Smartphones help you pay bills, communicate, work on the run, tap into your inner photographer, and act as personal assistants. This technology can help people with the basics such as What time is it? Where is the nearest coffee shop? Where is the nearest fire station? It can also help people with life changes such as “I own a...
Read MoreMay 23
The month in mobile: 5 developments that will impact search marketing
Google's recent algorithm update may have produced mixed results, but it did push mobile usability into the spotlight, forcing many businesses to face long-standing mobile compatibility issues.
Some analysts saw Google's update as a power play in which the search giant used its size and influence to force changes it wants to see in the industry. Writing for CNET, Richard Nieva said, "Google has used its power as the most-visited website in the world to force other sites...
Read MoreMay 18
Website design in-depth: Should attorneys use an infinite scroll?
Infinite scrolling has become a popular feature for websites, particularly those that are image and content heavy. Infinite scrolling, as the name suggests, is a method for loading content continuously as the user scrolls through the page. Infinite scrolling eliminates the need for pagination; the user never actually reaches the bottom of a page.
The infinite scroll gained recognition through use on sites like Pinterest and Facebook, each of which have seemingly infinite amounts of content available to load...
Read MoreMay 8
Verdict is mixed on the effects of Google’s mobile algorithm update
Google began rolling out it's most recent algorithm update on April 21st, to much fanfare. The change, hyperbolically dubbed Mobilegeddon, applies to mobile searches only. According to Google, it is now prioritizing pages it deems to be mobile-friendly in smartphone search results.
Google makes hundreds of adjustments to its algorithm every year, all quietly and mostly unnoticed. But Google took the rare step of announcing that this change was coming, which likely added to the general air...
Read MoreMay 6
The Curious Relationship Between IT and SEO
Imagine a scenario in the "Mad Men" era of marketing where the technicians who kept the printing machines running were invited into the decision room to critique and comment on the ads they would be printing. Frankly, it would never happen. Those mechanical engineers weren't generally going to provide the best insights on marketing, any more than the marketing personnel could solve ink spatter problems.
Fast-forward to 2015, and...
Read MoreMay 2
How First-Party Data Could Change the Pay-Per-Click Landscape
In mid-April, the Wall Street Journal reported (subscription) that Google may allow companies to use customer information, like email addresses, to assist with ad targeting. The change could occur within the year. According to anonymous sources, Google has been discussing the possible use of such data with advertisers, who have been pushing Google to reconsider its policy concerning first-party data for some time.
Google has been hesitant to allow advertisers to use first-party data,...
Read MoreApr 27
How to use infographics to build links and authority
A strong, natural link portfolio is a key element of an organic SEO plan. While link-building outreach can be difficult and time consuming, it becomes easier with the right content. Visual content, like infographics, can help. Infographics are a good way to build interest in a topic or industry that may have difficulty attracting an audience naturally.
Advantages of infographics
Stories told visually are both memorable and easily sharable. Approximately 65 percent of all people are...
Read MoreApr 17
Google Shuts the Door on Doorway Pages
There has been speculation for a number of years that Google would have to include mobile factors when it ranks websites/pages. While not a surprise, the actual implementation of mobile factors is bound to have a large effect on many sites, including law firm websites. If you do not have a mobile-friendly website, this could cost you points in terms of how your law firm ranks on mobile Google...
Apr 10
How to use geotargeting to get your message to the right people
Nationwide marketing campaigns are neither attainable nor necessary for most firms. The cost is high, and the ads will reach relatively few people who can actually take advantage of the firm's services. Instead, only people in specific areas and jurisdictions need to be exposed to marketing messages. With geotargeting, it is possible to reach very precise groups of people based on location.
Geotargeting is the practice of using information about an individual's location to deliver relevant content,...
Read MoreApr 8
A look at Google’s highest-ranking personal injury law firms
Our friends at Custom Legal Marketing (CLM) recently released a report that examined the highest-ranking personal injury law firms in America's major cities.
They chose keywords related to car accidents to conduct the study, which focused on the actual website designs of the top two websites for those keywords in cities across the country. It's an interesting perspective, since ranking studies usually look at other factors -- like links, local citations...
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