With so many law firms and a limited number of prospective clients looking for legal services online, you must do everything you can to stay competitive in this digital age. Consumers will generally make decisions based on who they know, like, and trust. One of the most effective ways to convey your expertise in law and establish connections is by creating high-quality legal content.

Well-crafted content not only establishes your law firm as a thought leader in its community; it’s also great for search engine optimization (SEO). Instead of posting as much as possible about various topics, you need to craft a message that resonates with your audience and conveys your expertise. Here’s why this is important, along with some best practices that can help you effectively showcase your firm’s talent.

Why Content Marketing is Essential for Law Firms

Effective content marketing strategies are vital for law firms because it is the key to getting more clients. If you think about it, potential clients want their questions answered by a reputable source and will eventually research the bona fides of firms they may wish to hire. Underlying all of this is your legal content.

Online content is a somewhat broad term. Many different things qualify as legal content, such as your firm’s area practice pages, blog posts, case studies, social media content, videos, infographics, podcasts, and much more.

Understanding Google’s E-E-A-T Framework

Not all content is created equal, and you don’t want to create legal content just for the sake of doing so. If you’re not adding value, connecting with your target audience, being engaging, and maintaining consistency in your posts, you could be doing more harm than good. In fact, Google specifically rewards brands that add value and might decide to ignore those that don’t.

Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines are a set of criteria Google uses to evaluate the quality of web pages to ensure searchers find the most trustworthy and relevant content. According to Google, E-E-A-T is a strong consideration when determining page quality. Google’s E-E-A-T framework represents four principles:

• Experience – The first “E” refers to the first-hand Experience of the creator. In other words, you should be able to demonstrate that your content is created by those with first-hand, direct experience with the topic.
• Expertise – The second “E” relates to your law firm’s Expertise. You should be able to show subject-matter expertise through the accuracy and depth of your content. Expertise is also exhibited through citing reputable studies and sources and having thorough author credentials.
• Authoritativeness – The “A” refers to the authoritativeness of the creator and your legal content. The next criterion is to build your law firm brand’s authority by consistently posting high-quality content and earning mentions from other respected experts or websites.
• Trustworthiness – Finally, the “T” stands for Trust, meaning the extent to which your law firm’s content is honest, accurate, reliable, and safe. Even though it’s last, Google considers being trustworthy as the most vital factor in E-E-A-T. The search engine evaluates trustworthiness based on the intended purpose of the content. For example, a page that offers financial or legal information needs to be more trustworthy than one that recommends lunch spots downtown.

What Does YMYL Mean When It Comes to Legal Content?

YMYL stands for “Your Money Your Life,” which is a phrase Google established to distinguish any content that could potentially impact a user’s health, safety, financial stability, or happiness. Google has also designed YMYL as a critical concept in its Search Quality Rater Guidelines because YMYL pages that provide low-quality or inaccurate information could easily do harm to people.

As you can imagine, a law firm’s legal content qualifies as YMYL content. What does this mean for your business? Essentially, it means that there is a higher standard for your content when it comes to reviewing it against the E-E-A-T framework. If your content pages don’t meet the high standards of E-E-A-T, it’s unlikely to do well.

Ways Law Firms Can Showcase Experience and Expertise

Whether it’s through your website’s content or what you post on social media and other platforms, you can present information that showcases your experience. Your content should include:

• Years in Practice – Including this simple statement in your content will give the reader and the search engines confidence that you’ve been around the legal block and know what you’re doing. You can include statements like, “with over 50 years of combined experience…,” ”for more than two decades, our lawyers…,” and “since 1995, our firm…”
• Cases Won – Find ways to incorporate information about the number of relevant cases you’ve won, monetary damages you’ve recovered, laws you’ve been involved in changing, or other positive outcomes you or your firm has achieved.
• Awards – Don’t forget to include any type of recognition your law firm or its attorneys have received to demonstrate that professional organizations and peers have noticed your work.
• Case Studies – Detailed, insightful case studies are another way to show that you have enough experience in your field to break down complex material into simpler ideas for your audience.

While the American Bar Association doesn’t want lawyers and law firms to refer to themselves as “experts,” Google prefers that the material it features demonstrate “expertise” in a subject matter. To achieve this, focus on these items in your legal content marketing:

• Practice Area Pages – Your law firm’s practice area pages should be comprehensive and kept up-to-date. They should include a detailed description of the services you offer, your attorney’s qualifications to practice in this area, and other reasons why potential clients should trust you with their legal business.
• Legal Advice Topics – Create high-quality content within your legal practice areas. This should include content addressing each area of practice, various components of your practice areas, case law updates, and any informative graphics.
• Explainer Videos – Produce short videos that explain different legal concepts and topics, such as how you handle initial consultations, your case management process, and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).
• News Articles – Post any news articles that mention your law firm or press releases you create that detail your successes or involvement in the surrounding community.

