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How do I create backlinks for my lawyer website?

Serious professional female advisor consulting client on creating backlinks for her lawyer website

For many, SEO is a complicated notion, and backlinks are the hardest part of it. However, it’s a very simple concept that can give your lawyer website an invaluable boost and could help your site rank better on search engines. This means more people will see your site; and the more people who see it, the more clients you will get!

Before you work on getting people onto your site, you need to make sure that you have a stylish and professional website for them to visit – studies have shown that around three quarters of web visitors judge a site’s credibility within 3.42 seconds. If you’re worried your design skills aren’t up to scratch, try Go Sitebuilder; our website builder has beautiful ready-made templates designed for your industry, so you can have a great web design up and running in moments. 

What are backlinks?

Backlinks are part of an off-site SEO link-building strategy. The basic idea behind it is building a reputation for your lawyer website; the more people who link back to your site from theirs, the more valuable Google thinks your website is. 

It’s not just good for SEO; as an example, if a blogger writes an article on “The best online law firms” and cites your website as one of the best, this is good for your reputation and will bring more people onto your site, as well as boosting your Google ranking. 

One of the most important things to remember is that your backlinks have to be from related, high-authority sites. In previous years, people would use “link farms” where they would pay a provider to get other sites to link back to their site, but they were generally unrelated, low-authority sites. This used to work, but Google’s algorithm has since updated and now realises when link farming is taking place and penalises you for it. 

Creating backlinks is an invaluable part of your SEO strategy. It might take a bit of work, but it is definitely worth it. 

First backlink steps: online legal directories and social media 

These aren’t the highest authority sites, but they are directly related to your field, and will give you some quick and easy backlinks. 

Online legal directories such as FindLaw UK, Find a Solicitor and Infolaw are just a few directories you can get backlinks from; just contact them with your details and as long as you meet their requirements they will mention you and your lawyer website on their platform. 

Social media marketing is becoming an invaluable tool for businesses across all industries, so make sure you have profiles on all relevant social media, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linkedin. Put your website domain in the profile for each social media, and you’ve already created your own simple backlinks!

Create valuable, shareable content

Don’t rush your content creation! If you spend the time to write a long-form, evergreen article that is genuinely useful to your audience, then you are much more likely to get shares and people linking back to it. A guide on how to hire a lawyer, or what paperwork you’ll need for certain situations will be useful for many readers and will retain its value for a long time. 

This may mean writing 3000-word blogs, or curating stylish infographics (you can use a free tool like Canva), and then share it on your social media and send it to your contacts in case they want to share it as well. 

Guest blogging

This is where you write content for free for another website, but they publish your name and website domain along with your blog, to create another backlink and bring more people to your site. This is time consuming, but it can be very valuable if you choose the right websites to contact. 

You can also do a similar thing by presenting yourself as a resource. Contact podcasters, your old university or the HARO network (a resource that connects journalists with useful people to interview), and offer your services as a legal professional. Each time you are mentioned on a podcast or a relevant online site, you’re creating another organic, high-authority backlink to your lawyer website.

Be a resource on forums

There are often questions posted on forums like Quora that are asking for legal advice. By searching for questions relevant to your field, you can present yourself as an expert and answer them, giving a link to your website in the answer in case they want more information. This is providing useful, valuable information for a potential client and giving you a backlink!

Look for blog communities around lawyer and attorney issues and get involved; the more active you are on the internet, the more opportunities you will have to link back to your site and build authority for your lawyer website. 

The most important part of building backlinks is having a beautiful website to link to! At Go Sitebuilder, we know you’re busy with your law firm, so we’ve made it as easy and quick as possible for you to get a functional website online. Try our 14-day free trial today to see what we can offer you!

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What is the best ‘new media’ way for lawyers to market themselves?

Businessman, Men, Laptop, Computer, Document researching how lawyers market themselves

The internet offers an endless bucket of opportunities when it comes to marketing. Considering that 71% of adults with internet access use social media, this is a great platform to utilise to make yourself stand from the crowd as a lawyer. Blogging, making videos and optimising your content is another great way to use media to your advantage. 

Of course, if you’re hoping to expand your presence online, you’ll need to build a website before you can begin: Go Sitebuilder is a great site builder to use if you want an easy to use website builder with high quality results. 

However, luckily for you, most lawyers don’t utilise the internet properly. Developing your media marketing strategy might not seem that important, but it can completely change the way that potential clients view your services as a lawyer. We go through some of the best ways lawyers can use media to market themselves. 

