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What lawyers can learn from Google's latest search quality handbook

What lawyers can learn from Google’s latest search quality handbook

Google's algorithm uses a myriad of factors to determine what content to show users in search results. The algorithm is tweaked constantly in an effort to provide results that answer a searcher's question in the best possible manner.

However powerful Google's algorithm may be, it is not 100 percent responsible for evaluating the quality of pages and sites. Google employs human raters, known as its search quality team, to manually evaluate pages and assign page quality (PQ) rankings from...

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How to incorporate conversion-centered design into your website

How to incorporate conversion-centered design into your website

A website is only as effective as its ability to deliver leads. An aesthetically beautiful site is not functional if users do not immediately understand what you do, why they should contact you and how to do so. Successful sites employ a mix of attractive design, intuitive navigation and thoughtful calls to action. Here are some ways to build a website that is designed with conversion as a top priority.

1. Simplify. You are immersed in the culture...

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Content marketing: 4 tips for creating compelling, sharable infographics

Content marketing: 4 tips for creating compelling, sharable infographics

Content marketing is not a new idea, but the growing ease of online media distribution has prompted a surge in the number of businesses wishing to take advantage of the trend. Content marketing is the process through which a business uses information to build brand awareness and trust. By providing helpful facts to an interested audience, the business becomes a thought leader and a resource for consumers.

Branded recipe books are an example of offline content marketing with which...

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6 ideas for creating compelling, sharable content

6 ideas for creating compelling, sharable content

Producing a consistent stream of content for your website, social media profiles, marketing materials and blog is a necessary but sometimes arduous task. When you create a schedule for posting new content, be realistic about how much time you and your associates have to spend on writing and commenting. Aim to post something at least once a week, but do not over schedule. Writing three social media posts and two blog entries every week sounds wonderful, but only if...

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Focus on user experience to please visitors and search engines

Focus on user experience to please visitors and search engines

Google refreshed its page layout algorithm in early February with a change that has been dubbed the “top heavy update.” The adjustment seems primarily to affect websites that have heavy advertisement population above the scroll. The objective is to filter sites that do not offer strong, original content up front and those with excessively busy layouts that distract users' attention from page content.

As with many of its updates, Google has been hinting at the change for...

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Optimize website graphics for added search benefit

Optimize website graphics for added search benefit

Images are an often untapped source of website traffic. Google indexes images, which in turn provide links back to your site. Posts that contain an image garner considerably more attention on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and are more likely to be shared than their plain-text counterparts. Pinterest now offers rich article pins, which allow publishers to share information about an article, along with a picture and link, on their boards. And infographics can provide high-quality links...

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Think beyond text on a webpage for your content marketing

beyond textContent marketing will continue to get a lot of attention as websites adjust to Google's new Hummingbird algorithm, which was quietly rolled out in August and formally announced at the end of September. This release is the first entirely new rewrite of the company's algorithm since 2001, and it changes the way Google looks at keywords. Hummingbird is a move toward a more contextual, semantic search; that is, rather...

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Changes to Search Algorithms are Constant. Don’t Panic.

panicRecent changes to Google's guidelines coupled with statements from Matt Cutts, the head of Google's Webspam team, that disparage the usefulness of press releases have made many firms nervous about their rankings and the future of their search marketing efforts. Just as everyone is adapting to summertime Penguin updates, additional modifications are forcing marketers to once again reconsider what the best strategies are for their clients.

Rule number one when facing...

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Overuse of acronyms in your writing is BS

Overuse of acronyms in your writing is BS

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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Harmonize your content and visual marketing for maximum reach

lookContent Marketing: Hail to the King
The key to a truly successful law firm marketing strategy has always been producing a steady stream of relevant content. Even before Google released Panda and now Penguin, the most reliable way to promote long-term goals – both of being found and converting visitors to clients – was to create value through quality, meaningful content. Now, with Google supposedly cracking down on...

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