Law Firm SEO & Marketing Agency
More of the right cases, from search to signed retainer.
Softscotch is a law firm marketing agency for solo attorneys and small to mid-size firms across the US. We help people with a legal problem find your firm on Google, trust what they read and reach a person fast, then we show you which marketing led to signed cases.
Marketing help for law firms
Legal marketing is different. Legal clicks are some of the most expensive in online advertising, every state has lawyer advertising rules, and a call is worth nothing until it becomes a signed case. We work with solo practices and multi-office firms. Cost depends on your practice areas, cities and channels, and how much is already in place. We quote after a review.
Law firm SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) helps your firm show up in Google’s unpaid results and on Google Maps. We build clear practice-area pages, fix your listings and earn links the right way.
See how we can help ↗Google Ads and Local Services Ads
Paid ads reach people who need a lawyer now. We run search ads for urgent case types and can set up Local Services Ads, where you pay per lead. Budgets stay firm, because legal clicks are costly.
See how we can help ↗A website that books consultations
Visitors should see in seconds that you handle their case and how to reach you. We check words, phone links, forms and speed on a phone.
See how we can help ↗Intake and follow-up
Many firms lose cases to voicemail or a form left until Monday. We help you reply fast, follow up on missed calls and see where every inquiry stands.
See how we can help ↗Reviews and attorney content
People want to know who they will work with. We help you collect honest reviews, write attorney bios and plan short videos, all approved by your firm.
See how we can help ↗Reports on signed cases
We connect calls and forms to consultations held and cases signed, so you see cost per signed case, not just cost per click.
See how we can help ↗More leads don’t always mean more signed cases
Many firms pay more for marketing each year and sign the same number of cases. The cause is usually one of three gaps, and we check all three first.
Are you found for the cases you want?
A firm can rank for its own name and still be invisible for “car accident lawyer near me”. We check which case types and cities matter and whether each has a useful page.
Can people tell you handle their case?
Someone charged with a DUI needs to see fast that you take criminal cases in their county, who the attorney is and what the first step costs.
Does every inquiry reach a person?
A lead that waits hours for a reply often signs elsewhere. We test your phone line, forms and after-hours process, then fix the gaps.
Practice areas we help
Each practice area has its own searches, urgency and kind of client. We plan pages, ads and intake around how your clients look for help.
Personal injury
Urgent and very competitive. People call fast and compare a few firms, so reply speed and clear fee wording matter most.
Family law
Divorce and custody clients are anxious. Calm pages about the process, fees and first meeting build trust.
Criminal defense
Someone arrested, or their family, needs help today, often at night. An always-answered phone and pages per charge matter most.
Immigration
Clients may search in more than one language and fear scams. Clear credentials and pages in their language help.
Estate planning
Wills and trusts are planned, not urgent. People read more and often book online, so guides and easy booking work well.
Employment and business law
People search for specific problems, like unpaid wages or contract disputes. A clear page per problem brings the right inquiries.
Answer what clients need to know before they call
People searching for a lawyer are often stressed and in a hurry. They want to know if you handle their case, who they will talk to, how fees work and what happens first. Your attorneys review any legal content before it goes live.
car accident lawyer near me
Someone searching for "car accident lawyer near me" should land on a page that answers that need. The page can show attorney profiles and explain how to book a consultation.
- What the page explains
- Attorney profiles, plus your offer and a clear next step.
- What you may need to ask
- The type of legal matter, plus the best time to call back.
- What to check next
- Consultation requests.
divorce attorney near me
Someone searching for "divorce attorney near me" should land on a page that answers that need. The page can show practice-area explanations and explain how to book a consultation.
- What the page explains
- Practice-area explanations, plus your offer and a clear next step.
- What you may need to ask
- Where it happened, plus the best time to call back.
- What to check next
- Consultations held.
criminal defense lawyer near me
Someone searching for "criminal defense lawyer near me" should land on a page that answers that need. The page can show client reviews and explain how to book a consultation.
- What the page explains
- Client reviews, plus your offer and a clear next step.
- What you may need to ask
- How urgent it is, plus the best time to call back.
- What to check next
- Signed cases.
These are example searches. We check what people search for in your market before choosing the pages and ads to work on.
Law firm SEO: be found without paying for every click
Most people who need a lawyer start on Google, which is why SEO for law firms matters so much. Good law firm SEO shows Google what you do, where you do it and why people trust you. It takes months, especially in busy practice areas like personal injury, and no honest agency can promise a ranking.
Start with the questions people actually ask.
Someone hurt in a crash wants to know if you handle their kind of case, whether the first talk is free and how fast someone will call back. Someone with a family or immigration matter wants to know who they would work with and what happens first.
- car accident lawyer near me
- divorce attorney near me
- criminal defense lawyer near me
What we do to help you get found
We explain the work, make the agreed changes and check what happens after they go live.
