You already know digital marketing is an essential weapon in any law firm’s marketing arsenal. After all, considering that 76% of consumers go online when they need to find an attorney, a law firm without an online marketing strategy will find it hard to compete.
Your law firm undoubtedly has a business website, but are you taking advantage of other digital marketing tactics that can take your lead generation to the next level? For instance, if your focus is on organic search engine optimization for your website, and you aren’t using paid search advertising, you’re missing out. That’s because three out of four consumers searching for an attorney will click on paid ads.
“But I am using paid search,” you say. “It’s just not working for our firm.” Read on for some pro tips to help you get the most from your firm’s online marketing and advertising.
Target your digital marketing by location
The world may be going virtual, but when it comes to legal advice, most people still want to meet with their attorney face-to-face. That’s why location is so important to clients seeking an attorney.
More than four out of 10 consumers (41%) won’t go more than 30 miles to meet with an attorney; in fact, 34% of consumers want an attorney who’s within 15 miles of them. If your firm’s online advertising is generating calls from prospects 100 miles away, you’re wasting money.
You’ll get better leads by incorporating location into your digital marketing efforts. How? Start by using location-related keywords in your business website’s title tags, headings, captions and subheads, as well as early in the body content. Be sure to include local phone numbers as well.
Next, make sure your law firm is listed on Google Maps and that the listing is complete, accurate and detailed. Again, use keywords related to your location as well as your legal specialties in your listing. Getting listed on Google Maps helps ensure that when nearby prospects search for a law firm, your listing and location on the map shows up. (Learn more about why Google Maps is so important to your online marketing efforts.)
I know when I’m looking for local businesses, I usually contact the closest ones first — and the same is true for many of your prospects.
Target your digital marketing by time
Location isn’t all that matters to your digital marketing. Timing is important, too. If your paid search ads show up in the middle of the night, but your target clients are businesspeople, you probably won’t get a lot of clicks because they’re not likely to be online at that time.
With paid search advertising, you can set your ads to appear at the times of day when your ideal clients are most likely to be searching for legal services online. (For example, a law firm seeking business clients could ensure that its ads run between 10 AM and 4 PM on business days.) In addition to reaching a more targeted customer base, this approach can reduce spending, since the price for the same keyword may vary widely depending on what time of day your online ad appears. (Read some other tips on how to get more of your ideal clients and how to use custom landing pages to attract legal clients.)
Need help handling your online marketing efforts? Outsourcing to digital marketing experts can help. This is where Pay-Per-Click advertising can come in handy.
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Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash
Author information
Rieva Lesonsky
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship.
