Digital marketing strategies are constantly changing, and implementing the right method differs between every industry. So it’s not surprising when law firms aren’t able to keep up with marketing best practices, especially if they don’t have a dedicated marketing team agency working for them.
Here are several online marketing tools and techniques that every lawyer and law firm should know and follow – regardless of what area of practice you are operating in.
Optimize your website so that it is mobile friendly
There are currently over 85% of Canadians and Americans who use smartphones and tablets on a daily basis. At this point in time, more people are using their mobile devices to perform searches than using computers. In fact, over 70 percent of organic search engine visits occur on mobile devices. Because of this trend, Google have engineered their algorithm so that you are more likely to show up on search results if you have a mobile friendly website.
There are other benefits to have a mobile optimized website, such as:
- Your ability to improve and provide a good user experience
- Improved mobile site’s loading speed
- Improved local SEO and mobile SEO
If you don’t have a website that is mobile-friendly, odds are, your potential clients will go back to Google and visit one of your competitor’s websites.
List Your Law Firm on Legal and Local Directories
Attracting new clients is very achievable. By listing your law firm on a local or legal directory, you leverage this marketing tool that is not only powerful, but also cost effective.
By maintaining and updating your law firm’s directory on a timely basis, you are giving your potential clients an additional medium to find you online and to make it easier for others to find your firm’s website. There are a few legal directories that allow lawyers to publish legal articles as well.
In addition to attracting more clients, you’re also able to let other law firms find you. Sometimes other firms will refer cases to other lawyers and will find reputable lawyers like you. By marketing yourself this way, you’re able to get more cases from other firms.
Lastly, having your firm’s website listed on directories is a good way to build valuable back-links which will support your SEO efforts.
Optimize your Content with Targeted Practice Keywords
By researching your keywords ahead of time, you’re able to find the terms that potential clients are using to find the legal services that they need. Once you decide on the keywords that are the most relevant, you can tailor your firm’s articles and contents strategically. Through proven techniques, you have the potential of ranking higher in search results and help you increase the quantity of quality leads.
Here is a basic guide in keyword research. The keywords you choose should:
- Be related and relevant to your area of practice
- Be specific and highly targeted
- Have the ability to maintain a steady level of traffic
- Be competitive but achievable
Check out our recent blog about Keyword Research and Competitive Analysis to learn more about the technical foundations around keyword research and this SEO strategy.
Strengthen your Presence on Google
As mentioned above, it is important that you build a strong online presence, especially on search engines such as Google. When you first start a law firm or when your new website goes live, if you do not have a Google My Business account, you probably won’t land on page 1 of Google.
If you are able to update your Google My Business page by including photos of your office, a full address, phone number and a link to your website, it will greatly increase your local SEO. By continuously establishing a strong and consistent presence on Google, your ranking will gradually improve with time.
Money alone can’t buy Google’s rank. You can consider the following tips and tricks to improve your Google ranking:
- Improve your website and improve your page speed
- Stay consistent with optimizing your online content for SEO
- Optimize for local search, images and even voice search
- Fix any broken links to boost traffic and establish the authority of your site
Post Articles Catered Towards Your Area of Practice
Speaking of SEO, writing content, articles and blogs and posting them on your website is another great way to boost your SEO efforts. Search engine optimization (SEO) and content are interconnected.
Blogs allow your firm to educate others about your specific area of practice, demonstrate your expertise and build trust, and to help potential clients find answers to their questions. One of the main benefits of blogging is that it drives leads to your firm and creates engagement.
There are several content strategies that you can dabble in:
- Write articles about your recent cases and how your firm handled the issues
- Talk about your firm’s stance in current events backed by statistics
- Create tutorials, how-to guides and answer frequently asked questions
- Post educational videos in order to educate your audience regarding particular legal matters
Once you have your content on your website, make sure you post them on other channels in order to drive even more traffic. This includes your social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn), and any forum and legal directories that you might be involved in.
In order to increase and improve your Google’s ranking, you will need to provide high-quality content on a regular basis. This will also give you a good reason to stay relevant and update your website regularly.
Have a Strong Call-to-Action on Your Website
A call to action (CTA) is a vital feature on any website that wants to convert their leads into clients. With the competitive nature of online marketing and the increasingly short attention span of people, you only have a few seconds to get your visitors attention.
CTAs can take many forms. These can included, but are not limited to:
- Providing a phone number to call the firm
- A button for visitors to schedule a free consultation
- A form for your visitors to fill out
- A guide or resource that your visitors can click, interact with or download
In order to create an effective call to action, you’ll need to focus on the value that it provides by communicating what the visitor should expect after they engage with your CTA. For example, once they schedule a free consultation with your firm, will they be conducting this through Zoom or over the phone? If you encourage your visitors to fill out a form submission, when are they likely to hear back from you.
Ultimately, you want to create a tool where your potential clients can reach out to you in the simplest way possible.
Want to Work with a Team of Legal Marketing Specialists?
At Soulpepper Legal Marketing, we have helped law firms of varying sizes grow their business online, and we would love to help you too.
Our team is composed of industry leading experts that are specialized in every area of digital marketing. Our digital marketing strategies are tailored to the Lawyers we work with so that each client gets the most our of their digital marketing efforts.
Give us a call today or complete this quiz to schedule a free legal marketing consultation. Let us show you what we can do to grow your law firm.
