As a web publisher, lawyer and law firm marketer, you should learn about the difference between publisher and author tags for Google search results and Google+ business pages. This can have an impact on your firm’s web business and visibility.

What are publisher and author tags?

When you publish an article on your website and you want to make use of the social power held by your or your company’s Google+ page, you should include a link to your G+ page tagged either with the rel=author tag or the rel=publisher tag, depending on what aim you want to achieve.

The author tag adds your personal Google+ page’s influence, measured by number of friends, posts, shared links, and overall content creation and social connection through the social media network, to the algorithm that calculates search results.

The publisher tag adds your business’ Google+ page’s influence to that algorithm. However, it has a broader reach than the author tag. While author tags only affect the articles on which they are placed, publisher tags affect an entire business’s website, raising its value in the search rankings.

This is especially noticeable when competing with rivals. For instance, among divorce law firms in Buffalo NY, firms with a robust Google+ page and rel=publisher or rel=author link tags throughout their websites will find that they get significantly more visitors than firms that are less tech-savvy get.

The implications for Google search

Google is quietly trying to take market share from Facebook, which is seen by many firms as the de facto social network for reaching a broad market while Google is still seen as the de facto search engine. By tying search results to a firm’s Google+ prowess, it will convince many firms to up their engagement with the search giant’s social offering, make a business page, and build content and relationships.

If you want to make the most of the coming era of social search, you not only have to use publisher and author tags; you also have to have a strong presence on Google+.

Want to get your blog posts noticed online? Make sure you think about SEO best practices as you write.

For those lawyers who didn’t get enough of our tips in Best Practices for Blog Posts in 2013, here are a few more suggestions to put your blog ahead of the competition.

While our previous post focused on making blog posts attractive and readable, this one has our top three tips for how to help you get your posts noticed in the first place. You can use these content and HTML techniques to help your blog rank better on search engine results pages:

• Create interesting titles.
• Don’t overuse or geo-target internal links.
• Align meta tags and categories to create coherent themes within your blog.

Blogging is all about getting your name out there to people searching for relevant keywords. As a West Virginia auto accident attorney, you need to show that your brand is computer-savvy and readable. These tips will help your blog stand out from the rest.

Interesting titles

An interesting title is one that a viewer, when they see it in the search listings, wants to click on. Think about when you search for the answer to a query on Google. What sorts of listings draw your eye? What makes you intrigued and want to click? Learn how to write interesting titles by following your favorite legal blogs. Try different techniques if you’re still learning, then use analytic tools to see which of your blog posts get the most interest.

Avoiding overuse of internal links

While a few internal links to other articles on your website help to create cohesion, avoid using more than one or two per blog post. Too many internal links may be penalized by search engine algorithms, especially if you hyperlink geo-targeted phrases. Internal linking is a good idea in small quantities, but too many links may appear desperate to search engine crawlers and result in a drop in your rankings.

Creating blog cohesion with meta tags

By making use of the categories or meta tag features on your firm’s blog, you can help potential clients find other posts on similar topics. Readers often want to look at your blog posts related to their specific legal field to see if a.) you have anything helpful for them and b.) you seem like a trustworthy legal voice. By remembering to use meta tags and categories, you will expedite this process for clients, and they will be more likely to use your services.

Try out these best blog practices and let us know how they work out for you!

Remember when all a writer needed to do was send an article to a paper? Now “authorship” on the Internet is a key aspect of getting content seen.

One of the big ideas being discussed and implemented in the world of search engines is the notion of authorship. Specifically, how can authors be rewarded for their experience and knowledge through the search algorithms? The notion comes as Google and Bing are in a race to provide the most useful results. Since people find that they get more value out of trustworthy documents, search engines can provide this all-important sense of trust by attaching search results to authors.

While Google was the first to start talking about authorship, Bing has taken it on in a very big way. Some analysts predict that its implementation of authorship is more robust and bolder than that of the big G. That said, at this stage in the game, it is still difficult to tell.

How authorship on Bing works

When a registered author writes an article that appears in a search result, users can mouse over that result to pull up a sidebar detailing that author’s other works. Known as the “Social sidebar,” this can help writers get more viewers for their Web content.

