Legal Online Marketing

Below is an article I wrote for a local chapter of ALA on legal marketing. Tomorrow I will post the top 10 questions you should ask of a person or company before choosing them to help you with your legal SEO, SEM or other online marketing effort. When Toby Brown provided me with a list of questions to ask of online backup systems I found that more useful then any number of articles because it gave me a road map for how I can do by own diligence in finding the best solution for my organization.

Checking Your Homework: Does Your Legal Website Make the Grade?
By: Paul Hager, IT Manager Balisle & Roberson S.C.

I often hear lawyers talk about how there is no way they could ever be in the top 10 on Google or Yahoo’s search engine rankings. Excuses abound for not making an online marketing effort, the most common being that we don’t have the money or resources. Almost everyone, however, can have success on the Internet with careful and targeted Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This phrase has gotten a lot of use in the last five years as search marketing companies are becoming recognized as true marketing professionals. As with all industries, there are a range of talents. Unfortunately you can find companies sending out emails saying they can get you on the top 10 on Google overnight! Stay away from fancy promises. Marketing online, especially for lawyers, needs to be done carefully and in line with your business model. Even if you market your business successfully you must have the business structures in place to handle the new growth in a positive and profitable manner.
The first step in online marketing has nothing to do with computers or fancy code. The task is to establish what keywords or search terms are most relevant to your customers. The most important thing to realize is that if you are a family law firm, your goal should not be to be listed in the top 10 on Google for just the phrase "family law". While it is a fine goal, you are not only competing against lawyer sites but commercial and junk sites as well. With some work and assistance from outside marketing help, you could probably be successful in this broad term. It is, however, more beneficial if you can be found under "Wisconsin Family Law Attorney". This is a very relevant search since anyone who types that in is more likely to be searching for an attorney to hire in their local area then someone simply enters a generic phrase. You will be surprised who comes up under these terms and how many times they are used in a month. If your site can capture all 30 searches in a month under these terms, you will get a greater ROI then getting 1,000 hits from a broad term that people immediately leave the site when they realize its an attorney.
What goes into search engine rankings? If I knew every part then I would be a rich person. Search Engines use complex algorithms to categorize and rank websites. These may include things like having compliant code, using HTML or PHP code instead of ASPX or ASP. Having alternate image tags, keywords in the META tags at the top of each page, and page titles to list a few. While these changes may not boost you to the top of the rankings, take a look at your website and decide whether you measure up:
1) Is the website easy to navigate? An attorneys’ goal is a contact or a phone call. Is there a contact form or phone number on EVERY page?
2) Is the site picture heavy? Very pretty sites can be very bad for search engines. Search engine "spiders" or "bots" are not intelligent. They cannot see pictures and read the page from the code side going from the top down. Using a basic browser like Lynx Viewer can help you see your site through the eyes of a bot. If your site no longer makes sense then it is not making sense to the bots.
3) The page title should be very descriptive. For example, do not use "Welcome to my website" instead use: "Family Law Attorney - Wisconsin Divorce Lawyers - Balisle & Roberson - Divorce Home." The title should change from page to page as well. Home should change to a subject heading, for example the military divorce page the title should now include the word "military" as well.
4) Links, Links, Links. Getting websites that are relevant to your area of practice to link to your site will have the greatest impact. This takes time and patience and involves finding free directories, paid directories, and individual sites to link to your page. HINT: See who links to your competitors and make sure you have links from the same sites and more.
5) META keywords and description. Similar to the title, this code is hidden at the top of each page should list the keywords you are attempting to target with Search Engines. Put the most important ones first in the list. This used to be the most important factor before people learned what value Search Engines provided businesses. Today this is downgraded in importance, but should be done.
6) Content is king. You must provide examples to customers demonstrating that you know what you are doing in your field. Posting articles that you have written that use those same keywords we picked out earlier. This will show clients your expertise and show the search engines that you are relevant. This can take time, but it is a great opportunity for associates and paralegals to research and write articles that can be picked up by publishers on the Internet and that increase your firm’s brand and web position.
Ask yourself and your expense reports whether you are getting your value from Yellow Page advertising and other print ads. The Internet is increasingly becoming the only place people go to find their next professional or next product to buy. Increased marketing success for law firms may depend on their ability to stay ahead in this changing environment.
NOTE: The State Bar in all 50 states have different restrictions and regulations on what types of advertising lawyers can do and how they go about it. Check with the State Bar ethics committee in your area for the complete list of rules and clarifications.