If you are thinking about launching a website for your firm or if you want to update your current website, here are some tips on using search engine optimization (SEO) to help you build it the right way from the start and maximize your return on investment.
Research Your Keywords and Competition First
Before deciding on a web design firm, you should take advantage of the Google keyword research tools available to anyone for free! Go to http://www.googlekeywordtool.com/. They give a brief explanation of keywords and then link to Google’s keyword tool. You can then type in keywords hat you might think apply to your law practice and get statistics on those words. If you are overwhelmed by doing this yourself, most web design firms that offer SEO services can handle this as part of the initial web design package. You should also do your own searches for local lawyers, as if you were a prospective client, and see what your competition is doing and where they rank. This will help any firm that you retain to better maximize your return on investment.
Choose a Search Engine Friendly Domain Name
There is generally no problem with using a vanity name for your email and traditional advertising ("lawyer@mylawfirmnamespelledout.com"). But, these domain names do not help with SEO when it comes to prospective clients looking for an attorney. Unless they already know you or your firm, they will be searching for information on their specific legal problem, not your name. A better idea is to choose a keyword rich domain name like www.theirlegalproblemhere.com (divorce, personal injury, specific crime). The web design firm you retain should take great care in choosing the domain name to give you the best chance at it increasing your initial rankings with the major search engines.That said, vanity domains can be programmed to re-direct to your SEO friendly domain.
Think SEO from the Start
It is very important that your new website is built with the proper foundation to be found by the major search engines. Care should be taken in choosing whether or not to build a custom site or to use a Content Management System (CMS) like Wordpress. You should also make sure that it is coded properly with SEO plug-ins, proper URL structure, title tags and sitemap submission. (It's ok if you do not understand these terms, but make sure someone involved with your team does!) There are many web design companies that specialize in law firm websites and understand SEO.
Proper investment in Internet marketing can make all the difference in your bottom line. When you combine that with good quality content, photographs and blogging, your firm will get more return on your marketing dollars.