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Cyber Search - What Does Search Engine Marketing Mean For Solicitors?
Published in the Solicitors Journal February 2005 (by Nick Jervis)
It's a great idea to advertise your firm and website online. Nick Jervis discusses how to go about it Most solicitors reading this will be able to readily lay their hands on their practice brochure. Some copies will be available in reception for clients to view; there may even be a large box of them in "that cupboard".
But what about online - how do you distribute your brochures then? Well your online reception is your website home page, and just like the brochures, if you do not send your website out to prospective clients, how will they know that your practice exists?
"I Will Never Win New Clients From The Internet"...
For the sceptics out there, first, let us look at the reasons why you must have a website. And yes it is a "must" rather than a choice.
In December 2004 the following searches were made for solicitor services across the search engines of Yahoo, MSN, Lycos, AOL, and Wanadoo (search phrase followed by number of searches in one month:)
- Personal Injury Solicitor - 3,523
- Conveyancing Solicitor - 2,422
- Divorce Solicitor - 1,529
- Manchester Solicitor -1,197
This does not take into account the number of searches made across Google, still widely accepted as the most used UK search engine. As 80 per cent of internet users find what they are looking for by using search engines (Forrester Research), it is clear the potential for obtaining clients across the web is a real opportunity.
So once your website is live, we have established you must attract visitors to it. The two main ways of doing this are pay per click and search engine marketing (or search engine optimisation).
Pay Per Click Website Marketing
This is the quickest way of attracting visitors to your website and is in effect online advertising on the search engine pages. You bid for certain search terms to attract visitors to your website. If you make the highest bid, your "advertisement" will appear at the top of the sponsored links section on the first page of the search engine.
If someone likes your advertisement, when they click on it you are then liable to pay the click through charge; this can be any amount from 4p per click, up to £20 per click which is currently being paid for the term "road traffic accident". This does not guarantee new business for you, but if your website matches the requirements of the visitor, is up-to-date, and has plenty of opportunities for interaction and contacting your practice, it will lead to enquiries. You must then act swiftly to convert those enquiries into business, as web users generally expect prompt responses by the very nature of the advertising medium they have used to find you.
Pay per click allows you to choose your search terms, and to decide the maximum amount you will pay for each term, along with the maximum daily budget you wish to commit to the campaign.
Search Engine Marketing
Organic search engine marketing allows you to be featured in the results of the search without paying for clicks through to your website. In Google and the other search engines mentioned above, the search results for the term "conveyancing solicitor", for example, will be displayed at the top of the page on the left-hand side of the screen.
The search results are closely matched to the search made, as the search engine matches the search term to a website that contains that term a number of times. Therefore, if your practice can be listed on the first page of a search for the areas of practice you undertake, the chances of a viewer clicking through to your website are increased. Most viewers will only look at the first two pages of a search result. If you are not on the first two pages of the search, potential clients are unlikely to find your websites, ie, the brochures stay in the reception area.
Search engine marketing is a specialist area. It requires constant updating of your website, and monitoring of changes made by the search engines to their algorhythms, the method the search engines use to find and log the details of your website. If employing a company to assist you with search engine marketing, ensure they act ethically and within the approved methods laid down by the search engines. All of the search engines like to see websites with links to and from other related websites, but use of "link farms", where you purchase links to and from other websites can result in your website being blacklisted and removed from the search engines completely.
Conclusion
Firms can no longer choose whether to have a website or not. It is an essential part of the marketing mix. Once live, the website can be used to obtain new clients, or left as an online brochure simply to redirect enquiries from existing clients. However, if you have a professional online website, it is sensible and relatively easy to promote your website and obtain new clients. In a legal market which is opening to other businesses, it is an excellent way of promoting your legal brand to a large audience.
Would You Like Results For Your Legal Practice?
Please call me for a free no obligation discussion on 01275 855525 or complete my free enquiry form and I will be in touch with you. Nick Jervis, Solicitor (non-practising).
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More Information?
If you would like more information on website marketing visit our Search Engine Marketing Services, email info@samsonconsulting.co.uk or call us on 01275 855525.