 Share your knowledge

When marketing your services as a lawyer, you obviously need to show that you’re incredibly knowledgeable in your field of work – after all, no one wants a dodgy lawyer. One of the ways you showcase this is by providing informative resources which people can access for free. 

Perhaps you choose to record a podcast, where you share your thoughts on issues within a certain area of law, or maybe you write a blog explaining a particularly complicated area of law. 

A great way to reach out to a new market is by making videos on Youtube – however, even if you want to be informative, it’s important that you don’t overload your viewers with endless facts. Considering that most people lose interest within a video after watching it for two minutes, you’ll want to keep it on the shorter side. That being said, it’s important to not compromise on quality: try uploading videos which vary in length so that you can be as informative as possible, without boring your audience. 

Add a personal element 

Building a relationship with your audience is one of the most important aspects to consider within your media marketing strategy. As a lawyer, it is easy to be perceived as a straight-faced, serious person, who only has time for paperwork and court cases. Although this might be true on the odd occasion, this isn’t a good way to build a relationship between yourself and your client. By adding a personal element into your firm, you can show that you’re just as interested in building a relationship with a client, as you are with winning the case.

Social media is a great way to give off this impression: platforms such as Instagram give you the freedom to post images which are slightly more human. For example, whilst the photo might not be professional enough to showcase on the website you’ve built, it could feature on your Instagram, making your law firm engaging by showing a more human side. 

If you wanted to get really creative, you could turn to Tik Tok to market your law firm. Whilst this would have to be done tactfully, Tik Tok has a huge potential audience to target; in 2019, it was downloaded 738 million times. And, as it is a relatively modern app to emerge, it has yet to become saturated with other firms and businesses. 

Don’t overlook SEO 

Although you may have a successful media marketing campaign, producing top-quality content and getting as creative as possible, you must make sure you optimise your content for SEO so that Google’s algorithms can rank you on its search engine results page. 

Whilst this might sound daunting, SEO can be as simple as putting in commonly searched for keywords in the title of your Youtube video, or writing a blog about a popularly Googled question which relates to your field of work. What is the best ‘new media’ way for lawyers to market themselves?

A good way to work out what type of content ranks highly is by searching these questions yourself on Google. See what type of content comes up first, and then try to structure any future content you produce in a similar way. For example, if a lawyer has released a video covering how to survive a law degree, then take inspiration from this but make it unique to you – share your own advice or your own story to really set your content apart from others. 

Of course, you’ll also want to link social media platforms to your website – any content you’ve publicised on your social media should be linked back to your website so that people can learn more about your legal services. Our website builder already has this feature built in, so site visitors can follow your social media accounts within a few clicks. 

Our website builder also offers ready to go web designs so that you can build a website with a professional, attractive look, quickly and hassle-free . Go Sitebuilder is incredibly easy to use, but never compromises on quality – why not try it today, with our 14-day free trial?

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How Can Law Firms Make Their Website Elements More Engaging?

Young and charming businessman is thinking about how can Law Firms Make Their Website Elements More Engaging

People want professionalism, accuracy, and consistency from the law firm that they’re going to trust to handle their legal affairs. This means that a polished, informative layout is all the more important for law firms’ websites than the average personal platform. An engaging site that reflects the quality of your service is key. You already know that you’re going to be giving your clients excellent legal advice, but they don’t!

We know that lawyers are usually busy with cases – they don’t have the time to spend hours building their own website from scratch. But by using a website builder such as Go Sitebuilder, with simple to use features and ready-to-go templates, you can quickly create a professional website that suits your branding.

If your website is the first part of your firm that clients see, you’re going to want it to convey your credibility, solid expertise, and importantly, stand out from competitors. Creating an engaging website is crucial to this, and making some small changes to make your website more effective should not be overlooked.

Choose a website builder that can handle web design

Aside from ensuring that your content is accurate and free from typos, one of the most important (and easy!) ways to improve a lawyer’s website is to turn your thoughts to your web design and make your website elements more eye-catching. This is simple to do with the help of a website builder that can handle the trickier aspects of web design like Go Sitebuilder, which lets you use different elements to highlight important aspects of your page. You’ll be able to create a striking website with infographics, images, and videos to suit your needs, with no prior design or coding experience required.

Use infographics to complement your legal advice 

Including legal advice on your website is a good idea that can be useful for potential clients, and shows that you want to help inform the public. For example, using facts and figures in an infographic to highlight a legal fact, such as the number of people that could be accessing a given legal service, will jump out to people visiting your page and may resonate with potential clients, highlighting the relevance of your firm to their legal needs.

