Do Google AdWords Work for Law Firm Marketing?

By Gina Rubel

We were asked recently about the efficacy of Google AdWords campaigns in marketing law firms, specifically to other businesses.

AdWords is Google’s paid advertising platform which can help drive traffic to your website. It takes advantage of Google searches, which people perform each day, and serves up advertisements for related products on the top and right hand side of the search results pages. It is called Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, a name which speaks for itself.



Running an AdWords campaign may or may not work for your law firm marketing efforts. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. This form of paid advertising has both advantages and disadvantages; it’s more complicated than just telling Google that you want an ad to appear, since more than 1 billion searches are conducted on the site daily.

It is also important to understand that there are various types of AdWords campaigns. For example, a “Search Network – Standard” targets your ads to high-potential customers searching for your services but does not allow for use of AdWords’ advance settings. More specific details about the features available for each campaign type are available on Google’s AdWords > Help > Setup and basics page.


Advantages of Google AdWords for Law Firm Marketing:

• AdWords ads give visibility to businesses whose sites are buried behind other companies’ pages on Google search results. This provides businesses with the opportunity to attract new customers.

• As with most Google products, AdWords is user-friendly and offers step-by-step instructions to create an advertisement with options tailored to your needs.

• The quick set up process and ability to set a maximum budget can be financially beneficial if the marketing budget is tight and the business does not have enough content (yet!) to appear on the first page of Google search results without paid help.

• Your advertisement has the potential to appear on thousands of other sites across the web, depending on how you set up visibility options. Remember that this may increase the expense of ads, but knowing your audience and anticipating how they conduct their web searches will allow a higher return on your investment.

• In a short amount of time, AdWords will help you identify the keyword phrases that are most effective for your firm, which can then be used in your organic search engine optimization efforts. No other keyword research tool compares with the data you will get from running an AdWords campaign.

Disadvantages of Google AdWords for Law Firm Marketing:

• Not all clicks are good clicks, so there is a chance of wasting money. For example, if you are a personal injury lawyer, a broad keyword search can rack up a hefty cost-per-click bill in a short amount of time.

• There are no competitors to Google AdWords; therefore, there is no other company with which to compare data. Google has a monopoly on this one.

• You have 70 characters to sell your business. This line would be it.

• Since AdWords is a money maker for Google, the company is interested in resolving issues. Still, Google is an enormous company, and customer support may be spotty; you may have to “google” for help instead of calling someone directly.

AdWords for Law Firms Considerations

Ask yourself what type of return you want to get from your investment. Determine how much money you would need to invest in AdWords to accomplish that return. Tailor your AdWords campaign to reach a very specific target audience (assuming that target audience is finding legal services through advertising and the web).

As far as its efficacy for B2B marketing, it depends on the purchaser of your services. For example, if your law firm handles government contracting, the likelihood of AdWords being advantageous to your business development efforts may be very slim. On the other hand, if you are a person injury, workers’ compensation, family law or criminal defense law firm, AdWords may prove valuable.

In any event, it may be more advantageous to launch an organic search engine optimization (SEO) campaign. Leveraging your law firm news, press releases and blog posts; creating content-rich videos that appeal to your target audience; engaging in media relations; building relationships; sharing valuable content via social media networks such as LinkedIn; and presenting online CLEs are just a few tactics we execute for our clients to boost their visibility in online search.

Remember, it is the organic, well-placed, relevant content that will remain on the Internet long after an AdWords campaign has ended.

Organic SEO - Web Tips

Our in-house SEO expert Laura Powers shares with readers the top three rules for creating successful websites:

1. Easy-to-use navigation
2. Regular updates
3. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Navigation
No one wants to have to dig for information on your website. Make sure you have a site map that makes sense and points to the right categories. If you have a larger site, design a site map so that users can access pages more easily.

