4 Ways Law Firms Can Stay Proactive on the Web
By Ashley on January 31, 2018 in SEO for Law Firms
When it comes to your online presence, making sure your law firm stays proactive is crucial to keeping up with your competition and keeping your Internet Marketing goals in check. It’s easy to become busy with the everyday responsibilities that come with running a law firm and leave your website needs on the backburner. However, this can begin to catch up with you, so we always recommend regular maintenance to avoid any major issues that may present themselves unexpectedly. Below, we’ve outlined four of the important website needs your firm should be paying attention to year-round to keep you on track for online success.
Website Design
Due to the constant change of website design trends and the evolution of the Internet in general, it’s vital to keep your website fresh and in accordance with best web practices. Typically a law firm should consider redesigning their website every 4-5 years. Even simple design updates can make a world of difference and should be considered if committing to a full redesign is not possible. Some simple changes can include updated bio photos, new slider imagery, incorporating new sections into the site architecture and removing any outdated items. If you haven’t implemented any design changes over the years, you should get an expert evaluation of your website to find out what changes are recommended.
Quick Tip: Consider a redesign or quick retouch of your website
Content
Writing content for your website should be an ongoing task. New content keeps your website current and is a signifier to Google that you are continually updating your information. This content should be of high quality, as adding articles and information just for the sake of adding it’s never recommended. More than likely, your competitors are adding new blog posts and helpful articles on their site on a frequent basis. Monitoring the type of content they share and making sure yours is better (more informative, makes use of internal and external links, contains keywords, features long form posts, etc.) is what will set your site apart. Have a blogging schedule in place that sets up your firm for success and sign up for a content package if the firm is unable to keep up with adding fresh new content on a regular basis.
Quick Tip: Create new quality content on a continual basis
SEO and Technical
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of biggest aspects of Internet Marketing law firms must continually be monitoring if they want to be found easily in search engines. Set it and forget it’s not a good philosophy when it comes to SEO. Law firms should be actively involved in monitoring their online rankings and making adjustments as needed. This includes evaluating their targeted keywords quarterly, checking their backlinks for any toxic links, earning new quality backlinks, fixing any technical errors, optimizing content when needed, and much more. If your firm can’t handle the legwork alone when it comes to SEO, consider investing in a full SEO campaign with an agency, like PaperStreet, that can provide expert assistance. Keep in mind that even with expert help, the firm should remain active and dedicate time to assist, as SEO is a partnership endeavor.
Quick Tip: Actively monitor SEO progress and make necessary changes
Online Marketing and Reputation
Making sure your company is authoritative and a leader in your industry involves additional online marketing and reputation building. Your law firm should be active on social media, continually gaining positive online reviews and monitoring mentions of your firm name to keep an eye on your reputation. Press releases and becoming a guest contributor to well-known publications can also help expand your brand awareness and overall authority. If there’s any negative press or reviews for your company online, it’s best to be aware of these as soon as possible to come up with the best plan to remove or fade them out. An SEO campaign also goes hand-in-hand with establishing a positive reputation online.
Quick Tip: Stay aware and active in the conversations happening about your firm online
Monitor, Update, Engage – The Keys to Proactivity on the Web
Keeping an eye on your overall web presence is essential to your Internet Marketing goals. Monitoring the above key categories and taking the necessary action to keep your website and online marketing efforts up to par will set you on the right path to success.
If you are in need of an evaluation of your marketing efforts, contact us for more information on how we can help. We also recommend reading through the below articles that shed more light on the best practices for your Internet Marketing efforts.
Helpful Articles
- 5 Reasons Why You Need an Internet Marketing Strategy in 2018
- 5 Best Practices for Conversion Driven Law Firm Websites
- Do You Need an SEO Team? Great Question, Google
Further Learning
Are you interested in learning more about legal marketing? Head on over to our SEO Guidelines & Best Practices page. Our guide will teach you the do’s and don’ts for law firm SEO along with what we include in our SEO plans.