Practice-area and city pages
One strong page for each practice area and case type you want, such as truck accidents or child custody, and city pages only where you really serve clients.
Google Business Profile and Maps
Your Google Business Profile is the listing people see on Google Maps. We set it up for each real office with the right categories, photos, hours and phone numbers.
Legal directories and listings
Directories such as Avvo, Justia, FindLaw and your state bar listing help confirm your details. We fix wrong addresses and old phone numbers so every listing matches.
Links earned the right way
We earn links from trusted sites through local news stories, useful legal guides and community work, never through paid or hidden links that break Google’s rules.
Answers for AI search tools
AI tools such as ChatGPT now answer legal questions. Clear pages and correct firm details help them describe you correctly. No one can promise a mention.
Fixes and steady upkeep
We fix slow pages and broken links, keep pages current when laws or attorneys change, and show which searches led to consultations.
Google Ads and Local Services Ads for law firms
PPC (pay-per-click ads) can bring calls the week they go live, which matters for urgent cases. But legal clicks can cost well over $100 each, so good PPC for law firms means tight control over case types, areas, hours and spending.
What should happen after someone clicks?
The page should explain your offer and make it easy to book a consultation. A click alone does not tell us whether the ad helped your business.
We check results such as consultation requests and consultations held. We also check whether the requests match what your team can provide.
What we do with your ads
The ad, the page it opens and the next step need to work together.
A budget you control
We agree a monthly limit and split it across the practice areas that sign cases. We never raise spending without asking.
Search ads for urgent cases
We target searches like “arrested for DUI” or “injured at work” and show ads when your team can answer the phone.
Local Services Ads
These ads appear above normal Google ads with a Google Screened badge once Google checks your license. You pay per lead. We set them up, dispute bad leads and track which become cases.
Keeping out the wrong searches
Searches like “free legal aid” or “lawyer jobs” waste money fast. We block them and review the list weekly at the start.
Landing pages per practice area
An ad about a truck accident should open a truck accident page that shows the attorney, your fees approach and a working phone link.
Calls tracked to signed cases
Call tracking (phone numbers that show which ad brought a call) plus your intake records show which ads led to signed cases. Then we move budget to what works.
Examples of ads we could plan with you
These show how different searches can need different pages. We choose the actual ads after checking your offer, budget and the rules for your account.
car accident lawyer near me
What the page shows: the advertised offer, plus attorney profiles.
What to ask: the type of legal matter, plus the best time to call back.
What to check: ad costs and consultation requests.
divorce attorney near me
What the page shows: the advertised offer, plus practice-area explanations.
What to ask: where it happened, plus the best time to call back.
What to check: ad costs and consultations held.
criminal defense lawyer near me
What the page shows: the advertised offer, plus client reviews.
What to ask: how urgent it is, plus the best time to call back.
What to check: ad costs and signed cases.
A website that turns visitors into consultations
Most people looking for a lawyer visit on a phone, often at night. Web design for law firms should make practice areas and attorneys clear and put calling, chatting or booking one tap away. We set the site up in accounts your firm owns.
What a useful page should do
Tell people what you offer, answer their main questions and make it easy to book a consultation. We check that the next step works and reaches the right person or system.
- Explain what you offer
Show each practice area, who handles it, where you work and what the first consultation involves. Keep different case types on their own pages.
- Help people make a choice
Put useful details, such as attorney profiles or practice-area explanations, beside the questions they answer.
- Give the practical details
Someone hurt in a crash wants to know if you handle their kind of case, whether the first talk is free and how fast someone will call back. Someone with a family or immigration matter wants to know who they would work with and what happens first.
- Ask only for what you need
A useful request may include the type of legal matter, where it happened, how urgent it is and the best time to call back. We help you keep the form short and relevant.
- Make it work on a phone
We check reading size, loading, phone links, forms and buttons. People should be able to finish the task without zooming in or guessing what to tap.
- Make sure the request arrives
We test where forms, calls or bookings go. Your team should receive the details it needs to reply, and the visitor should know whether the request went through.
Show clients what working with you looks like
Hiring a lawyer is personal. Honest reviews, clear attorney bios and short attorney videos help people feel ready to call. Case results and testimonials can help too, but only where your state bar allows them, with the disclaimers it requires.
Ads that explain one useful offer
We write each ad around a clear offer and the question it answers. We choose words and images that fit the place the ad will appear. The page it opens should carry the same message.
- A clear message for the people you want to reach
- Images and words that fit the ad format
- A small test with a result we agree to check
Real details that help people decide
We help you choose what to show, such as attorney profiles, practice-area explanations and client reviews. You provide accurate details and permission to use the material. We place it where it answers a visitor's question.