Content
Keep your pages fresh with new content. You will increase your website traffic and your site will show up with higher ranking on search engines like Google. Here are some examples of ways to add new content to your site:

• Press releases
• Blog entries
• Articles
• E-newsletter blasts
• Online shopping products

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engines like Yahoo, Google and MSN work like directories for the Internet. They crawl pages for relevant content according to the “key words” users input to find information. To make sure you show up on the pages, you need to look at a few things:

Organic options

• Keywords & Metatags: Make sure your website html has keywords and metatags relating to users’ potential searches
• Online Directories: Make sure you are listed in all free online directories like Google
• Blogs: If the content is updated regularly you will rank higher in search engines
• Press Releases: Similar to a blog, this will also keep you ranked higher in search engines

Paid options

• Google Adsense: Allows companies to purchase ads that appear on certain section of Web page when keywords are used
• Pay-per-click: Targets consumers in same industry as yours with ads on all sorts of high-traffic Web sites

SEO Optimization How to Guide: Show Up Higher in Google Searches and Find Your Niche on the Internet

Posted by Katie Noonan

Search Engine Optimization is a commonly misunderstood, but extremely important, public relations and marketing tool in the Web 2.0 age. Here is just one of many possible tactics you can employ to boost your SEO organically.

When designing your Web site it is important to be as specific as possible. Determine how you want your business to be known to potential customers. Finding your industry niche is essential in a practical sense, but also terms of building a strong Web site that will show up on page one or two of Google searches that will actually result in business.

An easy way to determine how much your Web site is currently working for you is to track page visits. If visitors who view your page through search engine searches are spending a significant amount of time on your page –ideally more than five minutes, it means that your meta data and keywords are working for you. However, if the average visitor spends under five minutes on your site, chances are your keywords (that translate into Google search terms) aren’t describing your business or your Web site accurately enough.

When it comes to SEO, specificity and simplicity are key.

Specificity

Because we work with so many law firms I will use a legal example.

A firm may identify the search term "Philadelphia law firm" as one they would want their Web site to rank fairly high on, but that search term garners 1,960,000 results. So, the likelihood of that page being buried in amongst the almost two million hits for that term is all but guaranteed. Unless the page is well-established, has a number of quality links and sites linking back, and more than likely, only if it has been professionally search engine optimized, will it land on the first few pages of this search.

But if the firm was to be more specific with their keywords and focus on a specific practice area for which the firm is known, like, “Philadelphia personal injury law firm” it would reduce the amount of search results to about 299,000. So just by specifying a kind of legal practice area, it will significantly reduce the number of pages that result, and thus increase the chances of appearing higher in the search. Basically, the fewer the pages, the higher the likelihood that a firm's site will appear on or close to page 1 or search results (granted that firm employs other SEO tactics as well).

Simplicity

But this raises the issue of simplicity. How often does the average person without a legal degree search “personal injury?” More than likely, they would search something more basic, like a type of personal injury i.e. “Philadelphia law firm” and "car accident." That result yields 263,000 hits. Granted it's only about 30,000 fewer results, but those types of keywords are ones that will really pay off in terms of driving traffic to your site, and more importantly, they will drive the right traffic to your site- people who are actually seeking the firm's specific services or legal practice areas. Not surprisingly, all the law firms who appear on page 1 of the search term above, are ones that have employed SEO tactics.

The lesson is, determining the specific offering for which you want your company to be known is essential to appearing higher in Google results, and simplicity, in terms of the keywords you use to define your site (especially in industries which are jargon heavy like the medical and legal industries) will drive valuable visitors to your page.

A PRLawyer tip: Use Google Keyword to determine the most relavant and highly searched keywords that relate to your Web site. If your site is content managed, add the most popular search terms to your Web site's meta data (if they make sense with your site's content).

Again, this is just one tip for boosting SEO, of the many out there. For those who find SEO confusing, there are tons of webinars and online courses that will provide you with the basics of SEO. It's a time investment at the outset, but worth it in terms of the potential business that can result.

Skittles Social Media Campaign Gone Awry

Posted by Katie Noonan



While some are heralding Skittles' new social media campaign as groundbreaking, innovative and even "amazing," according to eConsultancy.com blogger Chris Lake, the campaign leaves the company vulnerable to one of the biggest PR concerns in the Web 2.0 age: a loss of control over their message.


