5 Things You Can Do to Prepare for Your Content Interview (2025 Update)

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If you have decided to work with a writer to produce copy for your website, you probably already realize that writing content is a time-intensive process that takes you away from your core responsibilities and business functions. While content writing may not be the most exciting part of your web design project, it is important to keep in mind that people will actually read your website copy, particularly if it is compelling and provides something of value to them.

At PaperStreet a critical part of the writing process involves participating in a one-on-one content interview with your writer. The content interview gives you the opportunity to share specific information about your firm so that the writer can craft original copy tailored your specific content goals.

One of the best things you can do to help ensure that the writing process gets off to a good start is to be prepared for your content interview. Following the steps below can go a long way in making certain that your interview is productive and provides your writer with the information he or she needs to produce great content for your site:

Take a Quick Review Your Current Website.

If you are like most people, it has probably been quite some time since you looked at the content on your website. Take a few moments to review your site, making note of what you like/don’t like with respect to the substance, tone and structure of your content. We promise once you start looking you might notice inconsistencies or even downright errors that you want your editor to fix. These are some examples:

Firm name and attorney names are not consistent when used on first vs. second references.

When mentioning your law firm or attorneys, ensure consistency in how they are introduced and referred to throughout your website. For example, if your firm name is “Smith & Jones Law Firm,” you should decide whether to use “Smith & Jones” or “the firm” on second reference—and apply that rule across all pages. Similarly, an attorney first mentioned as “John A. Doe, Esq.” should not later appear as simply “Attorney John Doe” or “Mr. Doe” in some places but not others.

Abbreviations are inconsistent (U.S. vs. US and JD vs. J.D.)

Abbreviations should follow a consistent style throughout your website. For example, decide whether to use “U.S.” with periods or “US” without, and stick with it. The same applies to legal and academic credentials—some sites use “J.D.,” while others use “JD” without periods. Inconsistencies can make your content look unpolished, especially if different formats appear within the same paragraph.

Some practice areas are capitalized and treated like proper nouns in sentence structure, while other times they are not.

Legal practice areas should follow a consistent capitalization style. For example, some firms capitalize “Personal Injury Law” and “Criminal Defense” as if they are proper nouns, while others use lowercase (“personal injury law” and “criminal defense”). Decide on a clear style guide—whether to capitalize practice areas only in headings or also in body text—and apply it consistently to avoid a disjointed appearance.

Look at Content on Other Websites.

If you don’t have an existing website or just want to get some new ideas, look at law firm websites with practices similar to your own. In doing so you should be able to quickly come up with some content likes and dislikes.

Coordinate the Right People for the Call.

Make sure you have individuals on the call who can speak to the content on every page that will be covered and who will be responsible for reviewing drafts from the writer. For instance, if you are discussing practice area pages with the writer, the attorney(s) on the call should have a full understanding of the firm’s work in each practice area. You should also try to keep the number of attorneys on the call as low as possible, ideally one or two, otherwise the interview can become unmanageable. If necessary, you can split up the call with attorneys joining in at different times to cover their specific pages.

Think About What You Want to Get Across on Each Page.

Take some time to think about what is most important for you to get across to your users. Consider who your users are and what they want to learn when they visit your website. Keep in mind that if you want to establish yourself as a leader in your field(s) of practice you should have content on your site that educates, informs and engages potential clients. Additionally, if SEO is an important, goal you will need to aim for 500+ words of substantive content for each page.

Keep Your Focus on the Content.

While you may be tempted to talk about website layout, graphics and design, you will have plenty of time to discuss these items with your web design team. Remember, the content interview is your opportunity to work with your writer to develop compelling and engaging content for your website that sets you apart from competition.

Let’s Start the Content Writing Process with a Great Interview

PaperStreet specializes in writing and producing original, web-friendly content that can help you turn your users into potential clients. If you need help with your website copy or have questions about our content services, feel free to give us a call: 954-523-2181.

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