Practicing law has changed a lot in the last few decades. This change wasn’t only affected by the evolution of legal practices. In fact, most of the legal framework has remained the same. The real change came in the form of technologies that became available to lawyers and everyone else.
Today we’ll focus mainly on technologies used to generate leads and help lawyers reach their target audiences. Here’s all you need to know about modern online marketing for law firms.
Using Modern Online Marketing Methods to Gain Leads
The internet has completely changed our world. Nothing has been the same since computers became widespread and every household, business, and institution gained an online presence. It didn’t take long for the internet to become one of the most utilized marketing tools in the world.
Reaching audiences used to be a matter of casting a wide net using the available media. Lawyers would buy ads on TV, in local papers, and hope that their investment was worth it. This isn’t to say that these methods no longer work. In fact, TV advertising still brings decent results. However, it’s not as efficient as internet marketing.
Why Internet Marketing Works Better for Services
The main advantage of online marketing is the flexibility this method brings to the table. If you’re familiar with the law, you know that this profession can be broken down into a variety of different niches. Lawyers and law firms often specialize in family law, corporate law, criminal law, and others.
The beauty of online marketing is in the fact that you can target each of these niches. How? Using search engine optimization.
What is SEO and How Can Lawyers Benefit From It?
Search engine optimization is a process of optimizing a page so that it appears among the first results for any given keyword. For example, if you’re a law firm specialized in family law, you would work with a marketing agency for family law specialists who would optimize your site for this niche. As a result, anytime someone types in “family law (your location)”, or any other keyword, your law firm’s site would pop up among the first few results.
Utilizing SEO as the cornerstone of your online marketing strategy is a great way to stay ahead of your competition. This is especially true if there are several law firms in your area, all of which are competing for the same keyword.
The Importance of SEO in Terms of Lead Generation
Despite the fact that it’s 2020 and that the internet has permeated into every aspect of our lives, businesses are still somewhat skeptical about marketing online. However, this year alone “_____ near me/around me” search quires have increased by nearly 900%. That’s not so unusual once you realize that everybody has a phone in their pockets these days.
If you need something, what’s the first thing you do? You Google it or search for it online using other means. Taking advantage of these potential leads is key for maintaining a competitive edge, especially if your practice is limited to a specific area.
How Long Does it Take to Implement Effective SEO?
Search engine optimization is anything but easy to predict. It’s hard to produce a timeframe or a schedule that would tell you when you’ll start seeing the initial results of an effective SEO campaign. The reasons for this are numerous.
For one, there are many factors that affect search engine optimization. These can be divided into on-site and off-site factors. On-site factors include things such as site speed, content, site responsiveness on various devices, and a whole lot of other things. Off-site factors are harder to measure as they aren’t always in your control. Link build, outreach, and other things fall within this category.
That being said, SEO is a long game that pays off exponentially. If done right, your website can turn into a massive force multiplier when it comes to your marketing efforts. Using SEO to your advantage can boost your lead generation tenfold.
Where to Start?
Search Engine Optimization starts with a solid website. If your law firm doesn’t have a website yet, it’s best that you let the SEO agency you hire walk you through what needs to be done. A website that has been built with SEO in mind makes the entire process so much easier.
Lastly, find an agency that will take you through the entire process. It’s key that you understand how this process works and what you can do to help speed it up or make it more efficient in the long run.