The Importance of SEO for Lawyers and Law Firms
Since the late 1990s, people have been transitioning from using the yellow pages to the internet to find a lawyer. In essence, Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and Ask.com are the new yellow pages. These four major search engines list web pages like the yellow pages list telephone numbers. Just as all law firms need to be listed in the yellow pages, all law firms also need to be listed in search engines. However, getting listed in search engines is not as easy as getting listed in the yellow pages. To ensure your firm’s website can be found in search results, it is advisable to have your website optimized through the process known as search engine optimization (SEO).
Having your law firm’s website optimized will lead to high search result rankings which will lead to more potential clients finding and visiting your firm’s website. The more potential clients that visit your website, the more clients your firm will get.
Another practical reason all lawyers should engage in search engine optimization is that their website is not a valuable marketing tool (i.e. brings in clients) unless it can be easily found. If an attorney/law firm has already made the initial investment in a website, it makes sense to get the most out of the investment, and the best way for that to happen is through SEO. Additionally, it is inexpensive since it doesn’t have to be renewed or redone on a regular basis.
In addition to having your site ranked highly, search engine optimization can also produce secondary benefits to attorneys. As a part of the SEO process, additional content which discusses the various areas of law your firm practices usually needs to be created an added to the website. These explanations enable you to demonstrate to your clients you are an expert in the area and are the best choice to represent them. Similarly, adding a blog helps an attorney with SEO and it gives him/her another venue to demonstrate their expertise in an area of law.
Another benefit to lawyers that search engine optimization provides is the perception that being listed first gives to potential clients. Since most people don’t know how rankings are determined, most people think if you are listed first, you must be the best. If your law firm is perceived as the best by potential clients, more will hire your firm.
Search engine optimization produces both tangible benefits to lawyers (your firm’s website will be found) as well as secondary benefits. It is recommended to start the SEO process now because the longer your firm waits, the longer and harder it will be for the firm to rank highly for the desired areas of law.
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