Law Firm’s 90-Day SEO Spike: Gains in Traffic, Keywords, and AI Citations

Background 

A law firm specializing in motorcycle accidents partnered with The HOTH to improve its online authority in a hyper-competitive, intensely regulated niche. 

As a YMYL site (Your Money or Your Life), they needed to partner with an agency that already understood the intricacies of legal SEO and the specific challenges that go along with it. 

Our agency checked both boxes, and we were able to provide a significant boost to the client’s traffic (+2.5k), keywords (+138%), and AI citations (83) in only 90 days.

The secret?

We leveraged our link-building expertise, particularly in the area of digital PR. 

Modern search systems demand real proof of a brand’s expertise in order to rank well, and there’s no room to pull any punches or ‘fake it until you make it.’ 

The only way to achieve peak visibility is to produce consistently great content and earn backlinks from credible industry websites, which is easier said than done. 

Keep reading to learn how we used the power of editorial mentions and backlinks to secure such rapid wins.  

The Challenge

Even though the client had a specialized focus (they only deal with motorcycle accidents), they still faced ruthless competition online. 

As with any major metro area, the client’s location was stacked with private injury firms pumping tons of money into SEO, AI search, and PPC ads. 

Legal websites qualify as YMYL sites, which receive extra layers of scrutiny from search ranking systems (both organic and AI). 

In particular, they demand flawless accuracy and strong E-E-A-T proof. 

Thus, legal sites must contain accurate facts and reliable information in order to rank. Beyond that, strong authority endorsements from other sites are required in order to gain trust. 

LLMs and search algorithms want to see lots of backlinks and brand mentions coming from credible sources that contain human validation from editors and fact-checkers. 

The client was already handling their blogs internally, and they were doing a fantastic job demonstrating their legal expertise. 

The only missing piece of the puzzle?

Authority. 

Their backlink profile lacked high-quality editorial backlinks that signaled ‘trusted motorcycle injury authority’ to algorithms and AI systems. 

At the same time, the client didn’t have the time or playbook to keep up with constant Google updates and the shifting best practices of legal SEO, so they needed outside assistance. 

The Strategy 

We knew the best way to establish high-impact, YMYL-safe authority signals was through digital PR and targeted link outreach. 

The goal was to secure link placements on trusted legal, motorcycle safety, and rider advocacy websites. We also targeted industry round-ups and lists (like ‘The 19 Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Georgia’). 

Journalist outreach and thought leadership both played vital roles in this process. 

Besides digital PR, we also built contextual links from relevant niches like biker forums, safety blogs, and local news sites. 

Link insertions were also utilized in key areas where it made perfect sense to link to our client’s homepage or one of their service pages. 

With each link placement, we had a distinct narrative in mind that reinforced our client’s legal expertise. 

This helps AI search systems connect the dots between mentions instead of treating them as scattered, isolated signals. 

Links were built to the homepage, primary service pages, and blogs to spread out the authority and avoid over-optimizing certain pages.  

The Results

Over a 3-month period, the client generated 2.5k more organic visitors to their website due to their increased authority. 

They also saw a 138% increase in top 3 keywords, adding 18 new crucial search terms into the mix. The client now ranks in the #1 position for highly competitive transactional keywords like ‘motorcycle injury attorney Georgia.’ 

On the AI side, they acquired 83 new AI citations from popular platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity during the same 90-day period. Since we built a clear narrative with the client’s backlinks, LLMs now trust the domain as an expert legal authority for motorcycle injuries. 

This client’s case proves authority beats content volume for YMYL legal sites. 

Want to Improve Your Visibility on Google and AI Search Tools?

If your legal website needs a winning search strategy, don’t wait to book a free call with our expert team.  

Also, don’t wait to try out HOTH X to enjoy hands-free SEO while you focus on running your law firm.   

Book a Call Now  

The Proof 

The client’s spike in organic traffic and keywords over a 90-day period:

Improvements to the client’s backlink profile:

#1-ranked keyword related to the client’s niche:

Total number of AI citations acquired during the campaign: