People often ask how I ended up specializing in law firm SEO. It wasn’t planned—it evolved through a series of entrepreneurial ventures, corporate experience, and ultimately recognizing an underserved market that needed real expertise. Here’s my story.

The Early Years: Born to Build Online

I built my first website at 15. This was 2002—before social media, before YouTube, before smartphones. The internet was still relatively new, and I was fascinated by the ability to create something that anyone in the world could see.

Those early sites were simple—basic HTML, experimental designs. But I was hooked. While my friends were focused on typical teenage interests, I was learning how websites got discovered, how traffic worked, how online businesses made money.

By the time I graduated high school, I had already launched several small ventures. Nothing huge, but enough to know that digital marketing was my future.

The Intuit Years: Learning at Scale

After honing my skills through various digital ventures, I joined Intuit—the company behind TurboTax and QuickBooks. This was transformational.

At Intuit, I worked on search engine marketing at a scale I’d never experienced. Millions of dollars in ad spend. Millions of users. Sophisticated testing frameworks. Data-driven decision making at every level.

What I learned at Intuit:

How to approach marketing systematically, not intuitively
The importance of measurement and attribution
How to manage campaigns that actually move business metrics
Enterprise-level thinking about customer acquisition

These lessons fundamentally shaped how I approach marketing strategy today.

Finding Legal: The Underserved Market

While I was building my skills, I noticed something about the legal industry. Law firms were spending enormous amounts on marketing—Yellow Pages, TV ads, radio—but their digital presence was often terrible.

Websites were afterthoughts. SEO was nonexistent. Digital advertising was unsophisticated. Here was an industry where acquiring a single client could be worth thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, yet their digital marketing was years behind other industries.

I saw an opportunity.

Building Juris Digital

In 2013, I founded Juris Digital with a specific mission: bring sophisticated digital marketing to law firms.

The early days were about proving the model. I took on a handful of law firm clients and applied everything I’d learned—proper SEO fundamentals, conversion-focused web design, strategic content development, data-driven optimization.

The results spoke for themselves. Firms that had struggled to get any organic visibility started ranking. Firms that had relied entirely on paid advertising began generating organic leads. Word spread.

Why Law Firms? Why Still?

People sometimes ask why I’ve stayed focused on legal marketing when I could work with any industry. The answer is straightforward: I love it.

The challenge: Legal marketing is genuinely difficult. The competition is fierce. The regulations are complex. The stakes are high. I’ve never been bored.

The impact: When we help a personal injury firm grow, they help more accident victims. When we help a family law practice succeed, they help more families through difficult transitions. The downstream impact is meaningful.

The relationships: Lawyers are smart, driven people. I’ve built lasting relationships with attorneys across the country. Some of my earliest clients from a decade ago are still clients and friends today.

Becoming an Industry Voice

Over the years, my work caught the attention of the broader SEO and marketing community.

Moz: I became a contributor to Moz, including participating in their Local Search Ranking Factors study—the definitive research on what influences local search results.

Speaking: I’ve spoken at industry conferences about law firm SEO, local search optimization, and digital marketing strategy.

Publishing: I’ve written two books—Local Marketing for Personal Injury Lawyers and How to Perform the Ultimate Local SEO Audit—sharing what I’ve learned with the broader community.

Recognition: I’ve been recognized as one of the leading experts in law firm SEO, local SEO for lawyers, and legal marketing.

None of this was planned. It grew organically from doing good work and being willing to share what I’ve learned.

The AI Frontier

Today, I’m focused on what I believe is the next major transformation in how people find lawyers: AI-powered search and Generative Engine Optimization.

When ChatGPT launched, I immediately recognized its implications for legal marketing. The way people discover and evaluate lawyers is changing. Voice assistants, AI chatbots, and AI-generated search results are reshaping the client acquisition journey.

Once again, there’s an opportunity to help law firms navigate a new landscape—just as I did when SEO was emerging as a critical channel.

What I’ve Learned

After two decades in digital marketing, with most of that focused on legal, here’s what I know:

Fundamentals Matter Tactics change constantly. Algorithms update. New platforms emerge. But fundamentals—understanding your audience, creating genuine value, measuring what matters, continuous improvement—remain constant.

Specialization Wins I could have remained a generalist, working with any industry. But by focusing on legal, I’ve developed expertise that generalists simply cannot match. Every law firm engagement builds on the last.

Relationships Last The best business comes from long-term relationships built on trust and results. Some of my best referrals come from attorneys I’ve worked with for years.

Keep Learning This industry changes constantly. The moment you think you’ve figured it all out, something new emerges. Stay curious, keep experimenting, never stop learning.

Give Back Sharing what I’ve learned through writing, speaking, and mentoring has been incredibly rewarding. It’s also been good for business—but that’s not why I do it.

What’s Next

I’m more excited about legal marketing now than ever. The AI transformation creates opportunities for law firms willing to adapt. The firms that establish themselves as authoritative, trustworthy sources now will have enormous advantages as AI-powered discovery becomes dominant.

I’m continuing to build Juris Digital, helping law firms navigate both traditional SEO and the emerging AI landscape. I’m researching and writing about GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and how it applies to legal marketing. And I’m always looking for new challenges.

If you want to discuss how your firm can thrive in this evolving landscape, let’s connect.

Thank You

To everyone who’s been part of this journey—the attorneys who trusted me with their marketing, the team members who’ve worked alongside me, the industry colleagues who’ve collaborated and challenged me—thank you.

Here’s to the next chapter.

My Journey: From 15-Year-Old Entrepreneur to Law Firm SEO Expert