By Ian M. Bardorf LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) was launched in 2003 and is now the leading professional network on the Internet. LinkedIn is reportedly growing by roughly one million new members every week — more than one member each second. Unlike other social networks like Facebook or MySpace, LinkedIn members are professionals, primarily in the service, […]
Bardorf Legal Marketing
Question – I’ve been a LinkedIn member for a while. What new LinkedIn apps should I use?
LinkedIn offers a number of applications (apps) for members to connect with other members and promote their expertise. Four that I think are especially valuable for attorneys are: Events The Events application adds a box to your profile that shows what events people in your network are attending. This helps you find events based on […]
Legal Search Marketing – Four Common SEO Myths
By Ian M. Bardorf Do you Google? More and more people do. In fact, search engine use around the world is growing. Last year there were more than 131 billion searches worldwide, representing a 46-percent increase over the previous year according to comScore, a leading digital marketing intelligence provider. This number represents more than 4 […]
Question – I’ve had success networking at local events. Do I need to use Google too?
Most attorneys are fantastic natural networkers, connecting with current clients and prospects through colleagues, peers in other professions, trade and bar associations, and networking events. They know it’s a necessary part of generating leads and growing their practice. Only a few attorneys have chosen to use this ability to attract and retain clients via the […]
Legal Search Marketing – Building an Online Social Network
By Ian M. Bardorf Most attorneys are fantastic natural networkers, connecting with current clients and prospects through colleagues, peers in other professions, trade and bar associations, and networking events. They know it’s a necessary part of generating leads and growing their practice. Only a few attorneys have chosen to use this ability to attract and […]
Question – I’m getting a lot of spam email. How can I tell which ones are real?
Our email inboxes fill up quickly these days, often with unwanted junk mail, solicitations, ads and special offers. Although most email providers are working diligently to filter out this spam, some get through and it’s not always easy to identify a legitimate inquiry. Attorneys are especially prone to receiving this type of email. Many of […]
Legal Search Marketing – Local Search: Four Tips for Google Places
By Ian M. Bardorf Google Places is an online directory of businesses around the world. Having a current listing in this directory is essential for all types of businesses, but is especially important for attorneys and small law firms. Why? Because most people seeking legal assistance start their search on Google by entering their location […]
Question – Should I reduce my advertising with the Yellow Pages?
We all grew up with the familiar yellow book. Now there are many variations on the original and it’s still on the shelf in my house. But when was the last time you opened it up to look for something – a vendor, restaurant, or service? If you’re like most people, you haven’t done that […]
Legal Search Marketing – Video is an effective marketing resource for attorneys
Lets face it, hiring an attorney can be an intimidating task and when coupled with an often-stressful legal issue at hand, many prospects settle for the “friend of a friend” route, then find the best attorney for their needs and budget. Video helps erase the intimidation factor that surrounds the process of contacting and hiring […]
Legal Search Marketing – The value of your search rankings
By Ian M. Bardorf Generally speaking, people who are in business are not inclined to give their company’s strategic assets away to the competition. However, many attorneys and law firms do exactly this and they don’t even realize it! When it comes to online marketing, what many attorneys fail to realize is the actual value […]
Legal Search Marketing – Claims of 1st Page Google Rank
By Ian M. Bardorf Many attorneys are looking for effective ways to market their legal services on the Internet. Done properly, Internet marketing is undoubtedly one of the most cost effective and productive ways of growing your firm. However, attorneys suffer from the relentless bombardment of inbound solicitations that claim will change their business, and […]
Question: Why doesn’t my ad show first when I increase my budget?
The days of simply spending more money to buy a top placement in Google’s sponsored ads section (not the natural listings) is long gone. Yet, there still remains a misconception among many that if you simply increase the amount you’re willing to spend on a keyword, you can buy top placement. Not true. Google changed […]
Legal Search Marketing – 2010 Best Practices for Lawyers and Law Firms
Competition among lawyers, especially in today’s business environment, is as fierce as ever. As a sole practitioner or small law firm, every little advantage that you can create against competitors is going to benefit you. Many attorneys put themselves at a distinct disadvantage without even realizing it. For those attorneys who are not Internet savvy, […]
Question: How do I get the best rankings on Google?
Well, you’ve got to love the enthusiasm surrounding this question. I’ll assume your asking about getting great rankings in the organic search listings as opposed to the Sponsored Listings or the local business listings which comes at the top of the search engine page when someone search with a geographic reference, like “Boston, MA divorce […]
Search Marketing Tip – Building links for law firms
If your law firm sponsors an event make sure you ask the host to add a link to your website from the online description of the event. Here’s why. Many times an event coordinator will ask an attorney to speak at an upcoming event on an area of their specialty or focus. In their own […]
Legal Search Marketing Newsletter
You will find a lot of helpful information and tips regarding Internet marketing for attorneys in our newsletters. We’ve provided an archive of past editions as a resource. We encourage your to subscribe to our Legal Search Marketing Newsletter and get the information you need to effectively market your firm on the web. Past feature […]
Question: Isn’t SEO just adding keywords
Isn’t “optimizing” a website just the task of adding lots of targeted keywords? Although adding appropriate keywords to any web page is a critical step in properly optimizing a site, it is just one task from various interdependent actions and processes required to effectively optimize any site. Perhaps the most important factor regarding the “process” […]
Legal Search Marketing – Internet Marketing for Attorneys
The practice of search marketing has significantly progressed over the past few years and businesses from Fortune 100s to the two attorney law firm in South Boston, are reaping the benefits. However, still most businesses fail to embrace what is arguably the most cost effective means of marketing and advertising their services by continuing to […]
Search Marketing Tip – Check if your site is indexed
A quick and easy way to determine if your website has been indexed or is even being recognized by the search engines is to do a simple search engine index check. Here’s how: To determine how many of your web pages the search engines have discovered and indexed use the following techniques. If your website […]
Excuse me Twitter, can you hear us?
Twitter is getting a good ol finger wagging, browbeating, reprimand from its users. Why you ask? Well, its simple. And its kind of complex too. The short of it is that Twitter has decided to remove a feature that allows users to “Reply” to all users who are part of the conversation, whether they follow […]