Legal Marketing | Attorney Marketing | Marketing For Lawyers

Law week I posted this video about attorney marketing on the Internet and a number of people contacted me with follow up questions. Today I am going to try to answer some of those questions in this article and video. I am just going to answer them as they came in to me.

The Internet is a valuable part of an law firm marketing plan. Marketing on the Internet is like marketing anywhere else. The best place to start is by thinking about the things that make your law firm different and highlighting those qualities throughout your website.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Internet marketing for lawyers:

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Matt Cutts sis a great job explaining how Google works. SEO is the name for the process that will help your website land on the first page of Google when potential clients search for your services.

What is a Keyword?

A keyword is a word or phrase that people type into the search bar when they are looking for your service. For example: If you were searching for a Real Estate Lawyer in Miami you would not necessarily type in: Joe Smith, Esq. You would type in "Real Estate Lawyer Miami" that would be the Keyword.

Someone who does SEO would then optimize your website for the keyword so that when a client searches for your law firm's keywords, you come up on the first page.

How does search engine optimization work?

This is where the video below comes in. In this video I explain some of the basics of SEO.

What is "On Page" SEO?

That term means examining the content of your website, along with some of the technical aspects of the site, and making adjustments to it to make it more search engine friendly. (That is a basic definition).

What is "Off Page" SEO?

That is link building. This is what the bulk of the video above is about. When someone posts a link to your website on their website, the search engines treat it as a "vote" for that site. If your site has lots of links, then many people have voted for it, meaning it must have content that has some value.

Keep in mind that the best way to build links is to create great content that other people will want to reference.

There is a lot more to it than I outlined but those are the basic answers to the questions I received. Search Engine Optimization is tricky. You should talk to multiple experts before deciding to go with one. But remember, the key to getting great traffic to your website is great content.

This is a great video by Matt Cutts who is the head of Google's web spam team. He describes how a Google search works.

This is valuable for you and for legal marketing because if understand how it works you can understand how to make your website more friendly to it.

Here are some things I found interesting in this video:

• There are over 200 criteria for determining what search results are delivered. That means the Google algorithm is almost impossible for your average SEO guy to crack. So your neighbor-turned-SEO-expert probably only knows a little about how to get to number one on Google.
• Google takes synonyms into account in search. This makes sense but I wonder if it is only common synonyms or even some obscure synonyms.
• Google still places importance on Page Rank (something that has been promoted by "SEO experts" as untrue.
• Linking the pages of your website together though links in the actual text of articles is as important as ever.

Think about how your website is designed and think about the content on it. Is it easy for Google to tell what you do and why a client should choose you?

Google always strives to deliver the best search results based on user intent. Make your website as much about the people who will be using it as possible and you rank highly in Google search.

If you would like more information about law firm marketing on the Internet watch this video that answers basic Internet marketing questions for lawyers.

There are lots of search engine optimization gurus out there who would have you pay a small fortune to get your website on to the first page of Google. And while this is terrific, if you can afford it, there are also three other ways to get some great leads from the Internet, for free.

Here are the three ways to be found in an online search:

Google Places

This used to be called Google Local. These are the listings that come up on the map when you search for something on Google. One of the great things that Google is doing is pulling in all of the reviews and evaluations from other services - like AVVO and Yelp. So if you have a testimonial posted about you on any of those services, it will show up here as well. In addition, it appears that testimonials will help you rank highly in Google Places.

The best way to leverage this service for your law firm is to make sure you profile is completely set up and filled out. Then add some photos and videos. I would also do a sponsored link on your profile (this is a little yellow tag highlighting something your law firm offers. Finally, ask all your clients to write a review about your service and post it directly onto your Google Places profile.

Yelp

This is an online review website that is dedicated mostly to consumer-based businesses. However that should not stop you from setting up a profile for your law firm and encouraging people to write reviews for you.

Yelp search results will often rank high in Google so having a well optimized profile is something that is important.

LinkedIn

Most attorneys are familiar with LinkedIn. The majority of them feel that it is an online resume. But that is only part of the power of this platform. You can also link to other attorneys and pass referrals between cities. LinkedIn makes you a global referral partner.

LinkedIn also includes a testimonial feature. It is definitely a good idea to have people who know you, like you and trust you fill out these testimonials.

All of these services are absolutely free of charge and they can work wonders for your online presence. Make sure you take advantage of them.

Note: Please check with your local regulatory body before undertaking any specific testimonial building campaign. In some states it may be illegal for lawyers to request testimonials.

Using consultants to help with law firm marketing is a good thing. You know the law. Marketers know marketing. The Internet is a particularly complex marketing tool. Working with an Internet marketing consultant or web designer is a good idea. Here are the five questions you should ask before you hire an Internet marketing consultant.

While these questions may seem basic, hiring a law firm marketing consultant or an Internet marketing consultant or web designer to work with your law firm, is an important decision. I encourage you to choose carefully and ask the right questions before you sign a retainer agreement.

Law firm marketing is about perception. You are trying to influence the perception of people who are looking for a lawyer. First impressions are critical to your success as an attorney. This video discusses three things that are critical in making a first impression on line.

If you are serious about law firm marketing you must pay careful attention to the first impression you make when someone visits your website. As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Most lawyer websites look similar. It seems as if each lawyer marketing his services went to the Same-Old-Same-Old School of web design. The content is all about the attorney. The pages are dull and drab. And there is no way to tell one from the other. This video gives you three ways to change that.

There are three easy ways to use the Internet to differentiate your law firm from your competitors. They are:

Use Video

Video is a great tool for building relationships. Think of yourself as the Oprah of your specific market niche. Oprah covers topics that interest people and she weaves them into compelling stories. You should do that with video on your website. A short compelling video each week will do wonders for your visitor numbers.

Provide Useful and Interesting Information

Your website should not be all about you or your law firm. It should provide educational content that helps people solve problems. It should be an informative resource. Prospective clients should want to come to your website because the content is outstanding.

Make Sure Your Website Matches Your Personality

The content should reflect who you are. It should have some personality. The cardinal sin of marketing is being boring. Make sure your website design, its content and the tone are all good representations of you and your approach to life and the law.

Do you have a memorable phone number? How about the physical address where your office is located... is it in a good spot? Is it easy to find?

Attorneys spend a great deal of time thinking about these things but marketing for lawyers often doesn't include picking a good domain name for your website. Watch this video for more:

SmithJonesBrownFrank.com is not a good domain name. However MiamiLegalResources.com is a good domain name.

Most of the catchy short domain names are long gone. This means you need to go with longer names that describe a benefit to working with you. I would also include a physical location to make sure you come up near the top of the list in a local search.

Think carefully about your domain name. It is a critical component in marketing for attorneys.

There is a way for you to come up at the top of the search engine results for your local area without paying a penny or hiring a law firm marketing company. That is to set up a listing in the Google Local Directory. This video demonstrates how to do that.

Google is the top search engine in the world. Seventy percent of the population of the United States will go to the Internet to find a product or service. There are people out there right now searching for your law firm.

Will they be able to find you?

Law Firm Marketing is about getting the right message to the right market using the correct form of media. Google Local Search is a great way targeted marketing tactic for your law firm.

Get your directory listing set up today!