- Photos or examples that match the work you offer
- Checks that the facts are right and the material can be used
- Simple captions that explain what someone is seeing
Follow one client from search to signed case
Imagine someone hurt in a car accident, searching on a phone that evening. They find your listing, read your car accident page, call and reach a person who books a consultation.
They search that evening
After a crash, they search “car accident lawyer near me” on a phone. Your Google listing shows good reviews and an open phone line, and your ad or page answers the search.
They read your case page
Your car accident page explains how these cases work, whether the first consultation is free, who the attorney is and what to bring. A clear phone button sits at the top.
They call and sign
Someone answers, asks a few intake questions and books a consultation. A reminder text follows. After the meeting they sign, and your CRM records which marketing brought the case.
Answer every inquiry fast: intake that signs cases
Intake is how your firm handles a new call or form. People with a legal problem often contact several firms and hire the first one that listens. We help you answer fast and see what happened to every inquiry. Your team stays in charge.
Answer quickly, day and night
Calls and forms go to the right person, with alerts when a reply is late. After hours, an answering option, including an AI phone assistant that says it is automated, means no caller hears only voicemail.
Follow up on missed calls and forms
If a call is missed, an automatic text or email can reply within minutes and offer a call-back time, following the person’s contact choices.
See where every case stands
A CRM (a system that tracks every inquiry) with simple stages: new, contacted, consultation booked, signed or not. That record makes cost per signed case possible.
Stay inside lawyer advertising rules
Every state has lawyer advertising rules. Most follow the American Bar Association’s Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3, and some add labels or ad filing. We build with these rules in mind, but we are not your lawyer: your firm approves every page and ad.
No false or misleading claims
Nothing that creates unjustified expectations, such as “guaranteed results”, and no claims your firm cannot support.
Care with “specialist” and “expert”
Many states limit these words unless a lawyer holds a recognized certification. We use the wording your bar allows.
Testimonials and past results
Some states allow reviews and case results only with disclaimers, and some limit them. We follow your firm’s rules.
Labels, filings and contact limits
Some states require “Attorney Advertising” labels or ad filing, and limit unrequested contact. We keep records of what ran.
Supporting services for law firms
Most firms do not need all of these at once. We add them when your basics are working and the next step is clear.
Link building
Earn links from trusted local and legal websites through outreach, guides and digital PR.
Link building ↗Attorney-reviewed content
Guides and FAQs that answer real client questions, checked by your attorneys.
Content SEO ↗AI search visibility
Help AI tools describe your firm and practice areas correctly.
AI SEO ↗Directory and citation clean-up
Fix your firm’s details across legal directories and local listings.
Citation building ↗Review requests
Ask happy clients for honest reviews at the right time, within bar rules.
Reputation automation ↗After-hours answering
An AI phone assistant that tells callers it is automated and books call-backs.
AI voice agent ↗Clear work you can see
You get a written plan and regular proof of the work. The exact list depends on your practice areas, markets and budget.
A practice-area page plan
The case types and cities worth targeting, which pages to add or improve first and why.
Pages ready for attorney review
Practice-area pages, attorney bios and FAQs in plain English, sent to your firm for review before publishing.
An ad plan with a spending limit
Case types, areas, hours and budgets for Google Ads and Local Services Ads, plus the searches we block.
An intake map
Where calls and forms go, who answers, how fast, and what happens after hours or when a call is missed.
Monthly report on signed cases
Calls, consultations and signed cases by channel, with what each cost. Missing steps are shown as gaps.
Listings clean-up
Your Google Business Profile, directory and bar listings checked and corrected, with a record of changes.
Start with a review, then improve
Here is how the first three months usually work. Timing depends on access, how fast your attorneys review content and how many practice areas we cover.
Month 1: review and fix the basics
We review your website, Google listing, ads, intake and tracking, test your phone line and forms, and agree which practice areas come first.
- A review of what you have
- The first jobs and who handles them
- Checks that requests are recorded
Month 2: launch the first changes
We publish the first approved pages, clean up listings, start ads with call tracking and set up missed-call follow-up.
- Changes to the first pages
- A small ad test where agreed
- Checks that replies reach the right team
Month 3: measure and improve
We review calls, consultations and signed cases by channel, cut what is not working and agree the next pages and tests.
- A review of results and costs
- Changes based on what we learned
- A clear plan for the next jobs
Start by sending your website and telling us what you want help with.
How law firm marketing pricing works
We do not publish one price, because a solo family law practice and a big-city personal injury firm need very different work. Cost depends on practice areas, cities, competition, channels and how much needs fixing. Ad spend is paid to Google separately. After a review we send a scoped proposal listing every item.
What we agree with you
Our work: the pages, writing, ads, fixes and reports included in your plan.
Your part: accurate details about your law firm, the materials we need and someone to approve the work.
