HOW TO 4X YOUR LAW FIRM’S PROFITS 

Learn how we helped a criminal defense attorney outrank his competition, get #1 in Google, attract 15,000 website visits per month, and generate millions of dollars in additional revenue.

For over a decade, I have supported law firms to build stunning websites, rank higher in Google, craft compelling ads, and design conversion-focused landing pages.

And, despite how it feels, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t a cryptic system only understood by Google engineers.

Further, Google Ads — while often considered an expensive way to advertise — is the secret weapon of law firms eager to grow. 

Don’t get me started on your website. While it may seem counter-intuitive, simplifying the user experience and crafting compelling content is oftentimes more effective than creating a fancy web design with all the bells and whistles.

These three myths hold back 99% of law firms. 
1. It’s impossible to get to #1 in Google’s search results
2. Google Ads is too expensive and ineffective
3. A fancy website design trumps user experience and quality content

So, if you’ve been scrambling to find new clients while jealously watching your competitors swim in pools of money, know this.

With the right marketing partner and strategy, you too can 4x your law firm’s revenue.

But first, let’s rewind to 2013.

Do you remember 2013? I sure do.

It was the year Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" played in regular rotation on the radio. The word Corona conjured images of a lime-topped Mexican Cerveza, not a global pandemic. And it was the year I met attorney Michael Oykhman.

When I met Michael, he had straight-forward goals:

1. Get to the top of Google
2. Get more sales leads
3. Generate more revenue

Together, we identified 3 strategies:

1. Get his website to Google's first page for competitive criminal defense keywords.
2. Replace leads from legal directories, Yellow Pages, Avvo, and FindLaw with leads from Google Ads.
3. Expand his business into new locations (and beyond!) 

To accomplish this, we started with our law firm SEO methodology. 

At the time, it didn’t have a fancy name. But today, we proudly call it Elevate. It's our proprietary approach for consistently generating top rankings in Google’s most competitive search results.

But here's the thing, what I've learned in over a decade of providing SEO services to law firms is that successful SEO comes down to just one thing.

So, how did we do it?

LOGISTICS

Anticlimactic, I know.

But for 10 years, my team has documented every step, technique, and insight we’ve gleaned while working with law firms.

We’ve tested SEO strategies in major markets like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston. And time and time again, our results do the bragging for us.

Today, each SEO project is 100% systemized and meticulously documented.

When we onboard a new client, each step is pre-populated in our project management platform BaseCamp and linked to our internal process documents.

We enter our client’s information and follow the steps. It's that easy.

Here’s a peek into one of our processes:

To kick off Michael’s project, it was as easy as plugging him into our system. 

First, we audited his website 

We review dozens of items when auditing a website. We organize our findings into the following categories:

• Onsite Optimization: Is the website correctly optimized for the target keywords? If not, we document the required modifications and then optimize the content and code.
• Website Content: Does the website have engaging, long-format content? Does each practice area have a dedicated page? Are detailed FAQs, resources, and blog articles published? 
• Website Usability: Is the website user-friendly? Mobile responsive? Are contact forms integrated? Is the phone number visible? 
• Backlinks: Does the firm’s website have hyperlinks? Are they quality links or are they spammy? Are they pointing to the right pages? 
• Local SEO: Does the firm have a Google My Business profile? Is it optimized correctly? Does the firm have citations? Are they consistent? Are any missing? It turns out Michael didn’t have a verified Google My Business account. Getting him set up was an immediate SEO win that popped his website into the local search results.

Next, we identified 70 keyword opportunities for Michael’s practice area pages.

Practice area pages should be at the top of any firm’s priority list. These pages tend to deliver the highest quality traffic and generate the greatest number of sales leads.

The same was true for Michael.

We settled on keywords relevant to Michael’s practice area, including variations of "criminal lawyer Calgary," "domestic violence lawyer," and "DUI lawyer." At the time, these keywords received around 4,000 monthly searches.

As a result, a website ranking #1 for each of the keywords would get around 1,000 visits per month. However, our goal was to get Michael ranked #1 for hundreds of variations of his target terms. That’s where it got tricky.

Competition is very high in the criminal defense practice area. Most firms who have made it to #1 have invested heavily to get there.

But, we knew we could beat them. Here’s how...

