Law firm website: communicating your specialisations
How to communicate a law firm's specialisations on the website to attract the right clients, respect the conduct rules and rank on Google.
The website of a law firm with three partners and four practice areas has a problem many firms never tackle head-on: how to communicate specialisation without looking like a shopping list, and how to make sure Google — and the potential client — understands who you actually are.
The answer is in the structure. Not in the design, not in more elaborate copy: in the structure of the pages and the way the specialisations are presented.
The problem with multi-specialisation law firm sites
Law firms with several practice areas tend to build the site in one of two wrong ways.
The first: a homepage with a list of twenty areas of law. Civil, criminal, commercial, employment, family, succession, intellectual property, international contracts. A visitor arriving with a specific problem — say, a dismissal — has to work out for themselves whether you’re the right firm. Often they give up first.
The second: a generic homepage (“we’re a law firm with thirty years of experience”) that says nothing to anyone. Someone searching for “employment law specialist Leeds” finds no signal that this firm does exactly that.
A site that tries to speak to everyone speaks effectively to no one. A clearly communicated specialisation doesn’t drive away out-of-area clients — someone looking for a criminal lawyer doesn’t ring a firm that says it only does civil work. But it attracts the right clients far more easily.
How to structure specialisation pages
The correct solution is a dedicated page for each significant practice area. Not a list on the homepage, not an “Areas of practice” page with three lines per subject: separate pages, with specific content, answering the real questions of clients in that particular area.
What a specialisation page contains:
The client’s problem in the first screen. “If you’ve received a dismissal letter” or “if you’re going through a separation with young children” — not the firm’s CV.
How you work on that type of case. The typical process, the first meeting, realistic timeframes, what the client should bring to the first appointment. Practical information that reduces uncertainty and builds trust.
Who on the team handles this area. For firms with several partners, attaching a name and a face to the specialisation works better than a generic collective byline.
One or two frequently asked questions answered directly. “How much does a dismissal claim cost?” or “How long does an uncontested separation take?” — honest answers, even if indicative, are worth more than any promotional copy.
SEO for multi-area firms: how not to cannibalise your keywords
With several specialisation pages, there’s a risk they compete with each other for the same keywords. To avoid that, each page needs a distinct, non-overlapping primary keyword.
“Employment lawyer Manchester” is the primary keyword for the employment page. “Criminal lawyer Manchester” is the primary keyword for the criminal page. “Separation solicitor Manchester” is the primary keyword for the family page.
The geographic keywords change per area if the firm covers several places — you add an “unfair dismissal lawyer Stockport” page if that’s genuinely an area you serve.
The homepage shouldn’t try to rank for any of these specific keywords: it competes on more generic ones like “law firm Manchester” or the firm’s name. The specialisation pages do the work of capturing the specific searches.
What works for firms with several partners: a short bio of each lawyer linked to the specialisation page they handle. The visitor can see who’ll be handling their case — which hugely reduces the uncertainty about who they’ll be sitting across from at the first appointment.
The conduct rules and communicating specialisations
Professional conduct rules allow lawyers to communicate their main practice areas. In Italy, where I work, the Codice Deontologico Forense sets this out at art. 35: communication must be truthful, not misleading and not comparative. Most jurisdictions have equivalent rules.
What that means in practice: you can state that you work mainly in employment law — if it’s true. You can’t claim to be “the best employment law firm in the country”, because that’s an undocumentable superlative. You can’t use “specialist” titles that require a specific accredited qualification if you haven’t completed it.
Honest, informative communication isn’t merely permitted — it’s encouraged. A potential client reading an honest, specific page about your practice area makes an informed decision. That’s good for them and good for the firm.
FAQ
How many specialisation pages should a law firm site have? One page for each practice area you handle regularly and want enquiries in. Don’t add pages for areas you rarely handle or don’t want to grow — every page needs quality content to work. Four solid pages beat twelve superficial ones.
Can I say “employment law specialist” on the site without a formal accreditation? The word “specialist” is protected in some contexts. It’s safer to use “we work mainly in employment law” or “main practice area: employment law”. Bar bodies have issued specific guidance on using titles on websites — it’s worth checking the current version before publishing.
How do I handle practice areas that change over time? The site has to reflect the firm’s current reality. If you stop doing family law, remove the page — or update it to say it’s no longer an active area. A site claiming specialisations you no longer practise creates expectations you can’t meet.
Do blog posts help specialisation pages rank? Yes, significantly. Articles answering clients’ specific questions in a practice area bring qualified traffic and increase the authority of the corresponding specialisation page. An article like “What to do if I receive a dismissal letter” brings traffic and refers on to the employment area page.
If you run a law firm with several practice areas and want a website for lawyers built to communicate your specialisations and rank on Google, book a free call.