It’s the end of July. If you set marketing goals in January, now is the time to check the scoreboard. And for most San Antonio professional services firms…law offices, accounting practices, consulting companies, financial advisors…the most important number is this: how many new clients found you through Google this year?
If you don’t know the answer, that’s a problem. If the answer is “not enough,” here’s your mid-year local SEO audit.
Check Your Google Rankings
Open an incognito browser window (so your personal search history doesn’t skew results) and search for the terms your ideal clients would use:
- “[Your service] San Antonio” (e.g., “business attorney San Antonio”)
- “[Your service] near me”
- “Best [your service] in San Antonio”
Are you in the top three? The Map Pack? Page one? If not, you have work to do.
Pro tip: try searching from different parts of San Antonio. Local rankings change based on the searcher’s location. You might rank well near your office in the Medical Center but be invisible in Stone Oak.
Audit Your Google Business Profile
Pull up your profile and verify:
- Name: Matches your legal business name exactly (no keyword stuffing like “Smith Law Firm…Best San Antonio Attorney”)
- Categories: Primary category is accurate; secondary categories cover all your services
- Address and phone: Correct and consistent with your website
- Hours: Up to date, including holiday hours
- Description: Written for humans, includes your location and key services naturally
- Photos: At least 10, uploaded within the last 6 months
- Reviews: You have at least 20, and you’ve responded to all of them
Fix anything that’s off. These fundamentals have a direct impact on whether you appear in local search results. For a deeper dive into optimizing your Google profile heading into Q4, see our guide on Google Business Profile tips for professional services in Q4.
Review Your Website’s Technical Health
Run your website through these free tools:
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Aim for a score above 80 on mobile
- Google Search Console: Check for crawl errors, indexing issues, and search performance data
- Mobile-Friendly Test: Make sure every page works well on a smartphone
Technical issues that went unnoticed in January have been hurting your rankings for six months. Find them and fix them now. Our website optimization guide for professional services in spring covers additional technical checks worth running alongside your SEO audit.
Count Your Citations
Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on other websites…directories, legal listings, chamber of commerce pages, professional associations.
Use a free tool like Moz Local or BrightLocal to scan for inconsistencies. If your address shows up differently on Avvo than it does on your website, Google doesn’t know which one to trust…and that hurts your rankings.
Evaluate Your Review Velocity
Reviews are a ranking factor and a trust signal. Check how many Google reviews you’ve received in 2021 so far.
Fewer than one per month? You need a review strategy. Start by asking every satisfied client to leave a review. Create a follow-up email template that includes your Google review link. Make it part of your client offboarding process.
Aim for two to three new reviews per month for the rest of the year. By December, you’ll have a review profile that outpaces most competitors. A strong review foundation also supports your local SEO efforts during the busy summer months.
Set Three SEO Goals for the Rest of 2021
Don’t try to do everything. Pick three priorities:
- Fix any technical issues identified in your audit
- Reach [specific number] Google reviews by December 31
- Create one new service page per month through the end of the year
Three goals. Six months. That’s manageable…even for a busy professional.
Grow My Small Business builds websites and manages digital marketing for San Antonio professional services firms. Ready to invest in your online presence? Start with our free resources at https://gift.growmysmallbusiness.com/.