“The summer before I hired JurisPage, I was panicking because I was opening relatively few files. It was a daily struggle to keep the lights on. With JurisPage's help, I was opening more than 4x the amount of files by the next summer.” 

MICHAEL OYKHMAN, OYKHMAN CRIMINAL DEFENCE 

Copyright Uptime Legal Systems, 2021. All Rights Reserved. 

HOW TO 4X YOUR LAW FIRM’S PROFITS 

So, I set to work building the granddaddy of all digital marketing campaigns.

Within 6 months, Michael was not only #1 on Google for 100+ local keywords, but he was opening 4x the case files. 

Fast forward to 2022 and he has offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Victoria; his website traffic has increased by over 1,500%; his team has grown to +12 full-time associates and support staff, and his firm generates millions in revenue every year.

Even though I’ve been running legal marketing campaigns since 2009, it still amazes me to watch a few keywords turn a stressed-out lawyer — one struggling to find his next clients — into one drowning in new case files and hiring associates like crazy. 

While it’s often necessary to rebuild a firm’s entire website, each item described above is crucial to a successful campaign. There’s no point spending money on traffic unless said traffic will convert into paying customers. Before diving into our SEO techniques, we tweaked Michael’s design and site architecture to be optimized and user-friendly.

A BOOST IN RANKINGS GAVE MICHAEL A BOOST IN BUSINESS

To recap:

1. The keyword, “Criminal Lawyers Calgary,” receives 480 searches per month. Michael now ranks #1 for the term and can expect between 168 and 201 clicks per month. 

2. With an average conversion rate of 5% (the percentage of people who fill out the contact form on his website or call him), that’s ~20 new sales leads each month from one keyword. 

3. Each new client brings in $5,000 - $20,000.

That’s a big ol’ hunk of change...

...from just ONE keyword opportunity.

We started with over 70 and didn’t stop there.

Here’s what happened, in Michael’s own words...

"The summer before I hired JurisPage I was panicking because I was opening relatively few files. It was a daily struggle to keep the lights on. I was always on edge. What if the phone stops ringing? Will I have enough leads this week? Enough clients to pay my expenses? By the next summer, I was opening more than 4x the amount of files and the vast majority were coming from our website.

With JurisPage's help, I watched our rankings increase each month until we hit #1 for 100+ keywords. It was like a game. Today, my ROI is well over 10 fold. Since ranking #1, I’ve been able to hire 10 associates, several support staff, and we opened new offices in Edmonton, Toronto, Victoria, and Saskatchewan.

For the first time, my business feels secure."

With his SEO results humming along, how did we add more stability to Michael’s business?

Well, we filled in the gaps using a Google technique most lawyers love to hate.

Michael loves being #1 on Google. Who wouldn’t?

Being #1 at anything builds confidence, even if it’s just an algorithm. That’s why Michael invested in SEO instead of a pay-per-click campaign.

“PPC feels like cheating,” he told me. “You’re paying to be on top, whereas organic growth gives me validation.”

But here’s a secret no one wants to admit: Google ads work… really, really well.

1. The top Google Ads receive over 7% of clicks, according to one study.

2. Google Ads lets you better target people who are looking for a specific service, i.e. “DUI lawyer” vs. “criminal defense lawyer”.

3. If you don’t have time to wait 6-12 months for your SEO rankings to kick in, Google Ads gives you high-quality leads in just a few days.

4. Google Ads has high visibility on mobile devices. You have to scroll past the first four ads to see the local and organic search results. With an increasing shift to mobile browsing, this means more visitors to your website.

5. Local service ads have changed the game, offering a pay-per-lead option that’s hard to ignore.

I LOVE GOOGLE ADS FOR 5 REASONS:

No SEO campaign will give you all of the traffic for all of the search terms, all of the time.

Tip: Don’t run a Google Ads campaign to your home page or dull service pages. Send paid traffic to a targeted landing page instead. Your wallet will thank you.

Second, people do click on Google Ads, even if you don’t.

Did you know…

A whopping 30% of clicks go to Google Ads.

On keywords with a “high commercial intent” (people looking to purchase a product or service), this number is even higher.

WordStream found that clicks on paid search listings beat organic clicks by a 2:1 margin for keywords with high commercial intent.

That’s 64.6% of people in the United States clicking on Google Ads when they want to buy online. And, most people simply aren’t that tech-savvy. Nearly half of searchers still can’t differentiate between paid and organic listings. That’s why Google formats ads the way they do.

