The beginning of a new year is a great time to think about your professional goals and what steps you can take to achieve them. For many law firms, increasing online visibility is a top priority. Recent trends indicate that the key to attracting more visitors to your website and/or blog posts is to consistently offer high-quality content. Instead of stuffing each page with buzzwords that appeal to search engines, trust that creating relevant content for actual potential clients ends up setting your site apart in the long run. Let’s take a look at some ways that you—and the LegalRev team—can purposely work towards building your law firm’s visibility in the new year.
Tip #1: Creating Meaningful & Optimized Content to Boost Your Firm’s Rankings
In the past, writing search engine optimized (SEO) content generally meant scattering some keywords throughout each web page or post, hoping that search engines would attach to the keywords and direct traffic to your site. However, with the launch of Google’s BERT algorithm in 2019, it appears that keyword research may soon become obsolete. Instead, legal practices wishing to attract more visitors are focusing on writing authentic content that’s ideally shaped in response to client interest. With so many options out there, customers are increasingly drawn to brands and firms that make an effort to listen to what the public wants. Anticipate what your clients are looking for, and structure your content to provide them with the legal guidance they need. The more genuine and relevant your content is, the more likely it is that clients will be drawn to work with you.
Tip #2: Offering an Engaging Mobile Experience for Potential Clients
As of 2015, more people are accessing the web from a mobile phone than they are from a computer. In fact, as much as 70 percent of web traffic takes place on a mobile device. However, many law firms are unaware of how to offer an engaging mobile experience. Since business websites are typically designed with desktop or laptop computers in mind, it’s easy to forget to consider how the website experience for a client will differ when accessed from a mobile device. By focusing on creating a top-notch mobile interface, you’re more likely to attract and retain visitors for longer periods of time. An effective mobile experience needs to load quickly (within three seconds or less), be visually engaging, and immediately provide clients with the information or answers they want—nearly 70 percent of smartphone users say they are more likely to engage with companies whose mobile sites clearly address their questions or concerns. Make sure you are making deliberate efforts to provide an attractive, clear, and streamlined mobile experience to your clients in 2020.
Tip #3: Optimizing Your Legal Content for Voice-Based Searches
Instead of typing in keywords to generate a web search, more people are opting to use voice search technology to access the information they need. When you verbally ask Alexa, Siri, or Google to search the internet for you, the search terms you use will probably be different from the words you’d type into a search engine. As a legal professional, it’s helpful to be aware of how voice searches are phrased so that you can ensure your content is optimized to respond directly to these questions or keywords. According to a recent survey, the top three keywords in voice search phrases are “how,” “what,” and “best.” Structuring your content to include these terms and to provide direct answers to what clients are searching for can boost your firm’s overall visibility. It’s estimated that, as of 2020, approximately half of all searches across the internet will be voiced-based. So, by writing content in a natural, conversational tone, you will likely see an increase in client engagement over time.
Tip #4: Presenting Cohesive Visual Branding for Your Law Practice
While offering engaging and high-quality written content on your firm’s website and in your blog posts, emails, and newsletters is important, creating memorable and attractive visuals is essential. As consumers are spending more time online, they are developing visual preferences for certain aesthetics, whether consciously or not. The visuals you use should be chosen based on what type of audience you are hoping to attract. In general, using a few colors that work well together—and using this palette consistently—sends the message that your law firm’s identity is cohesive and polished. Other elements, such as font choices, images, and the layout of the site, are equally important to presenting a clear and consistent user experience. As you reevaluate your website in 2020, think about the clients you are hoping to attract. From there, make content and visual choices that address their wants, needs, concerns, questions, and goals.
