A Blog for Indiana and Illinois Lawyer Marketing

findlaw

2008-05-23T11:13:00.001-07:00

Video: The Next High-Impact
Marketing Tool for Attorneys

Date & Time:

Thursday, May 29, 2008
11:00-12:00pm CST

Thursday, May 29, 2008
3:00-4:00pm CST

Place:
Your desk (telephone and Web access required)

Cost:
Complimentary

Register for this webcast.

In the crowded online marketplace for legal services, where Web sites struggle to attract attention, video is a terrific tool for communicating your unique message in a format consumers enjoy. A well crafted online video can help you connect with more prospects, and promote your firm in a way that's both personal and highly professional.

Consumers research an average of 4.8 Web sites before choosing an attorney, but when video is added that number decreases to 1.8 because consumers feel more comfortable and are more apt to retain an attorney who they feel they know. The bottom line is- video generates Web site hits and telephone calls, and it's an engaging, customer-friendly format.

Register for our Web cast today to learn more about the following:

• Why Video? The next high-impact marketing tool for attorneys

• Attracting qualified leads Video search engine optimization & distribution

• Delivering Results Video that converts prospects and serves clients

• Getting your money's worth Evaluating return on investment

• Ethical Considerations

Register for this Web cast. We have two highly qualified speakers prepared to provide insight into why video is the next high-impact marketing tool for attorneys, as well as to answer any questions you may have:

Don Sowers
Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff LLP
www.formerdistrictattorneys.com

Don Sowers has been a FindLaw customer for over Eight years. He is the managing partner of Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff LLP, a Criminal Defense firm with offices throughout Southern California. Previously, he served as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney and as Chairman of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section. Don was an early adopter on the Internet, posting the first of his seven sites on the web back in 1999. He has been a presenter on Internet marketing panels and he participated in the Beta version of FindLaw's Internet video production.

Laura Hamad
FindLaw Video Project Manager
www.LawyerMarketing.com

Laura Hamad graduated summa cum laude from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a degree in Mass Communications. She worked in communications at the state teacher's union before joining the Project Management team at FindLaw in August of 2006. Laura has been working with FindLaw video products since the first video beta began in August of 2007.

As a Video Project Manager, Laura helps her clients identify and create the story for each of their videos. She then directs the video shoot, ensuring that the client's vision gets captured during the day.

Testimonials for Findlaw

2008-05-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

Re: FindLaw Video

Several months ago our firm determined to improve its Internet presence by adding FindLaw Video to its website. We wanted to make our website unique and more personal so that potential clients would have a better feeling about the lawyers that they would encounter. This alleviates the fear of contacting us and we believe it provides a better opportunity to turn prospects into real clients.

We hired FindLaw to produce the video and were very pleased with it prompt response. The shoot was scheduled and conducted promptly and professionally. The FindLaw personnel were very helpful and provided a comfortable setting in which to shoot the various video scenes. They allowed us a great deal of input into the content, but provided additional input into the process as well.

Our firm's clients have noticed the addition of videos and commented very favorably on them. I believe that it has increased the number of contacts made after reviewing our website and also increased the successful conversion of those contacts into business for us.

I believe that the FindLaw video is an excellent value and makes our Internet presence much less threatening to potential clients, allowing a great number of potential clients to be converted into actual clients. I would certainly recommend this to any law firm that is seeking to improve its website and the amount of business it receives from Internet marketing.

Sincerely,
Eric C. Redman

Redman Ludwig, P.C.
Attorneys at Law
Main Office 317-685-2426

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An email sent to one of our Video Project Managers from Don Sowers, a partner at Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff, LLP:

Hi Laura:

Wow!...Wow!...Wow!...Wow!...That's four Wows, for four great videos!

And you deserve the congratulations. You are a true professional. Thank you so much for the wonderful job that you and your team did in producing our videos. We are very pleased with the results. Your careful preparation, graceful and competent leadership and professional team produced the highest quality videos I have ever seen for a law firm on the Internet. I hope that should you and your team ever return to L. A., that you will be in touch, as we'd love to get together to celebrate in person.

