The goal of digital marketing for attorneys is to generate quality leads from your website.
While there are many components to generating quality leads from your website as an attorney, three accessible places for anyone to start are:
- Specialization
- Fresh content
- Inbound links to your website
Specialization: As an attorney, the more specialized you are, the better outcome you will have with your digital marketing efforts.
The key to digital marketing is ranking well for the keywords potential clients use to search for you online.
The less competition you have for a keyword, the more likely you will rank higher.
Suppose you are a litigation attorney working with doctors, and you list that information on your website. If that is the case, if a doctor is searching online for a litigation attorney, your website is more likely to appear in the search engines than someone who is less specific.
Start small if you have several areas of specialization and your time and resources are limited. Hone in on one specialty before adding others to your website. You cannot be everything to everyone, and people want to find a “true” expert for their specific needs.
Fresh content: Understanding what your target audience is looking for online and writing about it is a sure way to get found in the search engines, too. Most attorneys (unless they work for a large law firm with a marketing department) have static websites with generic content. Search engines favor new relevant content, so they rank higher than content that has been sitting there for years.
Another benefit to adding fresh content is that you can answer frequently asked questions potential clients might be searching for online such as, “why do I need an estate plan?” If someone asks that question online, and you are an estate planning attorney, you want your website to be the one that shows up. If you are creating content regularly, you will be. Keep track of frequently asked questions from your clients and answer those questions online. If your clients ask these questions, others online will also be asking the same ones.
Inbound links: It is also essential to have inbound links from other websites that link back to your website. Do you belong to the local bar association, Chamber, or other business groups? If you do, ensure that your profile is complete and that there are links back to your website, as it will help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and your digital marketing efforts.
Again, the more specific you can get and the more consistent you can get with your online profiles, the better it is for your digital marketing. In addition to membership organizations, ensure your profiles are optimized and have consistent information listed on Google My Business, Bing, Yelp, and other relevant law firm business directories.
Being specialized, providing fresh content, and having inbound links to your website are great ways for an attorney to have a successful online presence and generate quality inbound leads. The tips listed above are ones that anyone can implement without outside help. Success with this takes consistent effort and being thoughtful about how potential clients might find you online.
