The Legal Marketing Association's South Florida City Group recently held a meeting on Internet marketing and search engine optimization (also known as SEO).
As the group's 2008 Co-Chair, I had the honor of introducing speaker Jay Berkowitz, CEO of Ten Golden Rules (www.tengoldenrules.com).
Here are a few Internet marketing "best practices" for law firms that Jay shared with the group:
1. Using the analogy of "an apple a day," Jay suggests adding one page to your web site every day. Of course, this is not always possible given the demands of a busy law firm. However, the point is that adding fresh copy to your law firm's web site on a regular basis is an excellent way to gain great search engine visibility for your legal practice.
2. Try to get clients, associations and other partners to link to your law firm's web site. Inbound links will increase your search engine placement on Google and other search engines.
3. "Search Engine Optimized PR" is also important for search engine visibility. When issuing a press release, post it to your web site about 24 hours in advance of releasing it to a wire service so that search engines can read and create a link to the release. Be sure to include important keywords in the headline and body copy of your press release.
As I always say, "you must be present to win" on the Internet. These are great tips to help create high rankings in the search engines (Google, Yahoo! and others) for your law firm.
Showing posts with label search engine optimization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label search engine optimization. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Law Firm Marketing Tips for Search Engine Optimization
Last week the Legal Marketing Association's South Florida City Group held a meeting on Internet marketing.
As the group's 2008 Co-Chair, I had the honor of moderating the session featuring speaker Jay Berkowitz, CEO of Ten Golden Rules (http://www.tengoldenrules.com/).
Here are a few Internet marketing "best practices" for law firms that Jay shared with the group:
1. Using the analogy of "an apple a day," Jay suggests adding one page to your web site every day. Of course, this is not always possible given the demands of a busy law firm. However, the point is that adding fresh copy to your law firm's web site on a regular basis is an excellent way to gain great search engine visibility for your legal practice.
2. Try to get clients, associations and other partners to link to your law firm's web site. Inbound links will increase your search engine placement on Google and other search engines.
3. "Search Engine Optimized PR" is also important for search engine visibility. When issuing a press release, post it to your web site about 24 hours in advance of releasing it to a wire service so that search engines can read and create a link to the release. Be sure to include important keywords in the headline and body copy of your press release.
As I always say, "you must be present to win on the Internet." These are great tips to help create high rankings in the search engines (Google, Yahoo! and others) for your law firm.
As the group's 2008 Co-Chair, I had the honor of moderating the session featuring speaker Jay Berkowitz, CEO of Ten Golden Rules (http://www.tengoldenrules.com/).
Here are a few Internet marketing "best practices" for law firms that Jay shared with the group:
1. Using the analogy of "an apple a day," Jay suggests adding one page to your web site every day. Of course, this is not always possible given the demands of a busy law firm. However, the point is that adding fresh copy to your law firm's web site on a regular basis is an excellent way to gain great search engine visibility for your legal practice.
2. Try to get clients, associations and other partners to link to your law firm's web site. Inbound links will increase your search engine placement on Google and other search engines.
3. "Search Engine Optimized PR" is also important for search engine visibility. When issuing a press release, post it to your web site about 24 hours in advance of releasing it to a wire service so that search engines can read and create a link to the release. Be sure to include important keywords in the headline and body copy of your press release.
As I always say, "you must be present to win on the Internet." These are great tips to help create high rankings in the search engines (Google, Yahoo! and others) for your law firm.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Lawyers Pay the Price on Google
Ever wonder how much attorneys are paying for their text ads on Google?
An article in today's New York Times entitled "Competing for Clients, and Paying by the Click," reports that plaintiff attorneys are paying $58.03 per click for "Oakland personal injury lawyer," $51.68 per click for "asbestos attorney," and $65.21 for "mesothelioma attorney texas." Click here to read the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/us/15bar.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Other types of lawyers bid for web site traffic via Google as well. The term "tax lawyer" goes for $34.32 per click, "bankruptcy lawyer" for $8.46 per click, and "patent lawyer" for $5.08.
Does it make sense to pay this much for a potential legal client? It might, but first you have to evaluate the metrics. If the average case for the Oakland personal injury attorney is worth $5,000, and at least one of every 85 clicks (at a cost of $58.03 per click) each converts, then the attorney has simply broken even (not factoring in any other costs, like the expense of administering the ad campaign).
A click is just the beginning, like a response to a direct mail campaign. You may send out 100 letters and get 10 responses, but only one of the ten converts to a client. This gives you a 10% response rate and a 10% conversion rate, but on the overall campaign it is only a 1% result. Internet marketing web works in a similar fashion.
Before jumping into an expensive online ad campaign, law firms and lawyers should analyze their web site carefully. Be sure to have high keyword density on each web page, the proper metatags, and the ability to capture visitor information (address, name, email, phone or whatever is important to you). All of these factors (and more) are elements of search engine optimization, which will improve your law firm's web site ranking in the free search results.
Speaking of capturing visitor information, give strong consideration to storing visitor-supplied leads directly into a database that helps you measure and track your campaign results over time. Prospects require some level of conversion effort, which could take days, weeks or months.
A strong web site analytics program is also important to monitor your web site traffic and the conversion rate from visitor to prospect. Be aware of suspicious "click fraud," or the unscrupulous efforts of competing firms to deplete your click budget by clicking on your ads themselves.
Internet marketing is a wonderful tool, and one that many law firms do not take fully maximize. The caution here is to undertake an online marketing campaign that generates a measured return using the right set of marketing metrics. Like I say, you must be present to win on the Internet. Stake out your claim and monitor your results.
