Immigration Lawyer Marketing

Immigration Law Marketing that helps acquire and retain new clients.

Marketing For Immigration Lawyers – We Help Your Law Firm Grow.

With 313,580 new immigrants entering Canada in 2019 alone, immigration firms are battling to acquire them as clients. As a result, that means rising competition for your practice. However, with the correct marketing strategies, it is also creating more opportunities to generate revenue and grow.

Nonetheless, you know that immigration law isn’t the most lucrative of all practices. It’s normal to be overworked and underfunded. It can also be difficult to find the right strategies and understand the importance of marketing when budget could be allocated elsewhere.

While cases generate small net income, with the right immigration lawyer marketing plan, you can efficiently drive a consistent pipeline of clients to increase revenue over the long term. Continue reading to learn how to market an immigration law firm.

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dNovio Matthew Jeffery after Immigrants Entering Canada

Immigration Law Marketing

Search engine optimization is the practice of optimizing pages and content for engines like Google. As a result, it can help your immigration firm generate more organic traffic and clients.

Below are the steps your firm needs to take to begin acquiring more search engine equity. (You can also learn more about lawyer marketing here.)

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Immigration Lawyer Marketing – Step By Step Marketing Guide

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1. Research and Target Local Immigration Lawyer Keywords

Keywords are search terms that your practice targets to appear in the search engine results page for. This is a fundamental strategy for driving organic traffic to your website and converting them with the other strategies you’ll be learning in this article.

Use a free tool like Wordtracker to find new keywords. Begin by entering a search term related to your local practice on the homepage.

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This will display metrics like volume and competition for the term you entered.

Ideally, your firm will target keywords that include your location and services. This immigration lawyer marketing strategy increases the quality of traffic and its conversion rate.

The fewer results on Google for each search term is a signal that it has less competition and you will rank for it quicker. Nonetheless, I also suggest that you audit the authority of each competitor by entering their domains in a tool like Ahrefs authority checker.


This will display its domain ranking, linking websites, and backlinks.

If websites on the homepage have similar or less authority than your firm’s website does, it’s a clear signal that you will be able to outrank them. In some cases, authoritative websites aren’t well optimized and they can still be beaten.

Once you have researched these keywords, naturally, you might think, “Where do we use them?” Begin with the title tag and meta description. This is the title and description that appears on the research engine results page. It plays a role in keyword rankings, organic click-through rates, and user experience. It should also be entered in the URL if possible as Google’s spiders crawl it for data.


Next, the main keywords should be added to the H1 tags on a page. Header tags are HTML elements that organize sections of a web page and communicate the content hierarchy to search engines. Take one of our clients, Matthew Jeffrey, for example.

The lawyer chose dNOVO Group to kick-start the law firm’s branding through a 360° online immigration lawyer marketing campaign. You can see a clear H1 tag including a main keyword in the above image.

Furthermore, dNOVO began by correcting the optimization of the website structure, its content images, and coding to appeal to search engines like Google. By addressing these elements on the website as a whole and on individual pages, the site becomes more capable of showing up under search results. Our focus for Matthew Jeffrey was to display meaningful and rich content with keyword research and lead generation 

Want to learn how dNOVO can help improve your immigration law firm’s rankings? Contact us today to learn more about our turnkey approach to improving immigration digital marketing.

2. Improve the User Experience of Your Website

In 2015, we saw a massive shift in the direction of Google’s ranking algorithm. No longer did mass amounts of backlinks and low-quality content cut it. After introducing RankBrain, one of the biggest updates we had seen at the time, the algorithm began weighing user experience more heavily.

After all, Google wants to deliver the best experience and content to users so they continue using their platform. User experience can be defined as the emotions and attitudes a visitor goes through while using a product, service, or, in this case, your immigration lawyer website. Streamlined user experience will convert more leads and boost your rankings in the SERPs.

Follow these steps to improve the user experience of your immigration law website and increase conversions.

3. Find Bottlenecks with GTmetrix

GTmetrix is a page speed and user experience auditing tool that can find all of the technical issues with your firm’s website. Addressing these can result in both quick and long-term performance boosts, both of which contribute to increasing conversion rates.

Enter the URL of your website and click the analyze button.

GTmetrix will display scores for page speed along with metrics like load time, page size, and HTTP requests.

Your immigration practice should aim for at least an 80-90% score for both PageSpeed and YSlow. Below this, GTmetrix lists all of the components that contribute to page speed, user experience, and potential fixes.

Anything with a poor grade needs remedying. For illustration, in the above image, that website requires compression to reduce file size and JavaScript deferral to improve load time. Click any recommendation to learn more.

Hand this off to your marketing team or website developer so they can implement a solution. Fixing these issues will increase page speed, the user experience, and ultimately lead to more conversions.

