Law Firm Internet Marketing Strategies & Guide

FAQs About Law Firm Internet Marketing

What is in a law firm Internet marketing campaign?

A law firm digital marketing campaign typically consists of:

1. Website Audit - We want to make sure your website is perfect and ready to convert clients.
2. Content Audit - We review whether you have enough content on the website to support an SEO campaign, along with the advertisements we are going to run to attract interest.
3. SEO - We almost always optimize the site with a 100+ step checklist that we have created. This includes the basics like title tags, meta descriptions, headlines, on-page optimization, sitemaps, Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools, etc. It also includes link building and content writing campaigns.
4. PPC - Many clients want results immediately, so we setup a paid ad campaign with AdWords, Bing, and sometimes Facebook. This can drive quality traffic to your website. We can even setup remarketing and call-only campaigns.

How long does a marketing campaign take to start seeing results?

We have had clients see results in as little as a week. Typically, short-term results come with a PPC campaign, where we buy keywords on Google and set up appropriate ads and landing pages. For a proper SEO campaign, it can take 30 to 90 days to start seeing success, depending on what needs to be done to get the site into the rankings.

How much does a law firm internet marketing campaign cost?

It varies. We hate being vague, but we have campaigns to fit all budgets. We have some clients who spend only $500 per month and receive solid leads. We also have clients who collectively spend $10,000 or more, for all their online advertising (including ad costs to Google, Facebook, Bing, etc). Most of our clients will spend between $2,000 and $5,000 for a good SEO and PPC campaign. We divide that budget into whatever brings in the most return on investment. Sometimes we focus exclusively on SEO, as PPC bid costs are too high. Sometimes we focus on a content-only campaign, or a social media campaign. Sometimes law firms need leads ASAP, so we set up a PPC campaign to drive traffic immediately.

Can I do my own internet marketing?

We don’t recommend it. At PaperStreet, we handpick our team of lawyer web marketing specialists. We consider ourselves to be experts in our individual niches, and we’re still learning more every day. With Google’s guidelines constantly changing and websites steadily evolving, there is so much to know, and it takes a lot of time to truly master. A free online marketing course or an affinity for social media just won’t cut it, especially in such a competitive market. If you can’t keep up with your competitors (who are probably working with a lawyer online marketing company, FYI), you’re going to be losing clients and losing revenue in the long run.

Do you work with firms of all sizes?

Yes. We have worked with AMLAW 100 firms as well as solo practitioners. While our typical firms range from 5 to 25 attorneys though, we have plenty of solos who need our assistance and large firms who need marketing help.

Do you work exclusively with our firm?

Yes, we work exclusively with your law firm. We believe that you get the best results for a law firm by concentrating on their firm only. We take on one firm per practice area and geographic area. Many competitors work with firms in the same city; and often the same building. That is a conflict of interest. Call us to see if we can currently take your firm on as a client.

Do you handle everything connected to law firm digital marketing?

Yes. We can help with everything related to attorney web marketing. This includes: SEO, PPC, newsletters, social, videos, content marketing and more. We do need your firm's assistance in how you want to brand the firm and goals. We also need approval at key stages. But we can take care of everything else.

Will I have control over my website?

Yes, of course. At the end of the day, the website we create for you is yours. We just make sure it looks nice, runs smoothly and yields the results that you need. We love when our clients take a hands-on approach to their firm, and we’ll make sure that you are a part of every decision we make. However, in the same breath, if you want a more “set it and forget it” approach, we’re fine with that, too. We’ll match your desired level of involvement and make sure you still feel like you have control over your online presence.

What is SEO? Why do lawyer marketing campaigns need it?

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the backbone of digital marketing. It’s the science behind making your website rank in Google’s search results for the keywords and search terms that will bring you the most clients. If done well, you’ll show up on the first page. If done poorly, you’ll be buried under your competition. There is a lot that goes into SEO being done “well.” This includes link building, keyword research, custom content, on-page optimization, title tags, meta descriptions, social media and more. To learn more, head over to our law firm SEO page.

You need SEO for any successful business. Google doesn’t like poorly optimized or un-optimized websites, and your rankings will reflect that. If you don’t show up in the SERPs, you might as well not exist to potential clients. Not many people are going to click through 10 pages of results to find the perfect law firm for them. They’re going to focus on the first page, and that’s where we want you to be.

What are backlinks and why do I need them?

Backlinks are links throughout cyberspace that point back to your website. The more high-quality backlinks you build, the more online authority your website has, and that means Google will reward you with better rankings.

The "high-quality" part is important here. It’s completely possible to build a backlink catalog of spammy directories and paid links, but those aren’t going to lead to the results that you want and need for a successful law firm. At PaperStreet, we focus on what will work for you in the long run. We don’t care about getting the fastest, most immediate results if they aren’t going to last, or worse, get you penalized. Some examples of high-quality links include local listings, testimonials, reviews, social media, blogs, seminars and more.

What are search engine “spiders” and how do they “crawl” websites?

"Spiders" are software programs or “bots” that search engines like Google use to easily visit, view and index the billions of websites that exist on the internet today. In order to be added to Google’s search engine index, you want your website to be as easily crawlable as possible. This means it needs to be coded well, submitted and updated regularly, and structured in a way that makes sense to humans and bots alike.

How do social media and newsletters help my law firm?

There’s no technical mumbo jumbo here. Social media and newsletters lead to better user engagement. People love to interact with their favorite businesses and brands online, and they like to feel included. Posting an update on Facebook or keeping in touch with a monthly newsletter is a great way to get past and potential clients to interact with you and build your online community. It establishes trustworthiness, and it can even lead to increased traffic and conversions to your website.

What should I do next?

We offer free reviews of your current internet marketing campaign. Give us a call at 954-523-2181 to discuss and learn how PaperStreet can help you!