Setting yourself apart from the competition can be challenging. Having an up-to-date website and aggressive marketing plan is paramount to your success. That’s where we come in. Since 2007, Omnizant has been helping lawyers in the most competitive markets and practice areas grow their organic traffic and generate new business from the web.
The Challenge for Competitive Law Firms
In many areas of the country, there is no shortage of attorneys, and competition in certain practice areas can be fierce and expensive. (Personal injury firms, we see you.)
Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that there can only be 10 websites on the first page of Google’s search results and, in most areas of the country, having a website alone isn’t enough to get your firm to these top spots.
To maximize visibility in competitive markets, a multifaceted digital marketing strategy is required. Effective strategies generally consist of the following:
A responsive website that prioritizes usability
Google has robust criteria that it measures sites against. The search engine giant considers things like loading speed, site architecture, quality content, mobile responsiveness and accessibility. Get any one of these things wrong, and your site will likely suffer the consequences.
Custom design
While search engines may not consider the aesthetics of your site, you can be sure that prospective clients are visiting multiple websites during the attorney selection process. A custom design created with your target audience in mind can make all of the difference in fostering engagement with a website visitor.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO isn’t one thing; it’s a number of tactics deployed continuously overtime to help your site gain credibility with the search engines and ensure that your firm shows up in results when a prospective client is in the market for your services.
In the most simplistic terms, SEO consists of:
As the name suggests, on-page optimization centers around the elements that can be found on (or behind the scenes of) your web pages. At the core of on-page SEO are high-quality content, optimized titles, descriptions and headers, and internal linking that can help create a better user experience for site visitors.
When gauging your site’s credibility, it’s not surprising that Google looks at which sites are linking to your law firm’s site. If you have inbound links from credible sites that are relevant to the practice of law (like a local bar association), this is a signal to the search engines that your site is a valuable resource. “Link earning” strategies may include press releases, inclusion in legal directories, or publishing guest blogs.
Beyond evaluating your site’s content, the search engines regularly assess a website’s functionality which can make or break the user experience. Technical SEO ensures your site is mobile-friendly, fast to load (in accordance with Google’s recent Core Web Vitals update), secure and is accessible to those using assistive technologies. Generally speaking, this type of optimization requires the help of an experienced website developer who can enhance the back-end of your practice’s site.
While your website is the cornerstone of your web presence, it’s just one piece of your digital footprint. Local SEO looks to enhance your firm’s presence with local listings (for example, Google My Business listings which often show upfront and center for local searches in something referred to as the Map Pack) and business directories. Reviews from colleagues and former clients can also help to increase visibility making review generation an important part of an effective SEO strategy.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
Many platforms, including Google and Bing, offer PPC advertising, allowing you to reach a targeted audience during a specific campaign duration. Unlike SEO which can take time, a PPC campaign can start generating results in a matter of hours. Without the right expertise ensuring you are targeting the right audience with the right keywords and an appropriate bidding strategy, it’s easy to drain your marketing budget. Just as with SEO, legal-industry knowledge and dedicated specialists are critical for success in a crowded legal marketplace.
Social Media Marketing
With seven in ten Americans utilizing social media to connect with others and stay informed of news, local happenings and entertainment, it’s no surprise that more law firms than ever before are using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and, yes, even TikTok, to get in front of prospective clients. As with any other digital marketing tactic, your firm’s social media campaigns shouldn’t be siloed. Working with a full-service digital marketing agency that takes a holistic approach, while considering all ethical requirements, is critical.
Just as there is no shortage of attorneys vying for top spots in the SERPs, we realize there is no shortage of legal marketing agencies vying for your business. In vetting providers, it’s important to select one that can create and implement a truly comprehensive marketing plan for your firm.
Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case with all agencies; in fact, in your search, you’ll likely find that most are hyper-focused on SEO (because let’s face it, that’s the big-ticket item) and see things like a custom website or content strategy as an afterthought or loss leader. The issue with working with an agency with a singular focus is that they sell you what they can provide; not what’s necessarily best for your firm.
Questions To Ask When Choosing The Right Marketing AgencyIt’s incredibly difficult to know who to trust with your money, and more importantly, your firm’s reputation. Download our free white paper put together by the team at Omnizant so that you can be prepared when vetting a potential marketing agency for your firm.
Many agencies won’t take on a personal injury firm in Los Angeles — it’s just too competitive. At Omnizant, we don’t believe in the impossible. See how we helped this practice deploy a comprehensive marketing plan that now drives over 400 leads per month.
Mapping Out the Right Marketing Plan for Your Firm
At Omnizant, we recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all marketing plan that will help firms achieve success. At the start of your project, we will spend time identifying your growth goals, perform a comprehensive competitive analysis and mapping out a custom plan for your success. With over 15 years of experience working with law firms, we know what works and what doesn’t.
Once your campaign is launched, we provide your firm with detailed monthly reports and regular campaign performance reviews, so you know exactly what we’re doing to fuel your firm’s success.