Digital Marketing for Estate Lawyers

Did you know that only 32% of American adults have a will? Yes, just 32%.

That means two out of three people in your area don't have basic estate planning documents, and each one represents potential revenue for your practice.

As an estate planning attorney, you have more potential clients than you can handle. But if they can't find you online, they'll either do nothing or turn to DIY platforms. That's why digital marketing for estate lawyers has become the most reliable way to reach these people before your competitors do and build trust.

This isn't something we're just theorizing about. Our team has helped professional service businesses generate consistent leads through local SEO, paid ads, and content marketing. And in this article, we're going to share those exact strategies so you can do the same.

What Is Digital Marketing for Estate Lawyers?

Digital marketing for estate lawyers uses online channels like SEO, PPC ads, content, and social media to attract potential clients searching for estate planning services.

Think of it as putting your law firm everywhere your clients are already looking. When someone searches "estate planning attorney near me" on Google, you want to show up. When they scroll Facebook, you want them to see your ads.

The reason this counts is simple. Your potential clients aren't flipping through the Yellow Pages anymore (does anyone even use those?). They're online, researching estate planning law before they ever pick up the phone. And digital marketing shows up exactly where they’re searching.

Why Do Estate Lawyers Need Digital Marketing?

Estate lawyers need digital marketing because most potential clients now search online before hiring an attorney, and traditional referrals alone can't keep up with growing competition.

Let's be honest here. If you're not visible online, you're invisible to the people who need your help most.

Which leads us straight into the core reasons estate planning attorneys need a strong online presence:

Most People Don't Have Estate Plans Yet

As we already mentioned, only 32% of U.S. adults have created a will describing what to do with their assets after they die. This creates a huge demand for qualified estate planning attorneys nationwide.

We're talking about tens of millions of people who know they need an estate plan but haven't taken action yet. Marketing for estate planning helps reach people who need services but keep delaying because they don't know where to start or who to trust.

Traditional Referrals Aren't Enough Anymore

Remember when referrals alone filled your calendar with new clients every month? Those days are fading fast.

Potential clients research online first before asking friends for referrals. They want to see your website, read reviews, and understand your expertise before they ever contact you. Even when someone gets referred to your estate planning law firm, the first thing they do is Google you.

That's exactly why active legal marketing generates leads beyond word-of-mouth to scale your practice without relying solely on who you happen to know.

DIY Platforms Are Taking Your Clients

The worst part about DIY platforms is that they spend millions targeting your ideal clients daily. They even rank on page one of Google for exact keywords like "how to create a will" or "estate planning cost" that your potential clients use.

However, strong online marketing positions you as the expert alternative to templates. The right digital strategy shows people why working with a real estate planning attorney protects their family better than filling out forms.

How Does Local SEO Help Estate Planning Law Firms?

The best part about local SEO is that it brings clients who are actively searching for estate lawyers in your area right now.

When someone types "will lawyer in [your city]," local SEO determines whether your law firm shows up on page one or gets buried on page three, where nobody looks. It's the difference between your phone ringing with qualified leads and watching potential clients hire your competitors instead.

Here's how local SEO works for estate planning firms:

Google Business Profile Optimization

Your Google Business Profile is the first thing potential clients see when searching for estate planning lawyers near them.

But what makes a profile actually work? For starters, complete profiles with photos and positive reviews rank higher than competitors. It's that simple.

When you optimize your profile with the right categories, updated hours, and detailed service descriptions, Google rewards you with better visibility in local search results.

Local Keywords and Service Pages

The easiest way to rank higher is to create dedicated service pages for each estate planning service you offer.

Follow This Approach: Target phrases like "estate planning lawyers [city]" on dedicated service pages. Also, each of your pages should answer specific questions your potential clients are Googling. You can keep one page for wills, another for trusts, and separate pages for probate and power of attorney services. 

Based on our experience, local search optimization brings high-intent clients ready to hire attorneys. When someone searches "living trust attorney in Denver," they're not just browsing. Rather, they're looking to hire someone now.

Client Reviews and Ratings

In 2025, 74% of consumers read at least two online reviews before choosing a local business, law firms included. This is solid proof that positive reviews boost search engine results and convince clients to contact you.

Google's algorithm pays attention to both the quantity and quality of your reviews when deciding which estate planning attorneys to show first.

