The 7 criteria that actually matter
- 01
Legal-only specialization
Generalist agencies recycle SaaS playbooks. The best law firm SEO companies work exclusively (or near-exclusively) with attorneys. Ask: 'What percentage of your clients are law firms?' If it's under 80%, walk.
- 02
Bar-compliance literacy
Every state has advertising rules. ABA Model Rule 7.1 prohibits false or misleading communications about a lawyer's services. Your SEO partner must know your state's rules, and review every piece of content against them.
- 03
Attribution that ties to cases, not pageviews
If their monthly report leads with 'keyword count' or 'impressions,' it's a red flag. The right metrics are consultations, signed cases, and cost per acquired case.
- 04
Transparent deliverables
You should see every page shipped, every link earned, every technical fix made, every month. Avoid agencies that hide work behind 'proprietary methodology.'
- 05
No PBNs or link schemes
If they promise 'guaranteed page-1 rankings' or 'mass directory submissions,' they're risking your domain. Manual editorial link building is the only sustainable path.
- 06
Ethical content review
All legal content should be reviewed by a licensed attorney before publication. Pure-AI legal content is a Helpful Content System penalty waiting to happen.
- 07
Honest contract terms
12-month minimums are normal, SEO compounds and shorter terms are dishonest. But after the initial term, month-to-month should be standard. Beware multi-year auto-renewing contracts with cancellation penalties.
Questions to ask in the sales call
- ?What percentage of your clients are law firms?
- ?Can I see 3 case studies in my practice area?
- ?Who specifically will be writing my content, and are they reviewed by a licensed attorney?
- ?How do you build backlinks? Walk me through your last 5 placements.
- ?What does the monthly report include? Can I see a sample?
- ?What happens after the 12-month minimum?
- ?How do you handle Google algorithm updates?
Why PageOne Lawyers
We don't claim to be the best SEO agency. We are the best at one thing: ranking law firms. We've stayed in legal exclusively because depth beats breadth, and because law firms deserve a partner who understands the economics of a case, not just the algorithm.