Digital Marketing, SEO, User Experience
Are you a lawyer who doesn’t always feel the SEO love? Don’t despair or resign yourself to be a SEOwner of a lonely heart. We know it gets lonely against the wall – all the way on page two. Instead of waiting until next November 6th (That’s’ National Love Your Lawyer Day, BTW), we decided to send some strong Valentine’s Day vibes to our significant counselors.
Here are some things search engines look for before striking a law firm with Cupid’s arrow.
1. Consider the User’s Needs.
Google appreciates the gesture when sites invest in a better user experience through compelling content that meets visitors’ needs. And that’s a deal-breaker. In fact, Google‘s going to notice if your firm ignores all of its hard work when it comes to interpreting its users’ search queries. Communication is key in this relationship, and you need to make an effort when it comes to creating relevant legal content and clear user paths that enhance their overall experience.
2. Fast is a Good Thing.
Like the rest of us, Google moves on quickly if a website takes too long. What’s too long? For most users, it’s about 3 seconds, so shoot your shot. Such instant gratification may sound shallow, but it’s a major reason Google swipes right on a website. It is getting to be such a deal-breaker, Google announced a Spring 2021 update with page performance being more important than ever. So make sure you’re optimizing for page-speed by dedicating some quality time with your web developer.
3. Get Along with Google’s Friends.
Google thinks very highly of its platform, and if you want their stamp of approval, so should you. It believes they provide the best experience and claims to have the users’ interests at heart. You’re a guest at their party in many ways, so your site should be an enthusiastic one. Introduce yourself by updating those Google My Business service descriptions and profiles. You can also make a good impression by sharing what past clients said about you with some four-star reviews.
4. Keep Things Mobile-Friendly.
It’s a hopeless cliché, but people use their phones to search more than ever, and Google users hate being tied down. If you want to slide your law firm’s website into Google’s DMs, embrace their free-spirit, and make a mobile-first web site design part of your courtship. Breaking the ice with your intended user is much easier by getting to know them, and their location data is how users get search results relevant to their position.
5. Have a Good Linking Reputation.
No one likes being catfished, especially search engines. So when it comes to your SEO link building, it’s about quality over quantity. Just like picking a first date spot, local relevance from trusted sources goes a long way. High-quality backlinks from reputable businesses, local web directories, and news sources are the gold standard. But beware those SEO houses of ill repute. You never know what you’re getting, and a Google penalty is hard to recover from.
Are Rankings Playing Hard to Get?
It’s cold out there on the SERP, and continuously being ranked would make anyone feel De-indexed. But what’s a law firm website to do? Is crawling your site all Search cares about? Why can’t it be more organic, where the intent is clear, and things are easy to navigate?
Sometimes you’re just sick of the caching feelings for all the black hats and bots out there. An old-fashioned Fetch and Render would be nice, where you share a featured snippet and turn qualified leads into conversions through genuine engagement.
No one wants to be out of the map-pack, and your perfect position is out there. But worrying about the bounce rate shouldn’t make you a wallflower. Here are a few things to catch Search’s eye:
Spice Up Your Content.
When things get stale in the content department, try adding some useful videos and FAQs to your vanilla blog. Targeting some quality backlinks wouldn’t hurt either. It’s no magic pill, but it’s a start.
Be Yourself & Focus on Your Brand.
Visibility is nice, but setting yourself apart is critical in the legal dating game. Users do a lot more research for law partners and things like style, approach, and how you’re perceived retain cases.
Link Locally.
People search for “Singles Near Me.” Why not “Lawyers Near Me?” Having your website listed in local internet directories ground your firm with a physical presence. This helps local SEO.
Ask for Help.
Good attorneys are hard to find online, but lawyers are everywhere. It’s hard to know where to start, and you’ll need a wing person if you want lasting SEO connections. Click here to match with Postali.
Keep Being Fabulous.
In the end, Search is about finding that “one” special result by kissing a bunch of frog-sites, so the user doesn’t have to. Several factors are considered to find that result, and for every box your website ticks, it makes your firm that much more lovable.
There’s hope for even the most SEO-loved-starved lawyer. After all, a trustworthy website that puts the user first and provides valuable info is easy to fall for.
Not sure where to begin?
Get started with a marketing audit.