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Case study: promoting a criminal defence lawyer's website (October 2025 — March 2026)

Starting point and growth strategy

When work began, the website already had basic visibility for a number of target queries (including Articles 158 and 112 of the Russian Criminal Code). The main task was to unlock the site's hidden potential by scaling the semantic core, removing technical barriers and strengthening the expertise of the content.

When work began, the website already had basic visibility for a number of target queries (including Articles 158 and 112 of the Russian Criminal Code). The main task was to unlock the site's hidden potential by scaling the semantic core, removing technical barriers and strengthening the expertise of the content.

When work began, the website already had basic visibility for a number of target queries (including Articles 158 and 112 of the Russian Criminal Code). The main task was to unlock the site's hidden potential by scaling the semantic core, removing technical barriers and strengthening the expertise of the content.

Key growth vectors:

• Deep semantic coverage: expanding reach across every type of offence in criminal practice.

• Working with intent: a focus on specific “minimising the consequences” queries.

• Capturing high-volume niches: optimisation for mass-market traffic and economic offences.

• Geo-dominance: strengthening positions in the most competitive region — Moscow.

1. Working with the semantic core: scaling specialist semantics

Instead of defending individual rankings one by one, we built an exhaustive semantic map covering every key area of criminal practice:

Instead of defending individual rankings one by one, we built an exhaustive semantic map covering every key area of criminal practice:

Instead of defending individual rankings one by one, we built an exhaustive semantic map covering every key area of criminal practice:

• Expanding coverage of serious and economic offences: In-depth work on the clusters for Article 159 (fraud), Article 163 (extortion) and Article 111 (grievous bodily harm). This brought the site into the visibility zone for the most competitive queries in Moscow.

• Working with the “minimising the consequences” intent: We worked through specific queries related to finding a defence strategy to soften a sentence (Articles 115, 118 and 213 of the Russian Criminal Code). By March 2026 the site had firmly settled in position 1 for these clusters.

• Capturing high-frequency traffic-offence queries: Detailed optimisation was carried out for queries around Articles 264.1 and 264.3 of the Russian Criminal Code. The result — a top-1 ranking for the highest-volume search phrases in this segment.

• Geographic and procedural anchoring: The semantic core now includes queries tied to specific stages of criminal proceedings (arrests, interrogations), which gave the site visibility at moments of “acute” demand.

Result: Systematic work increased the number of active queries in search to 295, securing a stable presence in the top 3 and top 5 across all priority areas.

2. Technical optimisation: realising the potential of the structure

Since the site's architecture already covered the main articles of the Russian Criminal Code, we concentrated on removing the barriers that were stopping existing pages from reaching the top.

Since the site's architecture already covered the main articles of the Russian Criminal Code, we concentrated on removing the barriers that were stopping existing pages from reaching the top.

Since the site's architecture already covered the main articles of the Russian Criminal Code, we concentrated on removing the barriers that were stopping existing pages from reaching the top.

Eliminating technical obstacles:

• Indexing errors: We identified and fixed crawl errors (4xx/5xx). This prevented target pages from dropping out of the results during algorithm updates.

• Crawl configuration: robots.txt and sitemap.xml were fine-tuned. We set crawl priority for the most important sections so that search engine robots would see changes on the key landing pages first.

• Compliance with YMYL criteria: The site's setup was adapted to the current content quality requirements in the legal niche, which minimised the risk of ranking drops.

Fine-tuning relevance:

• Metadata optimisation: Title and Description tags were updated. The focus shifted from simply listing articles to being informative, which directly increased click-through rate (CTR) in the search results.

• Content hierarchy: Errors in the headings (H1–H4) were corrected and duplicate H1s removed. This allowed search engines to determine more precisely how relevant each text is to a specific criminal offence.

Architecture efficiency: Instead of creating redundant subsections, we “levelled up” the existing pages. Concentrating link and text weight on the existing structure led to explosive growth in visibility as early as November.

Result of this stage: The technical fine-tuning “unblocked” the site for the algorithms. The outcome was growth in impressions from 6,789 to 199,533 in the shortest possible time.

3. Content strategy: expertise and working with intent

The key factor in reaching the top 1 was the transformation of standard descriptions into in-depth expert material. We implemented a “double strike” strategy: detailed breakdowns on the site for search robots + viral content on Zen to build loyalty.

The key factor in reaching the top 1 was the transformation of standard descriptions into in-depth expert material. We implemented a “double strike” strategy: detailed breakdowns on the site for search robots + viral content on Zen to build loyalty.

The key factor in reaching the top 1 was the transformation of standard descriptions into in-depth expert material. We implemented a “double strike” strategy: detailed breakdowns on the site for search robots + viral content on Zen to build loyalty.

