Step 1: Know what a client is worth (month 1)
For each practice area, write down:
| Practice area | Average fee per matter | Matters a year | Want more? | Capacity for more? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Your area] | £ | Yes / No | Yes / No |
Only market the areas with a "Yes" in both of the last two columns. There is no point paying for enquiries your team cannot take on.
Step 2: Fix the foundations (months 1 to 3)
Task Why
A page per practice area, answering real client questions
Search engines and AI tools rank pages, not firms
SRA price pages for listed services, easy to find
Required, and clients look for them
Fee earner profiles with experience and qualifications
Clients choose people
Google Business Profile for each real office
Most local enquiries start on the map
Enquiry tracking by source
Without it, you are guessing
Step 3: Get found locally (months 2 to 6)
- Ask every client at the end of a matter for a Google review, using one simple link.
- Make sure your firm's name, address and phone match everywhere: Google, the SRA register, the Law Society's Find a Solicitor and legal directories.
- Add a page for each office and the main towns you serve, each with genuinely local content.
Step 4: Publish useful content (months 3 to 12)
One good guide a month for your priority practice area. Examples:
- "How much does probate cost in [town]?"
- "What happens at a first family law meeting?"
- "Settlement agreements: what employees should check"
Each with a named author and a clear answer in the first sentence.
Step 5: Add Google Ads where speed matters (month 2 onwards)
Use ads for urgent or high-value areas where you have capacity: criminal, employee-side employment, immigration, conveyancing. Send every ad to a page built for it, and track calls.
Step 6: Look after referrers (ongoing)
For many firms, accountants, estate agents, IFAs and past clients send more work than Google. Keep a simple list, keep in touch, and say thank you.
Step 7: Review every quarter
Measure Target
Enquiries by practice area and source
Rising in priority areas
Enquiry to instruction rate
Improving
Cost per instruction by channel
Falling, or acceptable for the fee
Google reviews
Steady new reviews each month
The 12 months at a glance
Months Focus
1
Value of each practice area, priorities
1 to 3
Website, SRA pages, profiles, Google Business Profile, tracking
2 to 6
Reviews, directories, local pages, Google Ads in one urgent area
3 to 12
One guide a month, SEO, AI visibility checks
Every 3
Review numbers, cut what does not work
Frequently asked questions
What is the first step in a law firm marketing strategy?
Work out what a new client is worth in each practice area, and which areas you want more of. Everything else follows from that.
How long before marketing brings in new instructions?
Google Ads can bring enquiries within days. Local search and SEO usually take 3 to 12 months. Referral marketing builds over years.
What should a small firm focus on first?
The website and Google Business Profile. Every other channel sends people to one of those two places.
How do we measure whether it is working?
Track enquiries by source and practice area, and how many became instructions. Clicks and followers are not the goal.
Do we need an agency?
Not for everything. Reviews, referrals and social media are often best done in-house. Websites, SEO and Google Ads are where specialist help usually pays for itself.
Related: Law firm marketing · SEO for law firms · Google Ads cost for law firms