And please thank the appropriate people at FindLaw who worked behind the scenes to produce our finished videos. The video shoot was a terrific experience, and now to see these terrific videos, is simply fantastic! Thank you again for sharing these valuable marketing tools.

It is always an honor to feel like part of the FindLaw family.

Sincerely,
Don Sowers

Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff LLP
Main Office 310-312-8055

Google

2008-05-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Web Solutions
Hear what attorneys think of FindLaw
Enhance your Internet strategy with Web solutions for law firms

Activity Tracker

Keeping track of how many contacts your law firm receives, including if they originated via phone or e-mail, was a time consuming task until now. With Activity Tracker, you'll have 24/7 access to reports that make tracking client acquisition from your FindLaw products a simple task. Activity Tracker enables you to see how and when potential clients are contacting you through unique trackable phone numbers and contact forms on your FindLaw products.

Read more about activity tracker.

Attorney Web Sites

To achieve online marketing and client-development objectives, and maximize your law firm’s return on its Internet investment, it is critical to launch and maintain a well-balanced Web presence. A FirmSite® is the difference between simply having a Web site and having a Web site that gets results. A FirmSite delivers a unique combination of dynamic design, compelling content and targeted traffic from prospective clients.

Read more about attorney Web sites.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search Engine Marketing is one of the most powerful online client-acquisition strategies available to law firms. When searching for legal information online, potential clients look for a lawyer who can solve their problem, is located near them and has a unique market differentiator. Our attorney SEM products leverage your Web site to attract the potential clients your law firm wants.

Read more about search engine marketing for law firms.

Web Site Design

You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of a visitor to your Web site — and the proper site design ensures you do more than just look good. Effective site design components will give your online visitors a positive first impression of your law firm. Each attorney Web site we design is carefully constructed and engineered, leveraging our years of industry experience.

Read more about effective Web site design.

Web Site Content

Content can increase your law firm’s search engine ranking, educate and qualify prospects, and enhance your firm’s credibility. Once potential clients arrive at your Web site, the content must win them over and move them to call. Powerful content gives your firm a commanding Web presence, showcasing your talent, your successes, and your legal expertise to new and existing clients.

Read more about the benefits of quality legal content.

Web Site Services

It is essential for law firms to communicate effectively and efficiently with potential and existing clients. Time-saving Web and e-mail communications tools will give your firm a long-term competitive advantage, helping you to build and maintain client loyalty.

Read more about providing legal services online.

Online Advertising

2008-05-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

ONLINE ADVERTISING
Hear what attorneys think of FindLawGenerate exposure and connect with legal prospects on the Internet
FindLaw is the most-trafficked legal Web site on the planet, providing consumers, businesses and legal professionals with a single point of access to a broad and expanding array of legal information and services.
Directory Exposure
FindLaw Profiles
If you want to be seen by the most prospects at the very moment they’re searching for legal help, post your attorney Profile on the FindLaw Lawyer Directory. A Profile gives your law firm something you won’t get anywhere else: An enhanced presence on the world’s busiest legal portal. Learn more about FindLaw Profiles.
FindLaw Sponsorships
Sponsorships are premium placements that help set your law firm apart from other attorneys and attract prospects with dramatic, eye-catching graphics. Directory Sponsorships enable your firm to deliver key marketing messages and link directly to FindLaw Lawyer Directory Profiles, your FirmSite or other online information.
FindLaw TopSpots
TopSpots put your law firm name in the top five placements that potential clients see while they are researching legal issues on the Internet in your practice area and geography. These priority placements attract prospects by moving your online listing to the top of directory search results.
FindLaw Spotlights
Spotlights appear just below Directory TopSpots within directory searches on FindLaw. Spotlights are available by practice and geographic area, and they can be linked to a legal Web site or FindLaw Lawyer Directory Profile.

