Search Engine Optimization

A visually stunning website, although eye-catching, will not necessarily get your firm new business. Content is single-handedly the most important component of website success but, unlike an attractive design, it can be difficult to evaluate. How do site visitors perceive the information on your site and how is that perception affecting their decision to contact (and retain) you? Google Analytics can help you answer these questions with its statistics on website content.

Upon logging into your Analytics control panel, you will find that there is a whole section devoted to content analysis. Here are the key statistics which you should be actively monitoring:

Last week, we examined the various ways through which a website visitor arrives at your site with our look at Referral Sources. Today, we’re going to focus on a factor which helps to measure traffic quality--the bounce rate. Simply defined, the bounce rate measures the number of single page visits that your site receives.

Google Analytics is an excellent (and free) program which offers great insight into traffic statistics for your law firm’s website. The site tracks all traffic to your site, storing a wide array of information on referral sources, visitor information and content. With so much being offered, the Analytics control panel can be a bit overwhelming for beginners and even seasoned site owners. Over the next five weeks, we will explore the five most important statistics to consider when evaluating your website’s success. First up: Traffic Sources.

Upon launching a new site, we advise our clients that good rankings with the search engines may take several months to attain because there is a general tendency by many search engines to not list new sites high up on the search results list. This is known in the search engine world as being in the "sand box" which is a metaphorical term coined by search engine experts to explain why most new websites have poor rankings.     

Far too often, new website owners take a sit back and wait approach as the "sand box" months pass. There are steps you can and should take as soon as your website is launched to claim your spot with the search engines.

One of the most important things you can do for your website is to create local business listings with the major search engines. These listings allow you to list your firm name, URL, business information and key categories.  To fully reap the benefits of local listings, you will want to make sure that you create listings with all of the major search engines including Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

To learn more about creating local business listings for your law practice, contact us today.

When researching the many strategies used in search engine optimization, the term “PageRank” is sure to come up. Quite simply explained, "PageRank" generally measures how many, if any, websites provide a hyperlink back to your website.  In essence, search engines interpret these link-backs to your website as an endorsement of your website’s credibility and relevancy.  All other things being equal, a website that has “link-backs” from many other highly ranked, relevant sites will rank better than a page with no "link-backs."

If you want to increase traffic to your website, you should understand how Google and other search engines use this technique so you can attain higher positions on search engine result pages (SERPs) for important searches including your practice areas and location.

When determining how and where to get these links back to your site, it is important to understand that search engines measure not only the quantity of outside links but equally important the quality and relevancy of the sites that link back to you.  Some companies engage in “link schemes”, posting a link to your site for payment or in exchange for placement on your website. We advise all website owners to steer clear of such proposals as these tactics can actually adversely affect your rankings with search engines.

When considering your site's PageRank, follow the tips below:

• Less is more in some cases: It is better to have 3 highly ranked pages link back to your site than 40 “spam” sites.
• Update your professional profiles: As attorneys and members of professional organizations, you may be able to post your profile on the respective organization's website. Take advantage of this opportunity, when available, and use this space to list your experience, practice areas and website URL. If you are not sure if your local bar association or other membership groups offer this option, contact your membership coordinator and play an active role in gathering links to your website.
• Give the links more meaning: If given the opportunity to place your link on an external site, have the “anchor tag” (the text that is displayed in the link) include key words such as those of your practice area and city and state as well as a word denoting your profession (attorney, law firm, etc).  Further, have the links go to relevant pages inside your site, not just your home page.  This is known as “deep linking” and can be especially effective.
• Give them something to talk about: The greatest way to get links back to your site is to make your site a resource that other website owners will come to trust and value. If a blogger or editor of an online publication sees your site as a resource, they will be more inclined to post it on their site.

And one final note, “PageRank” was first developed by Google and named in honor of co-founder Larry Page- it does not refer to a web “page”.  Since then, other search engines have adopted similar methodologies as part of their algorithms. 
 

If you have a site on the web, you have probably been contacted by a Search Engine Optimization “Expert” who promises to get your site on the first Google search engine result page (SERP) in record time.  They often claim that they can elevate your website's rank within days and promise that your site will have a permanent place in these top positions. Unfortunately, most of these individuals, and the companies they represent, are scam artists hoping to charge top dollar for services they can’t provide. 

Truth be told, there is no instant solution which will improve your site’s rankings.  As you may know, search engine algorithms are officially secret and further, their behavior randomized so that it is virtually impossible to know everything that affects search engine behavior. However, there are proven tactics, which when used correctly, can increase your site’s visibility over time.

Quality content will likely influence your website more than any other search engine optimization strategy. Be sure that your content is well written and easy-to-read. When drafting text for your site, use relevant language containing the keywords and locations which users might search when trying to find your practice. Also, add new content whenever possible in the form of either Articles or preferably Blog Entries.  The Amicus Creative blogging system is particularly well-suited because of the way it formats keywords.

While there is no quick fix to improve your site’s ranking with the major search engines, adding relevant content on a consistent basis over time will surely assist your site in its climb to the top of the results pages.