Google Business Profile for Solicitors & Law Firms in the UK: 2026 Setup Guide
SRA-compliant local SEO for UK solicitors and law firms — GBP categories, multi-practitioner setup, review collection and practice-area targeting.
Quick answer
Can a UK solicitor ask clients for Google reviews under SRA rules?
Yes — provided requests are neutral, non-pressured, non-incentivised, and the client volunteers their feedback. Most regulated firms under-collect reviews because they assume otherwise, leaving Map Pack ranking on the table.
Legal services is one of the most valuable local search categories in the UK and one of the most poorly served by traditional law firm marketing. Most firms have a generic 'Law firm' GBP with 6 reviews, thin practice-area pages and inconsistent NAP across Chambers, Law Society and Yell. The result is a high-revenue practice losing bottom-funnel enquiries to firms with cleaner setups.
1. Set primary category to your lead practice area
'Law firm' is a weak primary category — it competes with every firm in your city. Set the primary to your highest-revenue practice: 'Family law attorney', 'Real estate attorney' (for conveyancing), 'Employment attorney', 'Criminal justice attorney', 'Personal injury attorney'. Each ranks independently for its practice queries.
2. Stack 3–5 secondary categories
Add the other practices you actively want enquiries for. Each secondary opens up a new query set. Don't stuff — pick areas you genuinely service.
3. Build SRA-compliant review collection
SRA guidance permits review requests provided they are neutral, non-incentivised and the client's feedback is voluntary. The wording matters.
Printable checklist
SRA-compliant review request
- Send via email at matter closure, not before completion
- Neutral wording: 'If you'd be willing to share your experience publicly, we'd be grateful — but there's no obligation'
- Direct link to the firm's Google review page
- No incentive of any kind — no discount, no gift, no entry to a draw
- Do not pre-screen or gate — every closed-matter client gets the same request
4. Handle multi-practitioner listings correctly
One firm GBP plus on-site partner profile pages with consistent Person schema. Do not create individual GBPs per fee-earner unless the partner trades independently — Google treats sole-practitioner listings under a firm address as duplicates and suppresses them.
5. Build long-form practice-area pages
Each practice area needs its own page on the firm site: 'Conveyancing solicitor [town]', 'Divorce solicitor [town]', 'Wills and probate [town]'. 800+ words covering process, fees framing (range, not exact), FAQs and a clear CTA. Thin practice pages do not rank.
6. Audit NAP across legal directories
Inconsistency between the firm's name, address and phone across Google, Chambers, Law Society Find a Solicitor, Yell and Trustpilot suppresses Map Pack ranking. Audit annually and fix mismatches.
7. Schema and structured data
Add LegalService schema to the homepage and practice-area pages. Include the firm's SRA number, partner names with Person schema, and Service schema for each practice area. Search engines surface schema-marked listings more often.
FAQs
›Is incentivising reviews ever acceptable?
No. Google removes incentivised reviews and may suspend the listing. SRA guidance also prohibits inducements. Always neutral, always voluntary.
›Should each partner have their own GBP?
Only if they trade independently with separate billing and separate clients. For a single firm with multiple fee-earners, use one firm GBP plus on-site partner pages.
›How many reviews do we need to compete?
Below 25 reviews you're invisible in competitive city-centre markets. Aim for 50+ with at least 2 new per month to maintain velocity.
›How long until enquiries lift?
GBP views typically lift in 3–4 weeks. Qualified bottom-funnel enquiries follow at 8–12 weeks once reviews and practice-area pages are live.
›Do you handle Chambers and Law Society submissions?
We audit listings for NAP consistency and recommend fixes. We don't manage Chambers submissions directly — that's the firm's editorial relationship.
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