Also, when two law firms offer similar services, people choose the one with better reviews every single time. The higher your rating, the more credibility you build with prospective clients researching estate attorneys.

Quick Tip: Encourage clients to leave Google reviews after completing their estate plans, and respond to every review (good or bad) to show you care about client satisfaction.

What Makes PPC Advertising Work for Estate Lawyers?

PPC advertising gets you immediate visibility while your SEO strategy builds up over time.

The thing is, local SEO takes months to show results. But with PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, you can start getting qualified leads tomorrow. Your ads appear at the very top of Google search results when people search for estate planning services, and you only pay when someone actually clicks.

The reason PPC works so well comes down to three main strategies:

1. Target High-Intent Keywords

High-intent keywords are search phrases from people ready to hire an estate planning attorney now. So bid on specific searches like "create living trust [city]" which signal clear buying intent and attract clients who are past the research phase.

These high-value clients search for detailed terms, not broad searches. 

For example, someone searching "estate planning attorney" might just be learning what estate planning means. But someone searching "revocable living trust lawyer near me" knows exactly what they need and is ready to book a consultation.

2. Google Local Service Ads vs. Regular PPC

Ever notice those "Google Screened" ads at the very top of search results? These show up above every other listing and pull in a huge share of clicks.

Google Ads Local Service Ads appear above regular paid ads with verification. The screening process includes:

• License verification of your legal credentials and bar membership
• Background checks to ensure you're a legitimate practicing attorney

That green checkmark badge builds instant trust with serious estate planning clients. Also, you pay per lead instead of per click, which means better value for your law firm's success. If someone calls or messages you through the ad, you pay. If they just click and leave, you don't.

3. Create Landing Pages for Each Service

While generic homepages confuse visitors, focused pages convert potential clients into consultations. It's because they match exactly what the person searched for.

Useful Tip: Match the landing page content exactly to what paid campaigns promise searchers. When your ad says "Free Estate Planning Consultation," your landing page better have a clear way to book that consultation (not just general information about your law firm).

After you've got your paid ads running and bringing in leads, the next question becomes: how do you stay connected with people who aren't ready to hire you yet? That's where educational events come in.

Should You Host Webinars or Workshops to Get Estate Planning Clients?

The right choice between webinars and workshops depends on your local market, budget, and whether you want high-volume reach or deeper personal connections.

So how do you choose the right format and fill those seats? Let's break it down:

In-Person Workshops vs. Online Webinars

In general, we recommend in-person workshops for building deep trust and immediate conversions. However, if you want to reach more people quickly without geographic limitations, then go for online webinars.

In-person events build stronger connections with future clients in your area. You shake hands, answer questions face-to-face, and people remember you. There's something powerful about being in the same room that Zoom just can't replicate.

But online webinars have their own advantages. You can reach people across your entire service area without renting a venue or worrying about attendance. Someone in the suburbs and someone downtown can both attend from their couch.

Worth Trying: Test both and see what your community responds to better. Also, you can mix both formats to maximize reach across your target audience demographics.

How to Fill Your Workshop Seats with Paid Ads

Start by creating Facebook ads targeting people 50 and older in your service area who recently engaged with retirement or estate planning content.

We've found that the 50+ demographic responds incredibly well to workshop invitations. They prefer in-person education and trust attorneys who take time to teach.

Use platforms like Google Ads or Facebook paid ads targeting people 50+ in your service area with interests like retirement planning, financial planning, or grandchildren. These targeting options sound specific, but they work because these marketing channels know who's thinking about their legacy.

Converting Attendees into Paying Clients

Now that attendees have shown up, you need a system to convert them into paying clients.

Do these three things consistently:

1. Follow Up Fast: Follow up within 24 hours by phone to book consultations immediately. Someone attends your workshop on Tuesday night, and you call them the following Monday. By then, it's too late. They've already forgotten half of what you said, or worse, they've talked to another attorney.
2. Create Workshop-Only Incentives: Something like "Book your consultation tonight and save $200 on your estate plan" creates urgency without being pushy. So make the offer clear during your presentation and have sign-up sheets ready at the end.
3. Track What Works: If your "Avoiding Probate" workshop converts at 70% but your "Estate Tax Planning" workshop converts at 30%, run more probate workshops. This data tells you exactly what topics resonate with your high-value clients.

