Creating and maintaining a presence online is essential in modern legal marketing. Research has confirmed that most people turn to the Internet for answers to legal questions and information about legal services; they also research attorneys and law firms online after referrals from other sources.

Establishing a presence online with a website, Google Business Profile, and respected directory listings are important first steps. Once you have covered these basics, it’s time to think about the benefits of publishing website content, including law firm announcements and news.

News about your law firm and its attorneys or staff can be a valuable source of website content. When something new, exciting, or impressive happens within your law firm, sharing the news on your website’s blog or elsewhere on your site provides fodder and context for search engines trying to answer search engine queries related to your services. It can also validate your authority and capabilities to people who find your content online.

The Role of Law Firm Announcements in Marketing and Business Development

Martindale-Avvo’s Understanding the Legal Consumer Report 2023 found that 63 percent of people turn to search engines when handling a legal matter, and 70 percent review some form of online content. The report also found that more than half of people research specific attorneys or law firms online after receiving a referral, including reviewing the law firm or attorney’s website and other online resources.

When it comes to establishing and growing your legal practice, “the room where it happens” is often online. Posting quality, search-engine-optimized law firm website content can get you in the right room when you need to be there.

How Law Firm Announcements Drive Organic Search Traffic

Organic traffic refers to visits to a website or web page that result from Internet users clicking on unpaid search results. Unlike paid ads, this traffic is free, but it does take time and effort to produce the content and see results. Driving organic traffic to your law firm website can expand your audience, build credibility and authority, and get qualified leads moving through the marketing funnel.

To grow organic traffic to a website, it is important to rank well (preferably in the top ten) in results on search engines like Google and Bing. If you are lucky, your website might rank for some terms related to your legal practice, but to get meaningful results, you need to implement search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. These include performing keyword research to identify the terms your target audience is searching, ensuring your website is technically sound and loads quickly, and building links to and from your website to other respectable, relevant resources, among other strategies.

Growing a website’s organic traffic also requires that you create content for search engines and potential clients to find online. Developing legal content ideas to meet the needs of your target audience requires a measured and thoughtful approach. Sometimes topics present themselves, however, in the form of news and announcements about your law firm and its attorneys.

Need Legal Content Ideas? Use Your News!

Maintaining a website, especially if you are posting regularly to a blog, requires researching topics of interest to your target audience. Ideally, it also involves performing keyword research to optimize the content for search engines, so the people you are trying to attract find you when they search for related information and terms online.

Compared to the process of researching and developing topics from the ground up, posting news on your website about the achievements and activities of your law firm and its attorneys is an easy grab.

These are some of the types of news and announcements a law firm may wish to share as a press release, blog, or other website content:

  • Attorney and law firm awards, accolades, and recognitions;
  • New leadership positions in relevant, respected organizations;
  • New hires and promotions or partnerships;
  • Project news and case results, if allowed;
  • Speaking engagements and presentations;
  • Publications and podcasts;
  • Rebranding, website redesign, and other updates;
  • New or updated practice areas; and
  • Volunteer service or community involvement.

Posting law firm announcements and news online provides SEO opportunities and demonstrates authority in your field.

To get maximum benefits, these announcements should be repurposed for use across platforms. For example, you can create a blog or other website post publicizing attorney recognitions, share links to the post on social media, revise the content as needed and send it as a press release to media outlets and organizations, and include the content in an email or print newsletter. With one piece of news and minimal revision, you can reach different segments of your audience in the various places they are likely to be.

The Intersection of Law Firm Website Content and Legal Ethics

When posting or distributing content—online or elsewhere—lawyers and law firms must be aware of ethical considerations and adhere to the applicable rules of professional conduct. ABA Formal Opinion 480 specifically addresses how the Model Rules of Professional Conduct apply to attorneys’ activities online. Attorneys should familiarize themselves with Opinion 480 and consider the ways other rules might apply to online activities and publications.

States have also published opinions regarding how attorney ethical rules apply to online content and activities, like social media. It is wise to check with the rulemaking authorities in your jurisdiction to ensure your actions are aligned with all rules of professional conduct and avoid potential issues.

Additional rules may apply in specific cases, like publicizing attorney recognitions. Organizations that publish attorney and law firm recognitions and ratings—like Martindale-Hubbell®, Best Lawyers®, and Super Lawyers®—usually also have guidelines regarding the specific phrasing and images that may be used when announcing these selections.

Get Help with Law Firm Announcements and Website Content

TOPDOG Legal Marketing, LLC is an attorney-led marketing agency that works with lawyers, law firms, and legal services providers to maximize the benefits of their online presence. Our CEO, Krista Duncan Black, has been licensed to practice law for nearly 30 years, so we understand lawyers, their unique marketing needs, and their ethical duties. We offer scalable levels of service—from consultations and SEO services for law firms to full legal marketing plans—to help our clients get found online.

To discuss how law firm announcements and news can be used in your legal marketing efforts, contact TOPDOG by calling (844) HEY-T-DOG (439-8364) or completing this online contact form.

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