Enhance Your Law Firm’s Marketing Strategy: 15 Tips for 2023

1.1 million…

That’s the number of licensed attorneys in the United States, according to The American Bar Association. It also the number of lawyers competing for clients and cases nationwide.

Sound intimidating?

It doesn’t have to be.

With a future-forward marketing strategy, you’ll attract the cases you want and leave even your most distinguished competitors in the dust.

Don’t let marketing be the “big scary area” that keeps you from doubling the size of your firm…

Learn the top 3 legal marketing trends and 15 essential marketing tips for lawyers that’ll have you saying, “Our competitors have been trying to catch up ever since.”

 

The need-to-know marketing trends of 2023:

• Trend #1: The rise of semantic search.
• Trend #2: A shift in content marketing approaches.
• Trend #3: The stronghold of local SEO.

Your go-to, results-driven marketing tips:

• Tip #1: Create your “ideal client avatar.” 
• Tip #2: Use geo-specific keywords. 
• Tip #3: Write for people, not search engines.
• Tip #4: Personalize your PR approach. 
• Tip #5: Land features, guest articles, and earned assets.

Download our full list of 15 crucial marketing tips here.

 

Why should you know the legal marketing trends?

Staying up-to-date on what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s on the horizon will keep your firm relevant. 

And doing so means you’ll:

• Optimize your marketing efforts. 
• Identify ways to outshine your competition.
• Grab cases out from under your competitors.
• Maximize your marketing budget. 

Here are the legal marketing trends taking hold of 2023:

Trend #1: The rise of semantic search.

Search engines are getting better at connecting users with the content and services they want. While focusing on exact keywords used to be the standard, there’s an increased emphasis on semantic search these days, where search engines focus more on understanding the context of content.

Google’s latest algorithm updates show it cares more about whether the content fits what someone’s actually searching for instead of the keywords they use. This uptick in semantic search means you need to create content for lawyer websites that speaks to your audience’s unique interests.

Create compelling content that generates leads by:

• Answering common questions from clients.
• Adding value rather than inserting keywords.
• Sharing information that’s missing in top-ranking content.

Trend #2: A shift in content marketing approaches.

Legal content creation doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it shouldn’t be. 

In 2023, more law firms are creating valuable, engaging content rather than the keyword-stuffed “legalese” we’ve seen in the past.

Your goal is to create content that informs, educates, compares, and converts. 

You’ll achieve this goal by:

• Sharing unique thought leadership content.
• Writing for your audience, not search engines.
• Publishing content across multiple platforms.
• Targeting users in different stages of the buyer’s journey.

Trend #3: The stronghold of local SEO.

What’s one thing that hasn’t changed in 2023? The importance of local SEO. 

You, like your competitors, are vying for clients in your local area, so it’s crucial to rank highly on search engine results pages (SERPs) to draw attention.

Leverage Google My Business to discover new localized keywords that can enhance your website’s visibility and increase client inquiries.

How will you make the most of these trends?

By doubling down on what already works and staying ahead of the curve with future-focused strategies.

Implement the following law firm digital marketing tips to rise above your competition and keep your pipeline full of new leads.

 

 

The Top Legal Marketing Tips of 2023

Tip #1: Create your “ideal client avatar.”

“Whoever knows their customer best, wins.” 

You need to learn your audience’s pain points, what they want, and why they’re searching for a firm like yours.

How?

Create your ideal client avatar (ICA), a fictional representation of your ideal customer. You’ll use insight from current clients, market research, and data analysis to pinpoint what makes your website visitors tick.

Gather information from current clients by sending a Google Forms survey.

Ask questions like:

• What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to [legal issue]?
• What solutions have you tried to overcome this issue?
• What did you not like about these solutions?
• What’s your #1 goal in overcoming [legal issue]?
• What are you looking for most in a law firm?

Then craft your ICA and write to that person any time you create content. This process allows you to speak to your future clients’ needs (and gain their cases).

Tip #2: Use geo-specific keywords. 

Many law firms target broad keywords like “legal services” or “lawyer” and fail to use localized search terms. But localized keywords attract people in your service area with the cases you want.

Use search engine optimization (SEO) tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs to identify geo-specific keywords. These include terms like “[location] family lawyer,” “best law firm [location],” and “[location] personal injury lawyer.”

Integrate these localized keywords into your content to boost your website’s reach and attract potential clients in your area.

Tip #3: Write for people, not search engines. 

We know that semantic search is on the rise. And this trend means it’s becoming less important to focus on keyword density.

Now:

This doesn’t mean you should throw your keyword research out the window. Just focus on writing content that genuinely helps people. 

You’ll naturally create content people find valuable, which will show search engines that your website deserves a higher ranking the SERPs.

Keep in mind: Google aims to link users with the most relevant content, not just the ones filled with keywords.

Follow these best practices to create high-performing, user-focused content:

• Add a concise yet informative meta description that explains your page or post.
• Engage readers with an interesting, thought-provoking introduction.
• Write user-specific page titles that appeal to your audience’s questions, concerns, or interests.
• Break up large blocks of text into smaller paragraphs and bulleted lists to improve scannability.
• Use eye-catching subheadings that keep readers scrolling down the page.

Tip #4: Personalize your PR approach.

Sending uninspired, generic content to publications in hopes of a high return on investment (ROI) isn’t an effective PR strategy.

Instead, develop ideas for specific publishers. Then pitch interesting stories or provide resources their readers can’t find anywhere else.

By investing time early on and personalizing your approach, you increase your chances of:

• Getting your content featured.
• Developing relationships with publishers.
• Gaining new readers.
• Attracting high-quality backlinks.
• Increasing your firm’s visibility.

Tip #5: Land features, guest articles, and earned assets.

High-quality backlinks draw visitors to your website from all over the internet. You’ll reach a wider audience and get more leads by growing your network of backlinks.

Reach out to reputable, well-trusted websites and explain how you’ll provide valuable information for their audience.

Consider backlink-boosting tactics like:

• Pitch an “Ask the lawyer…” interview.
• Write a guest blog post of legal advice.
• Offer to be a guest on a podcast.
• Post a shareable infographic.

Then watch the contact form submissions come in from visitors who wouldn’t have found your website otherwise.

Looking for tips #6-15?

Download our full list of crucial marketing tips for more ways to maximize your marketing budget.

Make your job a whole lot easier…

An expert law content marketing team will get you all these visibility-boosting, lead-generating benefits – without you having to supervise.

Call We Do Web at (954) 425-9081 or reach out to us here. We’ll take care of everything from content creation to promotion so you can focus on higher-level things.

Be sure to check out our glossary of content marketing terms to deepen your marketing strategy knowledge.