Blogging is a big deal for people looking to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, build credibility and authority, and get seen on the search engines. All too often, however, we see lawyers who focus on the SEO benefits of blogging to the exclusion of all else.
These are the dreaded “SEO Chasers.”
Maybe they’re writing this content on their own, or perhaps they’ve hired a ghostblogger. If it’s the former then I can see the issue. If it’s the latter, they need to demand a refund.
The reality is that good content written with an SEO slant is difficult to produce, but well worth the investment of time and energy. It reads well, entertains, and informs. It’s not awkward, and only a trained eye could tell it was written with any knowledge of search engine optimization.
There’s a reason for that.
Let’s say your blog sits at the top of the search engines results page for a critical term. Your law firm gets hit with thousands of visitors, and the blog catches fire. But you get no clients, and nobody calls. Looking at your blog analytics you find that the bounce rate is through the roof.
People are clicking onto your blog, but then they flee because the content is awkward and robotic.
You forgot that the point of a blog is to get people to realize that your law firm is awesome. And in so doing, you got hung up on the technical aspects of search engine optimization rather than in the content itself.
Why not just write what your prospective client wants to read about? If you’re a bankruptcy lawyer, consider discussing not only relevant aspects of the Bankruptcy Code but also some personal finance tips. Maybe a thing or two about how to survive and thrive on a limited income?
Get people to visit your law firm blog, website or other online property by with the promise of great information. Keep them from leaving by delivering on that promise. The SEO stuff will work itself out.
Deal?
Image credit: peyri