CyberWire (www.cwire.org) publishes lists of the most expensive search terms on its web site.
An article in today's New York Times entitled "Competing for Clients, and Paying by the Click," reports that plaintiff attorneys are paying $58.03 per click for "Oakland personal injury lawyer," $51.68 per click for "asbestos attorney," and $65.21 for "mesothelioma attorney texas." Click here to read the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/us/15bar.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Other types of lawyers bid for web site traffic via Google as well. The term "tax lawyer" goes for $34.32 per click, "bankruptcy lawyer" for $8.46 per click, and "patent lawyer" for $5.08.
Does it make sense to pay this much for a potential legal client? It might, but first you have to evaluate the metrics. If the average case for the Oakland personal injury attorney is worth $5,000, and at least one of every 85 clicks (at a cost of $58.03 per click) each converts, then the attorney has simply broken even (not factoring in any other costs, like the expense of administering the ad campaign).
A click is just the beginning, like a response to a direct mail campaign. You may send out 100 letters and get 10 responses, but only one of the ten converts to a client. This gives you a 10% response rate and a 10% conversion rate, but on the overall campaign it is only a 1% result. Internet marketing web works in a similar fashion.
Before jumping into an expensive online ad campaign, law firms and lawyers should analyze their web site carefully. Be sure to have high keyword density on each web page, the proper metatags, and the ability to capture visitor information (address, name, email, phone or whatever is important to you). All of these factors (and more) are elements of search engine optimization, which will improve your law firm's web site ranking in the free search results.
Speaking of capturing visitor information, give strong consideration to storing visitor-supplied leads directly into a database that helps you measure and track your campaign results over time. Prospects require some level of conversion effort, which could take days, weeks or months.
A strong web site analytics program is also important to monitor your web site traffic and the conversion rate from visitor to prospect. Be aware of suspicious "click fraud," or the unscrupulous efforts of competing firms to deplete your click budget by clicking on your ads themselves.
Internet marketing is a wonderful tool, and one that many law firms do not take fully maximize. The caution here is to undertake an online marketing campaign that generates a measured return using the right set of marketing metrics. Like I say, you must be present to win on the Internet. Stake out your claim and monitor your results.
CyberWire (www.cwire.org) publishes lists of the most expensive search terms on its web site.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
LMA Bay Area Tech Program Features Internet Marketing Panel
"Must Be Present to Win: Law Firm Marketing on the Internet” is the topic of an Internet marketing panel being moderated by law firm marketing consultant Margaret Grisdela, President of Legal Expert Connections, at the Legal Marketing Association’s Bay Area Chapter Ninth Annual Technology Program in San Francisco on September 5, 2007.
“Keywords are the currency of the digital economy, convertible into cash when site visitors become clients,” said Ms. Grisdela. “Smart law firm marketers need to know how to position their firms online for search engine visibility.”
Session attendees will learn about search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing for law firms, why keywords are critical to attract visitors to a law firm’s website, and how to build client value into a law firm’s web site.
Business purchasers of legal services are turning to the Internet with increasing frequency to identify and research suitable law firms and attorneys. General Counsel might use Google, check lawyer rankings in rating services, or consult a legal directory; however, most refer to law firm web sites when they need to hire outside counsel without a personal reference.
Details on the one-day conference, including panel participants, are available at http://www.lmabayarea.org/techshow.
“Keywords are the currency of the digital economy, convertible into cash when site visitors become clients,” said Ms. Grisdela. “Smart law firm marketers need to know how to position their firms online for search engine visibility.”
Session attendees will learn about search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing for law firms, why keywords are critical to attract visitors to a law firm’s website, and how to build client value into a law firm’s web site.
Business purchasers of legal services are turning to the Internet with increasing frequency to identify and research suitable law firms and attorneys. General Counsel might use Google, check lawyer rankings in rating services, or consult a legal directory; however, most refer to law firm web sites when they need to hire outside counsel without a personal reference.
Details on the one-day conference, including panel participants, are available at http://www.lmabayarea.org/techshow.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Dykema Gossett uses Mini Sites for Search Engine Visibility
I just came across an example of a very effective law firm marketing technique that might be of interest to you.
In addition to their primary web site at www.dykema.com, the Michigan-based firm of Dykema Gossett offers a series of very targeted "mini sites" at www.dykema.com/minisites/default.asp. One of the sites is an in-depth presentation of their capabilities in the area of gaming regulation (see http://www.gaminglawyers.net/).
Here are some benefits the firm gets from using law firm mini sites:
- Higher search engine visibility through content-rich pages
- Ability to leverage investment in main web site through shared attorney bios
- Reinforce the firm's expertise as leaders in the field of gaming regulation
- Better PR by attracting journalists who cover the gaming industry
The Internet is an excellent (and frequently underutilized) way to showcase legal services. This use of mini sites is a creative approach to generate more traffic and impress visitors who want to get more information on the firm.
In addition to their primary web site at www.dykema.com, the Michigan-based firm of Dykema Gossett offers a series of very targeted "mini sites" at www.dykema.com/minisites/default.asp. One of the sites is an in-depth presentation of their capabilities in the area of gaming regulation (see http://www.gaminglawyers.net/).
Here are some benefits the firm gets from using law firm mini sites:
- Higher search engine visibility through content-rich pages
- Ability to leverage investment in main web site through shared attorney bios
- Reinforce the firm's expertise as leaders in the field of gaming regulation
- Better PR by attracting journalists who cover the gaming industry
The Internet is an excellent (and frequently underutilized) way to showcase legal services. This use of mini sites is a creative approach to generate more traffic and impress visitors who want to get more information on the firm.
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