Keyword Research for Lawyers: 2025 Step-by-Step Guide

No one in law school taught you about marketing your firm—especially not through digital means like SEO (search engine optimization), which helps firms climb higher in search engine rankings. It's often when lawyers start practicing that they realize just how vital SEO is to building their brand and attracting more clients. In fact, research shows that 53% of potential clients find attorneys through organic search. If you're not investing in SEO, you're losing out on millions.

How does keyword research play a role in this? Keyword research for lawyers is a foundational element of SEO, as keywords are critical ranking factors. Keyword research may be quite challenging, but it becomes manageable with the right tools, knowledge, and team on your side.

In this guide, we'll discuss what keywords are, what legal keyword research is, and how to conduct keyword research in nine steps, as well as cover top keyword research tools lawyers can use.

What Are Keywords?

Keywords are the phrases potential clients type into search engines.

Think of them as the questions your clients are asking in their time of need- anything from “car accident lawyer near me” or “how to file for divorce.” These SEO keywords for lawyers help Google understand what your website offers, so it can match you with the right clients.

— Short-Tails vs. Long-Tails

There are two types of keywords. Short-tail keywords are broad, 1–3 word phrases like “personal injury lawyer.” They have a high search volume but fierce competition. Long-tail keywords, like “best personal injury lawyer for car accidents in Chicago,” are more specific and make up over 70% of searches. While they have a lower search volume, they attract highly targeted traffic. Balancing both types ensures your firm reaches a wide audience while capturing high-intent clients.

What Is Legal Keyword Research?

Keyword research for lawyers is the strategic process of identifying and analyzing the specific terms potential clients use when searching for legal services online.  It allows you to understand prospective client intent and align your content with what they’re actually seeking. 

You need well-targeted keywords to get higher in the search rankings, increase website traffic, and improve conversion rates. For instance, targeting “workers' compensation lawyers in Los Angeles” ensures you attract clients specifically seeking that service in your area. If your keyword strategy is lacking, you'll end up wasting your marketing dollars on irrelevant traffic, generating clicks that never convert into paying clients.

— Keyword Research Parameters You Need to Know

Keyword research for law firms isn’t just about picking random phrases. You need to understand the metrics that make them effective. To choose the right keywords and boost your rankings, you need to consider a few key parameters. These criteria are essential for identifying the most impactful SEO keywords for lawyers.

• Keyword search volume: Measures how often a term is searched. High volume means more potential traffic, but also more competition.
• Keyword difficulty: Indicates how hard it is to rank for a keyword. Lower difficulty means easier rankings for your firm.
• Keyword intent: Reveals the searcher's underlying motivation and behavior: are they seeking information, comparison, or ready to hire?

How to Conduct Keyword Research for Law Firms in 9 Steps

Keyword research for law firms starts with a clear, actionable plan. These nine steps will help you uncover high-value keywords that drive traffic, boost rankings, and attract the right clients. Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Do Customer Research

Before diving into keywords, you must understand your audience. Customer research helps you grasp user intent when they look for legal help online. What questions are they asking? Are they searching "divorce lawyer near me" or "how much does a divorce cost"? Both searches show different intentions – one is ready to hire, while the other needs information.

Smart customer research involves analyzing your intake calls, reviewing client consultations, and identifying common questions that lead clients to your firm. Look for patterns in how clients describe their legal issues. The language they use naturally becomes your keyword foundation.

Step 2: Create a List of Seed Keywords

Once you clearly understand the intention behind clients’ searches, you should define primary keywords based on your practice areas, like “divorce lawyer Chicago.” These keywords serve as the starting point to build a broader, more targeted list of related keywords for your research.

Strategy #1: Find Top Legal Questions Your Clients Ask

Clients may phrase their searches differently—like “personal injury lawyer near me” or “injury attorney in my area”—but they often share the same intent: finding a local expert to handle their case. So, start with Google's "People Also Ask" (PAA) feature to discover real questions potential clients are searching for. These natural inquiries often reveal valuable long-tail keywords that other firms might miss. Remember, your clients won't phrase things the way a lawyer would.

Strategy #2: Use Legal Forums to Find Popular Search Terms

You might not know this, but forums like Avvo, Justia, and legal subreddits are great channels for learning how people discuss their legal issues. Pay attention to the specific language and terms they use. These forums are goldmines for discovering how clients naturally describe their legal problems, helping you align your content with their search patterns.

Strategy #3: Identify Easy-Win Keywords with Google Search Console

Review your Search Console data to find keywords where you're already ranking on page two or three. These represent quick opportunities for improvement. Focus on queries with decent search volume but where you're just missing the first page. Small optimizations here can lead to significant traffic gains.

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Step 3: Expand Your Keyword List

Creating a list of seed keywords is just the beginning. To capture a wider audience, you need to expand your list. This ensures you’re not missing out on competitive keywords that potential clients might use. For example, if your seed keyword is “personal injury lawyer,” expand it to include terms like “car accident attorney” or “workplace injury legal help.” Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to discover related terms and questions. This expansion helps you capture different stages of the client journey and various ways people phrase their legal needs.

