Blogging

Be Discoverable -- Google Loves Law Blogs And So Should You

You cannot afford to sit on the digital sidelines. You either adapt to this new digital universe or fade away into that distant, analog sunset.

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Here’s what we all want to know:

  1. Who are you?
  2. What do you do?
  3. How are you different?

Yep, that’s what inside counsel and consumers of legal services want to know. So, how do you convey what’s special about you?

Please don’t say your law firm website. A bio stuck inside a static website is like biting into an over-cooked burger — that’s hard to chew, bland, and not satisfying. We don’t care about where you were born. We don’t care when you passed the bar. We don’t care where you went to law school. We don’t care about your “Biglaw” credentials. Yawn. We don’t even care about your Marvel-esque super power claim that you’re an expert in “multiple areas” of law (like that’s even possible these days).

We prefer our lawyers sizzling and alive.

So, find a way to show us your fire-breathing passion. Make it obvious why you’re the monster authority. Don’t lecture us about your years of experience. Don’t talk at us in the voice of a firm or through brand-speak. Demonstrate why you’re the best in your own words. Talk with us. Converse with us. And — oh yeah, let’s have this lively dialogue online.

Why online? Because that’s where we gather. That’s where we’ll discover and Google you to confirm that precious offline referral.

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I’m not saying that old school networking is dead — to the contrary. Online networking done right leads to face-to-face encounters and flesh-pressing. But old school networking is absolutely being digitally disrupted in ways that create new opportunities and that mandate different strategies to compete for clients.

So, make sure you’re looking in the right direction — 2.55 billion people will be online by 2017. Your existing and future clients are viewing you online. If you’re not establishing a digital footprint then you’re conspicuous by your absence. Being a serious contributor to the online conversation is networking in the new normal.

When it comes to search results, Google loves blogs because they are more likely to provide accurate and timely information. Fifty percent of all landing pages in Google searches are blog posts. I’ll let that sink in while you consider when to launch your legal blog. —Mark Beese

Writing by your own hand is the best way to drive your narrative online. The savviest of lawyers make a blog the centerpiece of their online strategy to ensure they’re easily discoverable:

If you look at the value of business generated from clients whose initial contact came from the blog–including repeat business–that number is in the seven figures…” —R. David Donoghue, author of Chicago IP Litigation Blog

The bulk of the new and returning business I receive is either directly or indirectly from my blog. —Peter Mahler, author of New York Business Divorce

I would say that one-fourth to one-third of my new business has some connection to my blog. —Dan Schwartz, author of Connecticut Employment Law Blog

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If you can hold an intelligent conversation then you already know how to blog. The best law bloggers write in a conversational way. No legalese. No big words. No appellate briefs. They keep things simple. They find a way to relate the law to you. They get that a blog is less about lightening and thunder and more about the steady rain of relatable passion, authority, and expertise. These blog authors reveal a human dimension and that sets them apart.

You cannot afford to sit on the digital sidelines. You either adapt to this new digital universe or fade away into that distant, analog sunset. If you choose to adapt, here’s an ebook that spells out compelling evidence and success stories of lawyers who blog regularly and reap the rewards.

Much of this post was inspired by a talk I gave in Costa Rica last month for International Lawyer’s Network (ILN) 2014 Regional Meeting of the Americas at the request of Alan Griffiths and Lindsay Griffiths. This ebook serves as a succinct recap of my talk in Costa Rica.

A special thanks to ILN’s event hosts, Cordero & Cordero Abogadas. The warm hospitality you extended will not be forgotten. Spending quality time with you and your families helps me understand why the Cordero firm is preferred by local and international clients doing business in Costa Rica. Thanks also to Ambassador Tomás Dueñas for his informative talk about Costa Rica’s history and future. Kudos to the Cordero firm for securing the Ambassador’s appearance.

Hernán, Hernán, Ricardo y Ronaldo, gracias la hospitalidad que me mostraste en Costa Rica. Cuando se encuentra en Seattle, me sentiría honrado de ser su anfitrión.

I shot the photos in this post on the grounds of the El Mangroove hotel on the northern Guanacaste shoreline of Costa Rica. This low-key resort looks out over the idyllic Golfo de Papagayo.

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Kevin McKeown (@KevinMcKeown) is president of LexBlog, which empowers lawyers to increase their visibility and accelerate business relationships online. With LexBlog’s help, legal professionals use their subject matter expertise to drive powerful business development through blogging and social media. Visit LexBlog.com.

LexBlog also hosts LXBN, the world’s largest network of professional blogs. With more than 8,000 authors, LXBN is the only media source featuring the latest lawyer-generated commentary on news and issues from around the globe. Visit lxbn.com now.

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