In order to be listed as registered authors, content providers must have an established presence in their field, regularly update their websites and stay current with what’s going on in the world. For instance, debt defense lawyers in Houston should update their site and social media channels with news related to debt cases in and around their area. However, those who wish to be authors must register with Bing; there is not yet an automated process for author approval.

Impact on law firm marketing

Your firm may receive an additional boost from Bing’s search algorithms if you register to be an author with a focus on your practice areas. However, because the authorship models are still rather young, it may be too early to tell exactly what impact it will have. Search is becoming more and more social, and most analysts predict that this trend will continue. By jumping on the social and authorship bandwagon now, you might be able to get a leg up on the competition.

Developing your content marketing strategy will involve many steps.

A content marketing campaign can be a catalyst for growing your firm and building a solid reputation. Before jumping in head first, it’s smart to develop the right strategy and plan it out step by step. To get started, you should:

• Determine what you want to achieve: Having clearly defined goals is crucial, so take some time to brainstorm. An Alpharetta domestic violence attorney might want to acquire new leads, build their client list and network with other attorneys. Knowing what your goals are will dictate the direction you take in your campaign.
• Identify your audience: Knowing your audience is equally important because one strategy may work well for one demographic but have limited impact with another. In the case of the aforementioned attorney, their audience would be domestic violence victims or individuals who suspect someone they know is being abused.
• Select resources: There are numerous resources you can use for content marketing purposes. Some common ones include a blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube. You should decide which resources are most suitable for reaching your target audience and most worth your time. However, it’s important you keep in mind that it’s easy to spread yourself too thin and trying to do too much can be counterproductive. That’s why you should focus on specific distribution methods.
• Find a community manager: Although you may have multiple people contributing to your content marketing strategy, it’s smart to have a community manager oversee everything. Your community manager will be responsible for maintaining a certain posting frequency, responding to comments, community engagement and more.
• Define your metrics: Finally, you will need to implement some form of metrics to track your campaign. Tracking metrics could involve using a platform like Google Analytics, looking at social shares or the number of comments you receive. Staying updated on this data should help optimize your campaign in the long run.

Want to improve your blog’s performance? Try following these visual tips.

Lawyers, are you looking for tips to get your blog noticed in 2013? Look no further; these best practices will draw visitors and get them to stay, bookmark your page and hopefully come to your firm for legal representation.

Writing a successful blog in 2013 is all about making the content interesting and easily digestible. There are millions of blogs to read, so you want to make sure that yours doesn’t turn viewers off from a visual perspective — if a post looks too long, many consumers will simply navigate away from it. The best practices include:

• Writing short paragraphs with subheadings
• Using images
• Writing short posts

Pithy is in these days when it comes to blog content, so organize your thoughts and get them on the page quickly. If you need to expand on a topic, just write another post!

Short paragraphs and subheadings

On the Internet, people often scan blog posts before actually reading them. You need to consider your post’s overall composition, rather than simply thinking of it as a linear block of text. Indeed, blocks of text are often seen as incomprehensible and skipped over in favor of a well-organized piece. Informative sub-headings are useful for viewers to understand the gist of each blog. If they like what your subheadings have to say, they’ll read your posts.

Using images

Include at least one image in each blog post to break up the text. This image could be as simple as an evocative close-up, such as a line of police tape for criminal defense attorneys or a stock photo of a hospital operating room for medical malpractice lawyers in Chicago. You could also go the other direction and use a complex infographic to explain your position.

Either way, viewers want something that breaks up the text, so they can get an additional level of nonverbal understanding from your blog. All the image has to say is “this is about criminal law” or “this is about corporate fraud,” but more creative images often provide better page view results.

Short posts

In today’s blogging world, short is usually the best way to go. If you want your posts to be read by all, make them fit within a 300- to 600-word limit. Any shorter, and it feels unprofessional or poorly planned, but any longer, and it might turn off your audience.

As an attorney, don’t fall behind your competitors’ blog traffic. Use the best practices, write interesting articles, and you’re sure to get plenty of Web visitors and client conversions.

You want to use the best content when marketing your law firm, but how do you decide what that is?

Once you’ve implemented all the design, coding and other SEO elements to optimize your firm’s site for online marketing, the hardest job is to continue producing content. Not just any content will do — you need to have quality content if you want to acquire a following and achieve success on the Web.