I do believe their new campaign is innovative and bold. Visit http://www.skittles.com/ and you'll be asked to enter your birthdate to proceed to their new Web site. One quickly sees why Skittles would require this information. The background of their site is search results showing all tweets about Skittles on Twitter. Herein lies the problem. Third parties become the vehicle for distributing Skittles' message. Some have seized the opportunity to plug their own blogs, comment on the social media phenomena, or simply spam the page with vulgar or irrelevant tweets. Very few individuals have engaged in conversation about the product, and no one is saying "Skittles are yummy, go buy a pack today."


The social media campaign has certainly started a conversation on the Internet, so if that was their ultimate goal, then they succeeded. However, if their goal was to convert this conversation to increased sales, I think they may have missed the mark. A large part of candy sales are driven by kids asking their parents to buy them a pack at the movies or in the grocery store, but that demographic is not on Twitter, nor are they old enough to visit other social media sites like Facebook and Flickr (sites to which the new Skittles' site also links).


The whole thing leaves me scratching my head. Are they trying to break into a new demographic? Boost sales among the 18-24 set, or professionals who have recently embraced social media sites like Facebook and Twitter? Garner attention and increase chatter on the Web about their product?


The campaign is bold and provactive, but that it will convert to an increase in sales remains unseen, and their main objective behind launching the campaign is even more of a question mark. While social media campaigns can and should be utilized in the Web 2.0 age, it's imperative that companies maintain ultimate control over their message. Otherwise the brand gets muddled and leaves consumers like me scratching my head, but not necessarily running out to buy a pack.


If Skittles had provided a tab on their Web site to link to Twitter, Facebook and Flickr, they would have gotten the best of both worlds- the opportunity to branch into a social media public relations while still maintaining control over their brand.

Searcher Friendly SEO

Posted by Katie Noonan

It's a novel idea. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is so heavily focused on pleasing the Google Gods, that we often forget to consider that our target audience is really the searcher not the search engine. Sure we want pages to appear higher in Google search results, but not at the cost of quality Web site content.

Gerry McCovern of Ragan reminds readers of just this in his blog "Avoid Search Engine Optimization Madness."

After all, a high rank in Google search results doesn't really do a lot of good if it's not driving the right traffic to your Web site, e.g., people who want to buy your product or who seek your services.

There are other ways to build a quality (highly search engine optimized) page beside including a million links to Britney Spears, an example McGovern provides.

To boost your Google ranking and reach your target audience consider building Web sites that:

• are content rich
• are frequently updated
• incorporate keywords that make sense and accurately describe your site
• include quality links and link backs from reputable sites

SEO is an exciting and increasingly critical part of what we do at Furia Rubel. As newspapers continue to close their doors, the Internet is becoming the best vehicle for disseminating your message. As PR practitioners, we have had to be on the forefront of this shift. The strategy behind SEO is challenging but interesting stuff. Most importantly, it has to make sense and effectively reach your audience.

What Every Lawyer Should Know about Legal Blogging

Posted by Katie Noonan

Law.com’s Law Technology News offers good advice for lawyers considering starting their own legal blog. While blogging can be an excellent form of marketing and enable you to carve a niche for yourself as an expert in a specific legal area, C.C. Holland, author of How to Build a Better Law Blog encourages lawyers to consider a few things before starting a legal blog:

1. Only blog if you are passionate. If you’re not passionate, readers can tell. In my opinion, the best blogs are written in a way that conveys the writer’s passion for the topic and allows his or her true voice to show through. The most successful bloggers find a way to make their blogs an open dialogue that fellow experts and their readers want to engage in. 
2. Know your audience. Holland makes an excellent point.  If you know who’s reading your blog it will help you determine the issues on which you should focus, and the way you write. If your readership includes non-lawyers, avoid using a ton of legal jargon that the average person wouldn’t know. 
3. If you’re going to blog, really commit. Holland urges lawyers to start slow, but commit to maintaining an active blog with frequent updates. Not only will updating frequently help you to appear higher in Google search results, people will also start visiting daily to read what you have to say. If your ultimate goal is to make yourself an expert in the legal field, or garner a little organic public relations, it’s essential to keep your blog current and relevant to the field and your readers.

