A law firm needs SEO to establish a strong web presence and attract potential clients. However, it is important to implement the right techniques that can actually deliver the expected results.
Many lawyers fail to achieve the desired objectives through SEO because they end up believing law firm SEO myths that aren’t actually true. Since they use the wrong practices the whole time, they hardly get any closer to their goal.
This is why we have decided to burst 10 common SEO myths and help you understand the right law firm SEO tactics that actually work.
So, without wasting another second, let’s start with the law firm SEO myths.
1. Content is the Only Thing You Need
This is the most common SEO myth that restricts many websites from achieving top positions in Google SERP. Of course, content is a crucial part of SEO. In fact, it is one of the top three ranking factors Google uses to rank web pages.
However, that doesn’t mean that only content is going to help your website secure top rankings. Like content, Google considers several other ranking factors as well. And, if you want your website to be ranked on Google Page #1, it is important to pay attention to all those ranking factors and optimize your website accordingly.
For instance, if you are a personal injury law firm in Texas, all your competitors are likely to target the same keywords and publish almost similar content. In order to outrank your competitors, you’ll need to build a strong backlink profile as well.
So, if you still think that you can survive the online competition with the content alone, think again!
2. You Can Outrank Your Competitors With More Backlinks
While there was a time when it was possible to get ahead of the competition with more backlinks, but that time is long gone.
Today, it is important to focus on the quality of the backlinks. It is worth noting that 10 quality backlinks have comparatively more authority than 100 low-quality links.
Quality backlinks pass more value (higher authority) to your website and as a result, the overall domain authority (DA) improves.
So, rather than increasing the number of backlinks to your website, focus on acquiring quality backlinks. This will quickly push your website towards the top positions of Google SERP.
3. Some SEO Tactics Can Achieve #1 Position Overnight
We have been working in the SEO industry for almost a decade now and one thing that we have learned in all these years is that nothing can rank your website at the #1 position even in one week, let alone overnight.
So, if there’s someone who’s claiming to achieve the #1 position in a relatively short time, they are most likely to be using black-hat SEO techniques.
These are the tactics that are strictly condemned by Google and other search engines.
Even if these tactics work right now, they are most likely to damage your website’s performance in the coming years.
In fact, if Google finds out that your website has been optimized using unethical SEO practices, it most likely to penalize the site.
So, don’t fall for SEO firms that claim overnight success and use white-hat SEO techniques to optimize your website for the search engine.
4. Keyword Stuffing Will Make the Content SEO-Friendly
This would have been true if we were still living in 2003, but we are not!
Keyword stuffing is a thing of the past. It no longer works. In fact, stuffing keywords can do more harm than any good as Google doesn’t like content that is stuffed with keywords.
However, that doesn’t mean that adding keywords to the content is not necessary. It is still important to perform content optimization by precisely inserting the target keyword into the content.
All you have to do is not add the same keyword 50 times. A more strategic approach to performing content optimization is to use keyword variations and LSI keywords to make it relevant for the specific search queries.
5. Social Media Boosts Search Engine Rankings
Many people use social media sites to acquire backlinks for their websites.
While there’s nothing wrong with these links, social media backlinks are no-follow, which means that they don’t pass the link juice to your website.
So, social media links have very little to do with the boost in search engine rankings.
However, you can still use different social media platforms for promoting your brand and content. They are a great place to engage with your audience through consistent promotion.
6. Legal Directories are the Only Place to Acquire Quality Backlinks
Due to high competition, law firm websites need dozens of quality backlinks.
While law firm usually acquire backlinks from legal directories, the truth is there are very few high authority legal directories.
It means that if you only stick with legal directories, you’ll be left behind and your competitors will surpass you.
This is why it is a good strategy to look for other online platforms from where you can acquire quality backlinks.
Guest posting, local directories, editorial outreach are some of the additional and effective ways law firm can use to acquire quality backlinks.
7. Writing 500-600 Words is Enough for Law Firm Blogs
Here’s the thing.
Google favors comprehensive and in-depth authoritative content. You can’t expect your pages to rank in the top positions with mere 500 words on it.
In fact, if you take a look at the top-ranking blogs in Google SERP, the first three search results usually contain 2000-2500 words.
That’s why writing longer articles is the right content marketing strategy to climb the search engine ladder while nurturing a healthy relationship with customers at the same time.
8. All Search Engines are Equal
If you think all search engines are equal, you are far away from the truth.
To make it much simpler, when was the last time you used Yahoo search or Bing?
You don’t remember, right?
There’s only one search engine that’s dominating the search market and that’s Google. No one’s going to use Yahoo search or Bing to hire law firm.
So, there’s no point in wasting your time and money while optimizing the website for all the search engines.
Focus on optimizing the website for Google as 89% of the online searches are made through Google only.
9. A Good SEO Specialist Should Guarantee #1 Position in SERP
No SEO specialist can guarantee the #1 position and that’s a fact.
If any SEO service provider is claiming that they can rank your website at the #1 position, they are simply trying to sell their services.
In such a case, it is better to look for another SEO expert who does not makes false promises.
10. You Don’t Need SEO Specialist to Optimize Your Website
The last and probably the most common law firm SEO myth is that you can perform SEO on your own without the help of an SEO specialist.
Well, that’s not true unless you are an SEO expert yourself.
It is important to understand that performing SEO requires expertise. You can’t read a beginner’s guide on SEO and optimize your website for the top positions.
Professional SEO specialists use the most suitable SEO tactics to optimize the law firm website to attract target clients, people who actually convert.
Make sure to hire a professional SEO India service provider if you want to attain top search engine rankings, highly affordably
Conclusion
It’s no arguing the fact that law firm need SEO to improve their website’s performance in SERP. However, it is not a wise approach to use irrelevant SEO techniques to optimize the site.
If you are new to the SEO world, it is better to hire a professional legal SEO service provider who has expertise in optimizing law firm websites to rank them at top positions in SERP.