It’s almost impossible for law firms to run a successful practice without some type of web presence these days. Referrals from previous clients and business development will certainly drive more revenue, but much more can be had through online marketing and search engine optimization (SEO.)
The equation is pretty simple, things are only going to shift online. The thing is, you’re busy with a heavy workload and don’t have the time to run an SEO or digital marketing campaign. Effective digital marketing requires knowledge, skill, and a lot of time.
We’re going to talk about the benefits of law firm SEO services in this article, giving you some insight into what they are and how they can help.
Here are 10 Benefits of SEO Services for Law Firms
While there are a number of things you can do on your own to improve your search rankings, a truly effective campaign comes from the professionals.
Let’s get started:
1. Understanding of the Search Engine Algorithm
SEO is the process of fitting a website and its content to the preferences of search engines, or a particular search engine. In most cases, websites appeal to Google’s algorithm because it’s the most popular engine.
The algorithm is complex, with hundreds of ranking factors contributing to where a site ends up in the search results. All of those factors are dynamic. In other words, they change as the market changes and need to be accounted for.
A solid understanding of the search engine algorithm leads to effective SEO practices. Figuring out the search engine and all of its nuances, though, takes a lot of time.
Additionally, it’s important that you keep up on changes because the tides can change every day. Professionals are steeped in a deep understanding of search engine algorithms and have a finger on the pulse of each change that occurs.
2. Insightful Keyword Research
An SEO campaign is driven by the popularity of keywords and how many sites are trying to rank for those keywords. Generally speaking, the idea is to find popular keyword phrases with very low competition.
Finding keywords is a difficult thing to do. There are a number of factors to consider when you’re identifying terms, and it’s tough to isolate the right terms without using keyword research tools.
SEO professionals have access to the right tools and know-how to use them. That means your content will be optimized for the right terms, bringing in significantly more traffic.
3. Content Creation
Writing a well-optimized blog isn’t a matter of typing up your thoughts and feelings and hitting “submit.”
There’s an art to writing meaningful content that falls in the sphere of SEO best-practices. SEO services often offer the option of content creation. Your content creation effort is going to be one of the main tenets of the campaign.
It’s essential that things are done right and content is posted often. In order to have consistent, high-quality content, it’s important to work with an SEO service that understands how things should be done.
4. Local Optimization
Most law firms are beholden to the clients in their area. That means it’s important to get into local searches and optimize to outrank your local competition.
This is a subsection of general optimization and requires a little extra finesse and knowledge. Inching out your local competition will provide huge returns in terms of web traffic and conversions to paying clients.
If your competition isn’t using an SEO service and you are, you’ll find that you take on a much larger portion of local web traffic than they do.
5. On and Off-Page Optimization
Search engine algorithms take a lot of things into account. From the text in your URL to the terms used in the alternate text of an image, factors across the board affect your rankings.
The home page of your site, every blog post, even the arrangement of your site and user experience come into play. One costly failure in any of these areas could be the difference between a high and low ranking.
6. Avoid Penalties
The goal of a search engine is to provide the most valuable results to its users. Some companies over-optimize in efforts to reach the top of the rankings but fail to provide any value to users.
The algorithm accounts for this by giving penalties to sites that aren’t following guidelines and cheat the system for rankings. Some of those methods are subtle and easy to use, meaning it’s possible to receive penalties if you aren’t careful.
An SEO service can help you avoid any costly penalties and remain in good standing.
7. Changes in User Preference
Users change their preferences and search engines respond to that demand. There may be a distinct shift in favor of video content, for example, and sites that provide that content will be rewarded.
Those trends happen subtly in a lot of cases. It would be almost impossible to keep an eye on these changes in digital preference while running a business. This is where the professionals can come in and save your rankings.
When a company is facilitating your content creation, they can adjust to meet the needs of users.
8. Make Conversions
Getting people to your site is one thing, getting them to make a conversion is another. Conversions are the metric used when a user does what you want them to.
In other words, making a purchase, downloading something, or subscribing are considered conversions. A lot of sites like the structure to close the deal.
A service can help you direct users toward making purchases instead of looking elsewhere.
9. Competitive Advantage
The fact is that, even if your competitors are using some form of SEO, they probably aren’t working with professionals. Entry-level optimization can have an effect, but that effect is largely overshadowed by professional optimization methods.
It’s similar to the difference between crafting your own website and working with a graphic designer.
10. Increase Your Client Base
The reality is that increased online presence leads to more clients. There’s no way around it.
When you have compelling, well-optimized content that ranks, you will draw a significant increase in clientele.
Interested in Learning More?
There are a lot more significant benefits to working with law firm SEO services, and we’re here to help you understand them.
If you’re interested in working with an SEO service or simply want to know more about them, explore our site for the information you need.