As an attorney, you’ve probably become a pretty good writer. After all, writing is an important component of any legal career, regardless of what type of law you practice. However, the level at which you write is likely much more advanced than what the average person can read and understand.

That’s great when it comes to practicing law, but not the best when you’re trying to attract clients and grow your business.

Studies have shown that the average person reads at about a 7th or 8th-grade level. That’s someone who is 12 or 13 years old.

So, most potential clients really won’t be able to understand legal topics the way you typically write about them – even if you’re trying to make them easy to understand.

Today, most law firms get clients online – typically as the result of a Google search conducted by someone in need of an attorney. Someone enters a phrase like “car accident lawyer in San Diego” or “assault defense lawyer near me” and clicks on one of the first results on the search engine result page (SERP).

Google considers a lot of different things when it determines which websites will rank – and where – on a SERP. Content is arguably the most important ranking factor.

If you want to rank your law firm’s website, you shouldn’t be writing your own web content. Instead, you need to invest in the services of a professional legal content writer (or an SEO agency that offers content marketing and development as part of a larger package).

So, what is a legal content writer, anyway? Simply put, they’re ghostwriters who create content for law firm websites – as well as articles that might bolster off-site SEO efforts.

What Counts as Content, Anyway?

Content means everything from blog posts, white papers, and press releases to eBooks, meta descriptions, photographs, and landing pages. Everything written or published on your law firm’s website or social media accounts is considered content.

Why is content important? Content is the way you connect with potential clients. It’s the mechanism by which you tell people who you are, answer their most important questions, and, ultimately, sell them on your service.

Content is also how search engines like Google ultimately know what your website is about.

Google deploys bots to crawl websites that are indexed. When those bots come to your law firm’s website, they digest the content that’s there. Then, specially designed algorithms interpret the data so that it can be matched to relevant keywords and queries. The better your content – in terms of quality, length, categorization, variety, authority, and citation – the better your website will perform in related searches.

Having engaging content with the correct keywords increases your ranking in search engine results. The higher your ranking, the more traffic your website should receive. Increased traffic means an increase in potential clients.

Even if you intend to have a potential client watch a video, you need descriptive, relevant, and keyword-rich written content for search engines to find your webpage.

Why Does Content Need to be Optimized?

You can have great content that is engaging and informative. However, if it is not optimized for search engines like Google, your law firm’s webpage might appear on the fourth or fifth page of the search engine results. Most potential clients are not going to go through that many websites to find your page. Research suggests that only .78% of users visit Google’s second page of results.

If you want your content in front of the eyes of potential clients, it has to be optimized.

A professional legal content writer will know how to draft compelling, informative, enjoyable content that speaks to both the target audience and Google.

The characteristics of SEO content writing include:

FRESH, UP-TO-DATE CONTENT

Search engines want current, up-to-date information. If your content hasn’t been updated in a while, you might notice a drop in the rankings. SEO content writing means adding new, fresh content to your website on a regular schedule – and updating older content whenever appropriate.

RESEARCHING & INCORPORATING RELEVANT KEYWORDS 

Content and keywords go hand-in-hand. Keywords are what people are searching for on Google. Your content absolutely must incorporate relevant keywords so that it shows up in search results. SEO content writers don’t just write – they also conduct extensive keyword research to determine what words and phrases need to be incorporated into the text.

It’s not as simple as just plugging those keywords into the text of an article or blog. You definitely want to avoid the practice of keyword stuffing. Professional content writers know how to seamlessly weave relevant keywords into content without forcing them into the text.

ORGANIZING CONTENT WITH HEADERS AND SUBHEADERS

Optimizing content also involves organizing the text with headings and subheadings.

Headings are important for a few different reasons:

• Headings organize ideas and provide structure to help guide readers through the text – letting them find the information they’re looking for
• Headings help Google’s search engine crawlers understand what your content is about
• Google places considerable emphasis on the text in headings, so choosing the right words and/or phrasing can add a boost to your SEO efforts

Choosing headings – and knowing where to place them – is as much of an art as it is a science. Professional legal content writers elevate content by using dynamic headings throughout their work.

DRAFTING EASY TO UNDERSTAND CONTENT

Content needs to be easy to access, read, and understand. People who click through to your website are more likely to stay if your content is engaging and easy to read.

If users can’t find what they’re looking for – or find that the content is just too hard to read – they’re probably not going to stick around for long. When users quickly “bounce” away from your website to visit your competitors, it can hurt your ability to rank.

Therefore, content writers focus on shorter sentences and paragraphs, easy-to-understand words, and informative content.