Yes, your customers click Google Ads.

Google Ads let you hyper-target your audience, which increases clicks and conversions

I love Google Ads because you can be hyper-targeted with your messaging. Here’s what I mean…

Michael’s organic search looks like this: 

QUICK AND HIGH-VALUE: PERFECT FOR GOOGLE ADS.

But, before we could test some ads, we needed to build a landing page.

Google Ads is a little clingy — it doesn’t do well alone.

One of its drawbacks is that you can't send paid traffic to your home page or dull service pages.

The purpose of your website is to lead a range of people to a variety of services.

A landing page on the other hand is designed to prompt a single, specific action among a select segment of your potential customers. 

By creating a targeted landing page to support Michael’s Google Ads campaign, not only did conversions go through the roof, but we now run A/B tests every month to gradually increase conversions without increasing his ad spend paid to Google.

The landing page includes three crucial elements.

Let's start by looking at it, then drill into the specific elements that increase its conversion rates.

A benefits block

We immediately highlight the features and benefits of working with Michael’s team. Benefits like 75+ years of experience, 300+ 5-star ratings on Google, 10,000+ cases, 24/7 availability, flexible payment structures, etc. 

The position of our call to action is important. You’ll see his phone number in the header along with a consultation button. You never want to make it hard to get in touch.

A defined call to action

Trust indicators

Case results, testimonials, and reputable associations all help cold leads trust you before they ever fill out the form. People also want to know who’s on the other end of the phone, so we included a photo of the whole team. (Photography does impact conversion rates, so if you don’t have team photos on your website, get some — like this.)

Do you see why this page does a better job convincing a criminal defense prospect to get in touch versus just sending them to a general home page?

For you visual learners, here’s that entire process:

Michael and I have been working together for seven years. This was not an overnight process. But today, Michael is #1 on Google for over 100 keywords. He has four offices, a large support team, and millions of dollars in additional revenue each year. 

Where did he get 4x the case files? High-quality leads from Google.

Getting Michael ranked #1 on Google for his target keywords simply came down to following a systematic process to give Michael better citations, backlinks, page authority, and reviews. 

• We helped him outrank his competition by identifying gaps in their strategy. We did the little things a lot better. 

• We optimized Michael’s website using clean design, clear calls to action, and keyword-specific landing pages. This helped convert more traffic, giving him more bang for his buck. 

• After identifying “impaired driving” and "DUI" as an opportunity for even more growth, we created a targeted landing page where we would send traffic from paid Google Ads. 

• A robust Google Ads campaign sent new leads to that landing page, which converts at a whopping 10% - 15%.

• As his team expanded, we expanded his firm into new locations.

Really, it’s just 3 steps: 

1. Search engine optimization 

2. A service-specific landing page

3. Google Ads 

…That’s it! 

In just the first 6 months, Michael had increased his business by 400%. 

Over the next few years, he’s hired more staff and opened another office. Just from Google. 

Neat, huh? 

Want to be like Mike?

CONTACT US

Reserve a 30-minute consult with Dennis Dimka. Based on your practice area, budget, and goals, I will recommend the best approach so you, too, can 4x your business.  

Compare that to his paid ad:

Sound too good to be true? Hear from attorney Michael Oykhman.

If you needed to hire a DUI lawyer, which listing would you click?

Before I show you Michael’s results, let’s talk about the stigma around “paying for traffic.”

People think SEO gives you “free traffic.” There is no such thing as free traffic. 

Although it’s effective, SEO can also be time-consuming. Much more so than just paying for a Google ad.

When done right, Google Ads can be more scalable, and faster than SEO.

No need to invest in expensive link-building. No time spent creating a new website. No waiting 6-12 months for results. If you’re on a budget and need clients now, Google Ads is the way to do it.

Yes, being #1 on Google comes with a certain prestige. And, yes, SEO will give you better long-term results. But a targeted Google Ads campaign will give you immediate clients without waiting months to rank — at a fraction of the cost.

So, when Michael said he wanted more DUI clients, Google Ads was the logical solution.

DUI cases are good for business. A lawyer can churn through one case per day, and each is worth $8-15k.

LET'S RECAP HOW MICHAEL 4XED HIS BUSINESS