Lawyer Website Blogs: 5 Pitfalls to Avoid

It seems to happen over and over again — owners of new lawyer website blogs make mistakes proven to lose traffic and decrease search engine rankings. Blogging may be a relatively new art form, but it’s not so new that there aren’t already tried-and-true methods of failure and success.

Learn from the mistakes of those who’ve gone before you and avoid making the following blunders yourself:

5 Pitfalls to Avoid on Your Lawyer Website Blog

1. Mono-length blog posts. Many search engines index the length of blog posts and look favorably upon varying lengths. They do this because users do this. Your potential clientele will appreciate variety in blog length on your lawyer website.

If your blogs are consistently in the 300 word range, or consistently in the 2000 word range, you’re probably doing yourself a disservice. Mix it up with short, medium and long posts (especially long posts, as they rank the highest).

2. Writing more about yourself than about legal issues. If the old adage “Write what you know” is true, that may explain why it can be easier to gab about yourself than almost anything else. But that’s not the kind of content that will convert a potential client.

People browsing lawyer websites are quite frequently in vulnerable positions. They are being sued in business, pursued by the state or seeking a divorce. They don’t care about you, they care about what you can do for them. Make your blog posts glowing showcases of your services rather than retellings of your life.

3. Neglecting keywords. Do you know what keywords are and how they function? In search engines, keywords are the single words or strings of words that users search for. “Best pizza in Detroit,” “How do I get wine out of carpet?” and “cloud storage” are all examples of keywords.

What keywords are your target demographic using in their searches? What keywords is your lawyer website ranking for already? The answers to these questions can take serious research. Resources like Google AdWords and SEMRush are good places to start.

4. Setting a publishing frequency that’s too high or low. Maybe you come out of the gate kicking, intent on publishing a new blog seven days a week. Or maybe it’s all you can do to release one per month.

Neither of these publishing schedules is ideal for most attorneys. Find what works for you, but aim to publish between 4 and 12 blog posts per month (or between one and three per week).

5. Choosing topics that interest you rather than potential clients. Maybe you find the finer points of some piece of legislation particularly compelling. Or maybe you have a strong opinion about the Bar Association’s most recent move. Whatever your personal fascinations, if they don’t directly relate to the services you offer, potential clients won’t be interested.

Focus on topics that directly affect your target demographic’s lives. Fill your blogs with facts, stats and actionable advice clients can actually use and save your opinions for happy hour with friends.

Have you been writing for awhile? It could be time to review some of your previous posts to see if you’re guilty of these common mistakes. Because whether you’re just launching a new blog or you’ve run one for years, it never hurts to evaluate and perfect your approach!

Looking for more information on publishing a blog that converts readers into clients? Check out MarketJD’s blog How Important is Blogging for a Law Firm Website? for more insight, tips and resources you can use today.

About the Author
Rafi Arbel
Rafi Arbel is the President and Founder of Market JD, Inc., a Chicago-based digital marketing agency for law firms nationwide. A former litigator who ran his own practice, Mr. Arbel uses his first-hand knowledge of the legal industry to help small and medium-sized law firms enhance their online presence and grow their client base. With more than 20 years of experience in law firm SEO, website building, pay-per-click (PPC) and more, Rafi has earned a reputation as a leader in law firm marketing, providing clients with the kind of personalized service attorneys rarely find with larger agencies.

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