It’s hard to believe that 2010 is almost over. While some can’t wait for this year to be a thing of the past, others may still be relishing in goals achieved and reflecting on lessons learned. No matter where you stand, in the world of Legal Internet marketing, 2011 should be an exciting year and there is much to look forward to. Here are some predictions for Legal Internet marketing for 2011!

1. Social Media Dominance – Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn will only continue to grow in popularity, become more user-friendly, and advance in what features are offered. If you have to ask yourself what these sites are, then 2011 should be your year of trying out the many benefits provided by various aspects of these social media platforms.

2. Relevant Information Prevails – Make 2011 the year that information that is actually helpful to visitors makes it to your website, blog, and social media accounts. Take pride in your online image and invest some time into either writing for these sites or discussing what your personal goals are with your Legal Internet marketing consultant.

3. Google’s Evolution Will Continue – Many law firms and various other businesses were struck by Google’s new integration of “local” or “places” into search results within traditional organic listings. Be aware that Google will continue to pull back the curtain to reveal even more updates and introduce even more new tools to aid in your Internet marketing endeavors.

4. Emergence of Cost Saving Strategies – With so many free and easily accessible legal directories and online platforms out there, it can be difficult to know which ones are capable of actually helping your online reputation and presence. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to be on the first page of search engines. There are options you can explore with your Internet marketing specialist to ensure that an effective and balanced marketing plan is constructed and carried out that won’t cost you a fortune.

5. Time Will Pass By Even Faster – If this last prediction for 2011 evokes any feelings of anxiety, it’s not meant to! Instead, make each day count, and you’ll stay on top of your game. You may not be able to do everything at once, nor will you get everything done that you need to in one day, but as long as you are doing all you can and pushing yourself to accomplish your goals, it will be worth it and you will be successful.

Have a safe and wonderful New Year!

Okay, so maybe drawing a comparison between Santa Claus and Google is a little bit of a stretch, but there are far too many businesses and private practitioners out there who believe that they can get away with black-hat SEO (search engine optimization) in order to increase their search engine rankings faster. And even if your website rankings were to increase due to unethical techniques, your claim to fame won’t last long. After all, Google sees you when you’re sleeping…

Using unethical Internet marketing strategies doesn’t benefit anyone. While the idea of surpassing your competitors and being on the first page of search engines could definitely be considered the best Christmas gift of all to some, the consequences of having your website removed from a search engine index, also known as “delisting,” or otherwise being penalized by Google just isn’t worth it. Also, what would your clients think if they discovered that you had reached the top by cutting corners?

Another unethical technique that some people will use on their website is cloaking. This is when a website is presented in two different forms: one version of content that the user sees, and a different version of content that the search engine sees. And how do the search engines “see”? An automated program, most often referred to as a “spider,” indexes websites on the Internet after being sent out by search engines.

A website can also be penalized for appearing as spam when one or more keyword or keyword phrases are used or repeated within meta tags or web page content that the search engines determine to be excessive. An Internet marketing consultant should be able to help you establish the proper balance and mixture of keywords and keyword phrases so your site doesn’t get penalized.

Some individuals also succumb to using link farms, which are web pages designed to only receive incoming links. This can be viewed as spam by the search engines and can even cause your site to be banned.

Now that you’re more familiar with what’s on Google’s “bad” list, make sure you get on the “good” side of the scroll.

Happy Holidays from SLS Consulting!

Susan L. Sipe

Or better yet, will you?

There is bound to be a lot on your mind this time of year while balancing work, family, planning for the holidays, and preparing your business for what lies in store for 2011. Let’s just face one painful, yet liberating, truth – we can’t do everything all at once. We can, however, entrust some responsibility in others to help us successfully accomplish what needs to be done as we take things in stride, one step at a time. While your Internet marketing plan may not be at the top of your list of priorities, shouldn’t it be on someone’s?

You can’t expect to manage your entire Internet marketing campaign while you run in and out of court and spend hours on end meeting with clients. In a perfect world? Maybe. But you also can’t afford to ignore all the benefits that Internet marketing has to offer. So where do you draw the line between what you can honestly expect yourself to complete and what you can trust someone else to do for you?

