the paid media strategies of TV , radio , out-of-home , paid social , and paid search ( SEM ) are viable marketing law firm marketing tactics .
As effective as advertising is to help you acquire more clients , SEO , and PR work together to amplify your marketing results . This article explains how the trifecta works .
THE GOAL OF CLIENT ACQUISITION
The goal of acquiring new clients depends on spreading awareness of your firm . For decades , lawyers depended on word of mouth to get new clients , especially before 1977 when the U . S . Supreme Court struck down prohibitions against attorney advertising with its decision in Bates v . State Bar of Arizona . Forty-five years later , we have access to a toolbox of strategies that work together to get your firm noticed by more prospective clients . When your audience needs your services , they ’ ll know where to find you . The end result is more clients for your firm .
BRAND RECOGNITION
There ’ s no doubt about it that the legal industry is a highly competitive space . Potential clients have hundreds of law firms to choose from . One challenge is positioning your firm with unique messaging that resonates with clients . What makes your firm stand out ? We refer to this as branding , which goes beyond your color , font , logo , and tagline , although those are important .
SEO and PR are two marketing strategies that provide your firm with traction to position your firm and gain brand recognition , helping you eventually generate more leads and top-line revenue for your firm .
ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS THREE
Traditionally , SEO and PR were seen as separate marketing efforts . However , with the explosive growth of digital marketing , we recognize that efforts to spread brand awareness must work in tandem to get the best results . SEO and PR are greater than the sum of their parts .
SEO — HOW DOES YOUR FIRM RANK ?
Joel is in a traffic accident on his way to the office . Later in the day , he does a Google search to find a personal injury lawyer near his office . He sees three law firms alongside a map , with reviews and buttons to visit a website or request directions . Odds are that Joel will contact one or more of these attorneys . He likely will not scroll past the first page . Where your firm ends up depends on your SEO or search engine optimization . The two main factors in securing top search rankings are content and links . Content and links work together to affect your search rankings . One way this happens is through keywords . Your content tells Google which keywords you should rank for ; links show Google ’ s algorithms how high you should rank . Done the right way , PR can support both content and links .
CONTENT IS KING
PR professionals spend a good part of their days generating and pitching news pitches or concepts to media outlets to generate coverage , with the goal of providing unique content to position your brand .
MENTIONS- LINKS
Quality links are the second component that can boost your SEO presence . Here ’ s how it works :
1 . Your firm is getting mentions in media outlets through the efforts of your PR team .
2 . When your firm is mentioned in an online news site or a website features the content your PR team has pitched , reach out to make sure they ’ re linking back to relevant content on your website .
3 . Google ’ s algorithms pick up these links and use them as one of many factors to rank your firm ’ s website .
These links are extremely valuable , unlike purchased backlinks , which are considered a black hat strategy that can negatively impact your website ’ s search visibility . The quality of links is far more important than quantity . Google considers how relevant the backlinks are to your content and the quality of referring websites for search ranking .
If the mentions derived from your PR efforts are not linking back to your website , you ’ re missing a significant opportunity to boost your SEO ranking .
EAT — EXPERTISE , AUTHORITY , AND TRUST
A third important factor in search ranking is known as EAT — expertise , authority , and trust . Google wants to show its users brands , or in this case , law firms , that have demonstrated all three .
In addition to using algorithms , Google hires and contracts workers whose job is to review websites that rank highly for certain keywords . These workers assess whether your website demonstrates expertise , authority , and trustworthiness . Are your attorneys reviewing content ? If someone Googles your firm , does it appear reputable ?
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