Attorney Marketing Strategies Archives

The Questions that will Get you Found

If there’s one thing that search engines reward with higher ranking more than most others, it’s a website page that matches the exact search a person conducts. Attorney Search Engine Strategies who are looking to improve their chances of being found online by a prospective client with a need to fill, there is a very simple way to make this happen: just answer your own questions.

We find that one of the most difficult issues most professionals face when writing for an online audience is speaking the reader’s language. Often, professionals get too caught up in industry jargon and terminology far above the understanding of their readers, and they have a very difficult time connecting to the reader in the place where he/she is at.

One of the best ways to achieve both a level of writing that speaks directly to your reader in the place where they are currently at, as well as prove to search engines that your content MOST CLOSELY matches the queries posed in an online search, is to ask and answer the questions that relate to your target audience.

Here are a few examples:

Title of Post: “My ex is remarrying and moving out of state. What steps do we need to take to make sure our agreements are upheld before he/she moves?”

Title of Post: “My siblings and I will be inheriting a family business soon. Who should we speak to about transitioning the business and making sure we are all covered?”

Title of Post: “Mom may need to go to a nursing home soon. How do we pay for it and protect our family’s home?”

In each of the situations above, the body of the blog post or article would address (in general terms) common next steps and issues associated with each of these questions. While you would not be advising this particular person with their situation; by addressing the questions that are commonly asked by your target audience(s), you will not only position yourself well into the search engine responses to these questions, you will also position yourself as the expert in this practice area to the person reading your article.

Ready to learn how to find your firm’s next client online? Want to position yourself as the Authority in your practice area, so that potential clients will come to you for help? Register here for our upcoming FREE virtual seminar on April 19th.

Attorney_Lawyer_Contracts We meet with many attorneys and law firms, in a wide range of practice areas, to help them build their businesses and grow their sales with inbound marketing. And there is one common thread that seems to exist with the majority of these lawyers: they just don’t speak the same language as their clients.

This is costing them new business. It’s making their lead and referral generation efforts more difficult.

It’s resulting in higher advertising costs to make up for slow (or non-existent) inbound leads.

And it’s all completely avoidable.

We don’t mean that they are literally speaking another language; but that the keywords and terminology they are using does not match what their prospective clients are searching for (online and via word of mouth).

Here’s an Example:

Prospective Client: “Our family needs help making medical and financial decisions for mom, and we’re concerned that she may need to go to a nursing home. My brothers and I can’t agree on whether we should sell mom’s house to pay for her care; or which of us should make medical decisions for her.”

Law Firm: “We provide comprehensive guardianship and estate planning services for clients. We are experienced with wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, including advanced directives or living wills. Our attorneys will work with you to procure an executor for your estate, and develop a revocable or irrevocable trust to protect your assets.”

Do you see the issue here?

Both of these statements refer to the same situation, and the law firm obviously would be equipped to handle the needs of the prospective client. However, because the words they use are so drastically different, it is nearly impossible for the client to even FIND this law firm in an online search; and if they do manage to find the firm, they likely still will not understand that their needs can be met here.

We understand that one of the most difficult issues for attorneys (and similar legal, medical, and financial professionals) is that they must be very cautious of the words that they use. If they are too casual, they could be deemed unprofessional or uneducated. If they use over-reaching statements (‘expertise’ and ‘specialties’ come to mind), they could be found in violation of industry standards.

However, by striking a balance to speak the language of your prospective clients, while still maintaining professional and industry standards, you will see a dramatic improvement in your lead generation results and new business.

Want to learn more?

We are hosting a FREE teleseminar on “Inbound Marketing and Lead Generation Strategies for Attorneys” on Friday, April 19th. Reserve your seat by clicking here. And don’t worry if you can’t make it to the live event; we’ll send a recorded presentation to all participants who registered.