What Firms Can Expect From Google’s Helpful Content Update

Firms investing in a website or SEO: this update matters to you! Learn more about the update and how it affects your firm’s digital efforts here. 

Google centers around creating better connections between users and relevant content, and one way they do that is through their updates. Although these often go unseen by the average user, the updates happen regularly, and those investing in websites and legal SEO should keep an eye on those changes to:

• Better understand if any digital effort is lagging, or conversely, moving in the right direction. 
• Make the most of digital advertising investment.
• Ultimately, give their clients what they need and want.
  

Learn more about why your firm should care about Google Updates here!

As Google states, the helpful content update is “part of a broader effort to ensure people see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results.” This update impacts anyone that is a creator. This could range from your digital legal agency to your in-house creators and others.

So, what’s the update really about? More importantly, how can firms ensure that their content creation remains compliant? 

How the Helpful Content Update works 

The update will start rolling out sometime at the end of August 2022, and the official launch will be featured here (please keep in mind that this can take up to 2 weeks). This update is primarily geared toward sites that have tried to game the SEO best practices and are publishing content that ranks for SEO rather than for the content itself.

With that said, the way the update works is that Google will continue to crawl websites and automatically identify content that brings little to no value, compared to other content elsewhere that brings better value.

The content identified as flagged is not considered spam. Instead, it becomes a “signal” created by an entirely automated classification that uses machine learning. 

How Consultwebs plans to help their firms with the recent update: 

When speaking about the update with the director of ROI at Consultwebs, Grant Brott, he said,

Ensure Your Firm Adheres to People-First Oriented Content 

Superior content not only ranks with SEO but also reaches the correct user and provides a satisfying user experience on-site, and this will remain true with the new update. For that reason…

Follow Google’s #1 long-standing advice: Create content for people first.

For firms, this means creating more content that your specific target audience(s) wants to see. For example, instead of drowning the blog post with keywords to get it to rank, it’s best to mix and match relevant keywords while keeping the focus on providing content users want to read.

How can your firm find out if the published content is user-oriented? Use Google’s checklist below to find out. 

Please note: If you answer yes to the majority or everything on the list, congratulations, you’ve passed the helpful content test!

Do you have an audience that will find your content useful if they come directly to your site?
Does your content demonstrate first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge?
Do you have a primary focal target audience and content?
After reading your firm’s content, will the user have something they can take away?
Will the user leave your site feeling they’ve had a satisfying experience?
Are you, or your digital agency in charge, keeping Google’s core updates in mind?

Pro tip: Google’s algorithm focuses on the amount of the EAT: expertise, authority, and trust a page has. 

Read more about Google’s EAT Quality Guideline here.

Takeaway

The businesses building search-engine-first content might see a significant decline in their traffic in the coming months. Vice versa, those focusing on user-first content might see an increase in traffic in the coming months.

Whether you’re looking for experts to update your website or want to produce content that goes above and beyond, we can help.

 

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Creative Thinking: A Law Firm’s Secret Weapon for Success and Growth

How can creativity be an attorney’s secret weapon for success and growth? More so, how can individuals train their minds to think creatively? Find answers to these questions and more here.

Lawyers aren’t necessarily thought of as those who practice the art of being “creative,” but that’s far from the truth! If we think about it, the business of law requires virtually non-stop creative thinking. For example, lawyers must have an in-depth understanding of the rules and how to apply them; however, they must also find innovative solutions that aren’t found in legal textbooks or previous cases. 

Lawyers do not simply read and interpret the law; they must also find novel ways to work around any legal framework and case. In addition, attorneys in court rely on their legal storytelling abilities when disclosing their client’s points of view in an impactful way. These abilities, combined with social skills, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, listening, and reasoning, require an attorney to be an extremely creative individual. 

Today, the most prominent entrepreneurs and businesses are focusing on finding creative talent. Research shows that creativity is now one of the most sought-after skills in the market, and compared to 2015, the jump is clear. Take a look: 

By tapping into our innermost creative minds, we can find solutions to problems that seem impossible to resolve, both personally and professionally. 

