SEO Project Timelines and Information

My project timeline is long so you can just skip to the end. I tried to make it as simple as possible by bolding the important parts. I hope I included everything you need for the project. But I know every project is different and there may be things that need special attention or changes. Let me know if you have questions.

Phase	Activities	Time Frame
Phase 1: Discovery	Initial consultation, SEO audit, competitor analysis	2 weeks
Phase 2: Strategy	Keyword research, strategy development	2 weeks
Phase 3: Implementation	On-page optimization, technical SEO	4 weeks
Phase 4: Content	Content creation and marketing	2 months
Phase 5: Link Building	PR and outreach for high quality backlinks	2-3 months
Phase 6: Local SEO	Local listings and citations	2 months
Phase 7: Monitoring	Ongoing tracking, reporting and strategy refinement	Ongoing (Monthly)

In this phase we will gather information about your law firm to understand your needs, goals and current online presence. This foundation will allow us to create a custom SEO strategy for you. Our discovery phase includes:

Gathering Information

To build a solid SEO strategy start with a full website audit. We will check both technical and content aspects. This includes:

• Site Structure: Reviewing the organization and hierarchy of your website.
• Broken Links: Finding and fixing non functioning links.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Making sure your site works on all devices.
• Technical Audit: Finding issues like site speed and security (e.g. HTTPS) that can harm search engine rankings.
• User Intent Analysis: Finding how users interact with your site. Identifying areas for improvement. We do this by installing an on page tracking system such as Hotjar or Unbounce.

Google My Business (GMB) Access

We need admin access to your Google My Business (GMB) account. This will allow us to:

• Optimize your local listings.
• Improve your visibility in local search results.
• Ensure consistency across all platforms.

If you are new to GMB we can create the account in-house.

Google Search Console Access

Grant access so we can monitor your site’s performance and track keyword rankings. This will help us identify indexing issues and understand user behavior through data. That will help us create better strategies for on page and off page SEO.

If you are starting from scratch we can set up Google Search Console in-house.

Google Analytics Access

Share access to track website traffic and user behavior. This will help us understand how visitors interact with your site, which pages are performing and where we need to optimize.

If you don’t have Google Analytics set up we can help set it up in-house.

Website Access

We need backend access to your website, whether it’s on WordPress or another CMS, to:

• Make technical SEO changes.
• Optimize on-page elements.

If you are starting from scratch we can also build a new website in-house. We recommend WordPress on Kinsta for its reliability and SEO-friendliness but we can discuss other options if you prefer.

Law-Specific Directory Access

To maximize your local SEO we need access to law specific directories where your firm is listed, like Avvo, FindLaw and Justia. Access to these directories often requires specific documents. These are a copy of your bar license or a driver’s license to verify your credentials.

If you are not listed we can help create the directory profiles in-house. With access we can optimize these listings for accuracy and boost your online authority.

CRM Integration Assessment

Assess your current CRM setup either (Salesforce / HubSpot or others) to determine integration needs. If you don’t currently use a CRM we can help set up Salesforce or HubSpot in-house. This will capture, nurture and track all potential client interactions for follow up.

Brand Guidelines

You will need to provide your brand guidelines, if none are available we can schedule a meeting to go through:

• Logo
• Color schemes
• Fonts
• Tone of voice

We want to match our SEO efforts to your law firm.

Content Preferences

Please share your content preferences:

• Preferred content formats (e.g. blog posts, case studies, service pages, videos)
• Specific topics to focus on
• If you have any competitors who’s content you admire or think that would benefit your potential clients.

Competitor Information

List your main competitors and brands you like or want to differentiate from. We will use this to:

• Find your unique selling points.
• How to differentiate.
• Link building and content creation.
• What gaps and opportunities to improve your domain authority and backlink profile.

Link Building Preferences

List any brands or websites to avoid linking to. Also, please provide information on local events, sponsorships or partnerships you have which will serve the link building campaign.

