Websites that convert!

What is the point of capturing a click from the first page of Google if your website can't convert that click into a phone call?
Here is a quick, simple list here to improve the conversion rate of you website:
1- Call to Action (Ex, Call now for a FREE consultation)
2- Ease of Navigation (the end user needs to find what they are looking for quickly)
3- Use Bullet Points ( People scan websites for information, they don't read them like life insurance policies - Bullet points relay important information in an easy to scan format)
4- "Above the Fold" (If the end-user has to scroll down to see what you do and where you're located your site is losing most of them-you have 3-5 seconds to capture someone's attention)
5- Lastly, ADD your phone number at the top of EVERY page on the site; not just the 'contact us' page.
Take a look at Wichita Family Lawyer. The Click to Call Ratio is off the charts.

Search Engine Presence

I'm more convinced than ever that an effective Search Engine Presence includes all areas of Search. If you are a lawyer in a major metro like Houston or even a smaller market you need to include ALL areas of Search engine marketing to be successful.
Utilizing Sponsored Ads, website optimization and everything in between can help you compete in a larger market or dominate a smaller market. Keep in mind SEO has changed in the last couple of years. Its more than meta tags, keywords and inbound links. Social Media, Maps, Reputation Management have all changed the SEO landscape. Law Firms are becoming more and more aware of this but should keep in mind that change is the only constant regarding SEO. Just make sure you work with a company or individual who includes ALL factors of SEO and not just bits and pieces. True SEO is a long term investment and needs to be done correctly to drive the right kind of traffic and potential clients to your website.
The same is true for PPC or Sponsored Ads. You should trust your campaign and monthly budget to a company that is 100% transparent. If they don't share your keywords, CPC, Calls, etc. I question what you are truly getting for your money. Sponsored Ads seem simple enough but can be a total waste of money and effort if not managed correctly.

Google Search Results

The new Google SERPs are killing me. What is going on over there? I see that Map listings or "Place Pages" are more important then ever. I've even see Twitter streams in some search results. Leave it to Google to confuse the heck out of all of use "Search Engine Marketing Experts."
Its a good thing I work for a company with a strong relationship with Google. Yellowbook has a call scheduled for next with Google to discuss these changes and how we can better serve our clients regarding those changes. Look for a post next week when I have more information and don't forget to update your 'Place Page' if you haven't recently.

Google and Meta Tags

I've heard a few times over the past few weeks "meta-tags are really important" or "I need to adjust the Meta Tags on my website." For the past couple years now, Google has stated that meta tags are not important for rankings. Other than the Meta Description which is used as your site's description on SERPs, Meta Tags have little or NO value regarding rank. Google will look at Title tags, Headers, Domain Age, Alt. Tags and quality INBOUND links (and other secret factors) when determining where to rank your website.
See Matt Cutts(Google Search Quality Team) speaking more specifically about Meta Tags.
That being said, I wouldn't recommend leaving your meta information blank because last I checked Yahoo, ASK and bing still do look at meta tags. At least for now...

Conversion is Key!

Can your website convert? If not, here are a couple helpful tips.
First and foremost, is your phone number visible somewhere across the top of EVERY page? I can't stand to hunt around for a phone number when I'm looking at a website with which I am trying to do business. Most people want to pick up the phone and talk to someone before making a decision to come in for a consultation. Make sure your phone number is on EVERY page, not just the 'Contact' page or 'Home' page. Plaster it all over the site and watch your conversions increase.
Secondly, Ease of Navigation is key. If you have an effective enough web presence to become an impression AND attract the searcher's click; make sure the searcher can find the information they are looking for. What good is the click and traffic if you can't keep them on the site due to their frustration with the site's navigation?
The Goal of any law firm's website should be to meet, if not exceed the expectations of the searcher. In other words, keep them on the site long enough for them to find what they are looking for and ultimiately retain your services. In other words, get the right message to the right person at the right time.