Check out C.C. Holland's blog post for more on building a successful legal blog.

PR Lawyer Pet Peeve #3 -- Wo_Men in Black

Posted by Gina Rubel

Now that the holidays are upon us, so too are the end-of-year awards dinners and social gatherings. I’ve already attended four events and when I looked around, it was a sea of black. So many people dressed similarly. For men, it’s the black suit, white shirt and red tie. Women - it’s the black dress or suit, black bag and black shoes.

If you really want to stand out in a crowd be different.

Men: you don’t always have to wear a black or navy suit. Instead of the standard red holiday tie, try a color that compliments your skin tone, hair color or eyes. I know this suggestion may make some of you nervous, but accentuating your best features is not a practice that should be limited to women. People will remember a bold-colored (make sure it’s tasteful) tie or a sharp suit and as a result, will remember you. Just think of it as a smart business development strategy.

Women: I’m as much of a fan of the little black dress as you -- every woman should have one in her wardrobe, but why not accentuate it with a unique broach or colorful scarf? A piece of “flair” will make you memorable while still allowing you to wear something in which you feel comfortable. Add a fashionable, bold-colored purse or wear shoes that make a statement.

Just remember, if you’re there to network you want to be memorable, not blend in with the “black sea” of people.

If you’re still not sure what to wear after reading this blog, contact Megan Kristel of Kristel Closets (http://www.kristelclosets.com/) – she’ll get you and your wardrobe into shape – I promise.

Getting Middle Schoolers to Exercise - A Great PR Program

Joel Shpigel, owner of Focus Express Mail Pharmacy, in Horsham, PA, is featured in Diabetes Health for a community outreach and education public relations program they spearheaded called Peds for Prevention. This is a great example of how to raise awareness about a company while giving back to the community and making a difference.

read more | digg story

Tip from Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers

Today we are featuring the last tip from Chapter 8 in Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers. This tip highlights what to keep in mind when sending photographs along with press releases to the media.

Tip Five: Tips for Sending Digital Photographs
Most publications require 300 dpi, 5 x 7 digital photographs. Make sure to use a universal format like JPEG or TIF.
Title the photo in its digital format. Do not have it saved as “DVR_0001” or whatever format your camera saves in when downloading to your computer.
Use the name of your company, event or the person pictured to save the photo.
Make sure before you e-mail it that the editor or reporter accepts attachments, as many SPAM filters and antivirus programs reject attachments.

For more important tips on media relations, read Chapter 8 in Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers. To purchase the book, please click here.

Excerpt from Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers, Copyright 2007. Furia Rubel Communications, Inc.

Gina Rubel to Keynote at Network Now One Year Anniversary Celebration

On Friday, September 26th, at 6:30 p.m., our very own Gina Rubel will be serving as keynote speaker for Network Now’s One Year Anniversary Celebration. Network Now is a women’s entrepreneur networking organization located in Bucks County, Pa. The anniversary celebration will take place on the patio of Procerus MedSpa, 430 Union Square Drive, New Hope, Pa. Catering will be provided by Hetu' Fine Food. Wine will also be served. The event is open only to members, advisors and partners of Network Now. For more information on Network Now and its upcoming events, click here.

The PR Lawyer Blog Available Via Email

We hope you're enjoying the new look of The PR Lawyer Blog. It is our goal to provide solid information on trends and issues facing lawyers and legal communicators alike. Along with the new look comes some added features.

In the next few weeks, my book, Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers, will be available for purchase via the blog.

And for all of you who find your way here but don't have RSS feed, you can now subscribe via e-mail. Just scroll down on the right and enter your e-mail address.

If there are any other features you'd like to see added, just let us know.

Google Ranking Factors and The Organic PR Approach

Google Ranking Factors and The Organic Public Relations Approach

The average business person doesn't usually look at their "Google Ranking" as way to track their online success. In the Online Marketing Blog, Lee Odden tells us that there's a new study and he provides a concise lists of what’s important to rank well in the search engines. This is a must read.

