Search Engine Marketing Strategy

Everything About Search Engine Marketing Strategy

When you're beginning to market your law firm website, you need to plan ahead. Having search engine marketing strategies in place before you begin to redesign your website or plan a social media presence can make a big difference to the effectiveness of your SEO marketing. This guide will help you understand some common search engine marketing strategies that work, and also some that are less likely to get you the new clients your business needs to thrive.

Common Search Engine Marketing Strategy Mistakes

Search engine marketing strategies are not all created equal. While a search engine marketing strategy that's done right can bring many new clients to your firm, bad planning can lead to disastrous results. Here are some of the most common mistakes that people have made when their search engine marketing strategies fail:

• Bad content. If your content is repetitive or seems like a keyword-laden ad, your search engine marketing strategy has failed. This kind of marketing tends to turn off potential clients and can lead to having a lower conversion rate.

• Bad design. No matter how good your search engine marketing strategies are, you are unlikely to draw in new clients with a website that looks outdated or has broken links. Clients view your website as an extension of your law firm, and websites that look shoddy can make your firm seem unprofessional and out of touch.

• Prestige keywords. When firms are developing their search engine marketing strategies, they often decide to use pay per click (PPC) advertising with “prestige” keywords that are very expensive. However, the rate of return on these keywords isn't always good, and you may end up wasting money if most of the clicks are other firms considering using similar keywords in their search engine marketing strategy.

• Staying isolated. The web today is a social tool as well as an informational one. If you want your search engine marketing strategies to work, your website can't be an internet island, unconnected to any other sites. Your search engine marketing strategy needs to include connections to client review websites and social media outlets.

Search Engine Marketing Strategy #1: Niche Marketing

If your search engine marketing strategies include pay per click ads, you'll need to understand the basics of niche marketing. If you want to consider what kind of niche to market to, it's time to look at your firm's client base and what your real strengths are. Think about the kind of client you want, and then consider what that client starts by looking for.

“Atlanta personal injury attorney” may be a very expensive click, but you might be able to get something closer to your practice's real area of expertise—be it car accidents, plane crashes, or birth defects—for considerably less.

If your firm offers contingency fees, it can be a good search engine marketing strategy to focus on keywords involving the costs of hiring a lawyer in your practice area. In order to maximize the returns from this kind of ad, your search engine marketing strategies should focus on content: you'll need to have a page on your firm's website clearly outlining the basics of your firm's fee structures. Without this information, clients who have questions about attorney fees will find answers from another firm's website.

Search Engine Marketing Strategy #2: Video Marketing

One of the most profitable search engine marketing strategies you can incorporate into your firm's website is video marketing. Even a few brief videos can increase your web presence in a way that turns clicks into paying clients. When your search engine marketing strategy includes video, clients become several times more likely to call your firm once they've clicked through to your website.

The videos that you include in your search engine marketing strategies should be appropriately tagged and make your firm look human and relatable. Showing some personality is a good idea: make clients see the individuality of your firm, and you're more likely to keep their business.

Search Engine Marketing Strategy #3: Social Media Presence

If you're not familiar with social media, developing a presence for your law firm on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites may seem intimidating. However, these sites can form the backbone of successful search engine marketing strategies today. If you want to have a successful search engine marketing strategy, you need to make sure that your law firm can communicate fluently using social media.

If you're already familiar with social media sites, you can focus on maintaining a presence on these sites that makes your firm's personality and unique strengths apparent. Make sure that your Facebook feed represents the brand that you want to show to the public, and you'll be able to bring in more clients from social media. Pay attention to the feedback you receive—give your clients more of what they “like” and less of what they don't.

Search Engine Marketing Strategy #4: Blogs and Legal Content

In order to bring in clients who are doing very specific web queries, you have to have a great deal of content about a wide range of specific legal issues. One of the best ways to tie this into your social media presence and search engine marketing strategies is to start a blog for your firm or a practice group within it.

The content contained within your blog should be SEO-conscious, but shouldn't look like an advertisement. You want people who read your blog entries to trust the accuracy of your information, and to find it readable as well. Make sure to keep your keyword density high enough for search engine optimization, but not so high that readers of your blog think it looks like spam.

There's no one right way to write a blog, and no one right way to address legal topics. You may want to consult with branding specialists who can help you better understand the art of blogging for your brand. It's worth speaking with professionals to ensure that your blog is putting your law firm's best foot forward.