What makes quality content?

There are several different elements to quality content. While writing is still more of an art than a science, there are certain aspects that consistently draw in viewers and potential clients. Whether you’re an intestate administration attorney in Phoenix or a bankruptcy attorney in Brooklyn, you should make sure your content:

• Is user oriented — Quality content solves problems that customers have. It is designed to answer questions or make life easier for someone reading it. Your firm must learn the sort of information potential clients want to know and then structure its content creation strategy accordingly.
• Has good structure — Structuring content appropriately is a good way to draw people in. By beginning with broad topics and narrowing down to supporting details in your content, you create a sort of funnel for potential clients to connect with your firm’s experience.
• Has a point — A user needs to know why they are spending time reading your blog post within the first couple sentences. This point might be to get viewers to contact you for a consultation, sign up for a newsletter or some other business purpose. Don’t fall into the trap of producing content simply for entertainment value; while you might get some fans, they may not take you or your firm’s business seriously.
• Is shareable — Quality content is relevant, timely work that is shareable on social media. Make sure that your content can be included in social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Include at least one picture with the text for rich media sharing.

Quality content is the core of any successful online marketing strategy. Everything else is just details. If you want your firm to draw plenty of business, make sure you’ve got your core online marketing practices set!

Writing a column on your blog can encourage readers to return for future installments.

If you’re looking for a way to connect with your blog’s visitors and build some buzz around your firm, creating a column is a great idea. This can be written by an individual or a team and is designed to give readers a somewhat personal point of view. While there are plenty of reasons to create a column, we’ll focus on a few for now and provide some ideas for getting started!

The benefits of running a column

Perhaps the biggest reason to start a column is the following you can expect to build. When you consistently publish a column, you can grab the attention of your audience and establish rapport with them. Providing interesting insights and entertaining your audience can lead to increased traffic and exposure, which can have an accumulative effect where readership continually grows.

It’s also perfect for building authority. If your column’s content is genuinely helpful and provides value, your firm will be viewed as being credible in the eyes of your audience. Credibility often means more leads and more clients.

Coming up with ideas

Typically, you will want to concentrate on the areas of law that your firm focuses in. Fayetteville, AR SSD attorneys might create content concerning the various aspects of social security disability including laws, claims and appeals. While it’s okay to incorporate different insights, you should stick with a central theme to keep your audience on track.

Educating your readers is a key aspect of a column, so providing “how to” information and tangible examples from previous cases can be helpful. Addressing the needs of your audience while being entertaining can hasten the building of your following. It’s also smart to answer questions from your readers because this includes them in the conversation and can help you establish trust. Just be sure to adhere to a consistent posting schedule so that readers will know when to check your site.

Want to make the most out of your marketing materials? Try repurposing your content.

One marketing technique that many law firms are getting into is repurposing content. Unlike re-posting, which involves posting existing material on a new website, repurposing content puts a new spin on it by placing content on a different format. Not sure if this would work for you? Here are the top three reasons to give repurposing content a whirl.

#1: You’ll reach more of your demographic.

Perhaps the biggest reason to repurpose content is the fact that doing so gives you the ability to get content in different forms in front of more of your target audience. While Maui accident attorneys may have a successful blog, not everyone enjoys reading text-based content. By repurposing an original blog post into a slideshow, podcast or video, they could appeal to considerably more people. Consequently, it could help their firm gain additional exposure and generate more leads.

#2: You’ll save time.

Another advantage is the convenience associated with this strategy. As anyone who runs a blog knows, maintaining fresh content can be arduous and time consuming. Rather than creating something brand new for every post, repurposing content gives you the opportunity to expand upon topics you may have previously touched upon. This means you can extract the same core message from material on one platform, tweak it and use it on a different platform. It lets lawyers consistently provide valuable information to their audience without having to work around the clock.

#3: You’ll build brand equity.

Besides this, it’s a perfect way to brand your law firm. While you may have limited impact by simply running a blog, repurposing content can spread your marketing materials out across multiple mediums. This is important because potential clients have different preferences in terms of favorite websites, social media platforms and types of content. Regardless of where they go online, you can establish a presence. Over time, you can achieve a unique identity and build a sense of trust within the legal community.