Every niche has its own challenges, but I would argue there is no segment more difficult than the legal industry. The nature of the people, the work, and the industry demands a level of quality that is second to none. Producing content that meets these high standards will require more fulfillment resources than almost any other business. After working with a wide range of law firms, here are the 3 secrets to success.
Hire Specialized Employees to Handle Content
The technical nature of law makes it almost impossible to use regular writers to produce content. When running a link-building campaign, the content might be good enough for search engines. However, can regular writers produce material meant for the firm’s website or social media profiles? In most cases, the answer is no!
The trick is to hire real attorneys to do the writing. We have had success finding moms who want to stay home but are also looking for part-time employment. Many of these women have years of experience working in high-profile positions. They are extremely capable and do fantastic work. When you have this caliber of team member working with a firm, it gives your marketing agency a new level of capability.
Include Specialty Team Members in Onboarding Meetings
When onboarding a new law firm, be sure to include the specialty writer who will be assigned to the client. This is a great opportunity to build relationships and start to understand what’s unique about the firm. I wouldn’t necessarily have the writer run the meeting, but having him/her on the call will help build chemistry with the group.
Use SEO Resources for Optimization and Publication
When you have an experienced attorney on your payroll, it is obviously going to cost much more to fulfill their role. Most agencies task the writer with adding links, optimizing posts, and publishing content. In this case, it’s much better to assign these tasks to SEO specialists. First, most law professionals aren’t very interested in doing this kind of work. Second, it will be much less expensive to have an SEO intern or specialist handle these tasks.
Follow Google’s E-E-A-T Principle to Dominate Rankings
I always wonder why people have so many questions about what it takes to dominate organic rankings. Google has made it very clear exactly what they are looking for and what kind of websites they will reward. If you look on Google’s Search Central website, there is a document called “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.” It lays out the policy of Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T). Google highlights that websites showing the highest level of E-E-A-T will be rewarded with organic preference.
Second Layer of Attention to Detail
When it comes to legal marketing, even small missteps can undermine the credibility you’re working to build. A small mistake like a typo in a social media post or the use of an unlicensed image in a blog can cause more than just embarrassment—it can reflect poorly on your client’s brand. Law firms are held to a higher standard, and your work should reflect that. That’s why every piece of public-facing content should be thoroughly reviewed before it goes live. In our experience, the most effective approach is to have a second set of eyes—someone other than the original reviewer—perform a final check. These extra quality control steps may take a little more time, but they’ll save you from big headaches down the road..