Legal Internet Marketing Blog
When a person in need of legal aid is searching for an attorney to fiercely defend their rights in the face of injustice, the first place he or she will likely visit is the Internet to research and find more information about the legal experts in their area.
As such, bad reviews and an unfavorable online reputation may be the deciding factor in whether or not a potential client calls you. A bad lawyer online review can cause loss of current and prospective clients, and unfortunately, negative information can linger in cyber space for months (or years!) if proper action isn’t taken.
In order to preserve your positive reputation and ensure you do not lose any business due to negative reviews or other reputation teasers, an attorney must proactively maintain his or her online persona.
With this in mind, the following tips can help you promote a solid reputation online and develop a resilient buffer against potential online attacks:
- Share your valuable expertise: Demonstrate your expertise by setting up a personal blog or contributing to other blogs which focus on your legal specialty. This can also help land you on Google search results. By developing a blog that turns into a go-to resource for other legal professionals and folks in need of legal assistance and answers, your odds of gaining new clients can be greatly increased.
- Own your Internet “properties”: Own your domain! If your law firm or private practice already had its own website, leverage it for maximum reputation management by filling it with informative, relevant content about your professional history and experience as well as your educational background. Also, join a lawyer review website, such as Avvo, to more efficiently manage the impact of any negative reviews and add content which can help show your expertise and experience.
- Conduct your own research: Research your own name on Google and other search engines to keep track of how you are appearing in search results. An essential step in preventing the spread of negative stories is staying on top of the news about you online, and innovative online devices, such as creating a Google news alert for your name or your firm name, will help you do just that.
- Always use discretion: Remember that as you proactively defend and manage your online reputation, keep in mind that anything you put online can travel fast, so be discreet when deciding what information you share and use common sense. For example, don’t talk about clients on your blog and try to keep your professional and personal identities separate.
In the vast sea of the World Wide Web, managing your online reputation and law firm branding may seem like an overwhelming task. However, with the help of the Internet attorney marketing professionals of SLS Consulting, we can help maintain your favorable online standing and ensure that negative reviews do not haunt you for the rest of your professional career. Please call (323) 254-1510 to see how our exceptional marketing team can take your business to new heights!