So, what is creative thinking? As cliche as it sounds, “thinking outside the box” seems to be the best description. Essentially, it means stepping out of automatic habituated patterns and generating unusual and original ideas. 

With that said, it seems as if creativity is fleeting, and in the random moments we connect with it, we want to use it immediately, but is there a way lawyers can generate creativity on demand? The answer is…absolutely! 

We’ll expand on what you can do to get the creative wheels rolling. Let’s begin with…

How Law Firms Can Boost their Creative Thinking (According to Science) 

Creative breakthroughs don’t happen overnight, and they aren’t limited to a personality type. Instead, rather like physical training, our brains can be trained to be more creative. Psychological studies suggest that so-called creative ‘breakthroughs’ are often the result of hard work and dedication, and there is one trait that applies to all creative skills:

Although no two individuals are alike, the APA (American Psychological Association) shows that doing the following things can stimulate your brain’s frontal lobe, which is associated with creative thinking:

1. Step away from your desk and take a walk. Literally. 

Adam Green, Ph.D., a cognitive neuroscientist at Georgetown University and founder of the Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity, says that cubicles are the worst place for creative thinking. An experiment showed that most of the participants’ “aha” moments came to those who were more likely to go for walks, especially in large, expansive environments. For most of us, it may be difficult to get out of the cubicle; however, here is some mental health advice: 

2. Prioritize sleep. 

Say it with us: exhaustion and working until your breaking point is not a badge of honor you should carry. While attorneys deal with very stressful and complex legal situations, as well as clients who come in with all-time highs of stress, it’s important to prioritize sleep. Studies show that sleep helps us process our problem-solving and helps build connections between disparate ideas.

3. Daydream–yes you read that right! 

Daydream with purpose. Is there a problem that’s been bugging you lately? Have your clients mentioned anything they wish they could see more of? Less of? You don’t necessarily need to come up with the most revolutionary idea. Sometimes a series of minor improvements end up helping businesses grow into more extensive methods and strategies.

4. Write down your thoughts and revisit them.

Creative thoughts are often fleeting and may be difficult to recall at a later time. For this, the best suggestion is to write them all down. That way, you’ll be able to revisit, critique, and tweak those thoughts as you move forward. 

How Law Firms Can Boost their Creative Thinking (According to Field Experts)

Now let’s look at what the field experts have to say on the subject. To begin with, the top 3 driving motivators around business innovation today are enhancing customer experience (53%), driving revenue growth (53%), and developing new services and products (45%).

Drew McLellan is the founder of Agency Management Institute and has over 30+ years of working in the advertising market, a sector that requires the utmost imagination. He sat down with the National Law Review and suggested firms can boost innovative thinking in the following ways:

1. Allow time for sharing ideas at meetings 

Time is money, but by scheduling a mere 15 minutes extra for regular meetings to allow for creative thinking, you may generate some of the best ideas. If this isn’t possible, McLellan suggests scheduling one agenda-less meeting per week and allow room for ideas.

2. Support all team members’ growth 

This is related to what science has to say about building the creative muscle. By supporting your staff’s passions outside work and pushing healthier work-life boundaries, e.g., getting enough sleep, your team might propel 2X forward.

3. Suggest 1 reasonable and 1 risky idea

Problems and challenges constantly arise as a business grows, but when brainstorming ideas, try to come up with 1 safe, practical solution and 1 that may be riskier. This could be the case for law firms investing in creative platforms like social media and digital advertising – is there anything you’ve been wanting to try that others aren’t necessarily doing? 

For example, some lawyers are already creative trailblazers in #legal Tiktok – check them out here.

4. Build a partnership with creative experts

Business is all about people, and relationships are key. For example, more firms are investing in creative digital marketing strategies like social media, digital advertising, YouTube, podcasts, etc. These places are havens for building on originality! 

By tapping and building a relationship with creative experts such as Consultwebs, law firms can let their ideas run free and have creativity on demand. 

 

Don’t forget your ABCs: Always Be Creative 

More than anything, creativity can help you get the most out of all your investments. For example, are you investing in social media platforms? What about advertising through channels like YouTube, Google, Facebook, and Instagram? 

