A law firm blog can be an essential part of your law firm’s online marketing. Blog posts can seem intimidating if you’re beginning your law firm’s web presence, or you haven’t started using your website to publish blog posts.
Law firm blogging is easier to do when you understand:
- What makes a good blog post
- Where blog posts fit into the bigger picture of your online marketing
- When it makes sense to start blogging aggressively
In this post, we’ll show you how to start blogging on your law firm’s website.
What makes a good law firm blog post?
Useful law firm blog posts are more than just regurgitated news stories — however, a lot of times, that’s what we see published on law firm blogs.
While useful blog posts can capitalize on timely news stories, they generally must do more than repeat the facts of the story to be effective marketing tools.
One of the most critical elements of a good law firm blog post is the analysis you provide. Blog posts with robust analysis help you capture more readers, develop your brand, and establish you as a thought-leader.
You can also write blog posts about questions or topics that your potential clients frequently ask. For example, a DUI attorney might write a blog post about “How many points can I get on my license before it gets suspended?” In the post, this attorney might link back to their relevant pages on topics such as aggressive driving, license suspension, etc.
Blogging is also an excellent way to demonstrate that you are engaged with your web presence and your practice.
What is the difference between evergreen pages and blog posts on a law firm website?
Evergreen pages and blog posts are two different types of pages that appear on law firm websites — and it makes sense to approach them differently.
Evergreen pages include practice area pages and detailed law pages. When you craft evergreen pages with purpose, they can become places where potential clients find you in search results and learn about how you can help them with their problem. Evergreen pages are the backbone of your law firm’s website. The content of the practice area pages and detailed law pages is not likely to change often. They remain consistently relevant to your potential clients.
Blog posts are an opportunity to create a steady stream of content that informs and engages potential clients. They help you explain what you’re thinking about and what you want readers to consider on a given date.
So while substantive evergreen pages generally contain information that will be relevant for a long time, blog posts tend to cover more immediate topics.
Both of these page types are important to your law firm’s web presence. To take a deep dive into the differences between law firm evergreen pages and blog posts, listen to our podcast episode, “Strategies for Writing Evergreen Pages and Blog Posts.”
When does it make sense to start blogging for my law firm?
There’s no one solution for every law firm when it comes to blogging. The unique makeup of practice type, geographic location, attorney personality, and more can affect the strategy required.
However, some general guidelines can make sense for the vast majority of law firms. Among their many benefits, blog posts are a way to capture search terms that your evergreen pages may not directly address. A good blog post can draw readers back to your evergreen pages, which is why we often suggest linking to relevant evergreen pages in your blog posts.
If your law firm’s website is lacking practice area pages and detailed law pages, it usually makes sense to build out those pages, first.
A guiding principle that often works well for attorneys is this: For every blog post you write, it’s usually a good idea to have at least one relevant practice area page or detailed law page to link to. If you don’t have a relevant one to connect to your blog post, you may want to develop that page first.
There are some potential exceptions when it comes to taking an aggressive blog strategy first. Attorneys who practice in areas that often make the news may want to focus more on their blog while a particular topic is hot. For example, an employment attorney may want to begin blogging more aggressively when stories about sexual harassment and the #metoo movement are a prominent part of the news cycle.
For more on when and how to blog effectively, see: “Attorneys, Are You Blogging Against Your Best Interests?”
Learn more about developing law firm blog posts that drive traffic to your law firm’s website
Good content marketing encourages visitors to visit your law firm’s website, educates them, builds trust, and transforms visitors into new business.
To learn more about:
- Why content is the most effective form of online marketing
- The elements of high-quality content for your practice area
- How to create high-quality content that engages and inspires your potential clients
- How to create a large volume of content on your site over time
See our compelling content webinar series for your practice area:
