Client at a Glance
ABS Partners is a new Abu Dhabi law firm. They asked us to handle the full stack: website, legal SEO, content, and LinkedIn. No ad spend, SEO had to carry the load from day one.
Here’s the reality we walked into:
- Zero online presence; brand-new domain.
- UAE legal SERPs dominated by firms spending heavily on ads.
- Outcome needed to be simple: real leads, not vanity traffic.
We spent the first week researching who was winning and why. The pattern we saw again and again: strong budgets, weak execution on the organic basics, especially transactional intent and schema detail.
The Strategy We Used
Most competitors chased broad blogs and generic plugin schema. We did the opposite:
- Prioritized transactional keywords in in Articles with clear CTAs.
- Built custom LegalService schema and breadcrumb markup (not plugin defaults).
- Shipped a lean, performance-first theme that hits 99/100 on both mobile and desktop.
Issue → Impact
| Market Pattern | What That Costs You |
|---|---|
| Thin, generic practice area content | Lower conversion on bottom-funnel terms |
| Default plugin schema | Weaker entity signals for legal services |
| Heavy themes + bloat | Slower pages, weaker SERP competitiveness |
Build & Technical Week
We designed in Figma, developed in WordPress (Bricks Builder), and kept the plugin set tight (FluentCRM + security/optimization, minimal extras). Clean code, strict hierarchy, and image discipline gave us the headroom to optimize.
What went into the 99/99 scores
- Lazy-loading, compression, and strict asset budgets
- Minimal DOM and clean component structure
- Manual JSON-LD for LegalService + Breadcrumb
- Canonicals, pagination rules, and a crawl-friendly architecture
Information Architecture
We mapped content to how people actually search for legal help in Abu Dhabi: practice area → city modifier → supporting FAQs → people pages for trust.
Blueprint
| Cluster | Page Type | Intent | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| {Practice} in Abu Dhabi | Service | Transactional | Live |
| {Practice} Lawyer | Location Pages | Transactional | Live |
| Attorney {Name} | People | Trust/CRO | Live |
| {Practice} FAQs | Article/FAQ | Informational | Rolling |
On-Page: What We Shipped
- Headlines that reflect the exact query language clients use.
- Short intros that set expectations (scope, eligibility, timelines).
- Introduction, Services Provided, Key Highlights, Related Partners, Related Practice Areas & FAQ Section in Practice Area Pages
- Clear CTAs above the fold and at logical breaks.
- People pages early names, credentials, and straight answers build trust.
- FAQ accordions tied to the same transactional intent (not random blog topics).
- Internal links that ladder up from FAQs to service pages.
LinkedIn: The Assist
We kept LinkedIn simple: short takes that mirrored what clients ask on calls, with a soft CTA and a link back to the right practice page. Nothing fancy, just consistent.
First 30 Days
- Site shipped.
- Technical week dialed.
- Transactional pages live.
- First qualified lead landed within the month.
This is why the order matters, speed, intent, and structure first; volume later.
Months 2–6: The Compounding
- We added city pages and people pages.
- Tuned headings and FAQs based on Search Console queries.
- Tightened CTAs and added contact components to every high-intent page.
- Kept performance at 99/99 after each release.
By month six, ABS Partners was averaging 25–30 qualified leads a month from organic. The firm opened its first physical office in Abu Dhabi in this window.
What Moved the Needle (No Guesswork)
- Transactional-first content captured bottom-funnel demand early.
- Custom schema and breadcrumbs clarified entities for search.
- Lean code and asset budgets protected Core Web Vitals release after release.
- People pages plus CTA disciplines converted interest into calls.
Rollout Timeline
| Month | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 0–1 | Research week, IA, Figma |
| 1 | WordPress (Bricks) build, security/optimization |
| 2 | Technical week; custom schema; 99/99 CWV |
| 2–3 | Transactional practice + city pages, people pages |
| 3–6 | Ongoing on-page, FAQs, LinkedIn distribution, CRO tweaks |
Governance & Reporting
We set a monthly rhythm:
- MoM report: traffic, leads, top queries, pages to improve.
- One clear action list for the next sprint.
- Quick review call to keep decisions tight and timelines realistic.
Risks & Guardrails
- No legal advice in public content.
- Client consent for any testimonial language and brand visuals.
- Security and privacy controls on all forms (FluentCRM).
FAQs (mark up with FAQPage schema)
Q1. Can a new firm win with SEO in a paid-heavy market?
Yes, if you prioritize transactional intent, custom schema, and performance from day one.
Q2. How fast can leads start?
ABS Partners saw a qualified lead within the first month after launch.
Q3. What technical targets matter most?
Mobile Core Web Vitals. We held 99/100 mobile and desktop.
Q4. Do default SEO plugin schemas work for legal?
They work, but custom LegalService and breadcrumbs perform better for clarity and eligibility.
Q5. Why people pages so early?
They lift conversion and help entity understanding around named attorneys.
What We Didn’t Do
- No paid ads.
- No backlink buying.
- No bloated theme or page builder stack.
Just tight architecture, correct schema, and a publishing cadence that matched search demand.
The Playbook (Repeatable Steps)
- Map top transactional terms per practice + city.
- Build lean templates; ship the site fast.
- Implement LegalService + breadcrumb schema by hand.
- Publish people pages early; add trust blocks on every commercial page.
- Create FAQs that support those same commercial terms.
- Keep mobile CWV ≥95 (aim for ~99).
- Review Search Console monthly; tune headings and internal links.
- Track leads and improve CTAs – not just traffic.
Get the Law Firm SEO Plan
Want similar numbers? Download the case-study PDF and we’ll map this approach to your practice areas and city footprint.
Tech Stack
| Area | Notes |
|---|---|
| CMS | WordPress (Bricks) |
| CRM | FluentCRM |
| Security | Hardened stack; minimal plugins |
| Performance | Clean components, image discipline, caching |
| Schema | Custom LegalService + Breadcrumb (manual JSON-LD) |