Why Law Firm SEO during COVID-19 Is Important

The coronavirus pandemic is sweeping through the United States at full force. As citizens work to protect themselves and others from contracting the virus, life as we once knew it has changed. Stay-at-home orders have been initiated in most states for the foreseeable future, and many courts are closed. With no new cases getting filed in many places, your law firm is likely seeing a decrease in leads.

Naturally, with few leads coming in, you may be tempted to decrease your search engine optimization (SEO) budget. But it’s important to remember that COVID-19 won’t last forever. When life returns to normal, your law firm could benefit from the situation with several new cases. However, if you aren’t ranking on Google at that point because you’ve cut your digital marketing budget, how will potential clients find you?

At ApricotLaw, we understand that law firm SEO is a long-term investment. It takes months to reach the top of organic search results. Although your SEO budget may seem like the first expense to cut during this time, you should consider how important your rankings are to future business. There are benefits to holding strong as the coronavirus drags on.

The Internet Is Busier Than Ever

With so many people stuck in their homes, internet traffic has spiked considerably. The New York Times wrote in early March 2020 that Seattle saw a 30 percent increase in overall internet traffic in just one week, and internet use worldwide has skyrocketed as more people are working, learning, and spending time at home and online.
While these users may not all be searching for legal services, there’s likely some people looking for information about the law in your state.

When you cut your law firm SEO budget, your rankings are likely to drop and your online visibility can suffer. You stand to lose brand recognition, which means internet users may not know about you when or if they ever need your services.

Be Smarter Than Your Competition

Many law firms are likely to reduce their SEO efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you’re smarter than your competitors and you maintain law firm SEO, you may be able to grab the top spots on Google for your most desired keywords while your competitors fall to the wayside. When the coronavirus pandemic ends, most law firms will resume their SEO. But at this point, you’ll be well ahead of the game.

SEO Is a Long-Term Game

SEO isn’t like pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, where you can turn it on and off without consequences. SEO takes months to deliver results. Once you stop putting in the effort to maintain those results, your site can drop in rankings. Money may seem tight now, but halting your digital marketing campaign could mean losing even more money later.

Speak with a Legal SEO Agency

Our team at ApricotLaw is prepared to remain in this fight with you. We work remotely and will work hard to keep your law firm website ranking through this pandemic. That way, you’ll be positioned to emerge on top when the courts reopen and cases flow in. If you want to discuss your lawyer SEO services, call us at 877-203-0751 or fill out the contact form below.