Building Authority and Trust Using Ongoing Content

Another component of Google’s framework is Authority, meaning you must find a way to demonstrate your law firm’s authority within its legal practice areas. You can do this in several ways:

• High-Quality Content – Everything you post should be readable and engaging. To build authority, you must back up your claims with references and data from reputable sources. Examples include citing statistics from government websites, data from recognized legal publications, and information from legal precedents.
• About Us Page – Your law firm’s About Us page should be an extensive overview of your firm’s history, founders, partners, practice areas, key values, awards, and accolades. This page is commonly visited by people who are in the decision stage of their journey, and it can lend authority to your brand.
• Attorney Bio Pages – Your firm’s attorneys don’t have to personally craft your website’s copy or blog content. Most law firms use legal content writers. However, you should have detailed attorney bios on your website that highlight your attorneys’ professional achievements and legal credentials to reinforce the authority of your content.
• Domain Rating – Domain rating is a critical metric in website authority and improving search engine rankings. Strategies to improve your law firm’s domain rating and build authority include getting high-quality backlinks and ensuring your website is technically sound.

Trustworthiness is informed by three other elements of the framework—experience, expertise, and authoritativeness. It’s also about safeguarding your site’s visitors from potential harm, giving them confidence that you value their privacy and security. You should ensure that:

• Your website is secure
• You have relevant credentials and certifications listed
• Users understand how to get help if they want and need it

There are other ways you can build trust off-site that can influence your results:

• Social Media Marketing – Many consumers will search social media to get answers to their legal questions and find a trustworthy professional. Your social media marketing strategy can enhance your brand’s trust factor and significantly boost your online presence.
• Online Reviews – A positive brand reputation goes a long way in establishing trust. As a law firm, you should focus on getting online feedback on your Google Business Profile and various legal directories that potential clients might use to locate your services. In addition to securing feedback, make sure you are responding to reviews promptly and appropriately.
• Influencer Marketing and Guest Posting – Partner with others in your industry or related industries to promote your legal brand. You can also write helpful articles for other blogs or websites to gain additional exposure for your law firm.

Creating Trustworthy Legal Content for Zero-Click Searches

Effective content marketing and SEO can demonstrate your legal expertise and build trust among your target audience. However, the ticket to getting more clients continues to evolve thanks to artificial intelligence.

Google’s new AI-powered search is an algorithm that focuses on delivering helpful and trustworthy information to users directly on the search results page to save time and, frankly, keep users on Google’s platform for as long as possible. These are called “zero-click searches,” and they are significantly changing how businesses market to their target audience.

When a legal consumer enters a search query, such as “penalties for a 2nd DUI in AL,” zero-click information can be displayed through AI-generated overviews, knowledge panels, featured snippets, “People Also Ask” sections, and local packs featuring nearby attorneys.

The legal space is understandably seeing a sharp increase in AI-generated content. While you may receive fewer clicks from these searches, there are still some opportunities.

Instead of tossing your entire legal content marketing strategy out the window, you’ll want to continue to focus on optimizing your efforts for the E-E-A-T framework. In addition, you can take full advantage of zero-click searches by:

1. Prioritizing for Search Intent

Even if the zero-click content answers a user’s question, a person who is looking to hire a lawyer is still likely to click. Create answers and content that balance helpful content with reasons to trust your law firm.

2. Optimize for Zero-Click Features

If you want to appear in AI overviews or featured snippets, structure your legal content so it’s easy for Google’s AI engine to grab it. For example, use numbered lists, bullet points, and tables to present information. Provide direct answers to questions, and even feature FAQ sections on your pages.

3. Focus on Topical Authority

Google’s AI-powered search prioritizes trusted sources. If you want to gain a competitive advantage and show up in these search results, keep your content updated, include expert quotes and linked references, and showcase your firm’s relevant success stories.

4. Consider Local SEO

Assuming your practice relies on local clients, it’s imperative that you continue to optimize your website and other efforts for local SEO. For example, update and ensure your Google Business Profile is accurate. Encourage online feedback from past clients and respond appropriately. Additionally, focus on geographically targeted keywords in your content.

5. Diversify Your Content

Written content should still be a foundational part of your legal marketing strategy, but you should also diversify what you create and post. Google is increasingly featuring non-textual content in its zero-click results. Remember, Google owns YouTube, so video content such as short explainer videos will perform well.

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing Can Help Your Law Firm Succeed

Law firms are engaged in intense competition for clients in just about every market, and Google continues to change the rules. Digital marketing is not a one-and-done strategy; it requires ongoing learning, revision, and optimization to achieve the desired results.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we specialize in helping law firms of all shapes and sizes boost their online visibility and demonstrate their legal expertise to attract new clients. We stay on the cutting edge of changes in Google’s algorithm to work toward making our clients the law firm of choice in their respective markets. Call us today at 1-800-649-1764 or reach out to us online to schedule a free initial consultation.