Content marketing is an effective way to obtain new clients and increase a law firm’s revenue. Content marketing is a powerful component of an overall SEO strategy to drive traffic to a website and show up at the top of Google’s search engine rankings.
Examples of Content Marketing for Law Firms
Some examples of content marketing include, but are not limited to:
- Websites
- Blogs
- Articles
- Guides
- E-books
- FAQs
- Press releases
- Infographics
- Case Studies
- Podcasts
- Videos
Providing pertinent information or guidance to an interested audience is considered effective marketing content.
Content Marketing is Important
Most people use Google as a primary search engine. If Google ranks your website high, your site will show up on the first page of search results, driving even more traffic to your site. Google’s key factors for determining which results appear first are:
- The query’s meaning
- Content relevance
- Content quality
- Webpage ease of use
- Context and settings
Content is one of the most important factors for reaching the top of search results. Ranking at the top of a results page can be achieved by consistently adding relevant, useful content.
Content Marketing Elements
Effective content marketing must include elements like SEO, backlinks, user experience, and more.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
All content needs to be optimized for search engines. To accomplish this, it is helpful to:
- Use keywords that match users’ intent
- Integrate internal links to your other pages
- Add user signals
- Format content for target-featured clips
- Demonstrate local community relevance
- Optimize page titles and meta descriptions
- Use short, descriptive URLs
- Use enhanced graphics
- Create a mobile-friendly site
- Remove issues that create slow loading
Backlinks
When another website links to your website, it is called a backlink. Reputable websites with a high domain authority linking to your website increase your credibility and improve your overall SEO. Google considers backlinks important factors for ranking and notices when your website is linked to other highly regarded websites.
Answering common questions is sure to get high-quality backlinks, as other websites will want to link to your helpful information. Google’s goal is to help people find the information searched. Google does this by placing the most useful information at the top of the result pages. Backlinks let Google know that your page is authoritative and trustworthy.
User Experience
When a user searches for a topic, Google or other search engines use various factors to find websites to satisfy a user’s request. Search engines consider bounce rates, dwell times, and engagement to find the most valuable resources for the user searching. Google will list your website high in the search results if other users spend a good amount of time on your website. If users spend a long time on your site, Google determines that the user experience is positive.
Creating Quality Content
Content must be useful, timely, and well-designed to keep visitors from bouncing. Creating quality content involves multiple items.
Identifying Your Target Audience
Some types of visitors you may want to attract include people experiencing legal problems, people who want to better understand the law, and lawyers that may refer clients to you. Once you figure out your potential clients, write content to attract this audience.
Using Relevant Keywords
Relevant keywords must be incorporated into a quality website naturally. Law firms must carefully evaluate which keywords are used more often in searches. Tools like Google Search Console can help you analyze which keywords will attract your most ideal clients.
Ease of Reading
Your content must be easy to read. The average visitor to your website likely does not have a degree in law, so it is beneficial for your website to be written at a lower reading level. Breaking up text to make it easier to read is also helpful. Include descriptive headers, numbered and bulleted lists, and clear instructions or a call to action.
Visitor’s Needs Must Be Met
Keep your visitor’s needs and questions in mind when designing content and deciding on topics. Figure out the best way to present information. Do you wish to design a detailed practice outline or video describing a legal issue? Do you want to present a short informative blog or a thorough resource page discussing statutory requirements? Gear pages towards your visitors’ needs and wants, and you will attract the right visitors to your website.
Relevance in the Future
Search engines also consider the relevance of pages and how long they will remain current. Content should provide lasting significance, which is known as evergreen content. If your site provides reliable content that will last, search engines will deem your website to be reputable. It is wise to concentrate on long-lasting topics. Then, you will not have to update your content quite as often.
Fully Answering User’s Questions
Content should be comprehensive. Readers should leave your website satisfied with the answers given. Quality content ensures satisfied readers. Provide a complete analysis of the issue and convince the reader that hiring a lawyer is in their best interest.
Presenting Original Content
Google determines whether the content is original and rewards sites for originality. A law firm’s website must show its authority while presenting its original content to achieve high SEO rankings.
Including Multimedia Channels
Websites should include photos, videos, and other graphic forms. Google ranks websites higher when various multimedia formats are utilized.
Providing Internal and External Links
Internal and external links must be used to be considered a high-quality website and earn high search engine rankings. An internal link will lead users to useful content pages. External links connect to other credible websites.
Publishing Across Multiple Channels
Maximize high-quality content by publishing it across multiple media channels, including social media, YouTube, Google Business Profile, and your website.
Digital Marketing Next Steps
Content is king. It always has been and it always will be king. The more new, relevant content you consistently place on your website, the more of an asset it will be for your law firm. Start to develop a digital marketing strategy that incorporates consistently published content on your website and social media.
Annette Choti, Esq. graduated from law school 20 years ago, and is the Founder of Law Quill, a legal digital marketing agency focused on small and solo law firms. Annette wrote the bestselling book Click Magnet: The Ultimate Digital Marketing Guide For Law Firms, and hosts the podcast Legal Marketing Lounge. She is a sought-after keynote and CLE speaker throughout the United States and Canada. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so different from the legal field if we are all being honest. Annette can be found on LinkedIn or at at annette@lawquill.com.
