Schedule Call
With CEO Contact

Keywords for business lawyers: what owners type before they hire counsel

These keywords for business lawyers come from a U.S. search-demand pull and show how owners, founders and partners word a search before they choose a firm. Use them to decide which practice-area pages to build first and which phrases to keep out of an ad account.

Schedule A Call With Our CEO

How to read the law-library sizes in the tables

Every phrase below is printed exactly as it was typed. Each one carries a size, borrowed from the library: Treatise for the very largest searches (100,000 a month or more), Casebook for big ones (3,000 or more), Brief for mid-sized ones (500 or more) and Memo for the small searches below that. Small does not mean unimportant. A memo-sized phrase with a city in it is often closer to a phone call than a treatise-sized one with no intent at all.

The figures describe demand across the whole country and say nothing about any one firm. They promise no ranking, no call and no client, and the firm's attorneys decide which matters and places to chase. For the work that turns these lists into pages, see business lawyer SEO; for ads, see Google Ads for business law firms.

Which owner predicament deserves which matter page

Seven moments an owner can be in when the search starts, the phrase that usually follows, and the page a business law firm should have waiting.
The owner's predicamentSearch as typedMatter page to build
A contract arrived and the owner wants a second pair of eyescontract review lawyerA contract review page that explains how a first consultation and the firm's billing work
A founder is about to register a companyllc formation lawyerA formation page per entity type the firm handles, with the intake steps beside it
A supplier or customer has stopped honoring an agreementbreach of contract lawyerA dispute page that sends the owner to a call, with the firm's conflicts-check step described
Two partners no longer agree on the direction of the companybusiness partnership dispute lawyerA partner-dispute page that keeps case facts out of the form
An owner is thinking about selling or buying a companybusiness acquisition lawyerA transactions page that also speaks to the accountants and brokers who refer
A landlord sent a renewal and the owner is unsure about the paperworklease contract lawyerA commercial lease page that names the kinds of lease the firm reviews
A manager hired the first employee and needs a contractemployment contract lawyerAn employer-side page that makes clear the firm acts for the business

Generic business lawyer searches and the small-business attorney family

The head of the list is crowded with curiosity. The calmer, closer-to-hiring phrases sit one step down and are worth a page of their own.
Phrase in the search fieldLaw-library sizeWhat the business owner wants next
business lawyerTreatiseCurious about the title
contract lawyerTreatiseCurious about the title
business lawyer near meCasebookLooking close to home
lawyer for business near meCasebookLooking close to home
small business lawyerBriefChoosing counsel
small business attorneyBriefChoosing counsel
attorney for small businessCasebookChoosing counsel
small business lawyer near meBriefLooking close to home
business law lawyerBriefChoosing counsel
business attorney for small businessesBriefChoosing counsel
business lawyer firmBriefChoosing counsel

Contract review, drafting and breach searches

Contracts are the biggest commercial family in the data. Reviewing and drafting are calm searches; breach and dispute are urgent ones and call for a different landing page and a faster reply.
Phrase in the search fieldLaw-library sizeWhat the business owner wants next
contract lawyer near meCasebookLooking close to home
business contract lawyerCasebookNeeds a document drafted or checked
contract review lawyerBriefReading an agreement
lawyer for contract reviewBriefReading an agreement
contract drafting lawyerMemoNeeds a document drafted or checked
breach of contract lawyerBriefWeighing a dispute
contract dispute lawyerBriefWeighing a dispute
employment contract lawyerCasebookReading an agreement
lease contract lawyerBriefReading an agreement
commercial contract lawyerMemoNeeds a document drafted or checked
construction contract lawyerMemoNeeds a document drafted or checked
franchise contract lawyerMemoReading an agreement
contract negotiation lawyerMemoNeeds a document drafted or checked

LLC formation, startup and incorporation searches

Founders type these before they have chosen any firm, so a clear matter page and an easy consultation request count for more than a long essay.
Phrase in the search fieldLaw-library sizeWhat the business owner wants next
business formation lawyerBriefStarting a company
llc formation lawyerBriefStarting a company
business lawyer llcBriefStarting a company
startup business lawyerMemoStarting a company
lawyer for business startupMemoStarting a company
business incorporation lawyerMemoStarting a company
lawyer incorporate businessMemoStarting a company
business formation lawyer near meMemoLooking close to home
lawyer for llc formationMemoStarting a company

Dispute, partner and company-sale searches

Smaller in volume and heavier in stakes. Several of these matters arrive through referrals, so a page for accountants and brokers belongs beside the page for owners.
Phrase in the search fieldLaw-library sizeWhat the business owner wants next
business litigation lawyerBriefWeighing a dispute
business dispute lawyerMemoWeighing a dispute
business partnership dispute lawyerMemoWeighing a dispute
business divorce lawyerMemoWeighing a dispute
business partnership lawyerMemoNeeds a document drafted or checked
business acquisition lawyerMemoBuying or selling a company
business sale lawyerMemoBuying or selling a company
lawyer for business saleMemoBuying or selling a company
business succession planning lawyerMemoBuying or selling a company
business transactions lawyerMemoBuying or selling a company

