Thanks to certain global events of 2020, I have realized more than ever how lucky I am to have a job in an industry that easily allows for remote work. If there is even one thing that businesses might take away from these events, it is that online content writing is vital for continuing business even in the midst of a pandemic. But creating online content can be quite the undertaking, especially if your area of business deals more with in-person contact. For law firms, how can you find time to figure out what kind of content to write and to promote when you are also in the middle of handling cases and claims that take up all your spare time? While some attorneys take on the SEO writing themselves, others utilize legal writers for hire to create quality content to attract more potential clients.

Content Writing Tips for Law Firms

When enlisting a team of legal SEO writers to create and publish legal content, an understanding of the industry and how to appeal to the right audience is essential. Law firms have their own set of ethics, rules and regulations they need to adhere to, especially on their websites. With this in mind, consider implementing these SEO writing tips for law firms into your marketing strategy.

1. Know Your Target Audience

Getting the angle right for online legal content is vital as it is the first thing that will either draw in or drive away readers and potential clients. A firm that handles criminal defense has a different target audience than a firm that handles plaintiff personal injury claims. If your firm uses SEO writers for hire, they must keep the correct audience in mind in order to create an effective piece.

The best legal content writers for hire avoid wording that comes across as victim-blaming, as well as phrasing that assumes the target client is guilty. Instead, the legal content should reaffirm that the law firm is there to help and is understanding of the situations the clients may find themselves in. Even lawyers who want their clientele to know they will take a tough stance and fight the case in court can appeal to emotion by letting the reader know they are committed to their clients.

2. Write to Practice Area Topics

Figuring out what to write for a law firm is often as simple as looking at the practice area. If the goal of content writing for law firms is to have a client think of a particular lawyer or attorney for a specific legal service, then that is the practice area to write about. This varies by every firm and law office, but the end goal is the same: Keep the target audience and clients in mind.

While keywords were an essential SEO writing component in the past, search engines like Google now evaluate the quality of the search results based on search queries. By writing for a practice area topic instead of a keyword, you will organically develop keywords that aid in ranking your page. In addition, law firms that focused on a single practice area tended to rank better in search results over trying to promote all of their practice areas equally.

How will your law blog writers know what to write about? Research what the target clientele is looking for online and answer their questions in your content. Consider frequently asked questions, recent (and, if possible, local) news and other need-to-know topics for the practice area that potential clients would want to know.

3. Ensure Statements Are Factually Accurate

Many legal professionals handle the writing of their legal website content on their own, but for attorneys using professional content writers, it is vital to ensure those writers are making factually accurate statements. A blog topic about a desired practice area, such as personal injury, might reference local laws for making a claim, for example.

The best legal content writers always ensure that whatever law is mentioned is up to date and accurately explained. It is also a good idea to link to a current source where that information can quickly be verified. Publishing out-of-date or false information could not only cause trouble for the lawyer but also lead to the page diving in search engine rankings.

The sources you use are an important component in presenting factually accurate information to the reader. Check the publication date of any sources you plan to cite or use. Reference the most recent information, and to be safe, avoid using sources that are more than a few years old.

4. Avoid Unethical Language

Lawyers and attorneys have a strict code of ethics they must adhere to, especially when it comes to marketing. Unethical language for law firms includes anything that may misrepresent the attorney or mislead potential clients. Different states may even have stringent regulations on the wording that legal professionals can use, so the unethical language may differ depending on where the lawyer is located.

When engaging in SEO content writing for law firms, make sure the wording does not sound like a promise or a guarantee. It is also a good idea to avoid such words as “best,” “specialist” and “expert” when talking about the attorney and offered services. Before publishing, read over the content as though you are the target audience and take out any language that may come across as insensitive or that might drive away clients.

Although you want to avoid touting an attorney as “the best,” you can still mention awards, memberships, and other accolades and successes the law office or firm has earned. While this can be tougher to include in blog content, it tends to fit in well on About Us pages or other site landing pages.

5. Incorporate the Target Geography Naturally

Although the topic may be more important than the keyword in terms of establishing authority and ranking in search engines, one easy way to both target an audience and generate a long-tail keyword is to incorporate the geographic location of the legal professional into the content. It can be as simple as “practice area + geography.”