Graphics can also be a great way to showcase personal testimonials to the quality of your service and references from large companies that you have helped in the past. This will add to the reputability that you convey to prospective clients, and give them confidence in the services that you can provide. In fact, law firm marketing company The Modern Firm’s research shows that the testimonials page is the most clicked on part of any law website. Big names and complimentary remarks can stand out much more effectively in a nice graphic, so make sure to include them on your website.

Use images for trust and credibility 

Include photos of the practicing paralegals, lawyers, and partners at your firm to add an approachable touch to your website. People value transparency from their law firm and want to know what they’re getting. By including a ‘who we are’ or ‘meet the lawyers’ page, you’re letting your clients put a friendly face to a name.

You’re inevitably going to be meeting your clients face-to-face. By showing the lawyers working at your firm, their qualifications and areas of expertise, not only will clients get an idea of who may be the best person to handle their case, they’ll know who to expect when they walk into the office for their consultation. People are attracted to companies with a human touch. Show your clients who you are, stand out from competitors, and let them envision working with you!

Add videos to inform and explain

By adding a video to your website, you can take this personal touch even further. Hearing you explain your services or the steps within a legal process can instil confidence in potential clients like nothing else! A well-edited, professional video showing your team articulating themselves clearly on relevant topics, thus evidencing a thorough grasp of their areas of legal expertise will make a client’s decision to work with you easier. It may even be able to answer some of their questions before they make the call or step into your office. This kind of video content can result in people staying on your website for 60% longer than if you had no video content at all, so it’s a good idea to invest some time in this area. 

A variety of informative videos, and infographics can give potential clients a greater understanding of the legal process, provide clarity on their concerns and influence how they approach you, ultimately making your job easier. Whether you’re an established firm, just starting out, or if you are thinking about making the move to becoming a freelance lawyer, having a website is proven to be a powerful business tool.

Have a look at our blog on why lawyers need a website to read more about the benefits – or why not register for a 14-day free trial with Go Sitebuilder, and see how our features can make your professional legal website the most appealing on the web!

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Why do lawyers need a website?

Lawyer researching why he might need a website and to use Go Sitebuilder

Whether you’re an established law firm, a brand-new company or if you’re starting out as a freelance lawyer, a website could be an invaluable resource to expand your business. Although law firms traditionally provide very face-to-face service, there are multiple ways that switching to a more digital platform could bring you new customers and increase brand awareness. If you’re on the fence as to whether a website would be worth your time, a website builder with ready to go templates could make creating a beautiful web design easy and quick! 

A website means more people will find and contact you

According to Transaction.Agency, 85% of consumers conduct online research before making a purchase. That is a huge potential client base that you can tap into, that you would miss out on if you didn’t have a website for them to browse. Having a website means it is more likely for people to find you, without having to spend money on television or print adverts, which are swiftly losing their utility in our increasingly digital world. 

With these traditional adverts, people would have to pick up the phone to contact you. People are becoming much more reticent to call people directly without having done any research or if they aren’t sure whether you would be the right law firm for them. By adding a contact form or an email to your website, you’ll find that many more people send enquiries – and once you’ve got their contact information you can stay in touch with them reminding them of the services you provide. 

Your lawyer website will build trust and credibility

Imagine taking a call with someone and telling them all your qualifications and how happy previous clients are with your work – it might end up coming off sounding like a sales pitch. An easy way to show potential clients that you are a trustworthy and high-quality lawyer is to prove it on your website. You can show certificates of your qualifications, provide references from large companies or more personal testimonials from smaller clients. This will help when potential clients are doing their research and choosing between you and other possible lawyer websites – if you have better reviews and more qualifications, they are more likely to opt for your law firm.

This builds credibility not just among possible customers but also among peers. This could help you build connections with other lawyers, and create mutually beneficial agreements where you recommend clients to each other depending on your specialisations.

Gives potential clients useful information

Not only does having your credentials and client testimonials on your site build trust among visitors to your law firm website, but uploading relevant and useful content to your website can show that you are well-versed in your field. It also is a way for visitors to see your areas of experience and expertise and whether it aligns with their needs, without having to call or visit your office to find out. This saves both you and visitors time; they can make an informed decision depending on your specialities, and you don’t get requests for services that you cannot provide. 

A lot of people search for legal advice online before they search for a lawyer, so it’s a good idea to put in the effort to create a long-form piece of content on legal advice in an eBook or PDF format. You can then only allow access to this resource if visitors give an email address, which is a great way for you to get warm leads, and for potential customers to see that you have the relevant knowledge to help them. 

