Tips for Google SEO Success in 2024

Tips for Google SEO Success in 2024

2023 was another year where SEOs had to fight against a wave of core updates from Google, an influx of AI-generated content (and trying to get it to rank), and Bard being launched, which looks set to change the way users interact and navigate with Google.

But with these changes coming into action, what Google have continued to emphasise is that using the E-E-A-T principle by combining experience and expertise in your content, this will build authority and trust with both Google and your readers.

SEO remains a powerful thing in 2024, and marketers must continue to adapt, whilst not forgetting trusted old practices to achieve ranking success. 

In this article, we will give you practical tips to put you in the strongest of positions as we head further into 2024.

1. Create Quality Content

This one should be a given, as it has long been part of any successful SEO strategy. 

But what should be remembered is that users have shorter attention spans. This will obviously depend on the topic of your content, but try your best to keep it short, snappy and straight to the point. 

This obviously will have some exceptions for technical content, but as a general rule assume the audience is time-poor and wants instant answers. 

This means that content should be targeted with incorporated researched keywords, whilst applying the aforementioned E-E-A-T principles. 

Elsewhere, and from a technical standpoint, make sure you do the basics right. Keep it structured with appropriate headings for each section, keep meta information consistent and accurate to the page and wider website and ensure images are appropriately formatted.

2. The Mobile Experience

In the past it was overlooked, but nowadays you simply cannot have poor mobile accessibility. 

A recent study found that 60% of global traffic comes from mobile devices, meaning that potentially more than half the visitors to your website will only experience it in the mobile form. 

Tips to help you achieve mobile success include streamlining navigation and maintaining a tidy user interface. 

You should also go for minimalist, but also high-quality images that don’t compromise on speed or visibility. 

Also, pay attention to the size and placement of your call-to-action buttons, and consider featuring your most crucial content right at the top of the page.

3. Keep Web Speed Fast

As we have already established, people are getting less patient (TikTok’s fault), and the combination of slow pages and conditioned technology users will always result in navigation away from your page.

To combat this, simple things can be done to speed up those loading speeds. 

Images play a big role in this, with heavy PNG files causing disruptions. Going for web-friendly JPEG files will still appear quality on the screen without causing any traffic jams. 

To go a step further, consult a web development team to streamline your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, removing any unnecessary characters that slow down your website.

4. Start Local and Grow

The first place people go to now to find local amenities that they need is Google. 

Local SEO for most small to medium businesses is crucial as the foundations to build on, and should be the core part to any SEO strategy.

To begin this process, start or optimise if you already have by listing your business in local directories and listings. 

Integrate localised keywords into your content, and most importantly, claim and regularly update your Google My Business listing with essential information like operating hours, location, and services. 

This ensures that your business shines prominently in Google Maps searches.

Bonus (Not So Secret) Tip: Always Monitor and React

Building a successful SEO strategy doesn’t happen overnight, but overlooking it can cause a decline. 

Achieving success in search engine results is more like a marathon than a sprint. It requires a comprehensive, long-term approach that needs continuous evaluation. 

Regularly check tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to assess your progress and make adjustments based on data. 

Consistent analysis and timely revisions are your key ingredients in navigating the ever-changing landscape of SEO.

The SME Guide to SEO Strategy in 2023

The SME Guide to SEO Strategy in 2023

2023 is painting a fresh canvas for SEO, the hues and textures evolving with each new development in technology and algorithmic subtleties. The steady pulse of Google’s algorithmic alterations has long been our metronome, allowing us to harmonise our strategies, adjust our approaches, and assay the weight of ranking factors.

Challenger brands, strapped for cash, are obligated to conduct a diligent reconnoitre, judiciously allocating effort and budget to areas offering optimal returns.

As we breach the frontiers of 2023, where should we pivot our focus? What transformations has the landscape undergone with the advent of consumer-accessible AI tech, exemplified by ChatGPT (a nod here was inescapable) and the explosion of AI assissted marketing tools.

Delve into the ‘Matrix of SEO Importance’ for 2023. No, this isn’t a nostalgia trip to the halcyon days of the ’90s or a dive into intertwined conspiracy theories linking The Matrix and The Terminator.

Instead, it’s an inventory of critical SEO components and the attention they warrant in your strategy.

The Matrix of SEO Importance in 2023

SEO Element Importance Time Investment
 E.E.A.T. (Experience. Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) High Medium
 Authority Building and Influencer Engagement High Low to Medium
 Quality Content Creation High High
 Pillar Page Development Medium High
 Digital PR and Link Building Medium High
 On-Page Optimisation (Headings, Meta Information, etc) Low to Medium Low to Medium
 Technical SEO (Page Speed, Mobile-Friendliness etc) Low to Medium Low to Medium
 Local SEO (Google My Business, Reviews etc) Low to Medium Low to Medium
 Rich Media Creation Low High

Massive Caveat – We are assuming here that fundamentally the technical side of your website has been reviewed, is in a good place with regular checks and updates. We are also making the assumption that your rankings are generally on the up, not in decline.

