Ways to Maximize Your Visibility and Impact on the Internet
Let’s face it…in today’s world, you must have an online presence if you want to build a healthy practice. If you’re going to spend the money, though, you want to be certain you’re taking all the right steps to maximize your online visibility. Here are some of the “must-do’s” for an effective digital marketing strategy.
SEO…SEO…SEO
You can have the most engaging design, compelling content, user-friendly navigation and a fully functioning site. It won’t do you much good, though, if nobody visits your website. That’s why SEO (search engine optimization) is so critical. It’s always a good idea to engage the services of experienced SEO professionals, but there are some things you can do on your own:
- Make certain you know the words and phrases people use when looking for the services you offer. At a minimum, every page should have the words “lawyer” and “attorney,” and you want some use of practice area terms.
- More pages with information about specific practice areas is always better than a page or two with general information.
- Make certain you have both inbound and outbound links—links coming into your site and going out to other sites. You want those links going to and coming from other sites with relevant content and some level of respectability.
- Use plug-ins to boost your site’s SERP (search engine results page) ranking.
Content Matters
Conversely, it won’t matter how many people come to your website if nobody contacts you. As a general rule, it’s what you say on your pages—your content—that makes people reach out to you. Make certain it answers your web visitors’ questions, telling them what you do, where you’re located and why they should hire you. Remember that you’re reaching out to consumers, not other lawyers. Communicate to your potential client base in language they can understand.
Pay Attention to Branding
Branding involves creating a unique presence for your firm. Stay away from template designs, create a customized logo, tagline or image. Use that logo, tagline and image in all your online marketing efforts, from your website to e-mails to social media.
Consider a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaign
Chances are good that there are a lot of other lawyers in your area offering many of the same services you do. You can mount a strong SEO campaign and still find yourself lagging on Google’s search engine results page. With a pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign, you can target specific clients and appear at the top of the results page. In addition, because people don’t generally click on an attorney’s advertisement unless they need legal counsel, you’ll have a higher number of qualified leads.
Include Feedback from Other Clients
More and more, online reviews are having an impact on the conversion of web visitors to clients. Always ask satisfied clients to post a positive review on your website or on other platforms.
GetLegal Offers Comprehensive Online Reputation Management for Attorneys
At GetLegal, we have provided comprehensive online marketing services to lawyers and law firms for more than a decade. Our powerful Catalyst reputation management product helps ensure that prospective clients have exposure to positive reviews of your practice. To learn more about how we can help you maintain a good reputation online, call us at 817-359-7077 or use our convenient online form.
