Keeping a law firm’s website at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) is more complicated than it was even a few years ago, but putting some time and effort into your online presence is key to improving your law firm’s online visibility and, in turn, getting a steady stream of potential clients to keep revenue flowing in.
From social media to blogging, creating citations to building backlinks, it can seem overwhelming deciding where to focus your time and resources for the best results. The good news is you don’t have to do everything to see the benefits. Focusing in on the strategies that are going to be most relevant to the legal niche and pack the biggest punch will keep you from getting lost in the digital trenches.
Reach Out For Reviews
A recent study conducted by Moz showed that 67 percent of consumers are influenced by online reviews. This is especially important in the legal field, where your law firm’s reputation easily can make or break the success of your firm.
Think on this: When a potential prospect begins searching for a lawyer, they’re in an hour of intense need. Whether their spouse just served them with divorce papers or they were arrested for drunk driving, the reviews they read about your firm helps allay any fears they may have in reaching out for a consultation. The more reviews your law firm has from real clients you’ve helped, the easier it is for potential clients to picture you helping them with their problems.
Seek to get reviews to post on:
- Your law firm’s website.
- Your firm’s Google profile.
- Your firm’s Facebook profile.
- Any law-specific websites (such as SuperLawyers or Martindale-Hubbell) for the most coverage.
Optimize Your Website
While having a great-looking, well-designed website is important to help your law firm convert traffic into leads, making sure you are following best practices with all of the technical on-page elements is even more important. If prospects can’t easily use the website, due to errors, they can’t quickly determine if your law firm is able to help them with their specific problem, and then they won’t call for that first consultation. Not only that, but if the site isn’t mobile-friendly and it doesn’t load quickly, it could impact the traffic the website receives and the number of visitors that convert into clients.
Seek to audit and optimize your:
- Website’s page speed load times.
- Your mobile-friendly views on various devices.
- Make it ADA Compliant and check content for ALT image tags.
Create Exceptional Content
Using content, both blog posts and the core pages on your law firm’s website, can make your site a go-to resource for information on your practice areas. People searching for information on the laws in their state, or links to the local courthouse, for example, could find your website if you create helpful pages with this information.
Or, someone asking “What happens to my license if I get a DUI?” or “Will losing my job impact my child support?” in a search engine may land on your blog posts about those very topics. In short, you want the website to serve as a helpful resource while making your law firm appear as the subject matter expert. Just be sure to include a disclaimer that the information on the website is not considered legal advice for liability purposes.
Expand On Questions Using Blog Posts
Your website’s blog is where you can provide exceptional value to potential clients, as well as offering an opportunity to sing the praises of the members of your law firm. Did one of your associates receive recognition from the local bar association? Post about it on your blog.
In addition, create helpful, relevant blog posts that offer practical advice (e.g., whether to start dating during a divorce or how to stay safe on a motorcycle) to capture people looking for information on these exact topics. Keep a list of frequently asked questions that your law firm gets from clients to answer in blog posts because if people are asking you these questions, they’re likely also asking Google these same questions.
Aim for at least 2-3 blog posts per month at first, and as you start to see targeted traffic and increased phone calls and leads, explore either producing more content or outsourcing to marketing agencies like Bad Penny Factory to help bump that number up to once or twice per week.
Your law firm’s website is one of your biggest marketing assets. It can bring in new leads, showcase your law firm’s capabilities, and give you an opportunity to build credibility within your field.
