?” Covering all search intents will guide users through the funnel.

Look at petrellilaw.com, a site focused on family law. Their content is mapped to different stages of the sales funnel.

For example, the article “Divorce After a Long-Term Marriage: Overcoming Challenges and Rebuilding Your Future” targets users at the start of the funnel. These are people preparing to go through a divorce but not yet actively looking for legal help.

The article “How You Can Protect Assets During Divorce” speaks to those already searching for solutions. A strong call to action at the end of this article can turn them into paying clients.

Structuring Legal Content

It’s not enough to just use the right keywords when you write legal blogs. If an article is poorly structured, readers will leave, and search engines will take notice. If algorithms detect low engagement, rankings will suffer.

Well-crafted legal blog articles should follow a clear progression from problem to solution. First, outline the issue, then explain the legal context, provide a step-by-step process, highlight common mistakes, and guide the reader toward the next steps. This structure should be reflected in a well-organized hierarchy of headings:

• H1 (main headline): “How to Enforce a Business Contract”
• H2 (section breakdown): “What Makes a Contract Legally Enforceable?”
• H3 (detailed aspects): “Key Clauses That Strengthen Contract Enforcement”

This way, readers can understand complex legal topics, while search engines recognize a clear structure. If you also use short paragraphs, simple language, and internal links, your content will be even more useful and effective.

Making Content Expert-Level Yet Readable

Legal texts are often overloaded with complex terminology, which lowers engagement and reduces conversions. Here’s how you can share your legal knowledge in an accessible way:

• One paragraph, one idea: If a paragraph is longer than four or five lines, it becomes harder to read.
• Avoid unnecessary complexity: If you can say it more simply, do so. Instead of “An individual seeking sole custody must establish compelling evidence to support their claim,” it’s clearer to say, “To get sole custody, a parent must prove it is in the child’s best interest.” When you write a legal blog post, imagine that you’re explaining the topic to a client in a consultation.
• Use examples: In legal topics, users want to see client success stories. This builds trust.
• Use visual elements: Lists, tables, and quotes make content easier to digest.

Writing Headlines That Grab Attention

A headline is the first thing a user sees when they land on a page. It should be clear, informative, and compelling.

• “Contract law” → Too broad, provides no value.
• “How to Draft a Legally Binding Contract: Key Clauses and Common Mistakes” → Clear, problem-solving.

Numbers, power words (“Step-by-Step”, “Must-Know”, “Common Mistakes”), and user-based questions make headlines way more effective. But use them carefully to avoid making it sound overly cliché.

Checking Content Before Publishing

Once an article is written, it’s important to check how well it’s optimized and fix any technical issues before publishing. For that, you’ll need some other tools.

Before posting an article, you can run it through Surfer or Clearscope. These tools analyze top-ranking pages for your target query and provide recommendations on:

• Additional keywords to include
• Whether the topic is covered in enough depth
• Optimal content length (shorter articles are harder to rank).

Surfer assigns a content score. It shows how well your text compares to competitors:

Clearscope helps refine terminology. This is useful for squeezing the most out of your content before it goes live.

Beyond the content itself, several technical factors impact SEO. To ensure search engines properly index the page, check these aspects:

• Title and meta description: These should include the target keyword.
• URL: Keep it short, clear, and free of unnecessary words. Example: yourwebsitename.com/blog/enforce-business-contract.
• Schema markup: Helps search engines understand the article’s structure. You can test this using Google’s Rich Results Test. Here’s an example of how this test result could look:

Technical details like page speed and proper indexing may seem minor until they start slowing down your site’s growth. If articles are not appearing in search results, a comprehensive SEO audit for lawyers’ websites is a necessity.

Publishing Regularly and Maintaining a Content Plan

When blogging for SEO, a consistent blogging schedule matters. Aim to publish at least two to four articles per month. Publish 16–20 posts monthly for twice the reach of companies posting fewer than four, or go beyond 20 to see 5x the organic reach.

To avoid writing chaotically, use a content calendar. It helps you to:

• Evenly distribute topics across different practice areas
• Balance informational and conversion-focused articles
• Schedule posts based on seasonality (for example, tax-related content before tax season).

Using Real Case Studies

In blogging for lawyers, real-world case studies are the key to client trust. If you’re writing about custody disputes, show a real situation:

“In one of our cases, a father sought full custody, but the court ruled that the mother provided better conditions for the child. In the end, our client was awarded joint custody, and the court determined that…”

Lawyer

Case studies work because they aren’t just theory. They prove your expertise.

Updating Old Content

If articles aren’t updated, they may lose relevance and drop in rankings over time. That’s because Google values content freshness. Every 6–12 months, you should:

• Check for legal industry updates and new data
• Add new keywords that have started appearing in search results
• Revise headlines and meta descriptions if rankings have declined.

Sometimes, updating a few paragraphs and reindexing the page in Google Search Console is enough to restore rankings. But in some cases, an article may need a full rewrite if its core information has become outdated.

5. Measure the Results

To know if your blog is bringing in clients and improving your law firm’s website rankings, you need to track results regularly. Use these tools:

• Google Analytics: In the Acquisition → Organic Search report, check how many visitors come from search. If traffic is growing, your strategy is working. In Engagement → Pages and Screens, see which articles have the longest reading time and identify the most engaging topics.
• Google Search Console: The Performance section shows which queries your articles rank for. If impressions are high but clicks are low, you may need to improve your headline and meta description. Additionally, according to our data, Google changes over 60% of meta titles and descriptions if it determines they do not accurately reflect the page content.
• Your CRM: If attorneys log where clients come from, they can track which articles generate actual leads.

If the numbers aren’t improving, either the blog isn’t covering the right queries, or the articles aren’t optimized well. In any case, the blog’s performance data tells you where to adjust your strategy.

6. Promote Your Content

Once you publish an article, you need to make sure it reaches your audience. Blogging for law firms is far more effective when content is shared across multiple platforms. For this, 90% of content marketers use social media, and 73% rely on email newsletters. A single article can be repurposed into different formats:

• LinkedIn and Twitter: Extract key takeaways and post them as short updates for legal professionals.
• Videos and webinars: Turn the article into a script for short videos or educational sessions.
• Email newsletters: Share blog content with existing clients or newsletter subscribers via email.

You can also promote articles through guest posts, legal forums, and PR materials. When other websites and social media platforms mention your blog, it gains backlinks, increasing its authority in search rankings.

Wrapping Up

Blogging for lawyers works only when it follows a clear strategy. Articles should address specific client questions, target relevant search queries, and guide users from initial research to choosing a lawyer. Legal writing needs to stay professional but also remain accessible if its goal is to attract and retain clients rather than impress colleagues.

If SEO feels like an endless maze, do not give up on growing your online presence. Trust your legal blogging efforts to an SEO agency for law firms. At SeoProfy, we can make sure your blog posts work toward achieving your law firm’s marketing objectives and general business goals.

Author

Andrew Shum

Andrew is the Head of SEO at SeoProfy, leading a team of more than 20 experienced SEO specialists. He has been involved in search engine optimization and digital marketing since 2016, gaining hands-on experience across various niches and regions. Andrew possesses strong analytical and strategic skills, particularly in planning SEO strategies for highly competitive projects.