A 47-point framework you can audit this week — organized by priority and impact

This checklist works for mass tort firms that:

• Operate in multiple jurisdictions (national or multi-state campaigns)
• Use landing pages to segment plaintiff intake by case type
• Track form submissions and want to connect them to Google Search behavior
• Have basic SEO in place but haven't audited technical compliance or schema structure

If you're a single-practice, single-jurisdiction firm, or still building your first landing pages, start with the hub page on mass tort SEO fundamentals first.

If your firm has already conducted a full technical SEO audit and implemented intake schema, this checklist will mostly confirm your current state — move straight to the audit guide for deeper diagnostic work.

Section 1: Intake Form & Schema Foundation (12 items)

• Intake form has valid JSON-LD schema (LeadGeneration or ContactPoint type)
• Schema includes phoneNumber, url, name, and description fields
• Case-type taxonomy in schema matches your landing page segments
• Form fields are labeled with proper HTML (label for=id pattern)
• Form submission redirects to a thank-you page with conversion tracking pixel
• Form captures case type, injury type, and jurisdiction (minimum three fields)
• ARIA labels present on all form inputs for accessibility
• Form loads in under 2 seconds on mobile (test with PageSpeed Insights)
• Intake form has a privacy policy link visible above the submit button
• CCPA/GDPR consent checkbox visible if collecting personal data
• Form error messages are specific (not generic "Error 401")
• Mobile form layout tested on iPhone and Android devices

Section 2: Case-Type Landing Page Architecture (11 items)

• Each case type has a dedicated landing page (not a tab, not a dropdown filter)
• H1 includes jurisdiction + case type (e.g., "Talc Lawsuit Settlements in New Jersey")
• Meta title and meta description are unique per jurisdiction and case type
• Landing page includes plaintiff testimonials or outcome summaries
• Call-to-action button appears above the fold and in footer
• Page includes FAQ schema markup with 4-6 case-type-specific questions
• Page links internally to related case types (not just to homepage)
• Form is present on every case-type landing page (not just on a dedicated intake form page)
• Page includes your firm's bar license number and state affiliation in footer
• Schema markup includes LocalBusiness with practice areas and jurisdictions served
• Page loading time is under 3 seconds on 4G mobile connection

Section 3: Multi-Jurisdiction & Local Citation Audit (10 items)

• Google Business Profile is verified and fully optimized for each state office location
• NAP (name, address, phone) is consistent across all citations and website
• Address format matches Google's format requirements (no abbreviations vs. spelled-out variations)
• Phone numbers are clickable on mobile (tel: links)
• Service area is explicitly listed in GBP and on-page content
• Each jurisdiction page has state-specific statute of limitations mentioned
• Local schema markup includes address, phone, and service area per jurisdiction
• Citation websites checked: Avvo, SuperLawyers, state bar directory, local directories
• Law firm schema (Organization type) includes all practice areas as service descriptions
• Jurisdiction pages avoid near-duplicate content (unique introductions, outcomes, testimonials)

Section 4: On-Page Keyword & Content Audit (8 items)

• Target keyword appears in H1 exactly once
• Target keyword appears 2-3 times in body copy (not forced or unnatural)
• Related keywords (long-tail variations) appear in subheadings and list items
• Meta description includes target keyword and a call to action
• Images have descriptive alt text (not "image001")
• Internal links use descriptive anchor text, not "click here"
• Page word count is 800+ words for informational intent, 400-600 for transactional landing pages
• Readability: average sentence length under 20 words, Flesch reading ease above 50

Section 5: Technical & Compliance Checklist (6 items)

• HTTPS is enabled site-wide (no mixed HTTP/HTTPS content)
• XML sitemap includes all jurisdiction and case-type landing pages
• Robots.txt is not blocking indexation of case-type pages
• No redirect chains (A → B → C); use direct redirects (A → C)
• Mobile-first indexing: test with Mobile-Friendly Test tool and confirm responsive design
• Disclaimer or legal notice is visible on all intake pages (see compliance callout below)

TIER 1 (This Week) — These directly impact intake form submissions:

