Law firms hire attorney SEO experts to draw more potential clients through higher search rankings, which improves their chances of securing good outcomes for the people they represent. The reasons most firms turn to an outside marketing company come down to traffic, visibility, and the time required to run SEO well in-house.
Why attorneys seek SEO help in the first place
Attorneys contact SEO experts at their firm because they want increased website traffic. The specific benefit they describe is the same: SEO can improve their business by putting their site in front of people who are already searching for legal help.
The biggest reason attorneys begin to use search engine optimization is to draw more potential customers to their firm. The more people who come to them, the better their chances of securing a good outcome for their clients. When a lawyer uses SEO to market the practice, the goal is to improve the likelihood that these new clients will retain the services of that particular lawyer. The more successful a lawyer is online, the more likely the potential for future success. This is why law firms employ SEO specialists.
What it means to rank on the search engine results pages
Another reason law firms employ a professional SEO specialist is that the specialist has the training necessary to make sure a site can appear in the search engine results pages, also called SERPs. When someone searches for a lawyer, if the results page is not listed on the first page of the search results, the firm may have to re-optimize its website to qualify for that listing. This is why an attorney needs SEO marketing strategies developed.
How organic search results work for a law firm
An attorney interested in SEO may wonder what it means when a firm develops organic search results for its clients. Organic search results are those created without the use of specific keywords or phrases. The rankings that appear on organic listings are determined by the algorithms the search engine uses. Once these algorithms are properly developed by an outside company, they are passed on to the law firm so the firm can create its own organic listings. The results are often far more favorable to the client than those that appear in the regular search results.
An example of a quality content algorithm is that the higher the number of links a site receives from quality websites with similar themes and objectives, the higher the site’s position in its category of listings. In internet marketing, the goal is to be listed on the first page of the search engines. Once a website is listed on the first page, a firm can be assured that the website will receive a lot more traffic, which translates to more potential clients. This is why law firms need to be very vigilant about the quality of content they publish on their websites. Otherwise, they run the risk of losing business to competitors who are listed ahead of them on the search engines.
Why outsourcing beats an in-house SEO team for most firms
Another reason a law firm would choose to work with an outside firm to develop its SEO marketing strategies is the time involved in developing and implementing organic SEO strategies. Law offices usually have a staff of lawyers handling the tedious task of keyword research and optimization. A firm might only have one or two attorneys dedicated to this task. If the lawyer works on his own, he must be disciplined enough to focus on quality rather than quantity, which is easier said than done.
The time difference between hiring an SEO marketing company to manage the marketing part of a law firm and having an in-house marketing team is large. With an in-house group of marketing professionals, it takes up too much of their time. It is also a little difficult for them to incorporate the latest trends into their marketing campaigns. The best option is to outsource their SEO marketing to a professional agency that can guarantee the client high rankings in the major search engines within a short period of time and at a reasonable cost.
FAQ
Why do law firms hire attorney SEO experts?
Law firms hire attorney SEO experts to draw more potential clients to the firm and to improve the likelihood that new clients will retain that particular lawyer, which improves the firm’s chances of securing good outcomes.
What are organic search results in lawyer SEO?
Organic search results are listings created without specific keywords or phrases, with rankings determined by search engine algorithms. An outside company develops these algorithms and passes them to the law firm so it can build its own organic listings, which often rank better than regular search results.
Why outsource SEO instead of keeping it in-house at a law firm?
Keyword research and optimization are tedious tasks that consume a lot of an in-house marketing team’s time, and it is difficult for that team to keep up with the latest trends. Outsourcing to a professional agency can deliver high rankings in the major search engines within a short period and at a reasonable cost.
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