Law firm marketing on a regional basis
One important thing to look for in a lawyer internet marketing company is that the company realizes that what works in one region of the US does not necessarily work in all of them.
For example, in some parts of the US, Yahoo is used more than Google (hard to believe, I know). Some US searchers in one part of the country use the word “lawyer” more than “attorney”. Some terms, such as DUI or DWI, vary state to state. Now, while your marketing company may not have clients everywhere (which is good for you since the company doesn’t focus on your competitors), the company has to have the ability to adjust your campaign to allow for these differences.
Whether you are doing PPC campaigns, optimization, or print campaigns, your marketing needs to flexibility to adjust with the consumer needs and searches.
Reciprocal links for search engine optimization? No, thanks!
I get emails from our clients constantly about other websites wanting to exchange links. Basically, these other webmasters want to my client to put a link to the webmaster’s site and the webmaster will put a link to my client’s site. In theory, this sounds like a great idea – you have an inbound link, which is great for your law firm’s website search engine optimization. But don’t reply with a quick “sure”! We almost always tell our clients to emphatically say “NO!” and here’s why:
- While the other webmasters may say that they are going to put up the link, they may not actually do so. Or, if they do, they may take it down, which totally negates the entire process.
- By having a link to another person’s site, it is basically like you are endorsing that firm. If you have no idea who this other firm is, why bother letting your clients know about them?
- Inbound links are more powerful if they are not reciprocal links. This goes back to number 1 and why the other firm may remove your link.
- Inbound links are more powerful if they are relevant. For example, if your Better Business Bureau or local bar association will have a link to your site, that is considered relevant. However, if a Japanese telephone manufacturer has a link to you, it is unlikely to be relevant and thus not help you too much.
Now, all of that said, if you have someone that you want to endorse or that wants to endorse you, feel free to exchange links. But don’t agree to exchange links with Joe Smith in Australia in the hopes that it helps your placement. Your law firm internet marketing campaign should always have your best interest at heart; if someone is offering you a link exchange for free - ask yourself what is in it for them.
If you want fast law firm internet marketing results, don’t wait for optimization
We get a lot of inquiries about our lawyer marketing services; one of the most common hesitations that clients have is cost. Our attorneys realize that you have to spend some money to make some money; however, they don’t have a lot to put out at the onset. If you’re looking for the most cost-effective, fastest results, pay-per-click listings still rule.
We recently had an attorney contact us in regards to how our services compare to a major competitor of ours. After finding out what law firm marketing strategies he had implemented in the past and what his current strategy was, we were able to put a proposal together for him. The attorney was interested in getting a return on his investment before expanding to a full-blown marketing program.
We suggested that he should create an effective law firm website design; due to cost, our Gallery Websites would probably be the best option. Then, to get the fastest and most cost-effective return, a pay-per-click SNAP campaign would work best; this way, their ads would be up and running the same day that the website launched and we could easily control placement and cost. Once the attorney saw a return, he could expand to optimization, newsletters, BLOGs, and more.
Unfortunately, our competitor felt differently. This competitor told the client that he needed a website (which we agreed with) and that he needed an eNewsletter and that’s it.
We told the client that the purpose of an eNewsletter is three fold. First, it provides fresh content to the site regularly, which helps in optimization. Second, if you feature the articles on the homepage, it gives readers a reason to drill down further into your site. Third, a reader could bookmark the page and come back later for more information.
However, what the competitor failed to tell the client was that optimization works well over time and there are no guarantees. It could take 6 months to a year to be effective and, then, there is no guarantee that you will show up well. The pay-per-click listing guarantees first page results in the same day. While you may not get a huge volume of cases, they tend to be more qualified, so you are more likely to take on enough cases to pay for your expenditure and then some. Once you have received a return, it makes sense to expand to eNewsletters and optimization, but until then, you will just be waiting for 6 months for a phone call. That doesn’t seem cost effective or fast.
The one thing that we remind our clients is that we won’t suggest a service if you don’t need it. For a firm just starting to make a presence, a newsletter is not going to give you a return and you don’t have the time to wait.
Don’t take the word of one law firm marketing company – ask around. You will become educated and know what to ask other companies. This way you can really compare them without just looking at dollar signs.