FINDLAW PUBLIC AND BUSINESS CENTER EXPOSURE
FindLaw ContentTopSpots
Based on your law firm’s target audience, Content TopSpots can be strategically placed within a selected metro area and next to relevant articles within either the Business Center or Public Center on FindLaw. Your presence is highlighted where users are heavily engaged in researching the legal issues that matter to them.
FindLaw KnowledgeBase
KnowledgeBase positions your law firm as a qualified legal authority in your practice areas by publishing law firm articles in the Business Center or Public Center on FindLaw. These articles reach business and individual users searching for legal information and assistance. Articles are strategically placed in relevance to geographic or practice-area based content. KnowledgeBase articles include links back to your attorney Directory Profile to provide more information.
FindLaw Attorney Sponsored Links
Attorney Sponsored Links provide geographically specific exposure within the Public Center on FindLaw. Sponsored Links are identified as “attorneys in your area,” so viewers have easy access to local lawyers who can assist them with the legal issue they are researching. This marketing opportunity enables you to target specific metro areas and practice areas.

Search Engine Optimization.

2008-05-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING (SEM)
There are two ways new clients will find you on the Internet. Via online directories such as Findlaw.com, or via Internet search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and others.
Consider how you typically browse the Internet for information in other aspects of your life or job. Likewise, search engines provide your potential clients with a results list of potential counsel. Shouldn’t you be on the list?
Our FirmSite Search Engine Marketing products make your site search engine friendly. When searching for legal information on the web, potential clients look for someone who can solve their problem, who is located near them, and who has a unique market differentiator. Our optimization practices help increase your odds of appearing high on the search engine results list
A variety of effective techniques are used to draw qualified traffic from search engines to your FirmSite. Search Engine Marketing provides optimization of your site content, submissions to select search engines, and our years of experience - focused completely on the legal profession.
Findlaw offers four levels of SEM solutions so you can find the exact fit for your firm. All four deliver features such as
Domain name purchase when this is your first site
Search engine submissions
Keyword optimized pages Standard SEM audits to review performance
Keyword Research
By using a proprietary tool to identify which keyword phrases to target and our professional Web writers to integrate those phrases into carefully crafted content, FindLaw effectively draws potential clients to your firm’s Web site and motivates them to contact you.
Performance Monitoring
Search engines continually adjust their search algorithms, resulting in search engine volatility. HitBox Web Analytics – a real-time, hosted Web analytics solution – compiles and analyzes visitor activity data to determine the sources of your most profitable Web site traffic. Collecting data directly from visitors’ browsers, HitBox Web Analytics shows you the true effectiveness of your online marketing efforts. As an added benefit to your subscription, we periodically review the optimization of your Web pages in order to maintain and increase your search engine ranking.
Download the SEM White Paper here

Make your law firm show up in Google 1st Page

2008-05-23T10:15:00.001-07:00

Imagine your disappointment if you were to spend big bucks to throw a fancy party to entertain prospective clients with such things as expensive champagne and beluga caviar, only to have no one show up when the big day arrives. In the same manner, imagine your disappointment if you spend a lot of money to design a great web site with all kinds of bells and whistles, but no one looks at it.
Many of my clients have in fact invested in a web site, only to be disappointed because little or nothing was realized from it. The design and content of a web site are certainly important, but the foremost reason so many law firm web sites are unproductive is that they are not optimized for the search engines.
The Holy Grail for any law firm web site is a high search engine ranking in the firm’s practice area and geographic location. The vast majority of people making a search never go further than the first page, or the top ten or twenty sites listed. Therefore, like the tree that fell in the forest, the reality is that if your web site doesn’t have a high search engine ranking, it basically doesn’t exist. As someone recently wrote, it will simply “join the thousands of law firm sites that collect electronic dust on the internet.”
Search engines such as Google use arcane methods such as algorhythms to assure that the sites that are most on target rank higher on their search lists. The way to get a high ranking for a web site is to have it optimized for the search engines. Achieving a top rank is not a simple matter, however, and there are many secrets of the trade. It’s technical stuff that needs to be handled by someone who knows what he/she is doing.
The keys to search engine optimization include such things as designing a site that provides descriptive, keyword-heavy “metatags” as well as segregating topics and placing them on different pages, along with links from other legal sites and directories like Yahoo.
Even if a web site initially achieves a high ranking, however, you can’t stop there. The process of optimizing a site also requires someone to constantly monitor its progress to keep it at the top, including such things as resubmitting certain pages after tweaking the optimized code, and developing links to the site from other high ranking legal sites. Search engine rankings are always in a state of flux, and competing web sites will constantly move up and ahead of sites that are not optimized.
The operators of the search engines are as enigmatic about their ranking algorhythms as companies like Coca Cola and the Colonel are about their exclusive recipes. Therefore, as I have said, just as people need lawyers who know what they’re doing to handle their legal matters, lawyers need people who know the ins and outs of the internet to optimize their web sites if they expect to get results.