Whether you’ve been trying to nourish your personal or professional ingenious side, by exercising your mind, you can flourish in the competitive profession that is law, where most clients are demanding that their legal counsel thinks outside the box.

And even better, if you’d like a helping hand working on all your creative assets, we’re here to help.

 

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Nominating a Legal Star for the Super Lawyers Award

Is a Super Lawyers award worth It? How does the process work? And most importantly, how can you make it happen? 

Is a Super Lawyers nomination or award worth it? In short, yes! According to the Wall Street Journal, there are an estimated 1,200 legal rankings and awards globally – a big jump from the approximately 700 nominations of a decade ago. 

Legal nominations are creating a buzz, and for good reason. From a client’s perspective, your being nominated signals credibility and, most importantly, reliability and quality. These factors are essential to those seeking legal services because they are not only making a high-ticket purchase but also one that has a significant emotional component. People looking for a lawyer want to be reassured that they’re going to be in good hands. Recognition from Super Lawyers tells them they will be.

With that said, how does Super Lawyers fit in among the numerous legal awards and nominations? First it’s important to consider them as  4 different types of nominations: 

• Global
• National
• Local 
• Vote-based 

Super Lawyers, a rating service company, fits into the last category, vote-base nomination. 

Super Lawyers is composed of outstanding lawyers from over 70+ practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. As a rating service, they manage a selection process that is based on voting.

Benefits of a Super Lawyer Nomination for Firms 

Super Lawyers was created by Thomson Reuters, known worldwide for distributing reputable information and data in fields including law, tax, compliance, government, and media to help them function better. Because of Reuters status, a Super Lawyers award is meaningful.

Some of the benefits of receiving this prestigious award include:

• Recognition that accompanies receiving a very selective award that focuses on finding the most qualified attorneys in each state.
• Opportunity to improve marketing outreach to those seeking legal services.
• Networking with other professionals.
• Solidifying the award winner’s standing in the legal profession. 

How the Super Lawyer Nomination Works

If you’d like to nominate someone, or simply want to expand your network, you’ll need to create an account here. With an account, legal professionals and attorneys can:

• Manage their profiles
• Nominate peers
• Evaluate other lawyers
• Purchase marketing solutions 

For the nomination process, there are rules all lawyers need to abide by:

• Self-nominations are not permitted.
• In-firm nominations are counted only if an equal or more significant number of lawyers outside the firm are nominated.
• You may nominate a maximum of 21 lawyers. This means 7 in-firm nominations, 7 out-of-firm nominations and 7 Rising Star nominations.
• No advertising, as this may lead to disqualification.
• Nominations must be based on firsthand knowledge rather than the opinions of others.

Now, let’s look at the criteria behind nominating a legal MVP.

 

The Tri-Level Method Used to Nominate the 2022 MVP Super Lawyers by State

Please keep in mind that the nominations are made only once a year during a specific time frame on a state-by-state basis. 

• Don’t miss the deadline to nominate someone who deserves it! Click on this link to find the specific state deadline. 

• Click the drop-down menu and select your state. 

 

Super Lawyers uses a patented selection process that includes 3 steps: nominations, research, and evaluation. 

1. 1. 1. Nominations. To reiterate, lawyers are invited once a year to nominate the top attorneys they have personally observed in action. Even if you aren’t an attorney, you can still nominate someone! For example, clients, marketing directors, and others that aren’t formally invited to vote can still submit an informal nomination to Thomson Reuters.
      2. Research.  At this point in the process, Thomson Reuter has an appointed research staff that carries out extensive research on nominees in the following areas: 
         • Verdicts/Settlements
         • Transactions
         • Representative clients
         • Experience
         • Honors/Awards
         • Special licenses/certifications
         • Position within the law firm
         • Bar and/or professional activity
         • Pro Bono and community service
         • Scholarly lectures/writings
         • Education/employment background
         • Other outstanding achievements
      3. Evaluation. In this stage, the attorneys with the highest points (according to steps 1 and 2) are asked to serve on a blue-ribbon panel. The panelists are requested to review and rate each candidate on a scale of 1-5. 
      4. The final selection. The final candidates are grouped into firm-size categories, and in the end, the ones with the highest points per category are the winners!  