Organic vs. sponsored results

If you're an attorney and you rely 100% on your website showing up organically YOU ARE MISSING CLICKS AND TRAFFIC. I believe in organic results and there are plenty of people who click on the left side of SERPS. On the flip side, there are a ton of clicks and traffic going to the sponsored links as well. Are willing to ignore them?
More and more attorneys are utilizing PPC programs to drive qualified traffic to their websites. As an advertiser you get to approve search terms, track results and ONLY pay when someone visits your site! What other form of advertising allows you to do that?
Keep your organic results. Keep your big, beautiful website. In addition to that though, don't discount the searches and traffic taking place in the sponsored link areas. The majority of these searches are people who have clicked all over the search result page and have already done research and are READY TO ACT!

Divorce Attorney launches new website!

Attorney Carolyn Robertson recently launched her new website. The site has a great profile page about Carolyn and her practice as well as a great Family Law Overview.
Carolyn is Board Certified in Divorce and Family Law and has practiced in Houston for over 15 years. She takes a compassionate, informative approach to the practice of law and looks forward to the opportunity to represent anyone in need of Family Law Counsel.

DID YOU KNOW? Carolyn’s undergraduate degree is in ‘Marketing’ from The University of Texas.

Negative keywords continued...

Problem - your child is trying to write a paper about Vikings. He tries to research on Google by searching "vikings" only to find neverending sites and articles about the Minnesota Vikings and Favre Watch 2009. Solution - use that little "-" key near the top of the keyboard. That's right, the minus key or subtraction symbol can be used to exclude certain results on search engines.
Try the search again by Googling "Vikings -minnesota" or Vikings -nfl" and see what you get. Now you should have nothing but results relevant to the kind of Vikings who were on boats with swords, shields and real horns on their helmets.
The use of negative keywords is also very helpful in driving relevant, qualified visitors to your website. For example, if you are a Criminal Defense Attorney and currently running an AdWords campaign on Google. You might like add "traffic tickets" to your list of negative keywords. I've met recently with a number of criminal defense lawyers who would like to eliminate DWI/DUI cases from their practice. Simple enough, use the "-" key again and add "-DWI/DUI attorney" and other related terms to your list of negative keywords. This way you only get the types of clicks you want and eliminate click costs that aren't EXACLTY what you target.

The three aspects of a internet visibility

I meet with people who think they are marketing their business on the Web. They may have a website. They may even have some meta tags and keywords on that site. Maybe they have a small PPC campaign driving traffic to the site.
Picture a stool with three legs. If the seat of that stool is labeled "VISIBILITY" then what do we call the three legs that hold up the stool?
The THREE legs should be:
SEO - sitemap & relevant, updated content, meta tags, etc.
PPC Ads - Effective Ad Copy, Targeted Keywords and Phrases
Inbound Links - take advantage of powerful, relevant directories; adding power to your site

You can get leads from the Web if you use any of these three principles but ALL THREE will take your web-presence to another level.

CALL TO ACTION!

Have you ever visited the website of a business with a product or service that you were interested in only to get frustrated at how difficult it is to find the businesses contact information? I hate that.
Furthermore, add a CALL TO ACTION at the top of every page. What do you want to prospective client to do? Tell them to contact you. Your business is the right business for them to give their money to, right?
Don't make them scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a phone number. People go to the internet for information. Once they find that information, make it easy for them to contact you.

New Family Law Campaign here in Houston

Peter Steinmann has a small website and hasn't done much marketing in the past. His practice includes Family Law, Estate Planning and some Personal Injury Law. He is an avid golfer and enjoys getting outside whenever possible. His office is a virtual "who's who" of Golf as he has met or played with numerous pro golfers over the years.

He and his wife update the website regularly and he would like to drive more traffic to it. When I initially contacted Mr. Steinmann he was hesitant to meet with me as he receives numerous marketing calls throughout the week. I asked him for 20 minutes and he accepted the appointment but told me "not to get my hopes up."

After a brief presentation of how simple a Google and Yahoo PPC campaign can be he was on-board. He agreed to start with a small focused campaign with Call Tracking and is looking forward to hearing the phone ring more often.

