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Internet Marketing for
Lawyers Demystified
How to Get the Most from the Money
You're Spending on the Web
The Handout & A Comment
• Designed in tandem
• Further explanation
• Glossary link
Goal: to understand enough to
investment $ and time wisely
How To Get Meaningful
Reports
1. Strategy
2. Goals
3. Baseline data
4. Actions (# of items such
as links, posts, citations, tweets)
How To Get Meaningful
Reports
5. Period-to-period data
6. Explanation
7. Recommendations
8. Repeat 2-7 (include #1 2-3x/yr)
Essential Metrics for Each
Reporting Period
1. SERP rankings (search engine results page)
2. Granular traffic and sources
3. Log of actions taken
4. New backlinks data
5. Contact data (forms, phone, email)
6. Conversion data
Top-Level Terminology
Marketing
Activities that build visibility
and credibility in a targeted
marketplace among suspects
and prospects
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Top-Level Terminology
Sales
Interactions that get you hired
by a lead or an opportunity
Top-Level Terminology
Business Development
The totality of marketing and
sales activities
Internet Marketing Defined
(aka Online, Digital, or Web Marketing)
Coordinated marketing activities
that take place on or through the
Web or email, accessed by computer
or mobile device
Why It’s So Challenging
1. Complex
2. Fast-Changing
3. Time-Consuming
& Labor Intensive
4. Expensive
5. Aggressive Sales People
Beware of Marketing
Salespeople and Scams
• Directories
• SEO/Rank Promises
1. Speak with firms like
yours for references
2. Go with law firm IM specialists
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Local Search Engine Optimization
Paid Search (Pay Per Click)
Email Marketing & List Development
Inbound Links
Four More Top-Level Terms
1. SEO: Search Engine
Optimization:
Techniques that create
“organic” visibility for your
website
Four More Top-Level Terms
2. SEM: Search Engine Marketing:
Paid advertising (e.g., pay-per-
click, banner/context ads) to
appear in search results or on
targeted websites and social
media sites
Four More Top-Level Terms
3. Social Media
A web-based
platform that allows for
the sharing of
user-generated
content
Four More Top-Level Terms
4. SMM: Social Media Marketing:
Organic activities that increase
your social media visibility
Paid activities that get you in
front of specific audiences
(ads or promoted/boosted posts)
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Internet Marketing Goals
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Goals and Strategy
• B2C vs. B2B
• What specific practice areas,
case types, client profiles and
locations do you want to attract?
• Do you want to build reputation?
• Pay for leads?
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Know What to Be Found
For (Target Phrases to Rank For)
• Keyword/Key-Phrase research
• Competition research
• Google and Social Analytics
• Google AdWords
Measuring ROI
Off-line/Pre-digital
Only if you are/were
contacted afterward
(networking, direct mail, speaking, pitches)
Online Analytics
Trackable data along the way
Measuring ROI
Online Analytics
1. Traffic data (organic
and paid)
2. Conversions
3. Contacts made
4. See Lawyer’s Guide
article
What You Must Track
Internally
Source of all inquiries and opened
matters
• Analytics data (emails or calls)
• ASK on phone or by email (How did you
hear about us? What terms did you search?)
• Record at first contact
• Inquiries to sign-ups
Typical IM Budgets
• All marketing: 3-5% of gross revenue
• $5-80K for site/social media startup
• $1-10K/mo support/reporting
• Paid search:
• Ad spend $50 to 10K+/mo
• Campaign management $400 – 4K
Creating High-Quality
Content
• Useful information or provocative;
no “ads” (client-centric vs you-centric)
• Contains keywords and phrases
based on “semantic search”
• Timely
• Consistent and focused over time
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Essential Metrics for Each
Reporting Period
1. SERP rankings (search engine results page)
2. Granular traffic and sources
3. Log of actions taken
4. New backlinks data
5. Contact data (forms, phone, email)
6. Conversion data
Understand Your Contract
Ownership/Control
• Domain name
• Hosting/SM accounts
• Site code
• Text and Images (e.g., West, User, Custom)
• Third-party apps/tools
Understand Your Contract
What are you paying for?
• Hosting
• One-time design/build
• Updates
• SEO / Social Media
Understand Your Contract
Clarify Vague Language &
Get Numbers
• “Ongoing” SEO updates “as
needed”
• How many of each activity
described
Who Should Do/Manage
the Work?
• Strategy and
set-up by experts
• VA’s and
marketing firms
• In-house staff
Internet Marketing Goals
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How To Get Meaningful
Reports
1. Strategy
2. Goals
3. Baseline data
4. Actions (# of items such
as links, posts, citations, tweets)
How To Get Meaningful
Reports
5. Period-to-period data
6. Explanation
7. Recommendations
8. Repeat 2-6 (include #1 quarterly)
Questions?
Requests for specific info?
Internet marketing audit?
[email protected]
203.876.8999