 

This brings us to a frequently asked question: what’s the difference between the Super Lawyer and Rising Stars awards? 

• These are 2 separate awards. The Super Lawyer award and the Rising Stars award both have the same selection process, except that the Rising Stars awards are for candidates 40 years or younger who have been practicing for less than 10 years, and only the top 2.5% are given the award. 
• The Super Lawyers cover the remainder of the group, and the selection process is much more competitive; however, the top 5% are given the award. 

How to Improve Your Chances of Winning the Super Lawyers Award 

There are some best practices firms can begin to implement to up their chances of winning this award (and perhaps others, too!) 

1. Develop a broad professional network in your community 

Like all other voter-based nominations, Super Lawyers is based on peer reviews. Attorneys cannot nominate themselves; therefore, 100% rely on other’s opinions, and this is where the importance of networking comes into play.

2. Get non-lawyers to vote under ‘Informal Nominations’ 

Super Lawyers accepts “informal nominations” from individuals who aren’t lawyers but know the attorney’s quality work and ethic.

3. Stay active 

Community service will always be important regardless of achievements and success. In addition to education, work ethic, quality of work, and results, the level of how active a firm and an attorney is within the community and with pro-bono work matters.

4. Contribute!

Have you ever written something worth sharing with other legal professionals? Have you ever given a scholarly lecture? Those more involved in these areas also have a big plus. 

5. Advance your career in other areas

Those going the extra mile are noticed. By advancing your educational and professional base through licenses and certifications, you’re going the extra mile and showing continued dedication.. That is true professionally and personally.

Takeaway

Lawyers, as well as other professionals never really know who’s watching and taking note. Remember that you’re always being scrutinized for how you carry yourself–by clients,  co-workers, other attorneys, judges, executives, and others in the community. 

Whether you want to nominate an attorney that’s going the extra mile or simply want to expand your professional development – we can help you maximize your visibility.

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The Remarkable Transformation of a Family Law Firm

Proven Tactics for Success

How are family law firms staying ahead of the curve in today’s legal arena? Read the before and after case of a family law firm’s digital transformation here. 

Did you know that an increasing number of firms are investing in a website? Statistics show that the percentage of respondents who have indicated that their firm has a website has climbed from 77% (2018) to 94% (2021). And who’s managing most law firm websites? Here’s a comparison of those same two periods:   

Firms today are not only investing in a website, they’re also investing in a website with the help of a marketing staff. Why’s that? Although many factors play a role here, a critical one is that these days, having a website is a great first step, but the measures that come after matter even more: SEO, PPC, LSAs, social media marketing, email marketing, etc. 

Because just a website is no longer enough, one of the critical first steps many firms choose to take in today’s market is to focus on ranking on ‘the yellow pages of the Internet,’ AKA Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines. Law firms rely on legal SEO to begin ranking (and, better yet, outranking the competitors). Using this tactic, , firms are:

• Reaching more users.
• Generating quality leads.
• Boosting credibility.
• Maximizing additional digital advertising efforts like legal PPC campaigns.
• Staying ahead of the competition.

SEO done right requires a ton of upfront work and patience, but the conjoined effort eventually can lead firms to a type of ‘delayed gratification’ – one that yields long-lasting rewards. 

To help you better understand the long-lasting effects SEO can have on a firm’s website and overall business, let’s take a look at the before and after case of a firm that partnered with us, Consultwebs. 

Please note: to better protect the firm’s identity; we’ll refer to this specific firm as ‘the firm’ throughout the case study. 

 

Fortune Favors the Bold Firms

Before delving into the details, let’s briefly review the firm’s basics. They’re a family law firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Their services include, but aren’t limited to: 

• Domestic violence
• Child custody 
• Asset – division of property 
• Digital asset – division of property
• Legal separation 
• Stalking 
• Divorce 

The firm is aware that their clients are running on deep-seated personal emotions, and what better way to extend a helping hand to those in need than by being where their clients are searching for help: Google and search engines alike! 