Alert!: Geography Spam resulting in FirmSite Penalties

2008-05-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

To compete in the online legal marketplace, geographic targeting is critical. There are two potential approaches to choosing geographic terms for a FirmSite:
Shotgun: Use every geographic term applicable for a region in hopes of hitting the mark.
Rifle: Choose selected geographic terms to precisely target high-volume or population areas, or areas with specific desirable characteristics.
In the past, many individuals have advocated for the shotgun approach, providing a comprehensive listing of every term in a region. In 2008, this approach is not only invalid, but is an approach that can actually harm the performance of the site.
The FindLaw SEM team is following a best practice that dictates a rifle-shot approach, in which we generate geographic targeting that is representative of an attorney’s practice, and not all-inclusive. We need to do this, as over-use of geography is resulting in active search engine penalties from Google and Yahoo.
As a team, we ask that everyone within FindLaw support this approach with clients. General guidelines we wish to apply to all FirmSites include:
Geography is representative of practice, not all-inclusive. Google and Yahoo Maps are capable of giving driving directions between locations; this should indicate that they are able to determine what towns are within a geographic radius created by representative, sample towns. The SEM team are choosing these core terms based on both population, court house location, and search volumes.
Geography blocks should be proportional to total content on the page. The geography block contains more than just geographic terms, but also other terms (like the firm name, sometimes firm practice area, etc.). Geography blocks should not exceed 75 total WORDS for a standard FindLaw custom content page. Note that each word of a geographic term counts against this 75, so ‘Oklahoma City’ is two words, ‘Indian River Shores’ is three words!
Clients should be discouraged from adding terms to a block that contradict or exceed these guidelines. Clients who insist on exceeding guidelines should be advised of the penalty risk of such behavior.
Moving large lists of geography to an ‘Areas Served’ page is also considered spam, and should not be done. If a firm legitimately has offices in 30 locations, an ‘Offices’ page is acceptable, as they will be able to set up Google Local/Yahoo Local listings for each office address to validate that this is not spam.
We have seen penalties for geographic keyword stuffing via the geography block on both new sites and on sites that have been out for a while (2004/2005), so having an older domain with inlinks is by no means insurance against penalty, and should not be presented as such.

SEO Companies pitfalls

2008-03-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

What's an SEO? Does Google recommend working with companies that offer to make my site Google-friendly?

SEO is an abbreviation for "search engine optimizer." Many SEOs and other agencies and consultants provide useful services for website owners, from writing copy to giving advice on site architecture and helping to find relevant directories to which a site can be submitted. However, a few unethical SEOs have given the industry a black eye through their overly aggressive marketing efforts and their attempts to unfairly manipulate search engine results.
While Google doesn't have relationships with any SEOs and doesn't offer recommendations, we do have a few tips that may help you distinguish between an SEO that will improve your site and one that will only improve your chances of being dropped from search engine results altogether.

Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue.
Amazingly, we get these spam emails too:

"Dear google.com,I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories..."

Reserve the same skepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as you do for "burn fat at night" diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed dictators.
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or through the Webmaster Tools and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever.

Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do.
Ask for explanations if something is unclear. If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, such as doorway pages or "throwaway" domains, your site could be removed entirely from Google's index. Ultimately, you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire, so it's best to be sure you know exactly how they intend to "help" you.
You should never have to link to an SEO.
Avoid SEOs that talk about the power of "free-for-all" links, link popularity schemes, or submitting your site to thousands of search engines. These are typically useless exercises that don't affect your ranking in the results of the major search engines -- at least, not in a way you would likely consider to be positive.

Some SEOs may try to sell you the ability to type keywords directly into the browser address bar.