Visit his site Houston Divorce Lawyer and check it out when you have the chance.

PPC campaigns and negative keywords...

If you are going to have a successful PPC campaign, you will have to use at least a small list of negative keywords. Using negative keywords effectively is a sure-fire way to refine your keywords and drive QUALITY clicks to your site. Yesterday I performed a search for "wrongful death attorney" on Google. The first PPC result on the right side of the page was an employment attorney who no doubt is bidding on "wrongful termination" terms. As the consumer, looking for a wrongful death attorney how likely is it that I hire an attorney who's site is full of employment law content? Not very likely at all so that's a wasted click and wasted money. Adding "death" as a negative keyword would make sure that his clicks weren't being used up on leads that he has no chance of converting.
Another example - I found an attorney who practices medical malpractice in a search for "legal malpractice houston" on Google. If I click on that ad, I go to a site which is 100% medical malpractice related and dont' see any information about my search for legal malpractice. Again, if the term "Legal" was added to a list of negative keywords it would eliminate these irrelevant clicks.
In this very competitive and expensive SEM game, the more qualified and specific the lead, the better. Use negative keywords effectively to make sure your traffic is worth paying for.

Location, Location, Location...

Its been said many times. Location is everything when it comes to business. Not only where your business is located but also where it is marketed; Billboards, Newspaper, Magazine ads, etc. Its true with Internet Placement as well. Where do you market your law firm? I hope its where people are looking. When people go to Google, Yahoo, Yellowbook.com, FindLaw.com, AVVO.com; can they find you? Let me stress this point, these are people looking for you! They need your expertise. Can they find you?
It would be great if a consumer who needs you hears your radio ad or drives by your billboard at the EXACT time that he needs you, writes down your number and calls you. How often do you think this happens? I think it would be better to be visible when THEY initiate the search. This is what we call "directional advertising." In other words, buyers looking for sellers - NOT sellers looking for buyers.

The Web vs. other forms of advertising...

I met with an attorney last week who is considering upping his advertising budget. He is considering either an AdWords campaign or a billboard. His area of practice is mainly ADR and Mediation but also practices litigation. He mentioned that the billboard that he likes is available at the corner of 59 right where it meets Spur 527 from downtown. He thinks he can get a bargain because its been open for a while. The "bargain" is $1500 a month...
My question was the following, "Sir, would it be more effective to have a billboard where people who are leaving downtown towards 59 who MAY need a Mediation Attorney can see it OR an ad on the two most searched websites on the planet when someone searches for 'mediation Houston' or 'ADR Lawyer?'" Seems like a no-brainer to me.
I'm talking about highly qualified traffic from Google and Yahoo. The only clicks you are going to get are from relevant searches. No billboard, newspaper ad, radio spot or any other form of advertising can provide that level of QUALIFICATION.
Here is the best part - the budget estimate on what his campaign would cost??? $700 a month. His ad would show up all over the country on Google for half the price of the BB on a SPUR 527 and Highway 59.
He's thinking about it...
There is a saying in poker - Think long, think wrong.

Why do you need a website?

I met with an attorney last week and tried to stress the importance of having a website. She interrupted me mid-thought and shared a story with me. She got a call from a referral not too long ago but was in her car and couldn't write down the client's number. The client said, "that's okay, I'll just check out your site." She had to tell him that she didn't have one and she lost his business. Its that simple. What does it say about your law firm and your practice if people who need an attorney can't find you?
She admitted to me that she has put off a site for years even though she bought a domain name and knew that she needed one. We agreed on a 5 page website so that she can refer prospective clients to it for information about her practice areas. Its a shame that she lost that client and maybe others who looked her up on Google and Yahoo but couldn't find any information about her practice.

