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Pew/Internet reported early August that the percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half (49%). With this increase, the number of those using a search engine on a typical day is pulling ever closer to the 60% of internet users who use email on a typical day.

The report provides data supporting the fact that those who are using search engines on an average day are more likely to be socially upscale, with at least some college education and incomes over $50,000 per year.

Accordingly, search engine marketing continues to increase in importance for law firms. FindLaw's white paper "Search Engine Marketing (SEM) for Law Firms" covers that an effective SEM strategy can be a key competitive advantage for law firms that want to generate more visibility, more qualified traffic and, ultimately, more new clients in the online legal marketplace.

Using appropriate keywords and keyword phrases are a key success factor. Effective keyword selection starts with thinking through what makes your law firm unique, in terms of its client base, competitors and practice goals, and working with your SEM expert to build a diverse set of keywords and keyword phrases around those qualities.

 

A good rule of thumb is that you’re usually better off competing for and winning a higher number of unique, small-volume word combinations (“I need to hire a lawyer because I was arrested for DUI in Pittsburgh”) than going after just a few high-volume, and highly competitive, searches (such as “DUI lawyer”).

 

Why is that the case?

• Because 40% of Internet searches are unique searches; they’ve never been done before.
• Because very specific queries usually come from highly motivated prospects.
• Because while being #1 in the search engines for a more common search is great, it’s all about converting new clients — and going about it in a strategic (and realistic) way.

The more specific the search, the more likely it is that a person who clicks-through from that search will be a better prospective client for you. If a law firm specializes in dog bite law in Arlington, Texas, a person who finds the law firm through the search query “Arlington TX dog bite law” is likely to be a far more qualified lead than someone who found the law firm through the query “personal injury law.”

 

You can’t anticipate every one-of-a-kind search, and your Web site would be unreadable if you tried. But a firm can improve its odds of generating traffic from specific, one-off queries (known as “Long Tail” searches). The key: maintaining a well-written, content-rich site filled with a broad range of relevant keywords.

 

By taking that approach, you’ll be more competitive for both Long Tail searches and more popular search terms as well. An SEM expert who understands how legal prospects think and the search terms they use can help you cast a wide net and bring a greater number of well-qualified prospects to your Web site

Edwin Van Riessen

Remember when you were a kid and adults told you to pick your friends carefully because their reputation also reflects on you? This continues to hold true as adults, especially when you think about marketing. In a previous time I did media buying and planning for a large national retailer. I received solicitation after solicitation to advertise on anything from a milk container to a car door to the Super Bowl. I’m not going to say every option was considered equally, but we did read a lot of them. The thing we always kept in mind was what does that say about our brand? Is this something we want to be associated with? Does this relay the message of who we are and what we stand for?
 
I think these same questions hold true in legal marketing. It’s important to look at whom you partner with and determine if the reputation of this “friend” accurately reflects what you value.
 
You’ve likely heard the stats before, but they bear repeating: the majority of Internet users have watched online video and many do it regularly. This has you thinking that maybe you want to do online video too. There are many options to choose from and because this video will represent you and your firm, you want to select the right one. For instance, it’s important to compare the quality of the videos you’ll receive with the price you are going to pay. Look at what you’re getting. Does that final video reflect who you are and what you represent? Does it meet actual consumer needs? Would you watch the video if you were a consumer? There will almost always be a cheaper option just like there’s a high-end option – the key is to find the option that meets your needs and reflects your brand.  
 
Another example I recently saw has to do with Web site linking. You can link your Web site to just about anything. You may even be frequently contacted to exchange links with a variety of different people. Again, it’s vital to think about what this link says about you. Does this site’s reputation align with your values and brand? Is it something you are proud to be associated with? Sure, it might help drive more traffic, but is it really the kind of traffic you want to have? Also, the more links you apply also provides more opportunities for the consumer to leave your site. Make sure they’re going to something you want to be associated with.
 
These are just a couple examples, but it’s important to consider these types of questions with any marketing you do.  It’s important to continue to drive toward new clients, but in order to attract the type of clients you value as important, you need to carefully preserve the image your Web site through the use quality video and marketing, and by creating a network of trustworthy links.

Linda Palecek

My legal education began after law school when I started working for Dakota County’s largest employer: Thomson Reuters.  I sold Westlaw online legal research and print publications to new and existing customers, all of them sole practitioners and small law firms.

During my tenure as a sales representative, I learned the features of Westlaw inside and out – as I learned the lawyer’s mind inside and out – through 50 cold calls a day, relating to varied personalities, and closing contracts.  My job in sales was to market our products to lawyers. 

In my current role as attorney editor at FindLaw, my job is to market the legal services of those same lawyers to prospective clients.  I am still a “humble peddler”, as a fellow cube mate in sales often said; instead of hawking the company’s wares, I hawk those of the lawyer.

I am uniquely situated for this – like every member of my team – not only because I am a lawyer but because I grew up fused to the computer since birth.  I understand the Web’s mind as I understand the lawyer’s. 

The lawyer craves authoritative pillow talk on the common law.  The Web, however, craves hits and clicks.  My job is to introduce hits and clicks to the common law and create a Web site with, as we say at FindLaw, “well-written content specifically designed to achieve your business goals – the conversion of Web visitors to clients.”    

When Mr. Smith is charged with drunk driving, you want the Web and the lawyer to understand each other.  If they do, Mr. Smith will be client Smith, and that’s lawyer marketing.

Chris Bradley