Your lawyer website is online 24/7

The traditional 9-5 office hours are becoming increasingly blurred, and most people only have time to research and contact companies outside of these hours. This is where a website comes in handy; it is online all the time, so even if somebody sees your site and emails you at 2am, you can just pick up the email when you wake up. 

In fact, according to a study by Zahavian Legal Marketing, nearly 30% of conversions (in the form of email form submissions) happen between 6 and 8 p.m.

Ultimately, a lawyer website is a great – and cheap – marketing tool. People rarely search for lawyers unless they actually need one, so the people who are coming to your site are already receptive to your company’s services; with a website, you won’t let that opportunity go to waste. Have a look at our blog on how lawyers market and advertise themselves for more inspiration. 

Still not sure? With Go Sitebuilder, you can set up a site in minutes with our ready to go lawyer website templates, and you can track how useful it is to you with our integrated analytics software. We know you’re busy with your business, which is why we’ve made our website builder as simple as possible, and you can even update it on the go on a mobile or tablet. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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What Are the Best Ways to Promote a New Law Firm Online

Young lawyer woman showing information on laptop to businessman. Lawyer explaining Best Ways to Promote a New Law Firm Online together in modern office.

The internet is an invaluable tool when it comes to promoting your services. However, it is important to know exactly how to utilise what the online world offers to ensure you don’t sink under numerous other websites. Promoting your law firm online is a fantastic way to increase visibility for your business: considering that word of mouth isn’t so reliable nowadays, having a strong website which entices potential clients can be key to your success. 

Appealing web design 

Whilst image isn’t everything, it certainly makes an impression on whoever visits your site. Even if you have the most knowledge in the field, or have an impressive list of past achievements, most people are likely to disregard any information and click off the site if it is cluttered and unclear. An aesthetic web design is key in making site visitors want to stay on, enabling them to read more into what your law firm offers. GoodFirms’ research revealed that the biggest mistake most make when designing a website is to overcrowd it, so keep your design fairly minimal, but in a way which is sleek and attractive. 

Having a visually appealing web design also tells the site user that you’re a professional. As your design should emulate what kind of service you’re providing, having a sophisticated website means the site user can see that you’re serious about providing quality results. If your design is all over the place with font sizes, colours and images then a site user is much more likely going to be put off, as they may think your business is a bit amateur. 

Accessibility 

You want people to be able to access your site without any hassle. Considering most people have a very low threshold when it comes to being patient on the internet (47% expect a website to load in under 3 seconds), it is key that you make the experience on your site as smooth as possible. A slow website isn’t appealing to anyone: if your site takes too long to load then traffic could simply click off before they’ve even seen what you have to offer. 

Having a website which people can access on any device is also paramount. Considering that 57% of site traffic is from a mobile, it is highly likely that people will be viewing your website from on a handheld device. If your website is difficult to navigate on certain devices then you won’t be able to effectively promote your law firm online. As many will be searching for information about your firm whilst they’re on the go, having a site that can be accessed anywhere is extremely beneficial. Go Sitebuilder has made sure compatibility is a key component of our website builder, and you can see what the website will look like on mobile and tablet just with the click of a button.

Set aside time for blogging

Blogging isn’t that hobby that only 14 year old wanna-be influencers do; it can actually be a valuable addition to your website. Blogging improves SEO – search engine optimisation – results: by including commonly googled keywords within your blogs, Google is much more likely to find that your content is of value. It then ranks you higher on search engine results, meaning that people are more likely to click onto your blog, and then explore what else you have to offer. 

You can also include internal links within your blogs, either to other relevant pages of your website, or another blogpost which provides even more information with regards to the topic in discussion. Internal links are important for SEO as it spreadings ranking power throughout your site, meaning that other parts of your website can also gain a better ranking on search engine results. 

Although it might push you outside your comfort zone slightly, blogging is a fantastic way to promote your services, completely free of charge. If you manage to keep up with writing posts, then every time you publish a blog Google will reindex your page – in other words, every blog post written prompts Google to look back over your content and, as long as your content is useful, it will rank you higher on its search engine.

Don’t ignore social media 

As probably one of the best ways to promote your new law firm, social media lets you advertise your services for free. Linking your social media to your website leads site users to a more personal aspect of your business. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: all are great ways to connect with your customers. It can also be an easier way for potential clients to approach you, should they have any questions that they want a swift answer to. 