How Do You Create Content That Attracts Estate Planning Clients?

Content marketing means creating blog posts, videos, and guides that answer questions potential clients are Googling before they hire an attorney.

What does this mean for you, though? It means your law firm website becomes a resource that works 24/7 to attract and educate people. When someone searches "do I need a will or a trust," you want your article to show up, not your competitor's.

Write blog posts about topics like "will vs trust" for search engine optimization. These are the exact questions people type into Google when they're trying to figure out their estate planning needs.

Other winning topics include:

• "How to avoid probate,"
• "What happens if you die without a will?"
• "Estate planning mistakes to avoid."

What's more, educational content on your law firm website builds trust and organic traffic. The reason is simple. When someone reads three or four of your helpful articles, they start to see you as the expert. By the time they're ready to hire an estate planning attorney, you're already the trusted name in their mind.

But content marketing isn't just about blog posts. Video content works incredibly well for estate planning lawyers because it lets potential clients see your personality before they book a consultation.

The best part is that once you create this content, it keeps working for you. A blog post you write today can bring in qualified leads for years.

What Social Media and Email Marketing Strategies Work for Estate Lawyers?

Social media and email marketing are two essential digital marketing services that work together to build long-term relationships.

The strategies that work best for estate planners include Facebook for community engagement, LinkedIn for professional referrals, and email newsletters for lead nurturing. Each one serves a different purpose in your overall marketing strategy.

Here's which platforms deliver results for estate planners:

Facebook for Community Building and Targeted Ads

Facebook works best for estate lawyers because your ideal clients (people 50 and older) use it daily.

Do these four things consistently in your marketing efforts:

1. Share client testimonials and educational posts to engage existing clients
2. Post about common estate planning questions
3. Share success stories (with permission)
4. Remind people about important legal updates that affect their estate plans

Also, Facebook groups let you answer questions and establish authority for local marketing. Join local community groups and provide helpful advice without being salesy.

When someone asks, "Does anyone know a good estate planning attorney?" and ten people have already seen you helping in that group, guess whose name they mention?

LinkedIn for Professional Referral Networks

The easiest referrals come from financial advisors, CPAs, and wealth managers you connect with on LinkedIn. Follow these three steps:

1. Build Strategic Connections: Connect with financial advisors, CPAs, and wealth managers who refer clients. These professionals work with people who need estate planning services but don't offer those services themselves. They're looking for attorneys to refer their clients to.
2. Share Valuable Insights: Sometimes the best approach is to post thought leadership content that positions you among financial planners and business owner circles.
3. Demonstrate Your Expertise: You can even post about estate tax changes, your estate planning practice updates, probate tips, or business succession planning. This shows professionals you know your stuff and builds the trust needed for referrals.

We've seen LinkedIn build referral relationships with professionals serving clients in estate matters. But you have to maintain the consistency.

Email Newsletters for Lead Nurturing

Email marketing generates $42 in ROI for every $1 you spend, better than any other channel for your marketing plan.

Here's how to make it work: Send monthly newsletters with estate planning tips to past clients and subscribers. Keep it simple. One educational topic, one client success story, and one reminder to update their estate plans. That's it.

Automated email sequences educate leads not ready to hire estate lawyers yet. When someone downloads your free estate planning checklist, they enter an email sequence that sends helpful information over the next few weeks. 

By the time they're ready to hire an attorney, you're the obvious choice.

How Do You Set a Digital Marketing Budget for Your Estate Law Firm?

Well, there's no one-size-fits-all answer here, and the right budget depends on your revenue, growth goals, and how established your practice already is.

A brand new solo practitioner needs to invest more aggressively to build visibility. Meanwhile, an established law firm with steady referrals can spend less on paid ads and focus more on maintaining its online presence. 

You have to find the balance that works for your specific situation. Think about these factors when setting your budget:

Industry Benchmarks for Law Firm Marketing Spend

Most law firms allocate 2-10% of their annual revenue to marketing and business development.

So if your estate planning practice brings in $300,000 annually, you should budget roughly $6,000 to $30,000 per year for marketing. That breaks down to about $500 to $2,500 monthly.

