Law Firm Internet Marketing | Getting Your Site to Number One

If you are coming over here from "How to Start a Law Firm" welcome. I started this site a couple of years ago (I think) to focus more on the internet marketing side of things. Since one of my last starting a law firm posts was on specifically internet marketing, and I gave out an offer for services, I thought I would move it over here to focus solely on that. The business side of a law firm will remain on the other blog.

Since I posted my offer I've gotten a lot of great responses. People are interested in having their websites pop up at the top of the search engines for their respective keywords. People are interested in harnessing the power of the internet to make their practices successful. I'm pumped about that because I can help people do that.

A few of the people I talked to, though, had more specific questions about what it is exactly that I do. They wanted more details before giving their hard earned money away. I completely understand that. The point of this post is to answer just one such question.

Carrie in Missouri wrote me last week and this is what she said:

I just thought I would give you some feedfack on your pricing schedule....

I too am one of those people who are not real happy with the internet optimization results. I tried paying to have a webstite done only to find out they did not do the back side and add in the key words. So then I moved to West doing my website and paying $500 per month and then some more for advertising that did not have good results. Got out of it as soon as possible and still paying on it truthfully. Next I went to Total Attorneys to get leads but the leads were crap for bankruptcy. I may have broken even but sometimes that is debateable. So now I am using Yodle which is $677 a month. They were able to put me on the first page for a couple of keywords but I am not finding the traffic I was hoping for still. It is likely my website needs some help as well.

Anyway, I think that putting on the first page is great but I am not sure that I would be getting the business to justify the extra funds with you. Can you tell me how you would be different? My practice really needs to expand to make me profitable. I am still doing too much of my own work even though I have a paralegal/secretary that is great. Suggestions are appreciated.

I hope that gives you a little more idea of what is going on out there price wise. By the way, West did not optimize for the $500 either. I just feel that attorneys are being taken advantage of right now. Small firms are getting killed. Some of the big firms are not seeing the results either. Just wondering what the magic is out there?????

Have a great day!

Carrie

To break down Carrie's email, she has three basic questions: (1) how would I be different from the people she's used before (namely Yodle, West, Total Attorneys, etc.)?; and (2) what can being in the top spot of Google do for me?; and (3) what is the magic out there? Let's answer those today.

1. How are My SEO services Different from Yodle and Others?

This one's easy. What I would be doing for you is completely different from Yodle. First things first, you would be my only customer with your keywords in your geographical area. There would be no competition for my services from anyone you compete with. There is no bidding war. Once you sign up with me you get me until you don't want me anymore.

Second, you would be one of only two customers I would have (to start). This gives you two things - someone focused on the outcome of your business, and someone that is invested in you doing well. If you don't gain traction that's not going to be good for me. I want you to succeed, because it means I succeed.

The way most of the other SEO companies work is on volume. They sign you up, make you some promises, get your money, and then move on to the next person. They know that for every person that stops using their service there are going to be two or three that have no understanding of internet marketing and will sign up just to see what happens. My system is already set up for success - I rank highly for my keywords and use them in my business every day. I want to keep you on as long as possible and will work hard to do that.

Third, my methods are not geared toward a quick jump up the search engines and an even quicker fall. What I do is designed to get you to the top and keep you there. I build authority for you and take steps to ensure your reputation remains in the high regard I'm sure it currently is.

2. What Can Being in the Top Spot at Google do for Me?

Let me ask you a question. The last time you needed help with something that you didn't already know someone that worked in that area, what did you do? I have two guesses. First, if you know a friend with some connections in that area, you probably asked them. Second, if you didn't, you probably went to Google and started looking for people that could help you.

Taking that one step further, when you actually got to Google, what did you do? My guess is you didn't look at the two or three ads at the top of the page or all of the ads on the right side of the page. My guess is you started looking at the organic search results - those results that have the site name and some information underneath, to try to find someone.

My service is designed to get you in that top spot on Google. I don't pay for advertising space, I have a system designed to organically get you to the top spot.

Now, once you get to the top spot what it's going to get you is a massive amount of traffic - and the traffic is going to be full of potential clients - to get to you they would have had to type in your keywords (Missouri bankruptcy attorney, for example). They are not only looking for your services, but in my experience they are typically more suited to buying your services.

I've tried adwords, the ads on the top and right of the search results. It got me a lot of people price shopping and looking for free information. People that click on the organic results are looking for help. You can be the person they turn to.

3. What is the Magic Out There?

There is no magic. I simply do what pretty much no other attorney wants to spend their time doing. I've talked about exactly what I do on this site, in fact. It involves writing a lot of good, original articles, every day, on respected sites, until Google starts to recognize that you exist and that you could be helpful to people looking for your services.

That's it, plain and simple. I don't participate in spam in any way. I don't comment blast people (they aren't effective anyway). I simply put my head down, get to writing, and wait for the results.

Sure, there is a little bit more to it than that, and if you are interested I'll tell you. I can also tell you what is going to happen if you do it by yourself. You'll start out very enthusiastic about the whole thing, writing articles and posting them in good places, then, about two weeks into it you'll check your search results and see that you haven't moved anywhere and you'll get discouraged. Pretty soon you aren't writing articles anymore, and you wish you had someone like me who not only knows how to do the leg work very well but will do it for you.

Update to the Offer

If you read my original post, I said I'd take two people to start with this new business (I still have a successful law firm to run, and law firm internet marketing takes some work) and then see what happens. I already have one. And I'm willing to make you the same deal I made him for being an early adopter.

I'm going to drastically reduce the price of my services in exchange for one thing - a glowing review when you start blowing away the competition. The new pricing structure is this - until you are on the first page of the organic results for your keywords, the monthly fee will be $250. Once you get on the first page the price goes up to $500. Once you are in the top three the price goes up to $1000 and stays there as long as you want my services. There are no contracts. You can cancel whenever you want.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below. I'm looking forward to filling that last spot - hopefully Carrie it's you!

UPDATE: I've got the two spots filled up. Sorry. I'm going to work on these two for a couple of months and see what kind of flow I can get in before taking anyone else on. If you're interested, follow this site. I'll post the next openings when they become available.