What About Pay Per Click/Keyword Buying?

Pay Once or Pay Again and Again

Why Search Engine Optimized Law Firm Marketing Web sites Pay for Themselves

Pay per click operates in two ways:

• You can buy certain keywords from a search engine guaranteeing your lawyer marketing Web site will show up in the paid advertisements section at the top of the first search page.
• You can also form relationships with other Web sites where you place an ad in a strategic location on that Web site and anytime someone clicks on it, it clicks through to your Web site… for a fee.

Either way you do it, pay per click means that every time a prospect clicks on the link to your law firm Web site, the source receives payment from you (up to $20 per click in some cases).

Pay per click can be an effective Internet marketing strategy in some instances, but it can also be manipulated to generate more income for the source while sending you unqualified traffic that never converts into new clients.

Marketing Oriented Content the Works Double Duty

Every FindLaw attorney marketing Web site is written by a marketing copywriter rained not only to produce content that will convert your viewers to calls, but also to write content that will be found by the search engines. In other words, it's optimized for the search engines as well as for your average client.

Let me give you an example of why you want a lawyer marketing Web site that is well optimized for the search engines¾in addition to any pay-per-click advertising you do. If you were to purchase a keyword phrase for a family law practice in Charlotte, NC, what phrase would you bid on? Most people would choose one or more of these:

• Charlotte family law attorney
• Divorce attorney Charlotte
• Child support lawyer Charlotte

If someone searches on one of these phrases, your advertisement will be visible. If they click on the advertisement, they come to your Web site and you will owe the source $20. And then what? There's really no way of knowing if that person will actually call you or email you. Without good content, they may visit your site and quickly leave!

Let's say they do call. Depending on the kind of law practice you have, you may have to talk to 10, 20, 40, even 100 callers before you find someone with the kind of case you want to take. Are you willing to pay out that much money before you bring in any money?

The Long Tail of Search

Now let's look at that example again. If you have a lawyer Web site that is properly written with content on all aspects of family law, when someone does a search for the phrases above, your site will show up. But your site is also likely to show up for people doing a search like these:

• My wife filed for divorce in Charlotte do I need an attorney
• Grounds for divorce in Charlotte NC
• Can I get custody of my children if I am a man living in Charlotte NC

These are actual searches that were done for one of my family law attorneys in Charlotte, NC. All of them retained my client--with no additional cost.

Remember, getting new clients is the ultimately goal—not getting Web visitors.

That’s why you need all three components—search engine optimization, professional design, and keyword-rich content—working together to make an effective lawyer Web site.