Optimising Your Law Firm's Content for Voice Search
22 April 2025
As voice technology becomes more embedded in daily life, your law firm’s content strategy needs to evolve with it. With more consumers using smart assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant to find legal services and answers to common legal questions, being voice-search ready is no longer optional.
In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know to optimise your law firm’s content for voice search — whether it’s your blog, landing pages, practice area content, videos or social media. We’ll also explain how voice search optimisation for law firms can help you connect with more clients and boost visibility in a highly competitive market. Plus, we’ll highlight the best tools, practical steps and real-world stats to help you get it right.
Why Voice Search Matters to Your Law Firm
Voice search is not just a trend. As of 2025:
- 27% of global online users now use voice search on mobile devices.
- 22.1% of the UK digital population uses voice assistants weekly to find information.
- 76% of voice searches are for local business information.
Legal services are local, often urgent, and highly personal – a perfect storm for voice search. Think about it: if someone asks, “Where can I find a personal injury solicitor near me?” – will your firm be the answer?
How Voice Search Differs from Traditional Search
Voice queries differ significantly from typed searches:
- Longer, conversational queries: The average voice search is 29 words long.
- Natural language: People speak in full sentences – “Can I contest a will in the UK?” rather than typing “contest will UK”.
- Question format: Most queries start with “Who”, “What”, “When”, “How”.
- Local intent: Voice searches are three times more likely to be local.
- One-answer results: Voice assistants usually read back just one result, so ranking first matters more than ever.
How Voice Assistants Work (and What That Means for You)
Here’s how the three main voice assistants source information:
- Google Assistant pulls from Google search and Google Business Profiles.
- Siri uses Google for web search, and Apple Maps/Yelp for local business info.
- Alexa uses Bing for web search and Yelp for local listings.
What this means for your firm:
- Optimise for Google to cover Google Assistant and most Siri results.
- Claim and update your Apple Maps and Yelp listings to appear on Siri and Alexa.
- Don’t ignore Bing Places – it supports Alexa queries.
9 Steps to Voice Search Optimisation for Your Law Firm
Voice search optimisation might sound technical, but it’s really about helping people find your firm easily – by speaking, not typing. Below are nine essential steps to make your website, blog and other content voice-ready.
1. Target Conversational Keywords
Voice queries mimic natural speech. Instead of targeting short phrases like “family solicitor London”, think about the full questions people ask:
- “How do I get a divorce in the UK?”
- “What are my rights in a custody battle?”
These longer-tail, conversational keywords are more likely to match voice searches.
Tools to help you find them:
These tools show you real questions people ask online, which you can then build into your content strategy.
2. Structure Content Around Questions
Use your headings and subheadings in a question-and-answer format. For example:
Q: What compensation can I claim for whiplash?
A: You may be entitled to claim for pain and suffering, medical costs and loss of earnings. The average payout ranges from £900 to £6,000, depending on severity.
This structure makes it easier for voice assistants to identify the question and read out your answer. It also improves the user experience for people who are scanning your content.
3. Provide Direct Answers First
When writing a blog or service page, start each answer with a direct, simple statement that can stand alone. Aim for 40 to 60 words in this first answer paragraph – the length Google prefers for spoken responses.
After this short answer, you can expand with more context, legal details or client examples. This layered approach satisfies both voice users and those who want to read on.
4. Optimise for Featured Snippets
Featured snippets – the answer boxes shown above normal search results – are often the source of voice search answers.
To give your content the best chance of being selected:
- Use subheadings in question form.
- Place direct answers immediately below.
- Use lists or bullet points for process-based topics.
- Add schema markup (such as FAQPage or HowTo) to guide search engines.
A good snippet is factual, short and to the point. Test your paragraphs by reading them aloud – do they sound clear and natural?
5. Create FAQ Pages for Each Practice Area
FAQs are a voice search goldmine. They match the format and structure that voice assistants love.
Create a standalone FAQ page or embed FAQs into your practice area pages. Aim to answer the top 5 to 10 questions your clients ask for each service.
For example:
- Do I need a solicitor for probate?
- How much does a divorce cost in the UK?
- Can I claim for whiplash if the accident wasn’t my fault?
Use FAQPage schema to mark up the content and increase your chances of being featured in results.
6. Don’t Forget Local SEO
Many voice searches include “near me” or mention a specific location. Your local SEO setup needs to be airtight:
- Claim your Google Business Profile and keep it updated.
- Ensure your name, address and phone number (NAP) are identical across every listing.
- Encourage satisfied clients to leave Google and Yelp reviews.
- Add geo-specific phrases to your content, such as “family solicitor in Sheffield”.
Also, create a separate page for each office location if you operate in more than one area.
7. Mobile-Friendliness & Speed Matter
Because voice searches typically happen on mobile devices, your website needs to be fast and responsive:
- Use a responsive design that adapts to phones and tablets.
- Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights and aim for a score above 85.
- Optimise images and remove unnecessary scripts.
- Avoid pop-ups that block content or frustrate mobile users.
A fast-loading mobile page is more likely to appear in voice results and creates a better experience for potential clients.
8. Use Structured Data Markup
Structured data helps search engines understand the content and context of your pages. This is particularly useful for voice search.
Focus on:
- FAQPage schema – for question-answer formats.
- LocalBusiness schema – to reinforce your location and services.
- HowTo schema – if you create step-by-step guides.
Validate your schema using Google’s Rich Results Test.
Adding structured data won’t guarantee voice features, but it increases the likelihood your content will be indexed and served up correctly.
9. Think Beyond Text: Video, Audio & Social
Voice search doesn’t stop with your web pages. Google Assistant can also pull answers from YouTube, and people often use voice to find videos or podcasts.
- Create short explainer videos with clear, question-based titles.
- Upload transcripts and enable captions – this helps Google understand your video content.
- Consider a podcast answering common legal questions. Even a monthly episode can improve visibility.
- Use a conversational tone in social media posts to reflect how people ask questions aloud.
Content that feels natural when spoken is more likely to be useful when searched by voice.
Why Voice Search Optimisation for Law Firms Matters
Voice search is already changing how people look for legal services. In a profession built on clarity, trust and timely advice, being the voice that answers a potential client’s question can be powerful.
This isn’t about rewriting your entire website. Start with:
- One blog post rewritten in a Q&A format.
- An updated FAQ section on a service page.
- A Google Business Profile refresh.
These small steps can help your law firm show up – and speak up – when it matters.
Want help creating a voice search-ready content strategy?
At Ruche Marketing, we specialise in helping law firms grow with content that’s made to be found – whether it’s typed, spoken or shared. Let’s chat about optimising your site and content for how people search today.
All content in this article was correct at the time of publication.