Another excellent example is once again, Matthew Jeffrey. The immigration lawyer based in Toronto, Canada was interested in improving search engine rankings, traffic generation, and conversion rate optimization.

A part of our services for this client was to increase website conversions by improving its user experience and page. The first step was ensuring it was friendly to mobile devices as more searches are taking place on mobile devices than ever before. The website was designed to be just as easy to use on mobile devices as it is from a desktop.

Learn more about Matthew Jeffrey in our case study here and how website experiences play a role in marketing strategies for immigration consultants.

4. Apply Schema Markup

An often overlooked aspect of on-page is schema markup. This is code placed on a webpage so search engines like Google can return more information to users. If you have ever seen a featured snippet on Google, for example, you’ve seen an example of schema markup. That’s why applying the proper schema to your pages is my next marketing tip for immigration businesses.

However, how can you apply schema markup to a page and how do you know if it’s working? If your attorney website is built with WordPress, I suggest installing a free plugin like Schema.

Once installed, navigate to “Schema.org Settings” on the left admin sidebar and you will see the following page.

These are some of the primary forms of schema markup that you can apply to your website. I recommend that you apply the following settings:

  • Local business schema to your homepage if you primarily service the local area.
  • Blog posting schema to your blog articles.
  • Breadcrumb schema to all pages if breadcrumb navigation is enabled.
  • Site navigation schema applied to the homepage.
  • Web Site schema applies to all pages.

Click the blue link to any schema type to edit its settings. These will require you to input information like your business name, URL, etc.

Click “Save Changes” to apply the settings you’ve created. You can test if schema markup has been properly applied by using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool. Enter your URL and click “Run Test.”

This will display the page’s code on the left and detected schema markup on the right. Ensure that the schema type you applied is correctly appearing as that means Google can properly crawl and index it.

5. Streamline Your Immigration Lawyer Website

94% of people base their impression of a website on the design. Think of it as a modern business card. Potential clients are going to look at a website as a reflection of your values, passion, and mission.

This is why it’s not only important for your website to feel good as a prospect interacts and navigates it, but also how it looks. Unfortunately, there are many immigration firms that have outdated websites that are dampening their brand and hurting conversions.

Follow these steps to improve the quality and conversion rate of your website or reach out to us at dNOVO for immigration lawyer marketing and web design.

6. Use Clear Calls to Action

Calls to action are words and statements that tell readers what the next best action is. These are psychologically proven to improve engagement. In fact, using first-person language boosts CTA conversion rates by 90%.

For example, this is a section of the homepage for one of our clients Matthew Jeffrey:

The call to action “Get Professional Help” pushes potential clients to take action by presenting the lawyer’s experience and a contact form. Calls to action should be tailored to the individual page for maximum performance. That’s why on the lawyer’s service pages includes a call to action instructing visitors to start their immigration application.

Here are calls to action your law firm can implement and customize:

  • “Get a free consultation”
  • “Contact us today”
  • “Call us”
  • “Email us”
  • “Fill out the contact form”
  • “Start your immigration application”
  • “Get started”
  • “Get a free quote”
  • “Get help now”

That brings me to my next point.

7. Hero Section

The first section a client sees when landing on your website is called the hero section. It is a large block that normally contains keywords, service description, and a call to action as I covered previously However, it’s easy to incorrectly configure a hero section and lose out on business opportunities.

This is a hero section on one of dNovo’s clients, Express Entry:

The first component is the sales copy. It begins with a benefit-driven statement “We Can Help You Immigrate to Canada.” This also clearly describes its services. A call to action is used stating “See If You Qualify for Express Entry Program” to prompt action from readers.

The steps are then laid out in focus boxes beginning with a qualification check, booking a consult, and starting the application process. This is an excellent example of a high-converting hero section. Your immigration firm can take a similar approach by fine-tuning the sales copy, image, and call to action of your own hero section.

8. Have a Clear Funnel

The series of steps a user takes from discovering your immigration firm to converting into a client is called a funnel. Every page of your website should be designed and placed in a way that compliments each other. This gives prospects the most amount of information and maximizes the likelihood they contact you for services.

The first step is traffic generation. Your immigration practice should be using channels like organic search, paid search, email marketing, social media marketing, and so on.

According to eCommerce Fuel, organic search and paid advertising remain as the best traffic sources.

Secondly, your immigration firm should offer a lead magnet to attract prospects and prompt them to contact you. These include free consultations, reports, testimonials, and case studies. Create clear pages for these offerings so they are easy to find.

Continuing with the previous example of Express Entry, you can see that they offer a free assessment and consultation on the homepage.

This gets high-quality prospects into their funnel, contacting them and creating the opportunity to be a paying client. Gated resources like this are a staple in immigration attorney marketing.