Existing Content Inventory

List your website’s existing content, including:

• Top performing pages
• Pages that need updating

We will build on what works and improve what doesn’t.

Technical Specifications

Please provide any technical preferences or issues, including:

• Site speed
• Mobile responsiveness
• Security protocols (e.g. HTTPS)

Tracking Software Preferences

Do you want to add tracking software (e.g. WhatConverts) to manage leads better? This will allow us to track conversion paths and optimize your lead generation.

We recommend WhatConverts for lead tracking integration. If you prefer another tracking software please let us know and we can accommodate your choice.

Once we have all the information we need we will develop a bespoke SEO strategy for your law firm. This phase includes:

Keyword Research and Intent Analysis

• Keyword Identification: Find high traffic, relevant keywords for your areas of law.
• Search Intent Analysis: What’s the intent behind these keywords to target potential clients.
• Opportunity Identification: National and local search opportunities.

Keyword research is the key to getting organic traffic to your site.

Content Strategy Planning

• Publication Schedule: Set a regular publication schedule to stay online.
• Content Calendar: A calendar to ensure timely content. Boosts search rankings.
• Technical SEO Plan: List of tasks:
• Implement HTTPS: All pages to be SSL certified.
• Optimize Site Speed: Image compression, browser caching, minimal JavaScript.
• Improve Mobile Responsiveness: Website to be fully responsive across all devices.
• Fix Broken Links: Identify and repair or remove broken links to improve user experience and crawlability:
  • Implement HTTPS: All pages to be SSL certified.
  • Optimize Site Speed: Image compression, browser caching, minimize JavaScript.
  • Improve Mobile Responsiveness: Website to be fully responsive across all devices.
  • Fix Broken Links: Identify and repair or remove broken links to improve user experience and crawlability.

We will make it user friendly and easy for search engines to crawl and index your website.

Local SEO

• GMB Optimization: Optimize your GMB listing for local visibility.
• NAP Consistency: Name, Address and Phone number consistency across all platforms.
• Local Content: Content to target clients in your area.
• Legal Directory Management: Optimize listings on law specific directories like Avvo, FindLaw and Justia.

Local content targets clients in your area and local search.

Link Building Strategy

• High Quality Backlinks: Backlinks from legal sites, industry publications and local directories.
• Local Partnerships and Sponsorships: Leverage local relationships to build your backlink profile.
• No Spammy Backlinks: All backlinks to be from reputable sources to keep your SEO campaign clean.

CRM Alignment with SEO Strategy

• CRM Alignment: Link your SEO campaigns to your CRM (Salesforce or HubSpot) to track leads.

This will help you track, nurture and convert leads.

Content Calendar Development

• Content Scheduling: Create a calendar to schedule blogs, articles and case studies.
• Marketing Alignment: The calendar must align with your firm’s marketing goals. Stay online active.

Now we will put everything into action to optimize your website and online presence:

On-Page Optimization

• Meta Tags Optimization: Refine meta tags with keywords.
• Headers and Images: Optimize headers and images.
• Keyword Integration: Use the keywords from the strategy phase to boost search rankings and make content user and search engine friendly.

Technical SEO Implementation

• Implement HTTPS: All pages to be SSL certified.
• Optimize Site Speed: Image compression, browser caching, minimal JavaScript.
• Improve Mobile Responsiveness: Website to be fully responsive across all devices.
• Fix Broken Links: Identify and repair or remove broken links to improve user experience and crawlability.

Content and Publishing

• Content Creation: We will create and publish content. It will be high quality, brand compliant and SEO.
• Relevance and Engagement: Make your content relevant to your audience’s tone, style and focus. This will drive organic traffic and search rankings.
• Consistency: Stay online active.

Local SEO Execution

• GMB Optimization: Optimize your GMB listing for local search.
• Local Citations Management: Manage and update local citations.
• Local Content: Content to target clients in your area.
• Legal Directory Management: Update listings on law specific directories like Avvo, FindLaw and Justia.

