We recently conducted a study to see if blogging really impacted search engine rankings. We searched for highly-competitive terms in some of the America's largest cities and reviewed the top three natural rankings. Aside from blog activity, we also looked at the overall number of pages on the sites and social activity.
The results were mixed, but we found some interesting similarities. We looked at five key practice areas in...
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Every industry has its jargon, acronyms and language that is shared only by those within the profession. Such shorthand is necessary and understandable; people, particularly those who deal with highly technical information, benefit from methods that help them quickly communicate ideas among themselves. Sometimes acronyms spill out into the general population and become so widely used that they can be comfortably employed by writers in any industry with the understanding that most people will be aware of their meaning....
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Much of the practice of search marketing is centered around getting people to your website. Having a diverse collection of links pointing to your site and ranking well in search engine results should increase the number of people visiting your pages. But what happens once those visitors arrive at your website. Are they staying? Do they read your articles or just scan your pages? Are they contacting you?
Keeping users...
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Attorneys and law firms are not generally known for their infographics, but there is no reason that should be the case. You may love them or hate them, but regardless of your personal stance, it is important to recognize that they do garner more attention than plain-text posts and articles. Infographics are an easy way to distribute helpful facts, lists or other data. As social media assets, they are easy...
Most law firms understand that regular online activity helps with marketing efforts. But the formula for success can seem elusive, and frequent changes to search algorithms frustrate some firm's efforts. Your ranking may bounce about unpredictably, making it difficult to determine what is working and what is not. It is clear that blogging and social media can be a force for good, but they may also backfire, harming your reputation...
Static brochure websites are quickly becoming a thing of the past. People now expect frequently updated, current content and interactive design elements, even from an attorney website. Dated sites with links to old articles from your law school days do not connect with potential clients. As attorneys, you have a wealth of knowledge built from years of experience that you can harness to speak directly...
The fonts you use on your website will affect visitors in a variety of ways. Font size, face, color and spacing all contribute to the design and readability of the pages. Large, open, sans serif fonts tell a much different story than small, compact condensed fonts, which in turn create a very different mood than those of the sturdy serif variety.
Fonts are an much overlooked design element. Too often,...
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Good writing is essential to your ability to communicate with clients, judges, colleagues, and those who read your blogs and social media posts (whom you hope to convert to clients at some point). Whether you are putting together formal articles and briefs or sending a quick email response, your writing can confirm that you are a professional adult... or tell a different story.
Even the best of us...
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Two websites that have a very different look and feel may, at their cores, be structured in much the same way. Before adding graphics, colors and text, you must decide what type of layout best fits your needs. Layouts can be fluid, fixed (more on that later), grid, one, two or three column. Grid layouts are popular because they can support a lot of information and content without looking unorganized....
Poor writing is an instant turnoff. Be it incorrect grammar, overused and tired phrases or a simple failure to proofread adequately, sloppy writing comes across as lazy and unprofessional. For attorneys who must be able to communicate with a range of audiences, from judges to peers to clients and prospective clients, bad writing habits can be costly.
You have read them – sentences that seem to drag on...
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