Google has made it clear that they will give preference in their search results to businesses that demonstrate prominence. They define this as “how well known a business is” and indicate that this is measured based on information Google has about a business from across the web. 

Their goal is to provide the best results to searchers. 

With proper planning and regular action, you can help your firm become more prominent than your competition, and guide Google to sending more potential clients to your website.

Recommended spots to build prominence that Google will love:

1. LinkedIn  

This is a social media platform that allows you to create a profile and show off your credentials. You should provide a summary of your experience, education, skills and accomplishments.

LinkedIn also allows you to contribute articles where you can share knowledge or interesting events such as insight on relevant cases, legal matters in your community or lectures on your area of practice.

Once you have set up your profile, you will want to connect with all of your clients, partners, vendors and associates to build a broader network.

2. Facebook  

This is a great platform to discuss public cases, changes in law, interesting facts that potential clients may want to learn. Be sure to set your profile up as a business and add a “Services” section where you can describe your most important areas of practice. 

3. YouTube  

You don’t need to be a pro at making videos. Start with a smartphone, and answer some of the popular questions your client’s have. Keep your videos short and show off your personality. Over time, you may pick up a client or two but more importantly Google will show their appreciation for you adding quality content to their video portal.

After a while, your visitors may begin to ask questions which you can answer in new videos.

4. About Us Page  

Individual attorney pages are often among the top pages visited on most law firm websites. When you get a referral, a potential client will often search your name and this is the page that should show up first. So, it is important to get it right. 

Make it clear exactly what type of cases you handle. The page should be well organized and link to a few of the most important internal pages on your website. Also, future clients will want to know you are experienced so this is another spot to show off your credentials. Be sure to add a short paragraph on your personal side. This will help potential clients relate to you and set you apart from the competition.

5. Lawyers.com  

Creating an in-depth and complete profile on well-known legal directories such as Lawyers.com, Martindale.com, and Avvo.com are crucial to building your authority and reputation. Plus, properly created listings can produce a regular flow of leads. 

Google assigns high value to citations such as these from credible sources. Another benefit of Lawyers.com is that you can (and should) answer questions that visitors are asking. By contributing to a popular online community and not expecting anything in return is certain to get Google’s attention. 

6. Amazon.com  

Lots of attorneys write books about a specific experience or practice area. If you don’t have a book, it is easy to get published on Amazon these days and there are plenty of freelance writers around to write or edit your pages.  

7. Guest Posting  

Keep your eye out for legal publications covering your practice area or local online publication serving your community and become a regular contributor. Think of some common questions you receive from clients, or search on Lawyers.com to see what people are asking. Then write a thorough answer to cover the topic. 

You might consider reaching out to blogs covering your area of practice, local news sites, career or educational websites, or family publications.

8. Blogging  

If your website does not have a blog, it should. And you should be adding regular content at least 1-2 times per month. When your clients start to think they need a lawyer they usually try to get answers to some basic questions by researching online first. A blog post is a great place to provide answers to specific questions asked by your potential clients. If a reader likes your posts they may just keep reading and eventually contact you for help. 

There you have it, pick a few of these simple tasks and improve your reputation with Google which is sure to award your firm with more visits to your website.