Thirdly, optimize your immigration law service pages for both ranking and conversions. As I covered previously, these pages should include main and secondary keywords related to each individual service.

They also need to clearly explain the features and benefits. Features are factual pieces of information about the service such as cost, turnaround time, and required paperwork. The benefits, however, are the deeper emotional and experiential upsides to the service. These might be achieving peace of mind, starting a life in a new country, creating a better future for their children, etc.

9. Add Videos to Engage Users

92% of marketers say that video plays an important role in their marketing strategies. Video content has gained massive popularity because of its convenience and ability to communicate information. It’s also just plain old entertaining to watch instead of reading for many people.

Adding videos to your immigration attorney website can increase engagement and keep visitors’ attention for longer to increase the odds they convert. One of the simplest ways to do so is by adding videos that explain your services and how to get started working with you. You can see this on Matthew Jeffery’s website here:

Additionally, adding video testimonials of satisfied clients can boost conversion rates as they act as social proof. Interested prospects will see customers similar to themselves explain why they enjoyed working with you, making them more likely to reach out.

10. Generate Immigration Lawyer Leads With Email Marketing

Email marketing, despite being decades old, remains one of the most effective ways to generate new business and perform immigration attorney advertising. 81% of SMBs rely on email as their primary customer acquisition channel and 80% for retention.

Despite this, there are still numerous immigration law firms that do not leverage email correctly. This unfortunately results in losing out on clients, brand awareness, and traffic. Follow the below steps to begin getting started with email marketing.

a. Select an Email Marketing Software

The first step is selecting email marketing software. For illustration, you can use a platform like Sendfox to begin collecting subscribers, creating forms, and sending email newsletters.

Begin by signing up for an account.

Then, click the “Lists” tab and “Create List.”

Assign the list of subscribers a name and click the “Create List” button again. Alternatively, upload an existing file of contacts.

That brings me to the second step.

b. Create Landing Pages and Forms (Plus Lead Magnets)

Now that you have created a list to organize subscribers, your immigration firm can begin creating landing pages and forms to collect prospect’s information.

You can create a new form by clicking “Forms” on the Sendfox navigation bar.

Click “Create Form” and assign it a name.

Choose the list of subscribers completed form entries will be connected to and alternatively add a redirect URL. This is ideal when offering a lead magnet such as a case study in exchange for the form completion.

Publish the form and Sendfox will give you a script of code that can be placed on any web page. Users will enter their information and be automatically added to the list you chose.

Create your first landing page by selecting “Smart Pages.”

Assign the landing page a name and enter the sales copy in the second box. For example, if you’re offering a newsletter, describe the benefits of subscribing such as receiving new updates and the latest information about your immigration firm.

c. Send Out Newsletters and Automated Campaigns

After your immigration practice begins collecting emails through forms and landing pages, you need to stay in touch with subscribers to generate clients.

Send your first email by selecting “Emails” and “Create Email.”

You can use emails to share the latest content, company news, updates, and pitch services.

Choose the list you wish to send the email to and enter a subject line. Subject lines should be personalized with the recipient’s first name and clearly describe the reason for opening.

Click “Personalize” to add personalization tokens such as the recipient’s first name or last name. Click the send button once you’re finished.

11. Final Thoughts on Immigration Lawyer Marketing

Immigration law is a competitive space that requires efficient immigration attorney marketing to generate clients and a trusted reputation. However, creating a marketing plan for immigration lawyers doesn’t have to be headache-inducing. It begins with optimizing your firm’s website for search engines like Google. Doing so increases organic traffic, search engine presence, and the number of leads you acquire without direct advertising.

This can be done by first using a keyword research tool to find search terms related to your local practice like “Toronto immigration lawyer” or “New York immigration attorney” for example. These need to be included in areas like the title tag, meta description, and URL of each appropriate page.

Improve the user experience of your website by increasing its page speed and mobile responsiveness. I suggest using a tool like GT Metrix to instantly find any bottlenecks in a performance that your marketing department can fix.

Your website also has to be streamlined to offer the most delightful experience and maximize conversion rates. Add clear calls to action on every page for contacting you, learning more, downloading a resource, etc.

The hero section of each page, and in particular the homepage, should include benefit-driven sales copy that clearly explains what you can offer to clients. The image should resonate with the user and a CTA for your services is recommended.

Finally, consider investing in email marketing as a client acquisition and retention channel. You can get started with platforms like Sendfox, Mailchimp, or Aweber. All of these allow you to create forms, collect emails, and stay in touch with leads to close them through backend offers like consultations.

Want to take your immigration firm’s online marketing to the next level? Contact our law firm marketing team at dNOVO Group today to learn more about how we can help you grow through digital marketing.