Keyword Research Basics for Criminal Defense Lawyers

Every page on a law firm website is a guess about what someone will type into a search box. Keyword research is how you make that guess with evidence. It sounds technical, and agencies sometimes present it that way, but the basics are well within reach of a defense lawyer with an hour to spare and access to a few free tools.

This lesson walks through where search terms come from, how to tell which ones matter for a criminal defense firm and how to turn a list of phrases into a plan for pages. You will not need paid software to get started.

Start with the words your callers use

The best keyword list starts at your own front desk. People calling a defense firm describe their situation in their own words. They say “I got a DUI,” not “I am charged under the impaired driving statute.” They ask whether they will “lose their license” or “go to jail,” and whether a charge will “show up on a background check.”

Ask whoever answers your phones to write down the exact phrases callers use for a few weeks. Those phrases are often the same ones people typed into Google before they called. They also tell you which questions your pages need to answer.

Check what already brings people to your site

Google Search Console shows the searches that led to your site appearing in results. Open the Performance report, look at the Queries tab and sort by impressions. You will see the actual phrases, along with how often your site appeared and how often someone clicked.

Look for patterns. You may find many searches for a charge you handle but have no dedicated page for. You may find searches for nearby cities where you appear but rarely get clicks. Each pattern points to a page to create or improve.

Your Google Business Profile has a similar report showing the searches that led people to your listing. It tends to show broader terms, but it is useful for understanding how people find you in Maps.

Use Google itself for ideas

Type a charge into Google and watch the autocomplete suggestions. Then search it and look at the “People also ask” box and the related searches near the bottom of the page. These come from real search behavior and are free to use.

Try variations. Different states use different terms for impaired driving: DUI, DWI, OWI and others. People also mix them up, especially visitors from out of state. Make sure your pages use the term your state uses and acknowledge common alternatives where it reads naturally.

Google Keyword Planner, part of Google Ads, gives rough monthly volume ranges for search terms. You need a Google Ads account to use it, but you do not have to run ads. Treat its numbers as rough guides. For many local legal terms, the ranges are wide.

Sort keywords by intent

Not every search is a potential client. Someone searching “what is the legal limit for DUI” may be curious, may be a student or may be worried after a night out. Someone searching “DUI lawyer near me” or “DUI attorney in [city]” is much closer to calling.

Group your list into a few buckets:

• Hiring searches, such as a charge plus lawyer or attorney and a location
• Problem searches, such as what happens after an arrest for a specific charge
• Process searches, such as how a license hearing or arraignment works
• Background searches, such as definitions and general legal questions

Hiring searches usually belong on practice area pages. Problem and process searches are good topics for supporting pages and articles that link to those practice pages. Background searches can be worth answering briefly, though they rarely bring in clients on their own.

Turn the list into a page plan

Match each important group of keywords to one page. A page about first-offense DUI in your county can target several related phrases at once, since Google understands that “first DUI” and “first time DUI charge” mean the same thing. You do not need a separate page for every wording.

In your spreadsheet, list each planned page, the main phrase it targets, a few related phrases and the questions it should answer. Mark which pages already exist and which need to be written. That sheet becomes your content plan for the next few months.

Avoid stuffing phrases into a page. Write for the reader, use the main phrase naturally in the title and a heading, and answer the questions clearly. Google’s guidance has long warned against keyword stuffing, and readers notice it too.

Revisit the list every few months

Search behavior changes. New laws create new questions, and new phrases appear as people use AI tools and voice search. Repeat the Search Console check every quarter and add new patterns to your sheet. Over time, the list becomes a record of what your community actually asks. Keep the old rows in the sheet even after a page is published, with the date it went live. When you look back a year later, you can see which planned pages started bringing in searches and which ones never did, and adjust the next round of writing to match.

Questions attorneys ask about keyword research

Do I need paid SEO tools to do keyword research?

No. Search Console, your Google Business Profile, Google’s own search results and your intake notes are enough to start. Paid tools add convenience and more data, which can help as your site grows.

Should I target keywords for cities where I do not have an office?

Only if you regularly handle cases there and can write something specific about those courts. Map rankings depend heavily on proximity to your address, so a page alone rarely wins those searches.

How many keywords should one page target?

One main topic per page, with the related phrases that naturally fit it. If two phrases need different answers, they probably need different pages.

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This guide is part of SBD Marketing’s coverage of SEO education for attorneys. SBD Marketing works only with criminal defense law firms.

SBD Marketing · info@sbdmarketing.agency · Book a call: sbdmarketing.agency/scheduling · Serving criminal defense law firms across the USA · sbdmarketing.agency