Law Firm Marketing: Internet Marketing for Rainmakers, Part 1 of 3
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Last month there were more than 31 million Internet searches for the words “lawyer” or “attorney” in the U.S.
So I hope there are no longer any attorneys out there interested in marketing their practices that still believe people don’t use the Internet to find lawyers! My first three posts this week will detail several of the best practices in becoming a rainmaker on the Internet.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the ongoing process of optimizing your website to be found on the search engines -- Google, Yahoo! and Bing -- for the keywords and phrases that people will use to find you.
The goal of SEO is to drive qualified traffic to your website. It does not include pay-per-click (PPC) or paid search. There are more than 30 different components commonly used by SEO experts to help your website rank well. Below are the first three strategies to get you started.
1. Know the keywords people use to search for your services. There are many tools you can use to find out exactly which keywords and phrases people use. I recommend you start with www.wordtracker.com and Google’s Keyword Tool, which can be found at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal. In most searches, there are three parts used: geographical location, practice area, and the word “lawyer” or “attorney.”
For example, someone looking for a personal injury lawyer in southern California may use “Los Angeles personal injury lawyer,” whereas someone in Chicago looking to file for bankruptcy may search for “Chicago bankruptcy attorney.” However, people are starting to use more and more words to describe what they are looking for: “I was injured in a car accident in Miami and need an attorney.” This is known as long tail search.
Key Action Steps:
- Talk to your prospects and clients and find out what words and phrases they use to look for a lawyer in your practice area.
- Research those keywords and find out how many other people use them.
- Make a list of 20 to 30 words and phrases to use in your website.
2. Use keywords in your domain name. When possible, use the actual words with which you want prospects to find you. Many law firms are still using the traditional method of naming their website the same as their law firm name, which can make it difficult to spell, harder to find, and does not assist their SEO efforts. However, be sure to check your state’s ethical requirements before settling on a new website name; some states do not allow lawyers to use any other domain name than their law firm’s name.
Key Action Steps:
- Use multiple domain names.
- Register your own name first, then register domain names with your keywords in it.
- Use www.godaddy.com to register multiple variations. Even if you are not going to use them now, you may want them later.
3. Create compelling copy. I strongly recommend you consider hiring a professional copywriter to write the copy on your website. Yes, I know, every lawyer out there writes for a living. However, the gulf between writing a great legal brief and creating compelling copy can be vast. The number-one purpose of your website is to compel visitors to pick up the phone and call you. A great copywriter can create credible copy that will get your phone ringing.
Another purpose of your website copy is to help you rank well in the search engines. One way to do this is by using the exact same words and phrases you researched in step one in the copy of your website. Each page should focus on four to six phrases. For example, one page may focus on four phrases such as “Orange County California personal injury lawyers,” “Orange County California personal injury attorneys,” “Los Angeles California personal injury lawyers,” and “Los Angeles County California personal injury attorneys.”
Key Action Steps:
- Consider hiring a professional copywriter to write your website copy.
- Be sure to include on each page the keywords for which you want to rank high.
- Include a call to action on every page. Tell people what you want them to do: call you, register, sign up, etc.
Check back for more rainmaking Internet strategies tomorrow.
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Phoenix Attorneys: Learn About Finding Your Perfect Client at August 18 Legal Networking Group
Join us on Wednesday, August 18, when Stephen will address a meeting of the Phoenix Legal Networking Group on Finding Your Perfect Client: How To Find More Clients Who Need, Want And Can Afford Your Services. You will learn:
- How to identify your ideal target market
- The most expensive thing in your law firm (and it's not your staff)
- The 4 reasons why people really hire an attorney
- How to create a profile of your perfect client
- The top 4 factors in determining your ideal client
The event will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18 at Monti’s, 100 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe. Cost is only $20 per person.
To register for this seminar, co-hosted by FindLaw, Attorney at Law Magazine and The Rainmaker Institute, click here.
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