City and state searches, kept in the same order the owners type them

A place is usually bolted onto the front or back of the phrase. Build a page only for places where the attorneys truly practice, and never a pile of near-identical copies.
Phrase in the search fieldLaw-library sizeWhat the business owner wants next
business lawyer los angelesBriefLooking close to home
business lawyer las vegasBriefLooking close to home
business lawyer nycMemoLooking close to home
business lawyer houstonMemoLooking close to home
business lawyer miamiMemoLooking close to home
business lawyer atlantaMemoLooking close to home
business lawyer dallasMemoLooking close to home
business lawyer chicagoMemoLooking close to home
business lawyer phoenixMemoLooking close to home
small business lawyer los angelesMemoLooking close to home
small business attorney houstonMemoLooking close to home
business lawyer in new jerseyMemoLooking close to home

Billing and cost searches, where the firm explains instead of quoting

Owners ask what counsel costs in every word order. The page that earns the click describes how the firm bills in its own words, approved by its counsel, and prints no figure on our side.
Phrase in the search fieldLaw-library sizeWhat the business owner wants next
small business attorney costMemoShopping the billing
small business attorney feesMemoShopping the billing
attorney fees for small businessMemoShopping the billing
cost of business lawyerMemoShopping the billing
contract lawyer hourly rateMemoShopping the billing
contract lawyer feesMemoShopping the billing
lawyer retainer contractMemoShopping the billing

Where the business owner and the intake desk can be misled by a keyword list

Volume tells you what people type, not who is typing. The biggest phrases in this pull are dominated by readers who want to learn a job title, not to hire a firm, so a campaign built from the top of the list pays for curiosity. Start from the matter pages instead, keep the broad head phrases for a small test and let the firm's own intake data tell you which searches turn into booked consultations. The attorney reviews every ad, landing page and keyword choice before it goes live, because lawyer advertising rules differ by state.

Wording matters as well. A phrase that merely contains a lawyer word does not mean the searcher wants that firm's kind of matter, which is why the firm's conflicts check and matter fit come before any promise on a landing page. Our Google Maps work and content pages take the same care.

Searches to keep off the intake desk's budget

These phrases contain a lawyer word but are typed by people who are not shopping for counsel. Add them to the negative list before the first ad runs.
Phrase to excludeLaw-library sizeWho is really typing it
business lawyer salaryBriefA job seeker comparing pay
how much does a business lawyer makeMemoSomeone weighing a career switch
business lawyer degreeBriefA student choosing a path
business lawyer courseBriefA student choosing a path
contract lawyer jobsBriefA lawyer looking for work
what does a business lawyer doMemoSomeone curious about the title
contract lawyer meaningBriefSomeone curious about the title
business lawyer definitionMemoSomeone curious about the title
lawyer business cardBriefA lawyer shopping for stationery
lawyer contract exampleMemoA template hunter
lawyer client contractMemoA lawyer looking for a sample engagement form

Searcher posture, tell-tale wording and the ad budget

One table to carry into campaign planning: how an owner sounds at each point and what the budget should do about it.
Searcher's postureTell-tale wordingHow the ad budget treats it
Browsing the titlewhat does a business lawyer do, definition, meaningKeep it out of paid campaigns; let a plain explanatory page earn it
Reading an agreementcontract review lawyer, lawyer for contract reviewFund it; send it to a review-focused page and a short intake form
Starting a companyllc formation lawyer, business formation lawyerFund it in a separate campaign with its own landing page
In an active disputebreach of contract lawyer, contract dispute lawyerFund it with fast reply handling, limited to places where attorneys practice
Looking close to homebusiness lawyer near me, a city plus business lawyerFund it on the map and in tight location campaigns
Pricing the billing optionssmall business attorney fees, contract lawyer hourly rateAnswer on an organic billing page; test small in ads

Keyword questions from firm owners and intake leads

How often should a firm refresh its business lawyer keyword list?

Review it a few times a year, and sooner when a new practice area or office opens. Searches shift slowly, but the matters a firm wants and the places it serves can change quickly, and the list should follow them. Whoever approves your advertising should see the updated list too.

Should a firm bid on the broad phrase business lawyer?

Usually as a small, watched test at most. The phrase is huge, but much of it comes from students, job seekers and the curious. Matter-specific and place-specific phrases tend to sit closer to a booked consultation, and your own intake log is the best judge.

Do these keywords for business lawyers tell us what to charge or promise?

No. They describe demand only. How a firm bills, what it says about its practice and which claims are allowed are decisions for its attorneys under their state's advertising rules. We are a marketing agency, so our lists never include a price or an outcome.

Why are salary, degree and course searches on the exclusion list?

Because they belong to people choosing a career, not hiring counsel. Each click costs the firm money and brings an intake desk nothing to answer. They go on the negative list in every account we run, together with template and form shoppers.

Turn the keyword list into matter pages

Tell us which practice areas and places you want inquiries for and we will map phrases to pages. Prices are on the pricing page.

Which practice areas should the phone ring for?

Name the formation, contract, lease or dispute work your attorneys handle best and the places they practice. There is nothing to prepare. Keep client names and case facts out of the note, because this is a marketing inquiry and not a legal one.

Send a note about your firm's marketing

Two or three lines about your firm are enough. Please leave out confidential information, client names and case details. Sending this form does not make us your lawyers, and nobody here gives legal advice. A person reads every message.

Tell us which matters your firm wants more of.

Say which practice areas keep your calendar full, which ones you would like to take on more of, and where your attorneys practice. You get one monthly figure and a straight read on what fits. Leave client names and case details out of the note, since this is a marketing inquiry and not a place for confidential information.

Schedule A Call With Our CEO Write to the intake desk

The stack of pages being initialed is an illustration. It predicts nothing for any firm, client or matter.