SEO helps people find your estate planning or elder law firm online. But if your website isn’t showing up in search results, you’re basically invisible. And no one hires an invisible lawyer. That’s where an SEO audit comes in. It helps you figure out what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs fixing.
Good news: We made it easy for you. Grab our free SEO audit checklist and follow along! This blog gives you the big picture and our checklist walks you through each step.
What’s an SEO Audit, and Why Should You Care?
An SEO audit is a check-up for your website. It looks at four main things (all covered in detail in the checklist):
- Technical Stuff – Is your website fast, mobile-friendly, and not broken?
- On-Page SEO – Are your titles and content using the right words to help people find you?
- Off-Page SEO – Do other websites link to yours? (This tells Google you’re legit.)
- Content – Is your content useful, easy to read, and answering client questions?
If any of these things are off, Google might ignore you—and that’s bad for business. The checklist will help you fix these gaps step by step.
Step 1: Get Your SEO Toolbox Ready
- Google Analytics & Google Search Console – Track website visitors and search performance.
- Google PageSpeed Insights – Check if your site is slow (slow = bad).
- Your Brain – You don’t need to be an SEO expert, just follow the checklist.
Step 2: Do a Quick Technical Check
Use the checklist to check for:
- Website security (HTTPS) – If your site isn’t secure, Google won’t trust you.
- Page speed & mobile-friendliness – Slow sites send visitors running.
- Crawl errors & broken links – These hurt rankings; our checklist shows you how to fix them.
Step 3: Check Your On-Page SEO
- Are your title tags and meta descriptions optimized?
- Are you using local keywords? (Think: “estate planning attorney in [City]”)
- Do your images have alt text?
Step 4: Audit Your Content
- Is your content clear, useful, and client-focused?
- Do you have old posts that need updating?
- Are you answering the right questions?
Go through the checklist to spot weak content and get a plan for fixing it.
Step 5: Look at Off-Page SEO
- Are you listed on directories like Avvo and Justia?
- Do you have consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) details everywhere?
- Do you have positive reviews? (Google loves them!)
The checklist includes a full rundown on how to improve your off-page SEO.
Step 6: Track & Improve Over Time
SEO isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. Check your progress monthly:
- Are more people finding you on Google?
- Are your rankings improving?
- Are you getting more calls?
Our checklist includes a simple tracking section to help you monitor your progress.
Final Thought: Don’t DIY Forever
You can do a lot on your own, but if SEO still feels overwhelming, we’re here to help. Cottrell Communications specializes in SEO for estate planning and elder law firms.
