SEO for Lawyers: How to Optimise URL Slugs for Your Law Firm’s Website
When trying to improve their website’s search visibility, many solicitors focus on keywords, content, and backlinks. However, one overlooked factor is the URL slug. A well-optimised slug can improve rankings, enhance user experience, and drive more potential clients to your firm.
In this guide, we explain what a URL slug is, why it matters for SEO for solicitors, and how to create effective slugs that promote your online legal marketing efforts.
What Is a URL Slug, and Why Is It Called That?
A URL slug is the part of a web address that comes after the main domain and identifies a specific page in a readable format.
For example:
Full URL: https://www.yourlawfirm.com/personal-injury-claims
Slug: personal-injury-claims
If a page sits within a subdirectory, the slug refers only to the last part of the URL path:
Full URL: https://www.yourlawfirm.com/services/personal-injury-claims
Slug: personal-injury-claims
The term "slug" comes from the publishing industry, which refers to a short title used to identify content. On a website, a well-structured slug makes it easier for users and search engines to understand the page’s topic.
Why Are URL Slugs Important for SEO?
URL slugs play a key role in legal SEO. They help search engines understand what a page is about and ensure it is properly indexed. A clear, keyword-rich slug can
Improve your rankings on Google
Increase click-through rates from search results
Make it easier for potential clients to understand what a page is about before clicking
For example, a page about divorce law should have a slug like divorce-lawyers-guide rather than page12345.
How Can You Optimise URL Slugs for Legal SEO?
These best practices should be utilised when creating URL slugs to improve SEO for solicitors:
Keep it short and relevant. A slug should be no longer than five words. For example, business-contract-disputes is better than all-about-business-contract-disputes-in-uk.
Use keywords. Include relevant terms related to your legal services, such as personal-injury-claims or employment-law-advice.
Use hyphens, not underscores. Google treats hyphens as space separators but does not treat underscores the same way. For example, family-law-guide is better than family_law_guide.
Make it readable. Avoid random numbers or letters. wills-and-probate is clearer than willsx89201.
Use lowercase letters. URLs are case-sensitive, so keep slugs in lowercase to avoid confusion.
What Should Lawyers Avoid When Creating URL Slugs?
Avoid long, complex slugs. A slug that is too long is harder for users and search engines to process. legal-advice-for-business-owners-who-need-help-with-contracts is unnecessarily long.
Do not overuse keywords. Stuffing slugs with too many keywords makes them look spammy- best-personal-injury-lawyer-legal-advice-solicitor-claims is unnatural.
Avoid generic slugs. A slug like services or legal tells search engines nothing about the page content.
Do not include stop words. Words like and, the, of, and to add unnecessary length. lawyers-guide-to-divorce-cases is too long, while divorce-lawyers-guide is better.
How Can Optimised URL Slugs Help Your Law Firm?
Effective slugs make your website easier to find online. They also
Improve SEO for lawyers, helping pages rank higher in search results
Create a better user experience by making pages clearer and more accessible
Increase trust, as clients are more likely to click on a URL that looks professional
By following these best practices, you can strengthen your legal SEO strategy and attract more potential clients to your law firm’s website.
Improve Your Law Firm’s Online Presence with LCS
Need help optimising your website for search engines? Legal Content Solutions specialises in SEO for lawyers, helping solicitors improve rankings and attract more clients. Contact us today to see how we can support your firm.
