Have you read the latest on Above the Law, or caught up on happenings in the High Court from Scotusblog? If so, you’re in good company and among the thousands of unique monthly visitors these law blogs and others like them enjoy.
Successful content in the blawg-o-sphere gets passed along. For instance, Prawfsblawg alone has been cited by law review journals and other peer publications thousands of times since its humble beginnings.
Not to be outdone, Scotusblog has likewise been cited several thousand times and their published research about the highest court has even been referenced by SCOTUS Justices themselves.
Such links from academic sites with high online authority are great for SEO rankings. However, in today’s mobile-first, locally connected world, regional sites that link to your blog’s content can carry serious SEO juice as well.
So, how can your law blog gain similar traction and success?
We’ve verified 4 key tactics successful blawgs use that you should be using too:
#1 What it’s All About
This tactic entices readers to stick around and hopefully bookmark your blog by telling them what they’ll gain from being a regular reader.
Legal Reader is consistently ranked among the top 50 blawgs. Their “About” page states:
Legal Reader is unapologetic in its devotion to protecting consumers and to exposing the many hypocrisies of the corporations that put those consumers at risk. Because we don’t take any ad money, we never have to bend to corporate interests of any kind. This ensures that Legal Reader will always be a space of free expression – and a space free of ads.
Note the strong sentiment expressed with words like “unapologetic” and “hypocrisies.” There’s also an emphasis on being ad-free, part of another key tactic covered below.
Dallas attorney Bob Kraft’s blog on personal injury and disability lets visitors know what PISSD is all about right in the header:
“About the ways injured and disabled persons are mistreated by governments and insurance companies.”
He uses sentiment and abbreviation to cleverly name his site in a compelling manner: Personal Injury, Social Security Disability = PISSED.com.
Tactic Takeaway: Let readers know what your blog covers with compelling, straightforward copy. Placing your blog description somewhere highly visible is preferable to an About page.
#2 Paint a (Local) Picture
Relatable images that help convey the main idea/s in your blog article work wonders to keep readers engaged with your content.
But did you know that images pack a one-two-punch if they’re local to your service area?
Local images lend authenticity in the minds of readers. And, Google gets a reminder signaling that you’re nearby local searchers. Win-win. [Click to Tweet this]
It’s not always possible to insert images of local places into your articles, but when opportunity arises, take it!
Examples include local courthouses, your offices, or even a scenic picture of a main street bustling with traffic.
Tactic Takeaway: You should be using relevant, visually pleasing images in most of your articles. The best bloggers find high-definition images and customize them so they relate to their posts.
Score bonus SEO and Reader points for local images. You can use software programs that will automatically geotag your pictures if they’re not original or without exif data.
#3 Help, Help, Help
To establish a readership and be a go-to source for your prospects, you need to be razor-focused on how your blog can help them.
Top performing blogs produce stellar content with impeccable research that’s easily consumed by average readers.
Identifying trending legal topics and consumer questions in your practice and service areas informs what your next blog articles should address.
Attorneys who understand it’s better to sell less and help more tend to get the best results from their blogging efforts.
Tactic Takeaway: Limit salesy and self-promoting copy in your blawg. You’ve told readers what to expect of your blog and it needs to deliver with accurate information that addresses their concerns.
#4 Publish & Distribute
Writing helpful, compelling content is phase one. To draw readers to your blawg who will ultimately become clients, you’ll need to enter phase two: Publish consistently and distribute widely.
Bloggers develop editorial calendars to help produce quality content on a regular basis. Some very successful legal blogs publish new content twice a month. Others aim for 2x per week or more.
Working with a professional writer can help. Most blawgs take advantage of freelance writers and guest contributors to help maintain publishing goals.
Of course, great content published regularly means nothing if no one reads it. That’s where a distribution and content marketing strategy comes in.
You’ll want to send links to your articles out over all major social networks. You should tweet directly to influential Twitter users whose followers will relate to your linked article.
Legal blogs are a proven marketing asset. Working with a content marketer to develop strategies that maintain your blog’s success is a logical investment.
We constantly study the best preforming websites and blogs so our clients can do better and outrank the competition. Learn about our blog ghostwriting and other services, then give us a call: 877.870.0416
