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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Local
Search
BY HEATHER SCHUCK
Aswith any business, your ability to bring in new clients is a determining factor for your  rm’s success. While there are countless ways to create exposure and introduce yourself to new pros-
pects, few are as necessary as Local Search.
Whether you have a solid strategy in place, or if it’s on your 2019 to do list, I want to share a few reasons for em-
bracing local search you might not have considered yet.
The Good
In 2018, 60% of Google search clicks were through mobile phones.  is is nearly DOU- BLE the 34% mobile search rate just  ve years ago. Of those mobile searches, roughly 50% are “near me” queries with local intent. In other words, prospects are pulling out their smartphones and actively searching top rank- ing local attorneys to assist them with their le- gal woes. By optimizing your local listing, you are essentially skipping to the front of the line when it comes to ranking on local search.
The Bad
Now that you understand just how valuable an optimized local listing can be, let’s discuss the missteps that can sabotage your success. For starters, citations can make or break you and details matter. As an example, if your  rm is listed at 123 Law Street on one listing and 123 Law ST on the other you could be penal- ized by Google for having an inconsistent NAP (Name Address and Phone Number). For these reasons, it is best to perform a thor- ough audit of your citations and update any incorrect or inconsistent ones before imple- menting a citation building campaign.
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