Most such proposals require users to install extra software, and very few users do so. Evaluate such proposals with extreme care and be skeptical about the self-reported number of users who have downloaded the required applications.
Choose wisely.

While you consider whether to go with an SEO, you may want to do some research on the industry. Google is one way to do that, of course. You might also seek out a few of the cautionary tales that have appeared in the press, including this article on one particularly aggressive SEO: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002002970_nwbizbriefs12.html. While Google doesn't comment on specific companies, we've encountered firms calling themselves SEOs who follow practices that are clearly beyond the pale of accepted business behavior. Be careful.

Be sure to understand where the money goes.

While Google never sells better ranking in our search results, several other search engines combine pay-per-click or pay-for-inclusion results with their regular web search results. Some SEOs will promise to rank you highly in search engines, but place you in the advertising section rather than in the search results. A few SEOs will even change their bid prices in real time to create the illusion that they "control" other search engines and can place themselves in the slot of their choice. This scam doesn't work with Google because our advertising is clearly labeled and separated from our search results, but be sure to ask any SEO you're considering which fees go toward permanent inclusion and which apply toward temporary advertising.

Talk to many SEOs, and ask other SEOs if they'd recommend the firm you're considering.
References are a good start, but they don't tell the whole story. You should ask how long a company has been in business and how many full time individuals it employs. If you feel pressured or uneasy, go with your gut feeling and play it safe: hold off until you find a firm that you can trust. Ask your SEO firm if it reports every spam abuse that it finds to Google using our spam complaint form at http://www.google.com/contact/spamreport.html. Ethical SEO firms report deceptive sites that violate Google's spam guidelines.

Make sure you're protected legally.

Don't be afraid to request a refund if you're unsatisfied with your SEO's performance. Make sure you have a contract in writing that includes pricing. The contract should also require the SEO to stay within the guidelines recommended by each search engine for site inclusion.
What are the most common abuses a website owner is likely to encounter?
One common scam is the creation of "shadow" domains that funnel users to a site by using deceptive redirects. These shadow domains often will be owned by the SEO who claims to be working on a client's behalf. However, if the relationship sours, the SEO may point the domain to a different site, or even to a competitor's domain. If that happens, the client has paid to develop a competing site owned entirely by the SEO.

Another illicit practice is to place "doorway" pages loaded with keywords on the client's site somewhere. The SEO promises this will make the page more relevant for more queries. This is inherently false since individual pages are rarely relevant for a wide range of keywords. More insidious, however, is that these doorway pages often contain hidden links to the SEO's other clients as well. Such doorway pages drain away the link popularity of a site and route it to the SEO and its other clients, which may include sites with unsavory or illegal content.
What are some other things to look out for?

There are a few warning signs that you may be dealing with a rogue SEO. It's far from a comprehensive list, so if you have any doubts, you should trust your instincts. By all means, feel free to walk away if the SEO:
owns shadow domains
puts links to their other clients on doorway pages
offers to sell keywords in the address bar
doesn't distinguish between actual search results and ads that appear in search results
guarantees ranking, but only on obscure, long keyword phrases you would get anyway
operates with multiple aliases or falsified WHOIS info
gets traffic from "fake" search engines, spyware, or scumware
has had domains removed from Google's index or is not itself listed in Google

If you feel that you were deceived by an SEO in some way, you may want to report it.

Some good Reciprical links for lawyers

2007-12-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Valued Client,
I was reviewing the information provided by the Better Business Bureau. I noticed that your firm wasn't listed. I'd recommend that you have someone in the office contact the BBB and see what it would take to get included on this list.
The advantage for you is that it creates a relevant, credible, in-bound link to your site. As we've discussed in the past, Google et al take the in-bound link data into consideration when deciding how highly a site is ranked (i.e. page 1 vs. page 20).
Here's the link to the BBB's Lawyer page:
For Indiana,
http://www.fortwayne.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=52&id=053aaa60-d525-464c-b474-a14f06423529
For Illinois,
http://chicago.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=46&id=d9172bcc-d8e6-488c-a9c7-a833822747f4

Here is a link to ABOTA or American Board of Trial Advocates They are another great opportunity for reciprocal links.
http://www.abota.org/chapters/map.asp

Monthly Client helpful hint---Dec.'07

2007-12-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder to make sure to cross market your website url in order to get the most out of your strategic internet presence. Add your url to your voicemail message, business cards, billboards, print ads, and letterhead. Thank you for your business and a great year. If anyone would like to go over end of year reports please email me and I would be happy to set up an appointment to touch base. Thanks again.

