Many attorneys want to rank well for keywords related to their practice area(s).
However, basic keyword searches aren’t necessarily a good reflection of searches that people conduct. But because there is a belief that most potential clients search this way, there is a lot of competition and expense surrounding these terms.
This often causes attorneys to focus on ranking well for these basic searches, which creates missed opportunities with potential clients who are not searching this way.
Focusing on the most sought-after keywords is usually an inefficient strategy for attorneys who want to attract new business to their law firm’s website. When attorneys change their focus to creating content around longtail searches, they can drive new business to their firms with much less effort.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the benefits of focusing on “longtail” searches and how LawLytics simplifies content creation for attorneys.
What is the longtail for lawyer websites?
In business, the long tail refers to a strategy that helps companies make significant profits by selling small quantities of hard-to-find items. Amazon is a prime example of a company that has harnessed the power of the longtail search.
As it relates to your law firm’s website, focusing on the longtail (and developing content around longtail searches) helps attorneys increase their profits by attracting potential clients who are conducting obscure or complex searches.
It’s the difference between a search for “Personal Injury Attorney Colorado” and “What do I do if I was hit and injured by an uninsured driver in Denver?”
The longtail involves keywords or key phrases that create highly specific searches. It’s common for people conduct searches like this, and these searches are a good reflection of how your potential clients use search engines to find attorneys.
As noted earlier, the assumption that potential clients find representation by conducting basic keyword searches (i.e., “Divorce attorney” or “Personal Injury Attorney Colorado”), means that attorneys are missing numerous opportunities to capture business when potential clients make obscure or complex “longtail” searches instead.
How does the longtail apply to law firms?
Potential clients in the research phase of their case or matter will conduct online research to learn about the elements of their problem. And, instead of searching for basic keywords, they may ask complex questions of Google as they do research.
When you focus your content around answering these longtail questions, you’re more likely to get qualified website traffic that converts at a higher rate. This is because the intent of a longtail search is much more specific than a vague, basic keyword search.
A search for “DUI Attorney Florida” doesn’t tell you much about the intent of the search.
Is someone looking for a DUI attorney? Is someone looking for a list of DUI attorneys? Is a marketer looking for DUI attorneys in Florida to call and sell marketing services to? Is the search being conducted by an attorney who wants to see how well they rank for the term “DUI Attorney Florida”?
There are many reasons that somebody could make a search like this.
However, consider a much more specific search for: “Will I lose custody if I was arrested for a DUI in Tallahassee and my children were in the backseat?”
At least one intent of this question is clear: This is somebody looking for an answer to a specific question about a specific incident in a specific location. The subtext could be that this is a potential client looking for an attorney. If your content matches queries like this one, your pages are more likely to be a good fit for someone conducting such a query.
Once they visit your site, the content you develop around these longtail queries helps to build trust and forge a relationship that causes the potential client to contact your law firm.
What are some examples of longtail searches and content?
Here are some examples of basic keyword searches versus longtail keyword searches for several practice areas:
DUI Defense
Basic Keyword Examples: DUI Attorney Georgia, Top DUI Lawyer Atlanta
Longtail Examples: “How do I protect my rights in a DUI traffic stop in Atlanta?” “Can a second DUI affect the outcome of a pending case in Georgia?”
Criminal Defense
Basic Keyword Examples: California Criminal Lawyer, Criminal Defense Lawyers Los Angeles
Longtail Examples: “What is the punishment for petty theft in LA?” “How much time can someone get for attempted murder in California?”
Personal Injury
Basic Keyword Examples: Personal Injury Attorney, San Antonio Auto Wreck Lawyer
Longtail Examples: “How much money can you get for a lawsuit if your call is totaled by a UPS driver in Texas?” “Who is responsible if you are hit by a self-driving car in California?”
LawLytics makes longtail content creation for law firms simple.
LawLytics is built exclusively for law firms and requires no tech experience, so attorneys don’t struggle or miss opportunities. It focuses your firm’s marketing on what works and helps you avoid costly mistakes, so you can get sustainable results.
We help you develop a content strategy to meet your firm’s goals efficiently. The result is your law firm’s website becoming a sustainable money-making asset that predictably produces the business you want.
To learn more about using LawLytics for your law firm, schedule a free demo with us.
