Law firm blogs can really help solicitors grow their website traffic. It’s a shame that so many are left to wither and die after an initial, enthusiastic burst of posts.
Remember that Google is always trying to get the best result for each user’s search. In doing so it tries to figure out the intent behind the query. Informative articles (your blogposts) – posted at regular intervals – mean more rich content for Google to work with. Failure to provide regular updates or abandoning your blog altogether may send the opposite signal – that your site has little in the way of relevant, useful information to offer.
DEMONSTRATING EXPERTISE, AUTHORITY AND TRUSTWORTHINESS
In theory any update – however minor – has the potential to enhance your site’s value to search engines. But blogs are almost unique in their inherent SEO value. Google has always regarded expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness as critical to webpage quality. And blogs on legal subjects of interest to potential clients are the ideal platform for you to demonstrate each of these attributes.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BLOG? THE GOOGLE GUIDELINES
Google has just published new guidelines on webpage quality. They are fairly extensive, running to over 150 pages. About the length of a run of the mill Supreme Court judgment! But buried among the graphs, bar charts and raw statistics is the following piece of advice:
High quality legal advice should come from expert sources and be maintained and updated regularly
For solicitors trying to develop the content of their sites this is valuable guidance. Even if you are not providing legal advice through your website in the strict sense, Google’s is clearly highlighting the critical importance of expertise and regular updates.
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
Legal content writers can work with individual firms to decide how regularly they should update a blog. And it’s not always about quantity:
- If you post too regularly readers will lose interest.
- It’s much better to plan carefully – look at upcoming judgments and press coverage of legal topics. Decide what will be of interest to potential clients. Make your post count.
- Take time to craft a great headline – one that will engage readers and encourage them to click on the post.
- Share your blog – get others to retweet, share and like on other social media channels like LinkedIn.
AN ABANDONED BLOG – WORSE THAN NO BLOG AT ALL
Nothing undermines your credibility with clients and search engines than a blog that has been left to wither and die.
If you don’t have time to update your blog remove it from your site or get an outside agency to provide the content. It works.
We have worked with dozens of law firms in the UK and the US. So it’s fair to say we spend a lot of our time looking at and assessing content on legal websites. What we have discovered is that a regularly updated, incisive legal blog is a rare thing indeed. And when you think about it, this is pretty astounding. Nothing is more likely to put off a potential client who clicks on a blog and discovers the last entry was 6 months ago. Where is the topical, useful information they need to validate their choice of solicitor?
THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE
We think this high level of unattended blogs presents a huge opportunity to law firms prepared to commit to creating regular content that appeals to site visitors. You’ll give Google plenty to play with when indexing your site – making it easier for people to find you. And when they do land on your site they’ll find topical, valuable content, encouraging them to contact you. That’s information that – on the evidence – most law firms are simply not providing at present.
You can contact Morgan Legal Content online or by phone on 07881 904 285.
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