Keyword search optimization may well be one of the hardest tasks in search engine marketing. Because it is challenging, most site owners simply don’t spend the necessary amount of time optimizing their keywords. If your keyword selections are not properly targeted, all efforts following could well be in vain. Keyword optimization must be done at the outset of your search marketing campaign then becomes an ongoing process as you discover new keyword opportunities. In other words, this is not a job you can perform once then forget about it—you must constantly monitor how your chosen keywords are doing, replacing those which seem to have fizzled with better ones.
How Will Your Potential Clients Find You?
The bottom line regarding keywords choices is that should you not choose the keywords your potential clients will type into the search bar, you will not be found. Not being found results in low rankings, little traffic and no conversions. Since keyword optimization sends searchers to your site, ask yourself how others will search for your law firm. Many people start out the keyword process by brainstorming a list of potential keywords then they ask friends and family member to contribute their own list. You may be surprised to learn that the words others would use to find your law firm are not the ones you might think. After making your own list, use one or more tools which will determine the relative popularity of the keywords you have chosen.
Tools to Use to Determine Keyword Popularity
Google Trends is one such program which will allow you to view the volume of queries by region and over time. Yahoo Buzz Log will show the top overall keyword searches while Bing Webmaster Keyword Research will find query volumes for keywords by country and language. Google AdWords Keyword Tool is another good one to try; simply enter a keyword or key phrase to see the search volume and keyword competition. There are two schools of thought regarding keyword popularity.
One says that you should target the most popular keywords in order to attract the most visitors to your site. While this seems fairly straightforward, there is a downside: the more popular a keyword is the harder it may be to rank for. The other side says that because it can be harder to rank when using the most competitive keywords that targeting the less-competitive keywords gives your business a definite edge. It is tempting to target those popular search phrases however they may be so saturated by your competitors that all your SEO practices could have little to no effect.
Once you’ve determined your best keywords, your target keywords will need to be included in the title tag, within your links and throughout your content, concentrating on the first paragraph. Keywords will also appear in images and file names, your meta description and your URL. Your keywords must be relevant to your law firm and your specific legal niche. If there is no relevance between your keywords and your actual business, then the search engines will notice and will not improve your rankings.
If you are confused about choosing your keywords and key phrases and are looking for the very best law firm search engine optimization tips, our company can help. We are experts in lawyer website design, attorney SEO and legal content. Call (800) 877-2776 for your free consultation; you will receive valuable advice and strategies from highly experienced writers with a law degree.
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