Link Building

• Guest Posts: Reach out to reputable sources to get guest posts.
• Backlinks: Get backlinks from legal directories and local partners.
• PR PR and Journalism for SEOIn the world of SEO, using journalism platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out), Qwoted, and featured articles can be a winner for getting high quality backlinks. These platforms connect experts with journalists looking for insights, an opportunity to showcase your expertise and get links.

These will increase your domain authority and part of your SEO campaign.

CRM Lead Capture

• CRM Integration: Link with Salesforce or HubSpot to capture SEO leads. Feed into CRM for immediate follow up.

Team Collaboration

• Align Teams and Goals: Everyone is working towards the same SEO goals. This will help you.
• Communication and No Misunderstandings: Open communication between teams to execute SEO tasks smoothly.
• Efficiency and No Delays: Teamwork to speed up processes. Tasks to be done fast and issues to be resolved fast.
• User Experience and Engagement: Work with content creators, designers and SEO. Optimize the website for users. This will drive engagement and conversions.

Continuous monitoring and optimization is the key to long term SEO success. This phase includes:

Performance Tracking

• Tools Utilization: Use Google Analytics, Search Console and Whatconverts to track:
  • Website traffic
  • Keyword rankings
  • Conversion rates
  • ROI

We will use these KPIs to measure your SEO.

Monthly Reporting

• Progress Reports: Send monthly reports with progress, insights and improvement opportunities.
• Metrics Included: Bounce rate and session duration, conversion paths.
• Recommended Actions: Actionable steps to improve SEO based on the data.

Strategy Refining

• Data Driven Changes: Use the data to change SEO strategies. Keep up to date with algorithm changes and market trends.
• Ongoing Process: This is the key to maintaining and improving search rankings.

A/B Testing

• SEO Elements Testing: A/B test SEO elements like meta descriptions, headlines and CTAs. Find the best version.

This will give you better search results and higher user engagement.

Lead Tracking

• CRM: Use Salesforce or HubSpot to track leads from initial inquiry to conversion.
• Nurturing Interactions: Each potential client interaction must be nurtured in the CRM.

User Experience Optimization

• Site Navigation and Layout: Optimize site navigation and layout for user experience.
• Engagement: Make it easy and fun for visitors to find your content and services.

User experience will drive conversion rates and organic traffic.

Content and Lead Management

• System Setup: Track leads. Capture every client interaction.

Brand and Style

• Branding: All content must be brand of your firm. Targeted at your market.

Timelines and Info

SEO Timelines

SEO is a long term process. Requires patience and consistency. 3-6 months for results. 12 months for long term success depending on your industry and SEO strategies.

Realistic SEO Expectations

Setting realistic expectations is crucial for your SEO project. Knowing search rankings take time will help you stay focused and committed. Regular monitoring and adjustments will help you align with business goals and SEO success.

SEO Tasks

We will tackle the most important SEO tasks first as they have the highest impact and priority. This includes:

• Technical fixes
• On page optimization
• Link building

A good SEO project timeline helps us use our resources effectively and get results.

Working with our SEO agency for lawyers

Work with our SEO agency for lawyers and bring expertise and knowledge to your SEO campaign. Our SEO team work with web developers and marketers. We implement strategies to drive site traffic and domain authority.

Timelines Factors

Website Complexity

• Older sites have more content, pages, images and backlinks. More complexity means more time to audit and implement changes.
• New Sites: 6-12 months to build domain authority and content.

Current SEO Status

• Technical Issues: Sites with existing technical problems will take longer to optimize.
• Site Authority: Established sites with existing backlinks will see faster results than new, low authority sites.

Industry Competition

• Highly competitive industries need more aggressive SEO. 6-18 months.

Project Scope

• Keyword Volume and Content Requirements: Larger projects take longer. More keyword research and content creation required.