Incorporating the geography aids in narrowing the target audience as well. Though some law firms have offices nationwide, a vast majority are smaller or solo practices that operate in a single location. To set your firm or office apart, have your SEO writers for hire include your target geography or service area in your content where it fits. Avoid forcing the geography into the text, though – awkward phrasing may drive away readers.

6. Be the Authority

Whatever your content is saying, say it with confidence. The more knowledgeable content writing for law firms comes across on its topic, the more authoritative it will sound. SEO content that backs itself up with authority is likely to rank higher in searches.

How can you establish authority if your website is new? The first step is to create more legal SEO content! It also helps to have other sites link to yours, but make sure the sites themselves are not questionable as that could come back to bite you. Basically, make your site as information-rich as possible for your client base.

7. Mind Social Media

There is no doubt that social media outreach is essential for any modern business, even law firms. However, according to the American Bar Association’s 2019 Legal Technology Survey Report, the use of social media to raise awareness and educate readers dropped to 42% for solo practices and firms with 10-49 lawyers. The majority of firms and practices cited LinkedIn as their platform of choice, and many others reported using other social media for personal or social reasons.

Reaching out across different social media platforms is a vital component to reaching target clientele. Social media is also the perfect place to promote new legal content, such as your most recently published law blog, and to make it shareable. You can also employ visual marketing through images and videos more easily through these platforms.

One social media tip for law firms is to employ the help of a legal SEO writer to manage the the accounts for you. This ensures that you stay focused on what makes your firm great while also making sure new law content is published regularly.

However, don’t forget the different community and business standards for promoting on different platforms. For example, if you are an attorney who handles criminal law in any form, some social media platforms could flag any content that contains references to violence and weapons. Use social media to your advantage, but make sure you follow platform guidelines so your legal SEO content remains visible and shareable.

8. Create Reputable Backlinks

Backlinks are links in various locations around the internet that lead back to the intended website. For legal professionals, creating backlinks is an important part of reaching more potential clients and building authority. In general, the more backlinks your site has, the more authoritative it may appear to search engines. However, it is important to also consider the quality of the backlink and where it is located.

Just as using unethical language and inaccurate sources can harm content, a backlink located on a questionable site may harm a legal page’s potential search engine rankings. One effective way to create stronger backlinks is to write guest posts for other authoritative sites in a lawyer’s practice area or industry. Not only does a well-placed, quality legal blog establish you as a knowledgeable professional, but it also allows you to reach a wider audience. While you definitely want to increase the number of backlinks to your site, make quality linking the priority.

9. Post and Promote New SEO Content Regularly With Legal Writers for Hire

Did you know that a law firm can increase its website traffic by 15 times simply by publishing new content regularly? Creating a site is a start, but if you are not updating its content with new blogs, you are missing out on potential clients. This can be as simple as finding legal writers for hire and publishing a single new law blog each month.

Creating and promoting new content each month shows site visitors that you are active and aware of the situations potential clients may find themselves in. This is also a great way to once again establish your authority as a professional in your practice area by writing about new or changing laws that would directly affect clients.

If creating, publishing and promoting fresh monthly content does not fit into your schedule, many law firms rely on law blog writers for hire or content management services to handle marketing for them. While each law firm should be aware of the online content that is associated with its name, you can still have an efficient SEO marketing strategy without having to shoulder all the work yourself.

10. Review Analytics To Determine the Effectiveness of Your Legal Content

What good is creating fantastic law content if you do not know how well it is working? Whatever program you decide to use to monitor activity, make sure you have access to analytics that let you know which content on your website is giving you the best results. It may surprise some firms to learn that certain practice areas they thought were their bread and butter do not bring in as many clients online as others. Analyzing the performance of content writing for law firms allows you to adapt your strategy over time.

A content approach that works one year may not work as well the next. To stay relevant, your SEO strategy needs to be adaptable.

Content Writing for Law Firms: Time To Start

Effective, efficient legal SEO writing is more important than ever, even for attorneys that tend to handle the bulk of their work face-to-face. Remember: You do not have to create all of your website content yourself. Legal writers for hire and content management options are available to make your online marketing strategy a success while you focus on your clients. Which of these content writing for law firm tips has worked for your business? What else do law firms need to know about creating web content? Have you ever used a legal SEO writer before? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.