The SEO of Twitter: Setting Up An Account

Use basic SEO principles when setting up your Twitter account

These days, with the prevalence of mobile devices, a smart, forwarding-thinking law firm should consider creating a “brand” or presence for itself within the social media sphere. Twitter.com is a popular player in that space, so let’s take this opportunity to discuss Twitter, SEO and branding your law firm through social channels.

Social media is defined by SearchEngineWatch.com as

A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, social news sites like Digg or Reddit, and other sites that are centered on user interaction.

One of the brightest and biggest stars in the social media sky is Twitter, where users send out short messages to their “followers” describing anything from what’s on their minds to what’s for dinner. Messages, or Tweets, can be sent from a mobile phone or computer. Users can amass hundreds, even thousands, of followers who receive the users’ tweets on their respective phones or computers. Followers can respond back to the user with their comments or questions, thereby opening up an exchange or dialog on the subject at hand.

Maybe you view Twitter as a passing fad for the self-involved, or perhaps it seems too “tech-y” and confusing to get your head around. Whatever your issue is, it’s time to get over it. Twitter is a direct means of engaging with your clients or customers, and a way to get your name, information about your services, and your philosophies or thoughts out to potential and existing clients.

SEO expert P.J. Fusco, in her article Twitter 101: Tweetable SEO, lays out the importance of Twitter as part of a strong SEO marketing plan: “Twitter is about people, participation, and persuasion. Grasp this one concept and you’ll be able to surpass your online rivals to lead your niche in online marketing, brand buzz, and reputation management.” Set up a Twitter account today and you can be one of those who’s one step ahead of the competition.

Taking baby steps is OK. Your first step: sign up for an account. Go to Twitter and click the “Get Started – Join” button. Choose a user name (14 characters or less) that is easy to spell and remember. If your firm name is The Law Office of Caleb Kershner, a good username for your firm account could be ckershnerlaw.

Now enter something about yourself in the profile settings. Upload a photo, your company or firm logo, and a link to your website. In the “Bio” field include information of use to potential and existing clients, limited to 160 characters, and (like with your other SEO practices) include primary keyword phrases that would attract your targeted users and the search engines. If you focus your practice on criminal law, your description could read “I’m Caleb Kershner, criminal lawyer in Leesburg, VA and formerly a prosecuting attorney for Loudoun County. I handle DUI, traffic violations, and felony cases.”

Next, tweet something. Start with information about yourself, your practice, or a useful tip on an aspect of law. Post around 10 tweets over the course of a day or so that give potential followers an idea of what to expect from you. Use keywords within the posts to attract followers that could be searching on those terms.

Now that your account is set up and you’ve tweeted (congratulations!), you’re ready to search for people to follow. That will be our next topic. For now, set up a reminder in Outlook or on your mobile to tweet something at least once a day, so that you’ll get in the habit of tweeting. Keep your tweets informative and ask questions. Soon you’ll have followers who may answer back, opening up a dialog and maybe resulting in a business lead or client.