A solid legal Internet marketing plan does not rely on one thing. There are many factors that go into achieving the results you want. Legal Internet marketing plans are constructed to highlight your firm’s strengths while also focusing on capturing the right visual and written message for visitors to your website, social networking profiles, and blog. And there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that you don’t see. For example, web designers dedicate weeks to constructing a flawless web site with the proper code that matches keywords and keyword phrases that you want to rank well for on the search engines while also incorporating the right web design.

You may not be able to get the online search results that you want when you want them; however, there is plenty that you can assist your Internet marketing consultant with so that you are a part of the process and so that goals are not just met, but exceeded.

It may not always be easy to let go of controlling some aspects of your Internet marketing efforts, but it may be necessary in order for you to continue helping the clients you have and so that you don’t miss out on new clients in the future.

If you have read our blog before, then you know we’re all for social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, among others. However, it’s important for attorneys and plaintiffs to remember that while these sites offer certain privacy settings, data can still be accessed for a personal injury or criminal defense case. Most attorneys understand the potential complications that information on these sites can pose during court proceedings, so this may not be news to you. Nevertheless, the common misconceptions that information on these sites is completely private, that your client is too old to use these sites, or doesn’t have a social profile are still prevalent.

Social networking sites are not only for teenagers and young adults. More and more adults are now tweeting and posting on their Facebook “wall.” With the evolution of the Internet, information can be shared in a matter of seconds, with a simple click, and through various written, audio, and video forms. Social networking sites make it easier for people to share what’s going on in their lives. But does your client know the potential consequences of sharing or posting information – even if they believe it to be “private” – about their lawsuit on these sites?

One solution to this potential problem is to keep informed about what social networking sites are doing to their privacy settings. What is the most important thing you can do? Communicate. Talk to your client and make sure they understand the importance of confidentiality and trust. You’re not going to post information about their pending lawsuit on your Facebook wall, and neither should they.

According to a Trial article, MySpace and Twitter caution users in online agreements that the companies may have to share user information in order to comply with the law. Facebook has stated similarly that it may share information if asked to do so following being issued a subpoena. So even if your client has set their privacy settings so that only their “friends” or “friends of friends” can view their personal profile, this information ultimately is not private in the legal world as courts are starting to examine the possible ways in which this information can be accessed.

Before you panic and think that you need to delete all of your social networking profiles, remember that these platforms still serve an important purpose. They are a way for you to stay connected to people in your life and they do play a role in your legal Internet marketing efforts. The key is to make sure that you (and most importantly, your client) are not posting or sharing anything that you wouldn’t want the rest of the legal world to see.

Sipe & Associates, Inc., d.b.a. SLS Consulting, is pleased to announce being ranked in Lead411’s Technology 500 List for 2010. The list was released on Lead411’s blog on December 1 and is comprised of the renowned company’s final rankings of the fastest growing tech businesses in the United States. In offering corporate information, company news and awards for up-and-coming businesses, as well as providing alerts and people data relating to companies throughout the U.S., Lead411 has honored SLS Consulting by recognizing the Legal Internet Marketing firm as a company that stays on top of trends in the technology industry.

Lead411’s CEO Tom Blume states, “We started this list in order to track and recognize the fastest growing tech startups.” The Lead411 Technology 500 list contains privately held companies that obtained at least $1 million in revenue in 2009 within the software, Internet, media, wireless, hardware, telecom, IT services, eCommerce, and consulting industries. According to Lead411, the Technology 500 was created to honor the companies “who are doing it right” in the arenas of products and services, marketing, and employment.

As a relatively small, but respected boutique Legal Internet Marketing consulting group, SLS Consulting is able to provide its clients with the one-on-one attention that they need to achieve online results that last. Each SLS client receives custom websites with unique content and design that reflects their law firm’s personality, conveying an unforgettable message to online visitors. And this is only the beginning of what SLS has to offer.

In being recognized as one of the top 500 fastest growing tech companies, SLS Consulting is honored to be included in Lead411’s list, excited about what the results for 2010 hold, and looking forward to a new year in 2011!