By Marc Apple ● ● 8 min read
Table of Contents
TL:DR Content marketing helps family law firms increase website visibility and client numbers. Firms can develop a content marketing strategy by knowing their target audience and crafting content that addresses their pain points.
No time to read? Listen to a conversation about this blog post instead.
Your family law firm is doing fine — but “fine” just isn’t cutting it. You want a strategy that’ll help you outperform competing firms and draw in more clients without breaking the bank. If that sounds like you, you’ll love content marketing and what it can do for your firm.
What is content marketing, and why does it matter? Content marketing can boost your visibility and get more eyeballs on your firm’s website, which means more clients (who could say no to that?). Plus, it’s perfect for firms that prefer attracting views in an organic way instead of relying on paid ads to do it for them.
Below, learn why content is king when it comes to any sound family law digital marketing strategy and how to develop an effective approach to leveraging it to your advantage.
Content Marketing Know How
“Do law firms really need content marketing?” you ask. Good question!
Content marketing is a must if your firm wants better online visibility and more clients.
Here’s why.
It’ll Help Your Firm With SEO
Marketers like to say your website needs good SEO (search engine optimization), but what does that mean? SEO involves optimizing your website to improve its position in the search results and, in turn, score more visitors (who will hopefully become clients).
Content marketing does wonders for SEO. Google loves authoritative, helpful content, so the more content-rich your site is, the higher you’re likely to rank. Plus, you can sprinkle valuable keywords throughout your content to tell Google your page matches users’ queries perfectly.
Great Content Gets Shared More Often
Picture this: You write a blog post on how to divorce someone without losing all your money. A reader likes your post and decides to share it with their friend who’s been wrestling with the idea of divorcing their spouse. That person loves your post, too, and shares it with a few of her friends. Before you know it, you’re enjoying a nice traffic boost, and some of those visitors might even become clients.
But who would want to share legal content? Plenty of people!
The trick is that you’ll need to make your content so good that readers can’t help but pass it along.
Optimized Content Helps Your Firm Reach Leads
Suppose a visitor lands on your site looking for information about child custody. Sadly, you’ve skimped on your content, and the user can’t find anything helpful. They think you’re not the right lawyer for them and head to one of your competitors instead.
Now, imagine that you’ve packed your website with content that’ll tell the visitor everything they ever wanted to know about custody. You’ve got blog posts about custody laws in the state, what to expect at custody hearings, and tips for co-parenting.
“Wow,” the visitor says. “This lawyer really knows their stuff.” And so they hire you.
This is the power of content marketing done right. You can use this strategy to reach leads wherever they are in the buyer’s journey, whether they’re still unsure if they need a lawyer or are actively looking for one.
Top-Notch Content Attracts Backlinks
Backlinks happen when another website owner decides to link to your content from their site.
Why does that matter?
When Google sees you have many backlinks from authoritative websites, it thinks you’re trustworthy, too. That means your website is more likely to appear at the top of the search results. Backlinks can also send traffic from interested readers your way.
Some law firms take the easy way out and buy backlinks, but this is a losing strategy. Purchased backlinks don’t come from authority websites but rather junky spam sites, which Google frowns upon. Buying links won’t have any effect, and at worst, your site could take a hit in the search engine rankings.
It’s far better to earn backlinks the legit way by crafting great content.
How To Make a Content Marketing Strategy
Now that we’ve covered the basics of “What is content marketing?” maybe you’re wondering how to craft a content marketing strategy for your firm. To do that, you’ll need to understand content marketing trends, discover your target audience, do some keyword research, and write shareable content that compels readers to act.
Who’s Your Target Audience?
If someone were to ask you who your target audience is, would you have an answer ready or stare at them blankly? If it’s the latter, you’ll need to do some digging to unearth who your family law firm wants to serve.
Understanding your target audience is important for several reasons.
First, it helps you know what types of content they are looking for.
For example, maybe your audience consists of women who fear losing custody of their little one or breadwinners who are salty about the thought of losing their assets in a divorce.
Second, it allows you to tailor your messaging and calls to action to spur your audience to click or call.
Dive Into Keyword Research
Once you’ve nailed down your biggest audience, don’t just start creating content without first doing keyword research. This research helps you understand what your audience is looking for so you can tailor your content accordingly. Plus, you can add promising keywords to your content to boost its visibility in the search results.
