Why Local Marketing Matters

Imagine that you were injured in a car accident due to a negligent driver. You think you might have a case against the other driver and you would like to discuss it with a personal injury attorney. You head to Google to research the right law firm. What do you type into the search bar?

If you’re like thousands of other Google users, you probably start with something like “personal injury attorney near me” or “best personal injury law firm near me” before delving deeper into promising search results and contacting a handful of appealing practices.

That is because more people than ever are turning to search engines to find resources in their local areas, from personal injury law firms to bankruptcy attorneys and beyond. Search Engine Land reports that “near me” searches increased 34 times between 2011 and 2015, with mobile constituting a majority of those searches.

Google calls these types of mobile searches “micro-moments.” The new consumer journey—the one that your potential clients are experiencing every day—involves hundreds of micro-moments going up to, and through, the “sales ready” stage. There are four types of micro-moments that your law firm should know about:

  • I-want-to-know moments: searching for a specific bankruptcy law firm after seeing the practice’s commercial, for instance.
  • I-want-to-go moments: searching for “bankruptcy law firm near me.”
  • I-want-to-do moments: learning how to do something, such as file bankruptcy.
  • I-want-to-buy moments: deciding to contact and retain a specific bankruptcy law firm after reading positive reviews.

According to Google, 82% of smartphone users utilize a search engine when looking for a local business. But it’s not just smartphone users who are searching locally; the buyer’s journey has changed for users of all devices and now, more than ever, your prospective clients are using Google to find the right law firm for them in their local area.

If you need help with your local SEO, schedule a time to chat with Michael today.