Content clustering on the site: We focused on filling the pages with quality content for the key groups of Russian Criminal Code articles that bring in the most qualified enquiries:

• Life and health: Articles 111, 112, 115, 116 and 118 of the Russian Criminal Code.

• Property and the economy: Articles 158, 159 (including special offences), 160 and 163 of the Russian Criminal Code.

• Road traffic safety: Articles 264, 264.1 and 264.3 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Scaling expertise through Zen (15,000+ reach): To strengthen authority (E-E-A-T), the same priority topics were adapted for the recommendation feed format. This delivered reach where standard seo works more slowly:

• Viral reach for serious offences: A breakdown of the consequences of a criminal record (based on material on Articles 111, 115 and 116) gained 10,467 views, becoming a powerful external signal for search engines.

• Guides to minimising sentences: A guide to appeals collected 4,442 views, confirming the audience's demand for specific defence strategies.

• Procedural filters: Articles on how to behave during arrest and interrogation delivered more than 2,000 targeted reads, addressing clients' fears at the earliest stages.

Outcome of this stage: We created a unified knowledge ecosystem. While the site was capturing the top of the search results for dry legal queries, Zen was “warming up” the audience, creating the effect of the lawyer's personal presence in the client's information space.

4. Off-page optimisation and link building

To consolidate the results of the technical and content optimisation, we worked on strengthening the site's link profile. In the legal niche, quality external mentions that confirm the resource's expertise to search engines are critically important.

To consolidate the results of the technical and content optimisation, we worked on strengthening the site's link profile. In the legal niche, quality external mentions that confirm the resource's expertise to search engines are critically important.

To consolidate the results of the technical and content optimisation, we worked on strengthening the site's link profile. In the legal niche, quality external mentions that confirm the resource's expertise to search engines are critically important.

• Working with topical donor sites:
  The main emphasis was on obtaining links from specialist legal and law-related resources. This passed the necessary topical “weight” to the site, which supported ranking growth for complex criminal offences (fraud, bodily harm).

• A safe link profile:
  We followed a tactic of natural, gradual growth in link mass. Using only proven platforms allowed us to avoid search engine penalties and keep rankings stable through algorithm updates.

• Reinforcing expertise:
  External links were selected so that they led to the most thoroughly developed sections of the site (Articles 111, 159, 264.1). This helped search engines recognise these pages more quickly as the most authoritative in their segment.

Outcome of this stage: Building a quality link foundation locked in the positions achieved during optimisation. External factors confirmed the authority of lawyer Yu. A. Arutyunov, allowing the site to hold its place in the visibility zone for target queries.

Project results: the cumulative effect and business outcomes

The results of the campaign for the period October 2025 — March 2026 show the site's transformation from a static resource into a dominant client acquisition tool in Moscow.

The results of the campaign for the period October 2025 — March 2026 show the site's transformation from a static resource into a dominant client acquisition tool in Moscow.

The results of the campaign for the period October 2025 — March 2026 show the site's transformation from a static resource into a dominant client acquisition tool in Moscow.

1. Analysis of the dynamics: from reach to stability

The project's growth curve went through three key phases:

• Explosive growth phase (November–December): A sharp surge in reach after the updated structure was indexed. The site entered the results for the widest possible range of queries.

• Quality correction phase (January–February): The search algorithms filtered out irrelevant “junk” traffic, focusing visibility on commercially valuable keywords.

• “Quality plateau” phase (March): The metrics stabilised at a new level. A drop in average CTR against a huge rise in impressions is a marker of a successful breakthrough to a mass audience.

2. Key performance indicators (KPIs)

The statistics confirm a multiple increase in the resource's authority:

• Impressions: 595,848 (recognition in every third search for the relevant articles of the Russian Criminal Code).

• Visits: 17,200 (+215% growth in targeted traffic).

• Unique visitors: 15,400 people.

• Active queries: a 4x increase — from 79 to 295.

3. Detailed breakdown of rankings: leadership in the top 1

We focused not on “empty” traffic but on queries that bring in clients with specific and complex criminal charges. Below is a selection of the most telling changes in the priority niches:

Comparative dynamics of key queries (06.10.25 — 26.03.26)

4. The main business effect

We didn't just “lift the rankings” — we created a digital asset that starts building a future client's trust before the first phone call.

Summary: In 6 months the law practice secured dominance in the highest-converting segments of criminal defence. The site has become a tool that addresses the client's fears and removes the barriers to seeking real help. Thanks to expert content and technical precision, the resource now takes the lion's share of search demand, turning informational interest into a steady flow of enquiries.