"Did you know," Lance Lawyer asked
sister Linda, sitting across from him at the conference table of L&L
Law, "that one billion, one million people a month search the web with
Google?"
"No," Linda said. "I didn’t know that. How on earth do we get noticed among all those folks?"
That is the question. How does a single lawyer in Lansing or Traverse City or Marquette or Detroit get noticed on the Internet?
The answer lies in understanding how
search engines work. Google is not the only search engine, but it is the
one setting the gold standard for search results. Google, like Bing and
Yahoo, the other top contenders, use automated robots or algorithms
that crawl through the web, building an index to provide consumers with a
list of websites relevant to their search. Assuming that the more
popular sites have the most valuable information, the robot then ranks
those sites, pages, or documents according to popularity. Think of it as
a map of the web with only those stops that are both relevant and
popular.
The technique used to create a relevant
and popular site that gets lots of visitors is called search engine
optimization (SEO). SEO is the process of using strategies and
techniques to obtain a high-ranking placement in the search results.
What strategies can you use to get noticed?
- Update your profile settings in the SBM Member Directory.
Did you know that one of the
benefits of the enhanced member directory can be an improved search
results listing on the Internet? The State Bar included an article in
the March issue of SBM Today about how updating your profile settings in
the online Zeekbeek directory can help draw more attention to your
profile. Opting in to your free, personalized vanity URL and making a
few other quick additions to your profile can help raise your ranking in
Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. After reading all the tips in
this article, be sure to make time to read "Six Easy Steps to Improve SEO."
- Content is everything.
Search engine robots are looking
for content that holds the reader’s interest. They are judging your
content’s value by seeing the interaction of the reader with the
website. Does the consumer spend time on the page and come back to read
more? You need to provide the information being sought by the consumer
to rank higher in the findings. In other words, create a useful,
informative, and original site targeted for your clients and prospective
clients that conveys trust and experience.
Include lawyer bios with
professional photos, interesting content in your area of practice, and
images if possible. Adding links to more articles helps the reader. Your
goal is to provide your clients and prospective clients with a good
experience.
- Mobile friendly.
Consumers are searching on
smartphones, tablets of all sizes, laptops, and desktops. Your website
and blog posts must be mobile friendly. Google, seeing the problem and
wanting to retain its position as a useful service, decreed a website’s
"mobile-friendliness" be included as a ranking signal. This means that
site pages that can’t fit comfortably on a smaller screen could see a
downgrade in ranking.
How do you know if your website pages are mobile friendly? Ever efficient Google has created a website where you can enter your webpage URL or web address to test it. Visit the Mobile-Friendly Test page,
enter your web address, and you will quickly know the results. If you
fail the test, contact your web developer or website host to find out
how to make your website mobile friendly. Your readers will thank you.
- Longer articles work better.
Longer articles—those of 1,200 to
1,500 words—work better in the rankings. Experts believe this is because
there are more words and images to rank on a page. Longer pages are
often shared on social media.
When writing longer articles,
remember to keep them reader friendly. A long, densely worded article
will be passed over. Make use of white space, add sub-headlines, bullet
points, numbered lists, bolding, and images throughout the copy to keep
it interesting. Readability and design of your site can influence
rankings.
- Remember how consumers are using search engines.
Today’s consumers no longer use one
or two word searches. When searching for lawyers they may include
"estate planning lawyer in Traverse City Mi" or "Criminal defense
attorney Lansing Mi." By their choice of words, they are narrowing their
search results. They may ask a question such as "What is a contract? Or
what is a will?"
You benefit from longer queries
because they represent the specific products or services people are
seeking and which you provide. If your site includes those words, they
will find you. And, after finding your site and reading your
information, the consumer knows more about estate planning or contract
writing and feels a connection to you. At that point it is easy to send
you a query or pick up the phone and call for an appointment.
You, like Lance and Linda, will get
noticed on the Internet if you try these suggestions. And, remember to
announce your improvements on social media and your SBM Member Directory.
Roberta Gubbins has served as the editor of the Ingham County Legal News.
Since leaving the paper, she provides services as a ghostwriter editing
articles, blogs, and e-blasts for lawyers and law firms. She is the
editor of Briefs, the Ingham County Bar Association e-newsletter, and The Mentor, SBM Master Lawyers Section newsletter.
Read More Clear & Convincing Articles
Helpful Guides
Six Easy Steps to Improve SEO
Using the New Enhanced Member Directory
How to Login and Edit Your Profile
Zeekbeek For Lawyers Page—learn about all the new directory features
How to Contact ZeekBeek Support