By utilising your social media accounts effectively, you can visually market yourself and your services to others. For example, say you want to post a video explaining what you have to offer, then Instagram is a great platform to use to reach out to others. Or, if you want to generate some conversation, sharing one of your blogs to your Facebook page is an easy way to spark interest amongst others. 

Although building a website might seem like a daunting prospect, Go Sitebuilder is one of the best site builders in the UK for those who don’t have hours to spare on coding a new website from scratch. It is incredibly easy to use, compatible with mobiles and and tables, and has ready to go tools available so that you can have a fully optimised website available in hours. Their 14-day free trial gives you all the flexibility you need to promote your new law firm online.

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How do lawyers market and advertise themselves?

Black male lawyer dressed in a suit is sitting on his sofa at home working on his laptop and viewing some paperwork that he's holding in his hand

The 21st century has seen an increase in competition within the legal sector. Whilst being a lawyer was once only seen as a profession for a small segment of people, now anyone can train to be a lawyer. Undoubtedly, this is a good thing, yet it means the legal field has now become oversaturated – it is much harder to appeal to clients then it used to be. Gone are the days when you could simply rely on billboards and TV adverts to market your law firm: with the rise of social media, more than 70% of your target audience will use online articles rather than ads to have their questions answered about your firm. 

Why do I need to market and advertise myself?

Marketing your services is therefore of the highest importance: if done correctly, you could be able to draw in endless numbers of potential clients to your site. And, luckily, with website builders such as our very own Go Sitebuilder around, advertising yourself is by no means an impossible task. We have comprised together a list of ways to help you build your online image, making your marketing strategy that little bit easier. 

Ensure you have an SEO strategy 

SEO – search engine optimisation – is key to increasing your online presence. SEO essentially maximises the traffic flow to your online website by making your site appear higher up in Google searches, and should be a key tool in your marketing strategy. Considering that 55% of all clicks go to the first three Google search results, being visible to users is of high importance. Investing in SEO is vital if you want to expand your client base, or even start from scratch – this Legal Trends Report revealed that 37% of legal consumers look for a lawyer via an online search. 

SEO is often improved through posting blogs, as the keywords that you use are picked up by Google, and thus your website is more likely to come up in search engine results. Other ways to optimise your site for SEO are having clear site navigation – with a call to action on the homepage -, using high-authority external links and making sure that your pages load quickly. It’s also crucial to make sure your site is optimised for mobile, as Google now has mobile-friendliness as a factor in how well your site ranks. If you’re new to SEO, check out our quick guide over on our blog.

Target your networking

This may seem obvious, but if you are just starting in the legal profession then you must choose a specific area of law to practice – remember, each client has a special, specific issue in mind. It could also be of benefit to pick a niche area of practice: for example, if you go into corporate law then you could specialise in trusts and bonds. 

Consider also whether or not you want to be a local, national, or global firm. Attending networking sessions is a fantastic way to get yourself out there, as it will give you the ability to advertise yourself in person, adding a more personal element to your online business. Perhaps if you want to have a strong local presence then doing some pro bono work could be an invaluable way to market your services. Word of mouth is not to be ignored, and if you are seen to be helping the community, then they are much more likely to want to help back by supporting your business. 

Don’t underestimate social media 

As mentioned previously, the Internet is practically a breeding ground for new clientele. Paid marketing through the likes of Facebook and Instagram means you can reach out to anyone, anywhere. Barry Walker, a Managing Partner at Walker Law has commented that “Social media marketing is the future of lawyers. Most people perform research on their smartphones.” 

Having a strong presence on social media can also help build your credibility. By posting updates about your services, as well as your achievements, you can create a strong image around your business which others can easily follow and access. It also gives people the chance to leave unfiltered reviews of your business: not only can this generate trust in others who are considering your services, but it also markets your business for you, completely free of charge! Sharing these reviews on your website is a fool-proof way for you to build a relationship with a client before either of you have ever met.

Where do I start?

Although you might succeed in drawing people to your site, you must entice them to stay. Having poor web design and shoddy content is a sure-fire way to dissuade people from wanting to use your services, and could prompt them to turn to another competitor in the same industry. Standing out from the crowd with modern, cutting edge web design and an easy-to-navigate site adds to your image as a professional who really knows what they’re doing.

Go Sitebuilder is a simple and easy to use website builder, giving you the ability to create one of the best online businesses in your field of work. Our 14-day free trial allows you to test this for yourself, giving you all the freedom to craft your own business website.