Helpful Tip: Calculate the cost per client acquisition to determine sustainable law practice spending. If you spend $3,000 on marketing one month and sign three clients worth $5,000 each, your return is clear.

Allocating Budget Across Channels

Through our work with service-based businesses, we've seen that the 40-30-20-10 split delivers the best results. It breaks down like this:

• Invest 40% in Local SEO: This includes website optimization, content creation, and Google Business Profile management. Local SEO gives you long-term compounding returns that get better over time.
• Allocate 30% to Google Ads Campaigns: Your Google Ads campaigns deliver immediate new clients every month while your SEO builds momentum.
• Reserve 20% for Content Marketing: The way to think about this is blog posts, videos, email newsletters, and educational resources that attract potential clients organically.
• Save 10% for Social Media Marketing: Even a small social media budget keeps you visible and helps nurture relationships with existing clients and referral sources.

From there, you can adjust based on what brings in more qualified leads for your specific market.

When to Hire vs. DIY Your Marketing

DIY works initially, but limits growth as your client base and caseload increase. When you're juggling client meetings, court dates, and document preparation, finding time to write blog posts or manage Google Ads becomes nearly impossible.

An agency like Matter Solutions provides expertise in legal digital marketing that you can't learn alone quickly. We know which keywords work for estate planning attorneys, how to structure landing pages that convert, and how to track ROI properly.

A good rule: If marketing tasks are keeping you from billable work, it's time to hire. You should be practicing law, not learning Facebook pixel tracking.

How Do You Measure Digital Marketing Success for Your Estate Planning Firm?

Measuring success means tracking specific metrics like website traffic, leads, consultations, and cost per client signed.

The mistake most estate planning attorneys make is focusing on vanity metrics. Sure, it feels good when your Facebook post gets 100 likes. But did those likes turn into consultations? Probably not.

So track these to see what moves the needle.

• Website Analytics: Use Google Analytics to see how many people visit your law firm's website each month and which pages they spend the most time on. It gives you a clear picture of which content attracts potential clients and which pages need improvement.
• Monitor Cost Per Lead: If you're spending $2,000 on Google Ads and getting 20 consultation requests, that's $100 per lead. Now compare that to your close rate. If you sign 5 of those 20 leads at an average fee of $4,000, you just made $20,000 from a $2,000 investment.
• Calculate Lifetime Value: Estate planning clients often return for updates, refer family members, and need additional services over the years. A client worth $3,000 today might be worth $10,000 over their lifetime when you factor in trust amendments, probate work, and referrals.

The numbers don't lie. Track them consistently, and you'll know exactly which marketing channels deserve more budget and which ones need to be cut.

Common Digital Marketing Mistakes Estate Lawyers Should Avoid

Having a digital presence is important, but doing it the wrong way can do more harm than good. Many estate lawyers make simple mistakes that quietly limit their visibility, weaken trust, and push potential clients toward other firms.

Knowing what to avoid is the first step to getting better results.

Watch out for these common mistakes:

• Ignoring Local SEO: If your Google Business Profile isn’t fully updated and optimized, people nearby might not even know your firm exists.
• Lack of Helpful Content: Prospective clients want answers about wills, trusts, and probate. If your site doesn’t provide them, they’ll move on to someone who does.
• No Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): If your website doesn’t offer a free consultation or make it easy to contact you, visitors won’t know what to do next.
• Inconsistent Marketing Efforts: Digital marketing isn’t something you can set and forget. If you stop updating your SEO, content, or ads, your visibility will drop over time.

Avoiding these missteps helps estate planning lawyers stay visible, build trust, and grow a more effective digital marketing strategy.

Start Building Your Digital Presence Today

Your estate planning marketing requires consistent effort but delivers predictable new clients monthly.

The estate planning attorneys who win are the ones who show up consistently, track what works, and adjust based on real data. Your competitors are still relying on referrals and hoping the phone rings. But you don't have to be.

Start with Google Business Profile and SEO strategy. These form the foundation for all marketing materials' success. Get those right first, then layer in paid ads, content marketing, and social media.

Also, build your custom marketing strategy and track results to optimize your marketing journey quarterly. What works in January might not work in June. Markets change, algorithms update, and your strategy should evolve too.

The families in your area need estate planning help. Make sure they can find you when they're ready.