To stay on pace with the developments in law firm SEO, it is important to understand how the technology got here. Understanding digital marketing trends can help experts predict future changes. Many of the changes with SEO are tied to factors one may expect: how machines learn, how web design modernized, and how people use the internet. While some may believe the changing landscape can make it difficult to track digital marketing for their law firm, lawyers now have more ability than ever to get involved with their marketing efforts.
The Beginnings
Nowadays, SEO revolves around content, in the past it was geared toward the technical side of things. When Google launched, pages ranked based on keyword frequency, with few restrictions. This means that black hat SEO companies could take advantage of the software and build website pages solely for manipulating Google rankings, while being of little use to any visiting potential leads. This technique – which some companies still try to practice today – is called keyword stuffing.
SEO Today
While some keyword stuffers are still out there, they are hanging by a thread. As a business, Google wants to stay relevant. To remain useful, they updated their keyword searching software to watch out for any shady practices. Today’s Google search algorithm can mark down websites made only for linking with little regard to user experience, or sabotaging other websites. For law firm SEO, this means that attorneys can invest in quality content for their website. Advances in machine learning mean that Google bots are looking for more than specific keywords. Searching for keywords related to the core word is a new field that engineers are still researching.
Responsive Websites: Desktop vs. Mobile
Before the iPhone launched, most attorneys optimized their law firm websites to run well on desktops. To “optimize” means to have a site that loads fast, runs smoothly, and provides an easy-to-understand user interface. It has been over a year since mobile users took over desktop users in searching for a new business. Because of this, attorneys need to focus more on optimizing their mobile website. A mobile-friendly site is a bare minimum in Google’s requirements for a positive user experience, and the software considers user experience when determining search rankings.
Now more than ever, lawyers have opportunities to stand out through a strong online presence aided by digital marketing. Understanding how to use the tools at your disposal is a vital part of running successful law firm SEO. For a personalized consultation on how to enhance your law firm’s digital marketing efforts, contact us at Market My Market.