New Top Spot Promotion

2007-10-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

Findlaw is currently offering a new promotion on its Top Spot listings. 3 Months free to current Clients. To view examples of Top Spot listings follow the following link http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/lawyer_dir/search/jsp/stdSearch_process.jsp?stype=BY_ADDR_OR_ZIP&target=FIRM&keyword=Personal+injury&location=Merrillville%2C+IN&x=0&y=0 .To take advantage of this great promotion call me at 574-876-0513.

Importance of an Internet Marketing Strategy

2007-09-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

Would you start a business without a business plan? Would you place your yellow pages ad in an irrelevant category just to see if anyone would call? Would you pay thousands of dollars to have a billboard ad created and placed where there is no traffic?
If you are among the majority of business owners you probably answered no to all of the above questions. Businesses are very careful when it comes to spending marketing dollars, but truth is most businesses have neglected the most effective marketing tool that they have which is the strategic planning of their internet presence. It's not a problem to spend thousands of dollars to pay for the design and development but the planning process and strategy building has been neglected. Why? Many are under the misconception that a web designer is an expert in the area of Internet marketing and that they are also well versed in search engine optimization.
They are only met with disappointment. Do you know anyone who has experienced following problems:
Minimal sales and conversion.
Traffic to the site is not as expected or hundreds of dollars are being paid for traffic leads but still there is no conversion from that traffic.
Subscriptions to reports or newsletters that you offer are slim to none.
You've received only minimal requests for services or products by email or telephone since your site launch.
How could these problems have been avoided? An Internet Marketing Strategy can help position you to your target and niche market as well as increase conversion by following the five levels of the sales process mentioned below. While the answer seems simple the process is a bit more involved but vital to the success of a business that is about to launch online.

Dangers of Link Farms

2007-09-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today I noticed a law firm in my area had over 80 websites with overlapping content all linking to each other in a network. This is a very dangerous long term solution. When you create a big network of websites all linking to the same websites you become easily identified as a link farm offering nothing really original but attempting to artificially raise the ranking of a particular website that has paid for the service. This isn't that natural and if your a serious internet marketer with some pretty decent traffic base and readership you could easily fall into a network of bad websites. What can happen in the worst cases is that if enough same people do it eventually you will be given a penalty at some point if discovered ( My Theory ). The google webmaster tools now have a report function for link spam and also to report paid links. I have seen entire networks crumble from the earthquake that link farms that have been identified as link farms can cause. If one site in the network goes penalized ( usually the site Creator ) the others fall like dominoes in a massive heap of tears and broken dreams. And if Google is lucky even creates webmasters to tears and lose out of pocket. At Findlaw we believe in long term solutions and you will never have to worry about such a disaster.

How people search the Internet

2007-09-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Findlaw does an excellent job of capturing clients who search for a firm through use keywords and key phrases included ithin the content of its websites. It is vitally important that the content within you website be a professional reflection of your firm.

Before getting into the specifics of two methods for addressing long-tail optimization, you should understand one simple truth: Without the content/pages to support the keywords you want to be found for, you will not “magically” rank for those keywords. Findlaw works only with law firms and knows how to write unique marketing content to help grow your firm or meet any of your goals.
If you already have a current website things can be done to help with optimization. For example you may also want to take a closer look at your current site's architecture to determine if such content/pages already exist within your Web site. Perhaps you just need to tweak existing content to address your goals. Contact James Witty at 574-876-0513 if you are in the Indiana/Illinois area and would like me to review your current website.

Two Methods for Long Tail Search Optimization
There are two methods I'd like to discuss for addressing your long-tail efforts. One involves creating user-friendly marketing copy throughout your site, and the other is creating blogs and other fresh content to draw long-tail queries deep into your site.