• Verify intake form schema markup is valid (use Schema.org validator)
• Ensure form is present on all case-type landing pages (not buried in navigation)
• Confirm form submission redirects to thank-you page with tracking pixel installed
• Check that mobile form layout works without horizontal scrolling

TIER 2 (Next 2-3 Weeks) — These improve ranking durability:

• Audit NAP consistency across Google Business Profile, website footer, and citations
• Create or update case-type landing pages if they're currently duplicated templates
• Add state-specific jurisdiction pages with unique H1s and introductions
• Implement FAQ schema on top 5-10 case-type pages

TIER 3 (Next Month) — These compound long-term authority:

• Build internal linking structure from high-authority pages to jurisdiction pages
• Audit all external citations (Avvo, SuperLawyers, etc.) for accuracy
• Add testimonials or case outcome summaries to landing pages (if client confidentiality allows)
• Create pillar-cluster content mapping (e.g., "Mass Torts" pillar links to "Talc Lawsuits," "Roundup Lawsuits," etc.)

Most firms see traction within 4-6 weeks of fixing Tier 1 items. Tier 2 items compound results over 2-3 months. Tier 3 is ongoing authority-building.

Important: This is educational content, not legal advice. Verify all disclaimer and marketing compliance requirements with your state bar and licensing authority, as rules vary significantly.

Disclaimer Placement on Landing Pages

Most state bars require clear identification of your firm's licensed jurisdiction(s) and a statement that you may need local counsel in states where you're not licensed. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also requires endorsement disclosures if testimonials are featured. Industry benchmarks suggest including a footer disclaimer on case-type landing pages that states:

• Your firm name and primary license jurisdiction
• A note that you may associate with local counsel in other jurisdictions
• Links to your privacy policy and testimonial disclaimer (if applicable)
• Your office addresses and phone numbers

ABA Model Rule 7.1 Compliance

Avoid comparative claims ("we win more settlements than other firms") without documented substantiation. Instead, frame outcomes as "Here's what our clients recovered in [case type]" with specific ranges or anonymized case summaries. Use "may" or "can" when describing potential outcomes, not "will" or "designed to."

FTC Endorsement Disclosures (for testimonials)

If your landing pages feature client testimonials or success stories, include a visible disclosure that results vary and prior success doesn't guarantee future outcomes. Place the disclosure near the testimonial, not in fine print at page bottom.

For detailed guidance, consult the Mass Tort SEO Compliance page, which covers state-specific bar rules and FTC guidelines in depth.

We've created a printable 47-point checklist organized by section and priority tier. Use it to audit your current state, assign ownership, and track completion.

What's included:

• All 47 items, organized by implementation order
• Priority tier assignments (Tier 1, 2, 3)
• Expected impact rating for each item (high, medium, low)
• Estimated time to complete per item
• Resource links (tools, documentation, compliance references)

Download the checklist and share it with your web team, marketing manager, or development vendor. Most firms can complete Tier 1 items in 5-10 hours if they have basic technical access. Tier 2 and 3 items compound results over the next 4-8 weeks.

Request the PDF checklist (includes Tier assignments and time estimates).

Once you've completed this 47-point audit, your next step depends on what you discovered:

If your score is above 35/47 (75%+ completion):

You've covered the fundamentals. Move to the comprehensive audit guide, which diagnoses deeper issues like competitor keyword gap analysis, backlink strategy, and content gap mapping across case types.

If your score is 20-35/47 (40-75% completion):

Prioritize Tier 1 and Tier 2 items immediately. These will improve most of your near-term ranking gains. Once Tier 2 is complete, run this checklist again — your score should jump significantly. Then move to the audit guide for mid-stage optimization.

If your score is below 20/47 (<40% completion):

You likely need structural work before tactical optimization makes sense. Review the mass tort SEO hub page for foundational guidance on landing page architecture and intake form strategy, then return to this checklist.

After audit completion, review the compliance page to ensure your pages meet current bar advertising and FTC endorsement rules. Then explore the case study to see how compliant optimization plays out in real campaigns.