What most marketers won't tell you is that you can also achieve positive search engine optimization without spending a ton of money. This is done through solid organic public relations efforts that take SEO practices into account. So, make sure you follow Lee Odden's advice when you post news on your website, when you add photos to your flickr account, when you add a slide show to your slide account and so on.

Opinion Editorials

I had an article published in the Inquirer’s online newsletter on 3/28/07 that my blog readers would enjoy. It provides the details about Opinion Editorials and using them to gain publicity for your business. You can find the article at http://www.philly.com/philly/phillywomen/Make_Your_Opinion_Count__.html.

I have also included the full text below:

Make Your Opinion Count:
Write an Op-Ed for Public Relations Visibility
By Gina F. Rubel

An op-ed (opinion-editorial) is a form of writing that is used to express a personal opinion. It is an under-utilized and extremely powerful way to publish your opinion and to demonstrate your depth of knowledge on a particular topic. In this way, you are positioned as a thought leader in your area of expertise. An op-ed is located in the opinion pages of a newspaper which is one of the sections most widely read.

The op-ed submissions that get published deal with a topic of current interest, often controversial in the local, regional or national media, and take a stand. It is your opinion, so make it stick. Since newspapers get countless submissions of op-ed letters, getting an op-ed published can sometimes be difficult. When writing an op-end column you should follow some basic guidelines to ensure that it gets published. Be opinionated. The more unique or controversial your opinion, the more likely the op-ed is to be published.

Write about one thing. If you cannot sum up your ideas in the headline then it’s probably not the best topic to choose for an op-ed column. Write in the active voice – it is easier to read.

Make a point that is unique. Prior to submitting your column research what the publication has recently published on your topic. You do not want to repeat what others previously said about the same topic.

Keep it around 700 words. Typically an op-ed column should consist of about 700 words although they can run longer depending on the outlet. Keep in mind that newspapers have limited space to offer, and most of the time, editors will not take the time to cut an article down to size. You can determine the exact parameters by obtaining the submission guidelines which are available in each publication and often on their Web sites.

Stay focused. Your op-ed needs to stay focused. Don’t derail the train by trying to provide too much back up or deal as if during opening statements. It’s the short, concise closing arguments that are the most memorable.

Be timely. If you are writing about an event in today’s news then you must submit your column in a timely fashion – either the same day or a couple days later. Op-ed’s deal with what’s happening today, so don’t get stuck commenting on yesterday’s news.

Connect locally. Use the local approach when writing for a newspaper within your circulation area. Tie your commentary to what’s happening locally and make sure you include your place of residence and why the issue matters to you. Many lobbyist and special interest groups write op-eds as part of their regular outreach strategy. Local papers are more likely to publish a column by a local author than a lobbyist.

There are also some tips to follow when submitting your op-ed.

Know your audience. It is important to choose the right publication for submission of your op-ed. Only submit your piece to one outlet. Ask yourself who’s reading the publication and why you want them to read what you have to say.

Define who cares. Explain why the publication’s readers will care. As with all form of public writings, it is important to make sure the audience is engaged and has a stake in your message. The “who cares” factor needs to be included in your op-ed to provide the answer to the question “why.”

Submit electronically. If possible submit your op-ed via e-mail. This will ensure that is it is received in a timely fashion. It is also helpful to use the online commentary submission forms after you’ve drafted your op-ed in using a word-processing tool, edited it and spell checked it. Offering your opinion through print outlets is a great way to get your name out there in your area of expertise.

Don’t be afraid to comment on what you believe in. You’ll be surprised at how many people tell you that they have read you commentary. Once published, don’t forget to order reprints from the publication to use in your business portfolio. The op-ed will then become a sales and business development tool. Make it last.

Gina F. Rubel, Esquire is President/CEO of Furia Rubel Communications. The company slogan is: Connecting clients to the publics that matter most. For more information, go to www.furiarubel.com.