Step 4: Filter Out Irrelevant Keywords

There are so many keywords out there, and while some seem flashy, they're not necessarily worth targeting. You need to filter out irrelevant terms to ensure your efforts are focused on high-intent searches that drive results. Here’s how to refine your list:

• Include a filter: Keep keywords that match your practice areas and geographical location. Example: "DUI lawyer in Boston" for a local criminal defense practice.
• Exclude filter: Remove terms that don't align with your services or indicate a different intent. Example: Exclude "lawyer jobs" or "free legal advice."
• Commonly excluded special characters: Eliminate symbols and special characters like hyphens or asterisks that don't impact search intent but complicate tracking.
• States and cities: Focus on your service areas. Include state abbreviations and common city name variations.
• All words vs any word modes: Use exact match for specific service targeting and broad match to capture related searches.

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Step 5: Export and Organize Keywords

Organizing your law firm keywords doesn’t just keep things tidy, it helps you maintain control over your SEO strategy. Export your keyword data into a CSV file or Google Sheets to track search volume, competition, and relevance. Create separate tabs for different practice areas, making it easy to identify gaps and opportunities. 

Use keyword tools like Ahrefs to download comprehensive keyword lists, then organize them by intent, volume, and practice area. This organization helps you quickly identify which keywords belong in specific content campaigns and which need new content development. Remember to maintain consistent naming conventions and categorization to make future updates easier.

Step 6: Group Keywords into Clusters

Keyword clustering transforms scattered terms into strategic content opportunities. Instead of creating separate pages for "car accident lawyer," "auto accident attorney," and "vehicle crash legal help," you can group these related terms into a single, comprehensive cluster. This approach strengthens your content's authority and prevents keyword cannibalization.

Start by identifying core themes within your practice areas. Then, build clusters that include primary keywords, variations, and related terms. For example, a personal injury cluster might include consultation-related terms, specific injury types, and location-based variations. This organization helps create content that naturally covers all relevant search terms.

Step 7: Optimize With Related Keywords

Instead of matching exact keywords, search engines now understand context and user intent. When someone searches for "divorce help," Google knows they might also need information about custody arrangements or property division—even if they haven't specifically searched for these terms.

Now, this is where semantic search helps. Semantic search allows Google to understand the context behind a query, not just the keywords. LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords naturally strengthen this connection as they relate to your primary keywords and help search engines understand the context and depth of your content.

You don’t need to guess what these keywords might be. Tools like LSIGraph and Google’s “Related Searches” help you find these terms. Once you incorporate these natural variations and related concepts, you create content that genuinely answers client questions and ranks better in search engine results.

Step 8: Analyze and Prioritize Keywords

Effective lawyer keywords require strategic prioritization. Start by examining search volume, but don't let high numbers alone sway your strategy. A keyword driving 10,000 monthly searches might seem attractive, but if it's not bringing in qualified leads, it may not be worth your time. For instance, "personal injury lawyer consultation" might have a lower search volume than "lawyer near me," but it indicates a stronger intention to take action. These high-intent keywords often lead to better case quality and higher conversion rates.

Top Keyword Research Tools for Attorneys

Legal keyword research requires the right tools to uncover how potential clients search for your services. Here are five essential tools that help law firms identify valuable keywords, analyze competition, and create content that ranks.

• Ahrefs: A comprehensive SEO toolkit that helps law firms analyze competitor rankings, track keyword performance, and identify content opportunities. It shows you exactly which keywords bring clients to competing law firms and helps you develop strategies to outrank them.
• Google Trends: Perfect for understanding seasonal trends in legal searches and regional variations in how clients look for legal services. You can use it to track rising legal topics and adjust your content strategy to capture emerging client needs in your practice areas.
• Keyword Surfer: A free Chrome extension, Keyword Surfer provides search volumes, CPC data, and keyword suggestions directly in Google search results. It’s perfect for attorneys seeking quick insights into relevant keywords without switching platforms.
• Moz: Moz offers a suite of SEO tools, including keyword research, rank tracking, and site audits. It’s a great choice for law firms aiming to know keyword difficulty scores and SERP analysis specifically valuable for legal markets. 
• QuestionDB: This tool identifies popular questions related to legal topics, helping attorneys create content that answers client queries. It’s ideal for uncovering long-tail keywords.

— An Example of the Keyword Research Process [With Ahrefs]

Once you know the tools to use for your research, the next question is how you should go about it. Let's walk you through the process using Ahrefs as an example.

• Input a keyword into keyword explorer: Begin by typing a base keyword into the Ahrefs keyword explorer. For instance, you might input “contract law” to kick off your research.

• Analyze keyword metrics: After entering your keyword, Ahrefs will present detailed insights, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and trends. This information helps you gauge how often the keyword is searched and its competitiveness.

• Explore related keyword suggestions: Ahrefs doesn’t stop at your initial keyword. It suggests related keywords that are gaining traction. This feature is invaluable for discovering new angles for content creation.

• Examine search rankings and competitors: The tool tracks how your chosen keyword has performed over time, showing you competitor URLs and their ranking positions.

• Access content exploration tools. Use your keyword to dive deeper into top-performing content. Analyze metrics like social shares, organic traffic, and domain authority to refine your strategy and create content that outperforms competitors.

Turn Keywords into Clients with a Smart SEO Strategy

Keyword research is a critical piece of the SEO puzzle, but it’s just the beginning.

The real client-generating magic happens when you use your findings to create a robust, targeted content strategy. However...

Keyword research is an ongoing effort, and staying on top of trends and competitor moves is key to long-term success.

Ready to put a great keyword plan into action? Get in touch with Grow Law Firm’s SEO experts today. We implement proven strategies in law firm SEO, PPC, and web design, ensuring your firm maintains visibility and attracts quality leads.

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