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Case Study — Law Firm SEO
From 6 Keywords to 254 in 18 Months
A regional law firm chain came to us with a modest online presence and just six keywords ranking on page one of Google and Bing. The firm wanted more organic traffic and more clients, without relying on paid ads to get there.
Over 18 months of local SEO work, that number grew to 254 page-one keywords. Here is what we did, and what it produced.
At a glance
page-one keywords, in 18 months
first-page rankings
Earned through organic search, not paid ads.
6
Starting keywords
18
Months of work
254
Final keywords
4,133%
Growth rate
The context
The starting point
A law firm with real reach across its region, and almost none of it showing up in search results.
They had the expertise, the team, and the track record — but when potential clients searched for legal help, competitors showed up instead.
“We knew we were good at what we do. We just needed people to find us.”
The challenge
Problem vs. Goal
Two sides of the same coin — where they were, and where they needed to be.
The problem
Six keywords on page one
Across Google and Bing, only six search terms placed the firm on the first page. Anything a potential client typed outside those six terms led them to a competitor instead.
The goal
More clients, without ad spend
The firm wanted growth in organic traffic — visits that come from unpaid search results — rather than buying every click through advertising.
What we did
Our approach
Five pieces of work, run together across the campaign. Each one reinforced the others.
Keyword research
We studied how potential clients were actually searching for legal help, then built the plan around those real phrases instead of assumptions.
On-page and off-page SEO
On-page work covers what sits on the site: page titles, headings, content, and internal links. Off-page work covers signals from other websites, such as links and mentions. Both were pointed at the target keywords.
NAP cleanup
NAP means name, address, and phone number. We corrected and matched those details across Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and Bing Local so search engines could trust the firm’s location data.
SEO-friendly content
We developed and distributed content built around the target keywords, so every page had a clear reason to rank.
Facebook page optimization
We cleaned up the firm’s Facebook page so its business details matched every other listing and supported the wider search work.
All five, running together
Nothing was siloed. Every task pointed at the same researched keywords, which is why the gains compounded instead of plateauing.
The timeline
Page-one keyword growth
First-page rankings on Google and Bing, measured from the start of the campaign.
Start
Page-one keywords — baseline
3 months
483% increase
6 months
Over 700% increase
18 months
Over 4,133% increase
Growth did not flatten after the early wins. The keyword set kept widening because every task in the campaign pointed at the same researched terms.
Final six months
Traffic over the final six months
Site performance during the last six months of the campaign, compared with the previous period.
Overall website traffic
1,548 visits
Organic sessions
877 visits
Pageviews
2,633 views
The takeaway
Why this worked
Two decisions did most of the heavy lifting.
Research came first
Content, on-page changes, and link work all targeted the same researched terms. Nothing was built on a guess about how people search for a lawyer.
Listings had to match
Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and Bing Local each carry the firm’s name, address, and phone number. When those records disagree, search engines lose confidence in the business. Cleaning them up supported the ranking gains at every location.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions law firms ask us most.
How long does SEO take for a law firm?
In this campaign, page-one keywords went from 6 to 35 within three months, then to 254 by month 18. Most clients see real movement between three and six months. Competitive legal markets take longer.
Was any of this paid advertising?
No. The firm wanted growth from organic search, so the work was SEO, listings cleanup, content development, and social profile optimization.
Why does NAP cleanup matter so much?
NAP means name, address, and phone number. Search engines compare those details across Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, Bing Local, and other directories. Records that disagree make a business look less reliable, which can hold back local rankings.
Will my firm get the same results?
Not necessarily. Results depend on your market, your competition, your starting point, and how much content and cleanup work the site needs. These numbers describe one firm’s campaign.
What was measured here?
Two things: first-page keyword rankings on Google and Bing, and website traffic reported in analytics over the final six months of the campaign.
Have a question we did not cover? Contact Polaris Marketing Solutions and ask.
Next step
Ready for results like this?
Contact Polaris Marketing Solutions to talk about your SEO strategy. We will look at where you rank now and what it would take to move.