September 6, 2023
SEO and social media are two of the most powerful tactics your law firm can leverage to attract and nurture qualified leads. But if you think of SEO and Social Media social media and law firm SEO as entirely separate, unrelated tools, you’re making a big mistake. While considerably effective on their own, when used in tandem in a coordinated manner, SEO and social media are significantly more capable of bringing value to your audience and more visitors to your firm’s website.
SEO for Lawyers and Social MediaHow Do They Relate?There’s no question that SEO and social media are two very different things. SEO is the process of improving a firm’s website in order to boost rankings in search engines. And social media, well that’s the act of creating posts with copy and maybe even images on various social sharing platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
So, how do the two interrelate? A huge part of SEO for law firms is off-page. This means that actions taken off of your website, such as backlinking, also impact your site’s ability to rank. In fact, the top Google search results have 3.8x more backlinks than the lower results.
A study done by CognitiveSEO analyzed 23 million social media shares to determine if there was a correlation between social media presence and SEO rankings. The results determined that on the majority of social media platforms, the stronger the social presence, the higher the ranking. While the relationship between social media and SEO isn’t exactly cause-and-effect, posting to social media offers a great opportunity to share links to your firm’s website. This brings more traffic to your site and more shares of your links, establishing your brand as trustworthy. All of these components can lead to improved search rankings.
On top of that, law firms should remember that the best digital marketing strategies are those that focus on several channels. Having a robust presence online means leveraging all channels to their fullest potential. Having a solid social media presence alongside a strong SEO strategy lends to your credibility and trustworthiness. That can mean improved trustworthiness in the eyes of Google as well, and ultimately, improved rankings.
For a more in-depth look at how to build and execute a successful SEO strategy, check out this free eBook that’ll teach you everything you need to know: SEO for Law Firm Websites.
Important Factors to Note for Social Media and SEO for Lawyers1. Link-backs and Social ShareGoogle is taking note of how many link-backs your website receives. But, like keyword stuffing, creating fake websites to generate backlinks, and other black-hat SEO tactics that allow for easy manipulation, Google is increasingly chosen to look into social signals, such as Tweets and Facebook posts, as well. This is where the amount of followers and your social reach plays a huge role. Having a large number of followers allows for your content to be shared and viewed by many. The value of this is endless for SEO for lawyers.
2. Boost Authority With Your Social Media InfluenceGoogle will rank your blog post and website higher if it sees that you are a credible source. Google also considers your social media influence based on different factors including reach, relevance, and engagement. The more you like, comment, and share on social media, the higher your ranking will go.
3. Google My BusinessGoogle also considers your firm’s presence on Google My Business. So make sure your Google Business Profile is fully optimized, accurate, and complete. Regularly post your blogs and other content, firm updates, and relevant images to your profile. You should also make an effort to manage client reviews and answer questions submitted to the platform. All of these actions will help convince Google that your firm is worthy of positioning high in their search rankings.
The Basics of SEO for LawyersIt begins with content marketing. Content marketing is about enticing, informing, and entertaining your audience; social media is about promoting your content. And SEO for lawyers is about making sure that your digital activity improves your search engine ranking. All three work together toward achieving relevance for your audience.
High-quality content is content that is:
Client-centric
Provides guidance/value
Non-promotional
Free of jargon
Shareable and presentable
Producing high-quality content is the only way to achieve the benefits of high-ranking SEO. For each piece of high-quality content your firm produces, you are creating another opportunity to rank for a keyword in search engines. But by interconnecting your SEO and social strategy, you’re truly going to make the most of your efforts and will see a maximized ROI.
Components of a Social Media SEO Strategy1. Social Sharing ButtonsMake sure to include easy-to-use and visible social sharing buttons at the bottom of each blog you post. These buttons enable users to easilySEO and Social Media click and share your blog to their own social page. As we mentioned, others sharing links to your website is key to boosting your credibility in the eyes of Google and getting better rankings. Garnering these shares will boost your efforts surrounding SEO for lawyers.
2. Using Keywords on SocialA lot of firms don’t realize they can use their SEO keyword strategy to influence their social copy. Don’t go cramming your Tweets full of keywords, but rather be intentional about what terms you’re using and whether your research backs up their importance for rankings.
3. Always Link in Social PostsA lot of platforms have developed their own blog or article capabilities, and these can be great. But remember, you’re sharing content to bring leads to your website and hopefully move them down the funnel. Sharing links directly to your site will up your views and boost rankings over time. Boosted rankings will lead to one of the key benefits of SEO for lawyers – more leads.
4. Optimize Social ProfilesSelect a few high-volume, important keywords and add them to your pages’ about sections. Just as you can optimize your website with keywords, you can incorporate those same keywords into your social media profiles so they align with your website’s search engine optimization strategy. Select a few high-volume, important keywords and add them to your pages’ about sections.
SEO for Lawyers Is Not Just Technical AnymoreSEO for lawyers isn’t just technical anymore. Google wants the best, most relevant content to rank highly, and the result is that SEO has become more human-friendly. Google is increasingly looking at the kind of content you’re sharing, rather than just the keywords flooding a blog post. Yes, the meta description and where you place your keyword and so on still matter, but more importantly, it’s how you use keywords to answer questions that people are genuinely asking.
Takeaway:SEO for lawyers and social media are both powerful tools for driving business development success.
But the potential benefits of these tactics increase significantly when they’re leveraged together. By drawing on their strengths in a coordinated way, your content will go viral and visitors will begin flocking to your site. As Google comes to see these social signals as evidence of your website’s credibility, its rankings will begin to rise.
Source: JD Supra, LLC
Original Content: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/seo-and-social-media-how-they-go-hand-4985448/
