The internet offers a great opportunity for law firms to publicize themselves, their personnel and their services. The key to gaining attention on the internet involves search engine optimization, or SEO.
Proper Use of the Internet
Members of the public who seek legal advice or representation will often use the internet, employing such search engines as Google to locate a reputable law firm. The firm that is selected may come down to the one that is the most visible. Recognition is determined by internet ranking, with businesses that stand out from the others getting more visitors and often more business. According to one study, a business that is first-place in SEO rankings will receive approximately six times more “clicks” than one that is ranked in fifth place.
Some law firms actually pay for certain keywords to help them obtain a higher internet ranking. Such a method can be expensive, however, with firms in some cases spending more than $50 for a single website visitor. Fortunately, it is possible to attract visitors without paying a search engine outlet, but this will require good writing techniques and a long-term strategy. It will also require a certain amount of time and plenty of patience.
How to Obtain SEO Recognition
The search engine Google employs its own algorithm to review the billions of pages of content that are available on the internet. After determining what is important, it relies heavily on simple popularity to rank the websites in any given field. These are some tips that can help a firm gain greater attention on the internet:
- Try to match the wording on a page with the queries of searchers
- In order to enhance visibility, submit a site map
- Include important keywords into headers, title pages and the web address (URL)
- Use heading tags to make the content stand out
- Employ a Web page (meta) description that encourages clicking from other sites
It is also important to realize that websites and their content should always be geared to attracting users and not merely search engines, which means that every one of these tips should be taken with that in mind.
Topping Off a Winning Strategy
Among the other issues to consider are the use of internet backlinks, which are essentially citations to other sources of information, including legal publications and other law firms. Such links can be vitally important to achieving SEO recognition. However, unethical techniques when linking can lead to action by Google. The use of keywords are also important in gaining attention, but the “stuffing” or words or phrases to attain this goal should be avoided.
Proper SEO utilization is the modern way for law firms to reach out to the communities they serve.