Budget Allocation

• Small Budget: 6-12 months due to limited resources. We will focus on the most important SEO tasks.
• Medium Budget: 3-6 months. Balanced approach allows for content creation and link building.
• Large Budget: More budget can speed up some things. But major results usually take 3-9 months. Foundational SEO elements still take time to impact rankings and traffic.

Website History and Competition

• Older Websites: 3-6 months. Longer history and authority will see results. Foundation of backlinks and content already exists.
• New sites: 6-12 months to build domain authority, content and backlinks.
• 6-18 months in highly competitive industries. Ranking high requires strong SEO strategy.

Resources for SEO

The resources you put into your SEO will determine how fast you see results. More budget means better content, link building and SEO tools. With enough resources you can:

• Keyword Research: Find high traffic keywords that fit your goals. So your content targets the right audience and drives traffic.
• High Quality Content: Create content that speaks to your audience. Provide value and establish your expertise. This will increase search rankings and user engagement.
• Backlink Profile: Get backlinks from trusted sites and local directories. This will increase your site’s authority and credibility.
• Technical Optimization: Improve your site’s tech. Focus on page speed, mobile responsiveness and HTTPS. This will increase user experience and search engine crawlability.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Use advanced SEO tools to track your website. Identify areas for improvement and make sure your SEO is working.

By investing enough into your SEO you can speed up your SEO timeline and achieve your goals faster.

SEO Project Timeline

Creating an SEO project timeline involves:

SEO Goals and Systems

• We will help define your goals and systems. Examples of goals are: more traffic, higher rankings and more conversions. Examples of systems: developing in house tools for seo purposes or creating a piece of technology to help get links.

Resources and Budget

• What are the resources (time, people, budget) for your SEO campaign.
• Assign resources to SEO tasks based on priority and impact.

Competitor and Industry Analysis

• Find opportunities and challenges by analyzing competitors and current industry trends.
• Use this to inform your SEO strategy.

Task Planning and Resource Allocation

• Break down the SEO project into individual tasks.
• Assign resources to each task. Prioritize by impact and urgency. So the most critical tasks get done first.

Risk and Preparation

• What are the potential issues that will arise during the SEO project.
• Plan for these challenges ahead of time to minimize disruption.

Regularly Review and Update the Timeline

• Track your SEO project.
• Update the timeline as needed to reflect changing goals and market.

SEO Results and Expectations

How long does seo take ? SEO results depend on many things. Your content, your niche and the resources you put into SEO. It’s hard to predict exact timelines but here are some general guidelines from my experience:

Initial Results (3-6 months)

What we will see:

• Visible rankings improvements.
• More organic traffic.
• Technical optimization and content updates gains.

Big (6-12 months)

What we will see:

• Organic traffic and leads.
• Domain authority growth.
• A lot of high quality backlinks.
• Content creation.

Ongoing (12+ months)

What we will see:

• Rankings improvements.
• Adapt to algorithm changes.
• Long term growth in traffic, leads and revenue.

Are SEO Results Instant?

No, SEO results are not instant. SEO is a long term strategy. It takes time, resources and ongoing work to get good results. While you may see some quick wins, significant and sustainable results take time to develop.

Realistic Expectations for SEO

• Understanding the SEO Process: SEO has many stages. They are audit, strategy development, implementation and ongoing optimisation. Each stage takes time and resources to achieve the outcome.
• Define clear, SMART SEO goals. They must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. This will help you track progress and measure success.
• Realistic Timeline: Create a timeline with milestones to track your SEO progress. This will help manage expectations and ensure all tasks are done on time.
• Regular Check: Use Google Analytics and Search Console to track KPIs. Look at website traffic, keyword rankings and conversion rates. Regular analysis will help you find areas to improve.
• Ongoing optimization: SEO is not a one time. Use performance data, trends and algorithm updates to optimize your strategy.

SEO is a long term play. So be realistic.