SEO should be part of every law firm’s marketing plan, yet its implementation can be complex and challenging.
Organic search engine traffic is more effective than pay-per-click ads or sponsored ads and represents an investment that pays dividends over time, unlike most other marketing channels. Attorney SEO may be complex, but the effort it requires pays dividends.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a form of digital strategy that involves producing and publishing online content with the intention of driving traffic back to your website. This could involve anything from blog posts and practice area pages to landing pages designed specifically to sell legal services. Content marketers typically start off this process by researching their target audience in order to determine what keywords to focus on and the kinds of material to create.
Ideal keywords will correspond with the intent of your target audience. For instance, if someone searches “family law attorney near me”, your content should address their need by providing relevant information and leading them to your firm.
Be mindful of what type of content is being created by competitors and at what frequency, as this will give you an indication of the type of material your own firm should produce to remain competitive in your market.
Link Building
Attorneys tend to have a delicate relationship with advertising, but that does not prevent them from harnessing digital marketing’s powerful reach. Link building can be one of the most effective techniques for driving traffic and ranking higher in search results.
Develop high-quality content that attracts links from other websites and blogs is the best way to build backlinks. In-depth guides, FAQ pages, original research findings and statistics are all assets which can generate backlinks from multiple sources.
Referring domains must also be relevant to your practice area, so local news publications, colleges and embassies can be great places to look for links relevant to law firms’ practice areas. Law firms should take caution when acquiring links as low-quality links could be penalized by Google; this can damage credibility of websites and have adverse impacts on rankings. Therefore it’s crucial that law firms collaborate with professional agencies who understand all aspects of attorney link building while developing strategies within Google guidelines for maximum effectiveness in link acquisition.
On-Page Optimization
SEO is an integral component of attorney marketing that levels the playing field for law firms competing for clients. When used effectively, SEO can increase visibility and revenue at law firms while giving lawyers an edge against larger, more established firms.
An effective legal search engine optimization campaign involves both on-page and off-page optimization strategies. On-page SEO involves making individual webpages search-engine friendly by optimizing titles, headings, internal linking structures, image alt text as well as following best practices for web page design and development.
Attorneys should ensure their website content is original and relevant to keywords they target, without copy being reused on various pages. Consistent attorney bios that highlight experience and expertise should also be maintained across pages to avoid keyword stuffing; additionally, Google recently issued new E-A-T guidelines which prioritize content with relevant E-A-T tags.
Reputation Management
Reputation management in today’s digital era involves making sure online content is seen positively, such as reviews on Yelp or New York Times articles or viral Colbert spots. People’s perception of an individual or business’s reputation often dictates what products or services they purchase or how they feel about a service offered.
Reputation management can be complex. It involves both actively monitoring conversations and being part of them; creating positive content while hiding or discrediting negative reviews/ripoff reports that may surface online.
SEO may seem complex to newcomers, but it is an integral component of law firm marketing strategies. Utilizing tailored techniques tailored specifically for law firms, attorney SEO can help your law firm appear higher on search results for relevant keywords – leading to more traffic and, eventually, clients. Reaching this goal takes diligence and strategic planning – before beginning implementation of an attorney SEO strategy read up on these tips for success!