I’d imagine that clients who are looking for criminal lawyers are in distress. They got a sensitive case that requires addressing immediately. If you are a criminal lawyer or a criminal law firm, the key to growing your client base is to (a) be found-able on the internet and (b) understand their needs, calm them, and help distressed clients to the best of your professional ability.
For the criminal law industry, I’d imagine that it isn’t particularly reliant on word-of-mouth referrals due to its sensitive nature. Traditional listings like Yellow Pages listings are outdated. Potential clients that require legal help for criminal cases are going to be distressed and searching for immediate help.
They are going to punching in searches into search engines on their mobile phones.
Here, I’ll break down how criminal lawyers and law firms can grow their legal firm practice using digital marketing.
Step 1: Create Content That Converts
Content is your best friend here. You can present legal criminal case studies to build trust and demonstrate your expertise. Here’s a screenshot from a prominent criminal law firm in Singapore:
These case studies provide a high level of proof and trust for your criminal law practice.
Create blog posts to address topics like “what to do if you’ve been arrested” or “How bail works in Singapore.” These are also informational keywords that you can target by optimising them for SEO.
You can also use videos and infographics. You can break down complex legal procedures into bite-sized, easy-to-understand explanations. Even a 2-minute video on ‘how to handle a police interview’ can go a long way in putting distressed clients at ease, thereby winning their trust.
Step 2: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising for Immediate Results
To reiterate along all my legal firm marketing blog articles, pay per click is always the go-to for getting immediate leads. By bidding on high-intent keywords like “criminal defense lawyer Singapore,” your ad can appear above organic search results. This means your firm will be the first thing potential clients see.
However, before spending on paid traffic, you need to ensure your landing page is optimized to convert. Don’t just send visitors to your homepage—create a targeted landing page with a clear call to action.
Commercial Keyword Ideas:
| Keyword | Search Volume | SEO Keyword Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| criminal lawyer singapore | 720 | 31 |
| best criminal lawyer in singapore | 210 | 24 |
| famous criminal lawyer singapore | 90 | 28 |
| rape victim singapore | 260 | 28 |
Let me know if you’d like this turned into a chart or add insights for each keyword!
Disclaimer: This is data from Semrush as of 11st February 2025.
Step 3: Local SEO – Opportunities and Competitiveness
The keywords to target for local SEO in this industry aren’t that varied.
Secondly, optimising for keywords specifically for your firm’s Google My Business profile may be challenging because clients might not be comfortable publishing a review like, “ABC law firm helped me with my criminal legal case.”
Here are some potential get arounds:
Solution 1: Add Context with Keywords in Responses
You can strategically incorporate “criminal case” in your replies to reviews.
For example:
Client Review: “Great legal advice and excellent service.”
Your Response: “Thank you for trusting us with your case. We’re always here to help clients navigate complex criminal cases with care and professionalism.”
Solution 2: Use Variations of “Criminal Case”
You can less direct terms in your templates:
- “Legal defense”
- “Sensitive legal matter”
- “Complex legal issue”
Keywords to Target for Local SEO:
The keywords to target are similar to those mentioned in the pay-per-click section above. For local SEO, I recommend focusing solely on “criminal lawyer Singapore” as it adheres to advertising ethics and guidelines.
Nonetheless, optimizing for local SEO is always an option for criminal law firms. Local SEO means ranking on the Google maps pack. The top three listings you see when users type in local searches: “criminal lawyer Singapore”
Here is the search data as of 11th Feb 2025 in an incognito window:
One point to note is that two out of three are categorized under ‘criminal justice attorney.’ This is an important categorization for local SEO optimization. Interestingly, the first result has only 31 reviews. This means there is a clear opportunity!
Step 4: Traditional SEO – The Long-Term Game
Interestingly, there are more opportunities in the traditional SEO space for criminal law firms. With the right content marketing and traditional SEO strategy, your website can rank for informational, long-tail keywords in organic search results.
I highly recommend that criminal law firms develop a content marketing strategy around long-tail keywords. This not only builds trust with potential clients in distress but also taps into numerous untapped opportunities in this space.
Compared to pay-per-click (PPC) or local SEO, where opportunities are mostly limited to a small set of high-intent commercial keywords, informational keywords allow you to target a broader range of topics and questions your potential clients are searching for.
If you’re unsure what this means, here are some examples of informational intent keywords related to the criminal law industry, along with their search volume and keyword difficulty:
| Category | Keyword | Search Volume | Keyword Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Legal Information & Definitions | bail meaning | 720 | 47 |
| what is money laundering and why is it illegal | 140 | 38 | |
| dishonest misappropriation of property meaning | 90 | 15 | |
| punishment for shoplifting in singapore | 110 | 13 | |
| how does bail work | 90 | 54 | |
| age of consent singapore | 1600 | 28 | |
| what is bail | 110 | 41 | |
| purpose of bail | 90 | 17 | |
| non arrestable offences | 90 | 9 | |
| is verbal abuse a crime in singapore | 90 | 13 | |
| how to sue someone for theft | 90 | 14 | |
| Acts and Laws | poha act | 590 | 28 |
| environmental public health act | 320 | 24 | |
| Criminal Law Terms & Explanations | misappropriation | 480 | 50 |
| vch penal code | 140 | 19 | |
| non bailable warrant | 140 | 24 | |
| warrant of arrest singapore | 480 | 20 | |
| aggravated injury | 90 | 24 | |
| punitive justice | 90 | 33 | |
| retributive punishment | 90 | 48 | |
| statutory rape singapore | 170 | 22 | |
| Common Offences & Penalties | theft in dwelling meaning | 210 | 12 |
| drink driving singapore penalty | 390 | 14 | |
| littering fine in singapore | 260 | 29 | |
| shoplifting penalty singapore | 110 | 22 | |
| high rise littering penalty | 90 | 35 |
Disclaimer: This data is as of 11st February 2025, from Semrush.
Conclusion
For criminal law firms, I suggest implementing a strategic mix of content marketing, traditional SEO, pay-per-click advertising, and local SEO.
Unlike the other law firm sub-industries I’ve covered here, here, here, and here, criminal law is the only space where I’d recommend prioritizing traditional SEO over local SEO.
Content that addresses common legal questions and criminal procedures can position your firm as a trusted resource. Pay-per-click advertising can deliver immediate leads, while traditional SEO ensures long-term growth by targeting informational keywords that align with your clients’ search intent.