Before a law firm commissions more website content, it pays to review what prospective clients can already find and understand. This checklist helps a firm’s marketing team prepare a clear editorial plan and identify the pages that need review by the responsible lawyer.
Start with the services the firm actually provides
List each practice area, the jurisdictions it covers and the person who approves its description. Compare that list with the website menu. Flag outdated services, vague descriptions and pages that suggest the firm handles matters it does not.
Keep service pages and articles distinct. A service page explains what the firm does and how to get in touch; an article answers one specific question. Two pages with the same purpose usually need a decision before another page is written.
Review each practice area page
- Does the heading describe the subject accurately?
- Can a reader tell which kinds of matters the page covers?
- Are jurisdiction references clear and relevant?
- Are procedural statements current and assigned to a lawyer for review?
- Does the page explain the next step without promising an outcome?
Keep a simple inventory with the page address, the issue, the reviewer and the planned action. Mark uncertain statements for review rather than filling gaps with guesses.
Check profiles and supporting claims
Ask the firm to confirm names, roles, titles and the experience described in each lawyer profile. Record the basis for any awards, comparisons, testimonials or case examples, and have the responsible person check them against the professional rules that apply before they are published. Client information is never assumed to be publishable just because it appears elsewhere.
Keep educational content up to date
Give each article a clear reader question and a named reviewer. Record when it was last reviewed in substance. When a rule or process changes, check related articles and service pages together. Do not change dates just to make unchanged content look new.
Link articles to the relevant practice area so readers can tell general information apart from the firm’s services. An article should never try to assess an individual reader’s situation.
Test the enquiry route
Check contact links and forms on a phone and on a desktop. Confirm who receives each submission and what the visitor sees afterwards. Ask the firm to approve the information the form requests and any intake notices. Use test details, never real client information, when checking delivery.
Prioritize the review list
Fix inaccurate service information and broken contact routes first. Then review pages where visitors keep asking questions the content should already answer. Where search data is available, use it to see which pages people find and whether those pages answer the question they came with. Traffic alone does not show whether enquiries are a good fit.
For more on what prospective clients look for, read what clients look for on a law firm website. See our law firm marketing services, or contact Canada Create™ with your website address and priority practice areas.
We plan and run law firm marketing across SEO, Google Ads and websites, within Law Society advertising rules.
Frequently asked questions
Why review law firm website content before writing more?
Existing pages may be outdated, overlapping or unclear. Fixing them first often helps more than adding new pages.
Who should review practice area pages?
The lawyer responsible for each practice area should approve its description and any procedural statements.
What makes a good practice area page?
An accurate heading, a clear description of the matters covered, relevant jurisdictions and a simple next step that does not promise an outcome.
How is a service page different from an article?
A service page explains what the firm does and how to get in touch. An article answers one specific question for a general reader.
Can we publish testimonials and awards on a law firm website?
Only after the responsible person checks them against the professional rules that apply in your jurisdiction and confirms the basis for each claim.
How often should legal articles be reviewed?
Whenever the relevant rule or process changes, and on a regular schedule set by the firm, with a named reviewer for each article.
Should we update article dates to look fresh?
No. Change the date only when the content has been reviewed and updated in substance.
How should we test the contact form?
Submit test details on a phone and a desktop, confirm the right person receives them and check what the visitor sees. Never use real client information.
What should we fix first?
Inaccurate service information and broken contact routes, then pages that leave visitors with unanswered questions.
Can Canada Create run a content review for our firm?
Yes. Send your website address and priority practice areas and we will propose a review plan.