The firm’s partner knew this, and during a one-on-one chat with us, he reiterated the point:

He added, “People really identify with what’s online as if you’ve met the person.“

Although business was going okay, the firm wanted to meet more prospects in need of family law services, so they started to advertise the firm online in the early 2000s. As he says, “I started back in 2000-2001. I was looking to build my practice and being online was something new and historically different than what was done to advertise a firm.“

Like in all businesses, there are challenges, but there are also opportunities. Although he was doing pretty well back then, he saw legal digital marketing as another opportunity to get out there and expand and grow. So, he took his chances and partnered with Consultwebs, specifically for SEO services.

 

A Recipe for Everlasting Legal Success 

The firm is based in a geographical area increasingly growing across the legal spectrum. According to ABA, North Carolina is seeing record increases in the number of lawyers and is one of the top 10 states with lawyer growth in the past decade. Take a look at the map: 

The firm is also located in Raleigh, one of the state’s most heavily populated legal sectors. But, this isn’t preventing the firm from moving forward! The firm’s SEO investment is paying off. 

 

Increased Organic Traffic to the Site 

While PPC efforts focus on boosting paid traffic, SEO focuses on promoting organic traffic to a firm’s website. In this case, the firm is seeing its organic traffic increase year after year: 

Increased Number of Users to the Site 

When comparing a recent year to year, the number of users is also increasing – a solid 24.57%, to be precise: 

The domino effect is real. With the increased number of users, the firm also sees an increase in: 

1. Sessions: the period a user is active on your site.
2. Page views: the total number of pages viewed.

When comparing a recent year to year, the session increased by 30.53%, and the number of page views increased by 27.65%.

This may not directly translate to profit but eventually, the combined efforts pay off. When the firm was asked how their digital investment impacted business, they said: 

More Qualified Users Within the Firm’s Legal Jurisdiction 

Because every firm practice within its legal jurisdiction, it’s critical the traffic coming in through the website is looking for legal services within the corresponding jurisdiction. In this case, the firm’s users are qualified. 

When comparing recent years, the firm is indeed attracting 20.89% more users in North Carolina! The heatmap speaks for itself: 

Ranking for Relevant Top Keywords 

Keywords help connect a user’s search intent to relevant findings. In this case, the firm ranks for relevant keywords their prospects are searching for. Some of them include: 

1. Domestic violence attorney 
2. Alimony attorney
3. Restraining order nc
4. Child support calculator nc
5. Divorce in nc 

 

Going Digital Is Pushing the Firm Forward In More Ways

Their push towards more digital efforts is not only paying off dividends in calls and cases but also pushing the firm towards the digitized working arena we’re in today. 

• Reducing traditional office space and increasing technology 

As the partner states, “[Because of COVID-19] we started working more remotely, and clients are more comfortable with that. Everybody has a phone or computer at their house. Everybody has the ability to do Webex

at their house. So we’ve essentially reduced our need for traditional office space, but we’ve increased our need for technology to be able to sustain people at home.“

• Reducing and controlling the firm’s paper waste 

The partner compares the idea of law firms going digital and reducing paper waste with the famous John C. Depp, II v. Amber Laura Heard trial, “[As a firm] we are always going to be paper intense, but now it’s less paper intense. If you look at the Johnny Depp trial, it’s all in the computers, and I think that’s going to be the way that [law] goes much more into the future.” 

The firm is undoubtedly trying to be less paper intense, as the partner notes, “[Now] we have all the exhibits and everything else electronically stored when we’re going to court, but we have a paper copy to hand around.” That is because many solicitors need to stay compliant, and at times court documents are required to be hard copies. While the shift towards reducing paper waste isn’t perfect, the effort is noticeable. 

And the firm isn’t stopping its growth there. 

 

Planning and Growing A Legal Business Ahead 

As a family law firm, the partner adds, “Now it’s an explosive growth with people needing stuff, and they have more struggles within their family, and individually parents have more personal struggles that they’re dealing with because of that means depression, anxiety, anger issues.“

 

While keeping the big picture in mind, they want to extend a helping hand to those in need of their legal services and advice. For this reason, the firm will continue its partnership with Consultwebs. As the partner reiterates, they value a partnership will full transparency:

Firms in all practice areas looking to venture into new business opportunities online don’t have to do it alone. Ready to join the club of money-making firms? Let’s get started.

 

 

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