calgary legal marketers - seo & web-based business development
TRANSCRIPT
Web Business, SEO & Practical Tactics for Law firms
Steve MatthewsStem Legal Web Enterprises
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
- Charles Darwin
Web & world are changing? How so?
Traditional Media in trouble “We are all publishers” Technology barriers for web-
communication lowered or gone!
Vast majority of lawyers have no online profile
Decline of Print Media
“US newspaper ad revenues predicted to drop 42.5% in seven years”
“One big problem newspapers have in this age of instant information is the lag time between story creation and distribution. Compare that with online content, which is timelier and mostly free. News organizations also compete with blogs and user-generated content sites.”
Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006876
• “In the 2008 survey, search engines (e.g., Google) pulled ahead of print yellow pages for local business information”
Source: http://searchengineland.com/relying-on-print-yellow-pages-most-local-customers-turn-to-the-web-15082
Yellow Pages
“81% of Internet users worldwide used search engines.”
Tip: Think about consumer research, and how Lawyers can back up referral endorsements? Google your own name!
Source:http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006885
Who’s Searching?
Who’s creating content?
Forrester Research: “33% of online adults post status updates on websites like Facebook & Twitter”(January, 2010)
Source: http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2010/01/conversationalists-get-onto-the-ladder.html
Growth of Social Networks
By 2013, an estimated 93% of adults over 18 will be regular social network visitors.
Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000566
Business Development Value
How does online participation translate into
new business?1. Increased media exposure2. Higher frequency of contact3. Search engine rankings
Local search market?
Get to know…The Google Keyword Research Toolhttps://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
How do we get there?
Basics of SEO 101:Keyword ResearchContent Writing Goals Importance of Links & Link buildingOn-page SEO fundamentals
Content Writing
Writing for the web is different Shorter text blocks – one sentence paragraphs? More lists & bullets – Can you skim it? Being descriptive counts! Use terms you want to be found for. Related: Non-descriptive titles kill search traffic Never SEO your marketing copy!
Importance of Links
Link popularity drives the search results Foundation of all major search engines
Objectives: Good mix of homepage links -vs- deep links Links from quality organizations ‘pillars of society’ Links from similar subject pages Flow of new links; plus aged links Descriptive link text
Link Building (Ethically)
Educational InstitutionsFirm lawyers who also teach?
AssociationsWhat memberships do firm members have?
Charities & SponsorshipsWhat events & charities does the firm
sponsor?
On-Page SEO Fundamentals
Simply best practices – Not a game changer!
1. Page Titles – Unique & Descriptive
2. Meta Description = Yes, Meta Keywords = Questionable
3. Keywords in URL structures:
http://www.stemlegal.com/steve-matthews/-over-http://www.stemlegal.com/d34dsfd53.php?author=343
Connecting Web Participation to SEO
Established: More links = better web rankings Link building campaigns help On-Page SEO helps too
But to go further, lawyers must participate! Web publishing & online relationships drive links
Participate Strategically
• Know who you are, who your clients are, have goals:
• Niche Expertise, Geographic, Industry, Referral Demographics
• Have a Plan: • Document off-line networks, use the tools, identify groups that send you work, create targets.
• Content Syndication & Routing:• Automate your content, work smart.
•Repurpose content, online & offline:• Blogs = paper newsletter content; Published in a Magazine? Blog about it.