This sounds easy, but it can actually be quite challenging – especially when you consider that legal content writers are taking highly-sophisticated ideas and translating them for a lay audience.

LINKING TO AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES

Outbound links take you to another website. You can improve your search engine results by linking keywords to authoritative sources, such as educational or government websites. The search engine crawlers interpret links to authoritative sources to mean your content is reliable and well-researched.

Reasons Why You Need to Hire a Content Writer For Your Law Firm SEO

Six benefits you get from hiring a professional legal content writer are:

1.  MANY WILL MONITOR YOUR CONTENT’S PERFORMANCE

Many professional SEO content writers – particularly those working for SEO companies for lawyers – also review and monitor the performance of the content on a website after it’s published. If a piece of content isn’t performing well, the writer can adjust keywords, formatting, and other attributes of the content to improve search engine ranking scores.

2.  THEY HAVE ACCESS TO SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE

When you outsource your content to an attorney SEO company, writers typically have access to sophisticated tools and software. These tools can be used, for example, to research and identify relevant keywords or determine the ideal keyword ratio for a specific piece of content based on what’s working for your competition. Then, they can monitor changes in keywords and trending topics to help improve your website.

3.  THERE’S NO LEARNING CURVE

Most lawyers understand some of the principles of search engine optimization, website design, legal marketing, and content writing. However, there is a steep learning curve if you want to write and manage legal content that can compete with what professional content writers are creating for your competitors every day.

Hiring a content writer lets you avoid the learning curve. Just as your clients hire you for your expertise, you might want to consider hiring an experienced content writer for their knowledge and skills. Often, you’ll see a significant return on your investment.

4.  YOU’LL HAVE CONTENT WRITTEN FOR YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

As an attorney, you’re accustomed to drafting legal briefs, contracts, pleadings, and other legal documents. Attorney writing and legal SEO content writing are quite different.

In fact, many attorneys find it challenging to break down legal concepts in a way that a high school student could understand.

When presented with a long, dry, complicated blog or webpage, the average consumer moves on to the next website. However, a content writer understands how to grab the person’s attention and keep it focused on your website. Moreover, a professional content writer can take a complex legal concept and explain it in terms that your target audience can understand.

Content writers can make you come off as approachable, warm, and conversational in the text – without you having to lift a finger. That can be a huge asset as you’re trying to sign new clients.

5.  CONTENT WRITERS PRODUCE A VARIETY OF CONTENT

Most professional legal content writers have experience creating a variety of content. You can increase your SEO ranking and conversion rate by creating engaging and unique content.

A content writer can help you create:

• Blogs
• Social media posts
• Email newsletters
• Press releases
• Articles
• Practice area pages
• Attorney bios
• eBooks
• Graphics and checklists
• Pamphlets

Potential clients enjoy receiving free resources, such as eBooks and checklists. A content writer can manage all of the firm’s marketing content to ensure continuity, quality, and relevance.

6.  IT’S COST EFFECTIVE AND LETS YOU FOCUS ON YOUR CLIENTS

You need to spend your time representing clients and meeting with potential clients. Hiring a content writer allows you to focus on what is important – your attorney-client relationships and legal practice. Your earning potential is greater practicing law than it would be writing content for your website.

Choose LawRank to Benefit From Best in Class Legal Content 

You invest a great deal of money in marketing for your law practice. You could design the most attractive website on the internet, but it won’t perform well or attract potential clients without high-quality, engaging, and optimized legal content.

Investing in the services of a professional legal content writer can help you elevate your brand and reputation, provide a solid foundation for your SEO campaign, and ultimately help you increase traffic to your law firm’s website.

There are tons of writers out there advertising their services. So, how can you know which content writer will really help you achieve your goals? That’s one benefit of hiring a reputable SEO company for lawyers like LawRank.

When you choose us to lead your attorney SEO campaign, you’ll benefit from our best-in-class content development team. What sets us apart? Our content is written, edited, and/or developed by lawyers, JDs, and others with backgrounds in the law. Our writers know the law – or how to find it – and are exceptional at translating complicated legal concepts into material that’s accessible, easy to read, and informative.

Having the LawRank team writing for you will set your law firm’s content apart from the competition. You’ll stand out – to potential clients and Google – and see the results you want in the process.

Contact us to learn more about our content writing and SEO services today. We’re happy to discuss your digital marketing needs and let you know how we can help.

  About the author: LawRank™ was founded with one goal in mind – to get attorneys on Google’s first page. Our co-founder and SEO expert is Mariano Rodriguez, a graduate of UCLA School of Law.