1.) Search Engines Love Content
If you want search engines to pay attention to your site, the more quality content, the better. Moz.com — a leading resource on effective search engine optimization (SEO) — consistently found that content quality and quantity are among the highest determinants of search engine rankings.
There’s no real mystery as to why search engines reward more, better and newer content. A search engine thrives by giving its users the best, most relevant information in response to search queries. 2.) More Information on Your Website = More Ways for New Clients to Find You
A related element involves the ways your potential clients find you through search engines. Think of what a potential client might be typing into Google when they have a law-related question or need legal services. Basics include things like “New York Divorce Attorney,” “Best New York Divorce Attorneys,” or “Reviews for New York Divorce Attorneys.” You initially cover this territory with good SEO for your attorney biographies, practice area pages, testimonial pages, etc. But these keywords also make great blog topics, such as “How Do I Choose the Best New York Divorce Attorney for Me?” or “Where to Find Reviews for New York Divorce Attorneys.”
There is a second tier of relevant search topics for potential clients which is much broader. Think in terms of what your clients may be thinking about as they face a legal issue in their lives, such as “Is New York a No-Fault Divorce State?”, “New York Child Support Calculator,” or “Is Alimony Tax-Deductible?” Writing quality articles on these kinds of subjects helps clients come across your firm in a range of different ways. Even if they are not yet looking to hire a lawyer, they have been exposed to your name, your firm website, and the fact that you are generous enough to offer information to the public on your areas of expertise. Your blog topics are indexed by search engines and accessible for years to come.
3.) Your Legal Commentary Displays Expertise and Engagement with Your Field
Besides the search engine value, your articles have another great marketing impact. When referrals or other potential clients check out your website, they see your firm’s expertise, and engagement with, the very areas of law they need assistance with. Attorneys can be displayed as authors, with links to their biographies. This kind of personal connection gives the reader a sense of what it might be like to work with you.
4.) Saves Time and Improves Service
When you write content that answers the frequent and genuine concerns of your clients, you then have a quick and easy resource to point to when those topics come up with prospective clients. These blogs can be used in place of crafting a long email or having lengthy discussions about certain topics. Just share the link to the blog. Again, this will help reinforce the attorney’s position as a thought leader on the topic.
5.) It’s a Great Way to Announce Firm News, Awards or Cases Won
Just one more advantage of a blog: Firm News, or other prominent, regularly updated sections of your websites, allow you to showcase your firm’s successes. Whether an attorney was appointed to a local community board, won professional accolades, or was cited in the media, posting a little update and sometimes a photo reflects well on your firm and gives your website a dynamic presence.