User-Friendly Marketing Copy
It’s fair to say that over 90 percent of the American population use plain English when they search. It’s the style they know and are comfortable with, so most people will likely search using terms and phrases that make sense to them. However, it is also true that highly-educated searchers try to anticipate how a business might present its products, services, and information. They will try what is comfortable first, and then if unsuccessful, will search with more stuffy, “professional” phrasing.

Even with user-friendly copy, you must use relevant keywords. Copywriting for Web sites is always a balancing act. On one hand, you can get too technical and obsessed with precision during the act of optimization. On the other hand, you can overreact against stuffy impersonal terminology and wind up with copy that is too generic. The goal is specificity within the confines of common language. Knowing your targeted audience, along with its culture, educational-level, and other demographic variables will help you make wise decisions when writing for SEO.
An important “best practice” is to speak with those in your customer service, public relations, and marketing departments to ensure you have a good grasp on the common language used by your target audience.
Bottom line: Don’t allow professional lingo to determine your keyword list. It will likely result in poor results since you are the attorney or professional not the client. Once you understand the common language that your intended audience uses, you’ll have better direction as to how the copy should be presented on your Web site.

Blogs and Other Fresh Content Opportunities
Perhaps your current Web site does not contain the copy/pages to capture long-tail keyword searches. Sometimes, the content you would like to have within your Web site just doesn’t fit within the rule of “have pages that describe what you do, but not necessarily how you do it.”
Blogs and other regularly added content (press releases, articles, white papers, etc.) are the perfect vehicle for targeting the “long-tail” or unusual search phrases people sometimes use. This is a good way for building content that describes how you do things in greater detail. A typical blog is written in conversational style, which is perfect for naturally capturing some of the phrases your users employ to find what they’re looking for.
If you regularly send out press releases, these too can contain great keywords; however, all too often, these press releases aren’t archived within an organization’s Web site. If you have written articles, it’s great to distribute through other Web sites, but not at the expense of optimizing your own site. Articles present another opportunity to archive content within your own domain. White papers do wonders to generate press for your firm. Once again, are they being archived within your site? By so doing, you are not only providing searchers with additional long-tail opportunities to find you, but you may also be building pages that automatically become “link bait.”
Every firm (and Web site with Findlaw) is unique, but many in the industry would confirm that long-tail search traffic can generate high-quality (highly converting) traffic. While it is important to have a strong presence for your top ten keywords, there are many more opportunities to gain targeted traffic by giving proper attention to other methods of growing your share of the pie. The tail helps you reach today’s more sophisticated searchers. And, today’s searchers will always appreciate that you have content relevant to what they are looking for. The more you can marry your Web site’s offerings (in terms of content) with what your target audience is seeking, the better you accomplish your ultimate goal -- to grow your firm. Contact James Witty at 574-876-0513 if Indiana/Illinois area and would like me to review your current website.

Good Linking Practices

2007-09-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

Inbound links are one of the most important factors that Google uses to determine the position of a website in the search results. Some years ago, it was sufficient to get a lot of inbound links to top Google's search results. Nowadays, it's not that easy. Google has started to detect unnatural linking patterns. So what is an 'unnatural linking pattern'? They are links that have no topical relevancy and exist solely to increase the search engine ranking of the website.Links that are useful to web surfers are links that search engines find relevant. Therefore, it is extremely important that new inbound links are topically relevant to your website. A link from another attorney, legal association, or legal directory would all be considered relevant. A link from a patio-furniture store would not. In fact a non-relevant link from a patio furniture store will actually hurt your ranking. This is why you want to avoid anyone promising lots of inbound links within a short period of time. They are likely link farms that will get your site in trouble with the search engines. So how do you know who is linking to you? Input your firm's URL into the website http://www.linkpopularity.com/, and click on the Yahoo results page. This will give you a pretty accurate picture of your inbound link profile. If you need help with adding quality links to your firmsite or removing bad ones, contact me and I will be happy to help. If you are an attorney in either Indiana or Illinois and would like to link to my website or my blog please contact me also at james.witty@thomson.com.