SEO for Criminal Defense Lawyers in Clyde, Waynesville, Asheville, and Western North Carolina

Looking to rank higher and attract more criminal defense clients?

You need more than a website. You need visibility.

At My Local Start, we focus on local SEO and digital marketing for criminal defense attorneys. Our team includes three senior SEOs, each with over 25 years of experience building and designing search-friendly websites that get results. 

We’ve helped criminal defense lawyers nationwide grow their online presence, and we can do the same for you.

Whether you’re handling DUIs, assault charges, or federal cases, your firm should be the one potential clients find when they search.

SEO matters for criminal defense attorneys

When someone gets in trouble, they search online.

Most people don’t have a criminal defense lawyer in their contacts. They turn to Google and type in phrases like “criminal attorney near me” or “Waynesville criminal defense lawyer.”

Will your firm appear in the local map results?

Will it show up in the organic listings?

And with Google now including AI-generated summaries, will your law firm be mentioned at all?

If not, you’re missing out on serious leads.

What local SEO can do for your law firm

With the right strategy, local SEO can help your firm:

  • Bring in more calls and consultations from people ready to hire
  • Increase visibility in Google Maps and local search results
  • Turn your website into a 24/7 lead source, even while you’re in court

We solve criminal defense marketing problems

Here’s what might be holding your firm back and how we help fix it:

“I have a website, but it’s not bringing in any calls.” [more]

A good-looking site isn’t enough if it’s not ranking or converting. Many attorneys get stuck with brochure-style websites that just sit there. No traffic. No leads.

We’ll fix that. Our team analyzes your site’s structure, speed, content, and SEO to determine what’s wrong and what we can do to make it work for search engines and potential clients.

“I have a Google Business Profile. I don’t even know how it works.” [more]

An optimized Google Business Profile is one of your best tools for local search. If it’s incomplete, outdated, or inconsistent across the web, you’re missing out.

We’ll clean it up, correct your business info, set you up with proper law firm categories, and guide you on how to get more reviews and engagement.

“I’m working with a digital marketing agency, but I don’t think it’s working out.” [more]

Big-box agencies tend to assign junior marketers to law firm accounts. You get stuck with cookie-cutter plans and slow response times.

At My Local Start, you deal directly with senior SEO professionals. We know how to grow criminal defense firms because we’ve been doing it for over two decades. We’ll actually answer your calls, too.

“I don’t have time to figure out SEO or online marketing.” [more]

Totally understandable. Your time is better spent preparing for trial or managing your caseload.

We handle your online strategy from start to finish: site updates, local SEO, content, link building, and more. You stay focused on your clients. We handle the rest.

“I need consistent leads, not just random spikes.” [more]

Criminal defense work is unpredictable. One month, referrals are flowing. Next, it’s quiet.

We build SEO strategies for consistent, high-intent searches that drive steady leads over time. That’s what we promise—real visibility and real opportunity.

We’ll be honest with you: Google can be temperamental. You can hold us accountable for your website and your SEO strategy. But we can’t control search algorithms. No one can.

What we can do is apply 25+ years of proven experience to make sure your site has everything it needs to compete and win.

“My firm offers multiple practice areas, but I’m not ranking for criminal defense.” [more]

If your website lists several services but isn’t optimized for criminal law specifically, then it’s time to get that practice area optimized.

We’ll restructure your content to highlight your criminal defense services, build pages around high-converting topics, and make sure the right message gets to the right people.

“I’m trying to grow in a new city, but I’m invisible online.” [more]

Expanding your practice? A second office won’t matter if your online presence doesn’t follow.

We build geo-targeted SEO strategies that help you break into new markets. From Waynesville to Asheville and beyond, we’ll help people find you wherever you’re working.

“My competitors rank everywhere, even though I know I’m better.” [more]

You’re good at lawyering, your website’s no good at ranking. Frustrating but fixable.

Optimize the site. From on-page SEO to content to local visibility, we’ll make sure your firm earns the trust and clicks it deserves. With Google AI Overview (AIO), search in Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Grok…catch up with SEO now or lose out.

Making local SEO work for criminal defense firms in Waynesville, Asheville, and beyond

Building a strong local law firm presence takes more than a few blog posts and a business listing. We understand the challenges that criminal defense attorneys face in Western North Carolina. 

From growing towns like Waynesville and Maggie Valley to busier markets like Asheville, we build hyper-local SEO strategies that help your law firm become a trusted name in your community.

What’s Included in Our SEO Services for Criminal Defense Lawyers

Let us take digital marketing off your plate so you can focus on your cases. We’ll help you find the right plan based on your goals, market, and budget. 

Our internet marketing services include:

Keyword research

Keyword research tailored to criminal law search intent

Local SEO

Local SEO for your Google Business Profile, reviews, and map pack rankings

On-site SEO

On-site SEO including content structure, site speed improvements, and schema markup

Link building through natural backlinks from legal, news, and local sources

Content marketing

Content marketing with blog posts and landing pages that establish your authority

Branding and print design

Branding and print design—from business cards and banners to brochures and tradeshow materials

Who we help

Our SEO services are built for:

  • Solo criminal defense attorneys across North Carolina
  • Mid-sized law firms offering criminal defense representation
  • Lawyers expanding into new locations or practice areas

Whether you’re based in Waynesville, downtown Asheville, or opening a second office elsewhere in the state, we’ll build a strategy to help your phone ring. 

Results you can see

We don’t just bring in traffic. We bring in trust, calls, and qualified leads.

Clients we’ve worked with typically see:

  • Organic leads double with the right SEO strategy in place
  • Higher rankings for competitive terms like “criminal defense attorney near me” and “DUI lawyer Asheville”
  • Better visibility in Google’s local map pack

Let’s get you found

Criminal defense is competitive. So is Google.

If you want to be the first firm people find and the one they trust, we’re ready to help.

Want us to run an SEO trial before you decide to commit long-term?

We’ll design a custom trial for your site and show you the results to help you decide.

Contact us now