Successful personal injury firms rank higher in Google by selecting the right categories and services that match what injured people search for. GMB Everywhere shows you exactly which practice areas generate the most client inquiries.
Imagine someone injured in a car accident searching "personal injury lawyer near me" on Google. A list of firms appears—some at the top, others nowhere to be found.
Ever wonder why some attorneys consistently get client inquiries while others struggle for visibility? That's what we're here to explain. And we'll keep it straightforward.
Your Google Business Profile (or GBP for short) is essentially your firm's online business card on Google. It displays your name, address, phone number, hours, photos, and client reviews. When people search for legal help, Google decides which profiles to show based on key factors.
Google wants to show people the best, most relevant results. So it checks three main things about your business. Think of these as the "three pillars" that hold up your local ranking.
This sounds obvious, but many attorneys have inconsistent information across platforms. Google checks if your firm name, address, and phone number match everywhere online. If they don't align, Google gets confused—and a confused search engine doesn't show your profile.
Quick check: Is your law firm's name spelled exactly the same on your website, Avvo, and Google profile?
When someone searches "car accident lawyer near me," Google looks at your profile to see if you offer that service. If you haven't listed it, you won't show up—even if you handle car accidents every day.
This is where categories and services come in. We'll explain these in detail in the next section. For now, just know that telling Google exactly what you do is really important.
Google reads your client reviews. Lots of positive reviews tell Google that clients trust you. Replying to those reviews shows that you're active and professional. Both of these things help you rank higher.
Think about it: would you hire an attorney with 5 reviews or one with 150 reviews? Google thinks the same way.
Here's the good news: You don't need to be a tech expert to improve these things. Most of it just takes a few minutes to fix.
Now, let's dive deeper into the part that trips up most people: categories and services. Once you understand these, you'll be ahead of most firms in your area.
Remember when we said Google needs to know what you do? This is where you tell it. Let's break this down into two simple parts.
Why this matters: Of all the things you can control on your Google Business Profile, categories have one of the biggest impacts on your local rankings. Pick the wrong ones, and you won't show up when clients search. Pick the right ones, and you'll appear for the exact services you offer. Our case study proves that adding relevant categories doesn't hurt your rankings—it actually increases your visibility.
Think of categories like labels in a legal filing system. Google uses them to organize practices into groups. When someone searches "personal injury attorney near me," Google opens the "Personal injury attorney" folder and shows what's inside.
If your firm isn't in that folder, potential clients won't find you. It's that simple.
You get to pick one primary category (your main label) and a few secondary categories (extra labels for other things you do).
Here's what a typical personal injury firm might choose:
Pro tip: Not sure which categories to pick? The checklist below will walk you through exactly how to find the best categories for your practice.
If categories are the folders, services are the specific items inside. They tell Google (and your potential clients) exactly what you offer.
Let's say someone searches "slip and fall attorney near me." Google will check if you have "Slip and fall attorney" listed as a service. If you do, great—you might show up. If you don't, Google assumes you don't handle those cases.
Think of it like a restaurant menu. If a dish isn't on the menu, customers won't know they can order it.
Services a personal injury attorney might list:
The more services you list, the more searches you can show up for. Just make sure you actually offer what you list!
Here's a simple action plan:
Not sure where to start? The checklist below will guide you through the categories and services in just 20 to 25 minutes.
Work through each item below. By the end, your profile will be optimized for better local rankings.
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How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - primary and secondary categories display automatically beside the profile
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Search for any term on Google Maps - click the Local Scan button to compare all GBPs
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'AI' button beside the GBP to use AI features
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Find more' button beside categories
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Basic Audit' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Review Audit' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Teleport' button beside the GBP
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How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Post Audit' button beside the GBP
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