Research
Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere from 4 to 22 types of keywords SEO professionals use to target the right audience, ranging from informational to e-commerce. But we're not worried about what other people say. We’re only focused on what works for law firms like yours.
The real question is, what are the best keywords for lawyers?
Most Important Types of Keywords for Lawyers
LAWYER KEYWORD RESEARCH
Primary & Secondary Keywords
Primary Keyword
Your primary keyword is typically your core practice area. This would include something like “personal injury lawyer” or “ criminal defense attorney.”
Secondary Keywords
Secondary keywords are based on a primary keyword but go into more detail. For example, a “criminal defense attorney for embezzlement” or “business bankruptcy attorney.” In the second example, “bankruptcy attorney” is the primary keyword. Firms may have many secondary keywords depending on what types of clients your firm would like to target.
Informational Keywords
Informational keywords target those people who are asking questions and looking for answers. These users may have a general curiosity or they might be starting their journey of considering an attorney. Questions can range from “are SUVs safer than cars?” to “will I get fired if I file a sexual harassment lawsuit against my boss?”
Long-tail Keywords
Technically, a long-tail keyword is any phrase that is 3 or more words long. Most if not all of your firm's keywords will be long-tail keywords since short-tail keywords like "lawyer" or "car accident" or "probate" are far to broad to be useful or effective.
In the context of lawyer keyword research, a long-tail keyword is a version of a more detailed secondary keyword. Again, your firm may have many long-tail keywords it would like to target.
In the case of a long-tail lawyer keyword, the user is either looking or something very particular or could be building on what they’ve learned from previous searches. A lot of SEO specialist overlook the evolution of a user as they’re learning new terminology. An example of that could be someone doing an Informational keyword search like “can my boss legally fire me for being sick?” to a more informed long-tail keyword search like “wrongful termination laws in California.” The terminology, long-tail keyword, is also used as an umbrella term which could refer to anything that isn’t your primary keyword.
Brand Keywords
A brand keyword is a primary keyword that relates to a known brand other than your law firm. Brand keywords are most popular among personal injury attorneys and brokerage fraud/investor recovery firms. Keywords like “Uber accident lawyer” or “Stratton Oakmont stock fraud.” Those keywords relate to your practice areas but they involve other brands.
Branded Keywords
A branded keyword is any keyword that uses the name of YOUR LAW FIRM. These keywords can be used by prospects or existing clients. For example, “Sommers Schwartz phone number” is a branded keyword that could help existing clients. A branded keyword like “Wirtz Law reviews” could be used by a prospect who hasn’t decided to hire the firm yet but is considering it.
Regional Keywords
Regional keywords for law firms are search phrases that combine a legal service with a specific geographic area, signaling to search engines and AI answer engines exactly where a firm practices and who it serves. Examples include “personal injury lawyer Charleston SC,” “Atlanta estate planning attorney,” or “truck accident lawyer in Chicago” These keywords matter because legal searches are almost always local and high-intent; someone using them is typically ready to contact a lawyer, not just research the law. By consistently using regional keywords in page titles, headers, body copy, internal links, and structured data, law firms help Google and AI tools like ChatGPT connect their services to the correct city, region, or neighborhood, improving map pack visibility, organic rankings, and the likelihood of being recommended when someone asks for a lawyer in that location.
Keyword Resources for Lawyers
CLM is singularly focused on my firm's success and frequently over-delivers. I don’t think that you could make a better choice.
- Paul Greenberg, Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
We have been using CLM for our websites for a number of years and they have been outstanding! Their entire team has always been highly responsive and met all of our marketing needs.
-Todd J. Leonard, Todd J. Leonard Law