One of the easiest ways to find good keywords is to head to Google and start searching. Begin with a seed keyword, like “divorce” or “family lawyer.” Google will show you suggestions for completing the search. These are topics that other users frequently search for, so they’d make ideal topics for your content.
You could also use keyword research tools, such as Semrush and Ahrefs. These tools give you a list of keywords and tell you how often users search for them.
Keywords with the most searches are the ones to focus on.
If you’re at a loss for ideas, check out your competitors’ websites. Take a look at their blogs to see what law firm content they’re writing about. This is a simple way to find ideas that requires very little time or effort.
Understand Google’s E-E-A-T Principles
Several years back, Google implemented E-E-A-T as part of its Search Quality Evaluator guidelines. This acronym stands for “experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.” Google uses E-E-A-T to decide whether your content is worth showing to users.
E-E-A-T is especially important for what Google calls “Your Money or Your Life (YMYL)” topics, and that includes law. Google’s algorithms hold legal content to a much higher standard than, say, a blog about cooking or gardening.
If Google isn’t sure whether users can trust your content, that content won’t rank very highly in the search results. To demonstrate your experience, you could write about your case record, legal education, and any certifications or awards you have.
Spur Your Readers to Action
No matter how high-quality your content is, it’s not worth much if it doesn’t convince users to take the action you want.
For law firms, that’s usually booking an initial consultation or calling to learn more about family law services.
Always tell readers the next steps to take when they reach the end of your content. For example, for a blog post about divorce advice, you could write: “Are you looking for a compassionate divorce lawyer? Call [Firm Name] now for a free consultation.”
You can also sprinkle calls to action throughout the content. This works especially well for long content that’s over 1,000 words.
Keep Tabs on Your Results
If you’re not watching your content’s performance, it’s impossible to know whether it’s hitting the mark. Luckily, you can use Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics to see how your content is doing over time (both are free to use).
With these tools, your firm can:
- Set up tracking and conversions to see which content is performing well. “Conversions” can be anything you like, such as phone calls for a consultation or form submissions.
- Find out which pages are getting views and which are sinking into the abyss. With this information, you can tweak underperforming pages until they sit where you want them.
- Make data-driven decisions and learn where to direct your resources for the strongest return on investment.
Work With Our Legal Content Marketing Pros
What is content marketing? When used properly, it’s a powerful tool that can score more website visitors and help you attract more clients. By following the tips above, you’ll turn your family law website into a lead generation machine.
If you’d like more legal content writing advice, reach out to Forward Push Law Firm Marketing. Our team has marketing for law firms down to a science.
For more content ideas for family law firms, call (800) 692-4037 or contact us online.
FAQ Law Firm Content Marketing
Why is content marketing essential for family law firms?
Content marketing boosts online visibility and attracts more clients organically by enhancing SEO and engaging potential clients through informative, relevant content.
How does content marketing improve SEO for family law firms?
Content marketing improves SEO by adding authoritative and keyword-rich material to your website, signaling to search engines like Google that your site is relevant to users’ queries, leading to higher rankings.
Why should family law firms focus on creating shareable content?
Engaging and valuable content encourages readers to share it, expanding its reach and potentially bringing in new clients through word-of-mouth and social sharing.
What role does optimized content play in attracting clients?
Optimized content helps users find answers to their legal questions, positioning your firm as a knowledgeable resource and increasing the likelihood of converting visitors into clients.
How do backlinks benefit a family law firm’s website?
Backlinks from reputable sites enhance your website’s credibility and search rankings, making it more likely to appear at the top of search engine results.
What is the best way to earn backlinks for a family law firm’s website?
Focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content that other websites naturally want to link to, rather than purchasing backlinks, which can harm your search rankings.
Why is understanding the target audience important in content marketing?
Knowing your audience allows you to create tailored content that addresses their concerns, making your messaging more impactful and increasing engagement.
How can keyword research improve a family law firm’s content marketing strategy?
Keyword research identifies the terms your target audience searches for, allowing you to craft content that aligns with their interests and improves visibility in search results.
What is Google’s E-E-A-T, and why is it important for legal content?
E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trustworthiness) is Google’s guideline for ranking high-quality content, particularly for legal topics, ensuring users receive accurate and reliable information.
Why should family law firms monitor content performance?
Tracking metrics like page views and conversions with tools like Google Analytics helps firms identify successful content, optimize underperforming pages, and allocate resources effectively for better ROI.
