How to Convince the Senior Partner That SEO For Your Law Firm is a Good Investment

In the eyes of many attorneys, getting new clients through Internet marketing is not worth the time and expense. If you are an attorney who understands the importance of Internet marketing and would like to attract more clients online, then this article will help you convince the senior partner, or marketing department, to invest in SEO.

Explain the difference between owning a Web site and an SEO budget

Educating the senior partner about the vocabulary of Internet marketing is the first part of selling him or her on SEO or Search Engine Optimization. SEO is just one side of Search Engine Marketing or SEM, which is the process of targeting search engine users who type in specific keywords to locate Web sites.

In today's competitive market, simply having a Web site does not guarantee any increase in revenue for a law practice. "We have a Website, why do we need SEO?" is a common response from senior partners who think that SEO is automatically built into a Web site. 

SEO refers to the process of adding keywords and HTML into the pages of your Web site that allows Search Engines to easily read and publish your Web site in its search engine results pages.

Once the senior partners understand what SEO is, then they will appreciate what SEO can do. Have the senior partner reiterate the meaning of SEO to make sure you are all on the same page. Then, explain what SEO can do.

Tell the senior partner how SEO works to market Websites

Search Engines are today's interactive phone books. It's what many people use to find attorneys. When explaining SEO to the Senior partner, it's good to use an example to explain how SEO works. For example, apply SEO to your practice area. Let's say it's "dog bite lawyer". 

Explain how SEO is used to target Internet users who type the words "dog bite lawyer" into a search engine. When the results come up, good SEO ensures that the law firm will appear in the search results. 

Beware of SEO firms who promise that a site can be ranked number one on search engine results pages. Because search engines are constantly changing the way they rank their results, there is no way to guarantee that a firm will be number one in results pages for "dog bite lawyer." 

SEO is necessary to compete with Web sites who are already online. The Internet is a great equalizer. It allows solo practitioners with SEO to compete with large law firms for cases when users type in certain search terms into a search engine. For example, a large law firm without SEO may not appear at all when a user types in dog bite attorney, even though they have a Web site.

Now that you have a plan that explains what SEO is and how it works, do a live search on a computer to see SEO in action. Put the senior partner in front of a computer and have him or her type in different search terms. When the results pages appear, explain that SEO is the reason why sites come up in the order they appear.

Sarah Van Cott is the Content Manager for WebJuris, a boutique law firm website design firm that specializes in attorney internet marketing campaigns. She is part of the team of specialists at WebJuris who design customized attorney websites and law firm marketing plans that are uniquely based on the long term goals of your law firm.

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SEO Copywriters - Five Steps to Your Great Web Writing Partner

Google and the other search engines have never been more sophisticated. Even for SEO specialists, trying to understand the engines' changing algorithms is often like trying to lasso rain. While SEO copywriters undoubtedly require specialised knowledge and the ability to generate clear, well-written, relevant content on diverse subjects, be alert to those who try to baffle you with false science. Google itself recognises that the key to effective SEO writing is well-written, relevant content.

When you are shortlisting SEO copywriters, here are five important things to consider.

(1) Has the SEO copywriter written SEO copy before?

Just as designing a Formula One car is different to designing a 4x4, so SEO copy writing is very different from writing newsletters or brochures. A good SEO copywriter will be eager to tell you about work they've done. Visit some sites to see for yourself; see if their clients include SEO, website or online marketing specialists.

(2) Do they have a website themselves?

How did you find the SEO copywriter's own site? If you found it through a search engine, that's a good sign. But anyone can cram keywords or key phrases into a website. Does the site read well to a human reader? Copy that looks stilted or overly repetitive should ring alarm bells: do you really want your site to read like that? It's something to think about when considering SEO copywriters...

(3) Is your SEO copywriter based locally?

With modern technology it's not essential for you to be in the same town, county or even country as your SEO copywriter. But in practice, as with so many aspects of business, it's often advantageous to work with a local SEO copywriter. It's all about building and maintaining relationships: sometimes there's nothing better than sitting down face-to-face.

(4) What are their fees?

Like any product or service, you get what you pay for with SEO copywriters so beware of some of the 'cheap and cheerful' SEO copy out there. Ideally, (provided you've provided a clear brief) your SEO copywriter should give you a fixed price quotation (not just an estimate). This will usually cover a first draft of SEO copywriting and at least two rounds of revisions. Provided that you don't change the brief mid-project, your copywriter shouldn't change their fee either. And of course, you will provide the required keywords or key-phrases before they start work for you...

(5) Have they got experience in your sector?

It doesn't necessarily matter if an SEO copywriter hasn't worked in your sector before. In fact, a web writer who comes to your field afresh may bring a new perspective and a refreshing approach to your work. Most important of all is that they can get excited about what you do, interested in the features and BENEFITS of your product/service, and that they are used to writing solid SEO copy. (A solid background in marketing and conventional copywriting is a great bonus.)

Follow these guidelines and you'll be off to a great start with your new SEO copywriter. Wherever possible, try to meet (or at least speak with) them before you start work. People, as we know, buy people: a capable SEO copywriter with a friendly, client-focused approach is a powerful ally as you promote your business online. Pick him or her carefully. Then start enjoying the benefit.

Al Hidden is probably one of the more experienced conventional and seo copywriters based in Gloucestershire, England. His background is in technical sales, marketing management, technical writing, copywriting and PR. He specializes in technical, marketing, PR, website and SEO copywriting and copy-editing for large and small organisations in Gloucestershire and the rest of the UK.

http://www.alhidden.com

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