Low map visibility
The Rockford scan placed the firm between positions 8 and 20, outside the top three at all 169 search locations.
CASE STUDY · Local SEO + organic SEO + AI SEO
Vernsten Law: 1,238% more calls with SEO
A Rockford family law practice that few local searchers could find, and what changed once its profile and practice pages matched the searches people actually use.
- Calls
- +1,238%increase
- Website clicks
- +289%increase
- Profile views
- +424.7%increase
Eric Vernsten
Divorce & Family Law Attorney · Vernsten Law
“I used to get leads from various places: other attorneys, paid leads. Unbelievable results. I’ve gotten rid of my paid leads entirely and I have so many leads I can barely service the business.”Eric VernstenDivorce & Family Law Attorney · Vernsten Law
THE CHALLENGE
A strong practice. Too few people finding it.
Vernsten Law needed to reach people searching for divorce and family law help in Rockford. Its local rankings were low, and calls were limited.
Too few calls
The firm was receiving around four calls a month and relying on referrals and paid leads to bring in new inquiries.
Competitors found first
People searching for divorce and family law help were finding competing attorneys before reaching Vernsten Law.
- CLIENT
- Vernsten Law
- MARKET
- Rockford, Illinois
- FOCUS
- Local SEO + organic SEO + AI SEO
THE RESULTS
More visibility. More calls.
Calls per month
BEFORE~4
AFTER50+
+1,238% increase
Website clicks per month
BEFORE~40
AFTER156
+289% increase
Profile views per month
BEFORE~1,840
AFTER9,660
+424.7% increase
Search appearances per month
BEFORE~200
AFTER1,495
+647.5% increase
Divorce & family law · Rockford, Illinois
Vernsten Law: from positions 8 to 20 up to #1 across Rockford.
SEARCH TERM“Divorce lawyer Rockford”
Each dot is a search location. The number is the firm’s position in Google Maps at that spot: 1 means first. Lower numbers mean greater visibility.
Before 169 search locations · positions 8 to 20
- Positions 1–30
- Positions 4–105
- Positions 11–20164
- No ranking0
After 169 search locations · position 1 at every one
- Positions 1–3169
- Positions 4–100
- Positions 11–200
- No ranking0
THE WORK, MADE VISIBLE
Connect the strategy to what changed.
CAMPAIGN EVIDENCE · STEP 01
Show up when someone needs a divorce lawyer.
Vernsten Law reached the first Google Maps result for “divorce lawyer rockford”. We aligned its Business Profile and practice pages with local family law searches so people looking for legal help could find Eric and request a consultation.
CAMPAIGN EVIDENCE · STEP 02
Reach people searching for the service, not the firm.
People found Vernsten Law through searches such as “divorce lawyers rockford il”, “divorce lawyers near me” and “family lawyers rockford il”. Its Business Profile recorded 9,660 views and 1,495 search appearances, helping prospective clients discover the firm through the services they needed.
CAMPAIGN EVIDENCE · STEP 03
Hold first place across the whole market, not one address.
Vernsten Law moved from positions 8 to 20 to first place at all 169 search locations checked across Rockford. Each numbered dot marks where the search was run, showing how visibility improved throughout the city.
WHAT CHANGED
From around 4 calls a month to more than 50.
Eric Vernsten’s video at the top of this page explains the business impact: more inbound leads and an end to buying paid leads. The results page, the search-terms report and the grid scans above show how people found the firm.
THE STRATEGY
What we did.
Local search presence
Aligned the Business Profile with divorce and family law services in Rockford.
Local trust
Built consistent local citations and a process for requesting genuine client reviews.
Organic SEO and content
Matched practice-page content to the family law searches people use to find an attorney.
AI SEO
Included visibility in AI search alongside the local and organic SEO campaign.
1,300 monthly searches for “divorce lawyer rockford”
As reported by the keyword tool at the time and recorded in the original case study. This point-in-time estimate may differ from current search volume.
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