The Law Office of Jeffrey Wyman

When visiting Jeff’s website, Houston Probate Attorney you will see why it not only shows up well organically but also why it has a great conversion rate. Jeff has had the site for over 4 years and has done a great job of adding new content and keeping the site current.
Jeff and I met recently and discussed how a small, focused PPC campaign could benefit his practice. Most of his bew business is brought into the firm via his website and existing marketing efforts but he agreed that there is more out there. This new PPC campaign focusing on Probate Litigation and Estate Administration will compliment his already impressive organic results on Google and Yahoo.

DID YOU KNOW? Jeff is also a CPA.

Advertising in this economy...

I get objections from prospects every week that include this present economy. "This economy is making it impossible to advertise right now."
Not to brag, I have spent more money this Christmas than ever. I went to Toys R Us the other day to buy a ride-on vehicle for my 2 year old son. Guess what; sold out! That's right, these vehicles range in price from $65-$399. Again, sold out!
This is what I think. People don't stop buying during economic downturns, go to a mall today and see for yourself. People do however, become more selective when making a purchase.
Great! My company offers great products, the best in the industry... So, its up to me. Am I getting out in the field and offering my product to people who need it?
Those businesses that choose to advertise in times like this are the ones that are going to come out ahead in the long run. Check out this article analyzing recessions of the past 80+ years: All Business - investing in a bad economy.
The economy will recover and history shows that those who choose to advertise during rough economic times come out ahead of those who don't.

Free AVVO listings...

Cynthia Henley is well-known and respected among criminal defense attorneys in Houston. She is a solo practitioner so she watches closely what she spends on advertising. Cynthia has a website and has some listings on Internet directories like Lawyers.com and FindLaw.com. Recently, she has received some quality phone calls from her AVVO profile.
She’s thrilled with this of course, as the profile on AVVO is FREE! Cynthia has taken the time to improve her profile by adding information and photos as well as asking clients to fill out reviews. The profile also includes a place for other attorneys to endorse her as well.
Another benefit from the profile on AVVO is the link to her website – Criminal Defense Lawyer Houston. This inbound link from a relevant, highly trafficked site is a good way to get more visits to her site.If you’re a lawyer and you haven’t taken the time to improve your AVVO listing or worse yet, you don’t even have one. It is well worth your time as Cynthia tells me that she has had a handful of good cases from her AVVO listing in the past 6 months.

Specialty site for well-known Houston firm...

JoAnne Musick is not only a respected attorney here in Houston. She is also well versed in the Internet Marketing game. Years ago she played a major role in the development of her existing site, writing content, helping with the layout, etc.
She also had the foresight to buy an extra domain name for a smaller, more specific site in the future. The theory here is this; by having a smaller more specific site you help your relevancy and conversion when someone lands on the site. After buying the URL JoAnne never found the time to do anything with it as she became busy practicing law, imagine that. When I met JoAnne in October she expressed interest in finally building a site with the other domain name. She decided that DUI/DWI cases would be a nice target as their existing site already performs well for Family and Juvenile Law searches.
With the help of specific PPC campaigns on Google and Yahoo targeting only local DUI/DWI searches, we are driving traffic to JoAnne’s new site Houston DWI Attorney. Check it out when you have the opportunity.
DID YOU KNOW? JoAnne graduated from Sam Houston State with a degree in Accounting.

Nicole DeBorde's new SEM campaign

When I met with Nicole she was happy with the amount of DUI cases her site was getting from the search engines. I said, “Great, I want to improve those results by adding a focused SEM campaign targeting searches like, ‘drug Charges defense’ and ‘drug possession attorney’ here in the Houston area. This would allow her to expand her current marketing efforts by giving her exposure on the right side of GOOGLE and Yahoo SERPs.
Her site, Houston Drug Possession Attorney is not only informative but also does a great job of converting the clicks that her SEM campaign attracts. After all, CONVERSION is what it’s all about. Who cares how many clicks you get if nobody contacts you?
Nicole is well-known and has a great reputation here in the Houston legal community. She is a former District Attorney and has appeared numerous times on national news channels including MSNBC and Fox News.

DID YOU KNOW? Nicole is married to another criminal defense attorney here in Houston.