If you have been searching for basic SEO for Attorneys then you have come to the right place. Attorneys are often overwhelmed with amount of internet advertising information continually bombarding them on the internet.  Many of my clients work with me because I am able to explain the basics to them and then make sure that SEO is taken care of for them on a regular basis.  If you are a lawyer concerned about your internet presence, here are the SEO basics you need to know.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization is the process of ensuring (on a regular basis) that the search engines will be able to find and properly displace your website when users are searching for your services.

Each search engine use an algorithm to determine how it is going to find content, what is considered important, and also, reasons for penalizing sites.  Algorithms are always changing – the first big change was the Penguin/Panda algorithm updates of 2011 where Google made clear it wanted to see substantial content and substantially penalized sites for thin content and Black Hat SEO techniques.  

In every update since that time, there are a few SEO techniques that have been awarded or penalized on websites, so take note of this important list of how to handle SEO for your lawfirm:

Content has remained king.  Google wants to see your website building with interesting and informative content directly related to your core business areas.  Your content should answer reader questions (since 50% of search is question driven) and include geo locators if your law practice is centered in a specific area.  Your content should be loaded correctly on your site including highlighting keywords, not stuffing keywords, and ensuring that categories, tags, pictures, and the URL are all optimized.  Want to make this easy?  Make sure your keyword research is done correctly, your editorial calendar is ready to go for the year, and you have a great system for writing.

Link Building.  Link building is the process of making sure you have links coming from others sites to yours and linking each article on your site to another.  This can include when you guest blog or you are featured in an article on the internet.

Reviews:  For now, reviews on your Google page are my third recommendation – your google listing is more likely to rank if there are reviews (and if you are posting from that account). Reviews take a long time to cultivate and you should start immediately.

One SEO warning:

never pay $79.99 (or some low number) to have “SEO” done on your website.  Never give a company the password to your Google account.  Don’t let any company or person touch coding of your website for SEO purposes without a full explanation of exactly what they will be doing and why.  And, no one can guarantee you first page rankings – it is impossible.  

 

 

 

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