The cost: our fees, any ad budget and any extra tool or website costs are listed separately.
Approvals: your team checks prices, claims, permissions and any sensitive information before it is used.
See cost per signed case, not just cost per click
Clicks and calls are easy to count, but they do not pay your staff. We connect marketing to your intake records so you see consultations, signed cases and their cost by channel and practice area. Reports never show client names or case details.
What we explain in your report
- How people found you
We show which searches and sources brought people to your website. We also explain which pages we changed and what happened after those changes.
- What you spent and received
We show ad costs alongside useful results such as consultation requests. Where records allow, we work out the cost of each result and compare different ads or offers.
- What happened after the first step
We look at consultations held and signed cases where your intake records allow. A call, a consultation and a signed case are different things, so we report them separately.
We point out missing information and results based on only a few people. If a result cannot be checked, we explain what information is missing.
Get the basics right before adding more
New channels only help when the basics work. First, people must be able to find you, reach you and get a reply.
Profile, phone and forms first
A correct Google Business Profile, an answered phone line and forms that reach a person protect every dollar you spend.
Tracking before more spending
Calls and forms are counted and linked to intake stages before any budget rises, so you can tell what signs cases.
Then grow one step at a time
Add one practice area, city or channel at a time, and check what it brings before adding the next.
How to choose a law firm marketing agency
Whether you hire us or someone else, a good law firm marketing agency should answer these questions clearly.
Do they report signed cases?
Ask how they track a lead from first call to signed case. Reports full of clicks hide what matters.
Do you own everything?
Your website, ad account, Google profile and data should sit in accounts your firm owns.
Do they know the advertising rules?
Ask how they handle testimonials, past results and “specialist” wording, and who approves each page.
Is the scope written down?
A clear proposal lists pages, ads, reports and fees. Be wary of promises of first-page rankings.
Do they look at intake?
An agency that never asks how your phones are answered sees only half the problem.
Who does the work?
Ask who writes content, who manages ads and how often you will talk.
Across all our client work, not only law firms, we have managed $12M+ in ad spend, generated 87,200+ leads, helped bring $28M+ in revenue for clients and ranked 2,140+ keywords on page one of Google.
Law firm marketing FAQs
Here are clear answers about the work, price, timing and help we need from you.
What does a law firm marketing agency do?
It helps people with a legal problem find your firm, trust it and contact you, usually through SEO, Google Ads, your website, reviews and intake follow-up. We review what you have and suggest only what fits your practice areas and budget.
What does law firm marketing cost?
It depends on your practice areas, cities, competition and channels. Google ad spend is separate from our fee. After a free review we send a written proposal listing every item. Our SEO pricing guide explains what drives cost.
How long does SEO take for a law firm?
Fixes like a correct Google Business Profile can help within weeks. Competitive searches like “personal injury lawyer” in a big city usually take many months. We show progress, but no one can honestly promise a ranking or date.
What are Google Local Services Ads for lawyers?
Google ads that appear above normal search ads, with a Google Screened badge after Google checks your license and background. You pay per lead, not per click. Lead quality varies, so we track which leads become cases.
Is SEO still worth it now that people use AI tools?
Yes. AI tools still draw on websites, listings and reviews. Clear practice-area pages and correct firm details help both normal search and AI answers. We can check how AI tools describe your firm today.
How fast should our firm reply to a new inquiry?
Within minutes if you can. People often contact several firms and hire the first one that listens. Alerts, missed-call texts and after-hours answering mean fewer inquiries wait.
How do you keep our marketing within bar rules?
We write with ABA Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3 and your state’s rules in mind and add the disclaimers your state needs. Your firm gives final approval and we keep records of what ran. This is not legal advice.
Who writes our legal content?
Our writers draft pages in plain English from your notes and real client questions. An attorney at your firm reviews every page before it goes live.
What happens to our website and accounts if we leave?
They stay yours. We set up your website, ad accounts, Google profile and tracking in accounts your firm owns, and hand over logins, settings and notes if you leave.
Do you manage legal directory listings?
Yes. We correct your details on Avvo, Justia, FindLaw, your state bar listing and general listings like Yelp and Apple Maps, so clients and Google see matching facts.
How can we tell if our current agency is working?
Ask for consultations and signed cases by channel, not just clicks. If costs rise while signed cases stay flat, something needs fixing. Our free review can help you check.
Can you track cost per signed case?
Yes, where your intake records allow. We link call tracking and forms to your CRM stages and work out cost per consultation and signed case. Missing steps are shown as gaps, not guesses.
No questions match. Try a different word or choose all questions.
More ways we can help
Before you decide
Explore related industries
Let’s look at your law firm together.
Send your website and tell us what you would like to improve. We will explain what we find and talk through the next useful steps with you.