What is E-E-A-T and why is this important in an SME Search Engine Optimisation strategy in 2023?

E-E-A-T. or Double-E-A-T  (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is a concept that was first introduced by Google in its Quality Raters’ Guidelines (now search rater guidelines. All 176 pages are here for any insomniacs). It refers to the level of experience. expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of a website and its content. Google harnesses E.E.A.T. as a yardstick to assess a website’s quality and its potential to clinch a higher SERP ranking.

In December 2022, whilst we were all enjoying Christmas parties Google snuck in an extra E: experience. This is “experience” in reference to “…demonstrating first-hand life experience on the topic…”. So for example, this might a video or images with hands-on product experience, so the sourcing and linking of a dedicated expert on a topic or discussion point. For smaller marketing budgets this represents an opportunity to be creative with your content and the blog posts, reviews and rich media that you place on your website.

To help improve the E.E.A.T. of your website you should:

  1. Create high-quality, informative content that is well-written and accurate. This will demonstrate expertise and trustworthiness to potential customers.
  2. Ensure that your website is well-designed and easy to navigate. This will improve the overall user experience and make it easier for users to find the information they need.
  3. Include a clear author byline and a list of authors on your website, if applicable. This will help establish authoritativeness and credibility.
  4. Include links to credible sources to support your claims. This will help demonstrate expertise and trustworthiness.
  5. Have a clear “About” page that provides information about your business and the people behind it. This will help establish trustworthiness and provide users with a better understanding of your company and its values.

Also, be mindful of the fresh ‘E’ for experience when generating content. This means demonstrating that your content is brewed with a degree of experience, such as actual use of a product or having visited a location. For instance, if you’re a small business retailing products, consider weaving in real customer reviews, video testimonials, or case studies showcasing the experience with your products.

For further reading and a decent guide on this subject check out this guide

Embracing the Power of AI

With the rise of AI technologies like ChatGPT and Google Bard, SEO is changing.

Tools like Google’s RankBrain use machine learning to understand search queries, providing a more nuanced and human approach to search. This shift is not just about optimising for bots anymore.

Instead, it’s about creating content that truly resonates with your audience. Context is king, and the reign of keyword-stuffing is over.

In this era of AI, the focus has shifted towards crafting engaging, relevant, and user-centric content. The key here is to view AI as a tool, not a replacement for human creativity.

It can help draft copy, design graphics, and even create videos. But at the end of the day, human creativity and strategic thinking are irreplaceable. The goal is to leverage AI, allowing us to spend more time on creative, strategic endeavours and less time on laborious tasks.

Link Building Strategies: The Art of Connection

Link building has always been an integral part of SEO, and that isn’t changing anytime soon. But what does change, however, are the best practices that ensure effective link-building. Gone are the days of mass link exchanges and buying links.

In 2023, it’s all about quality, relevance, and authenticity.

Building a strong backlink profile requires nurturing relationships with authoritative websites within your niche. Consider guest posting or partnering for webinars and virtual events. And remember, always make sure the content you’re offering provides genuine value.

It’s also worth noting that internal linking is a key aspect of link building. It enhances the user experience, guiding visitors through your site and spotlighting your best content.

It’s also crucial to remember that link-building is not a quick fix; it’s a long-term strategy. According to Ahrefs, it can take up to 10 weeks to see an effect from a single backlink. Patience, persistence, and ongoing commitment are key.

Talk to us about how we use Traditional and Digital PR campaigns to drive relevant links. 

Local SEO: Thriving on your own back doorstep

If you’re an SME serving a local clientele, then local SEO should be high on your priority list. Focusing on local SEO can help you compete with larger brands by targeting the community you serve.

Firstly, ensure your business is listed accurately and consistently in online directories, especially on Google My Business (GMB). Include high-quality photos, positive customer reviews, and make sure to regularly update your information.

According to BrightLocal, 5 billion searches are performed on Google every day, and 46% of those are seeking local information.

Consider incorporating local keywords into your SEO strategy, too. Keywords related to your location (such as the name of the town or city) can help to attract local customers. Similarly, creating locally-focused content can improve your visibility in local search results.

Technical SEO: The Engine Behind Your Success

Technical SEO might not be the most glamorous part of your SEO strategy, but it’s the backbone that holds everything else together. Without it, all the keyword research, content creation, and link building in the world won’t help your site rank.

In 2023, site speed, mobile optimisation, and secure browsing (HTTPS) remain vital aspects of technical SEO.

A recent Google study found that 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if a page takes longer than three seconds to load. Therefore, improving your site’s load time is essential.

Additionally, with Core Web Vitals now a part of Google’s algorithm, aspects like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) are more crucial than ever.

Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to check your website’s performance and find areas for improvement.

Remember, technical SEO isn’t a one-off task, but an ongoing process. Regular audits can help you identify and fix issues before they start to affect your site’s performance or rankings.

The Power of Content Marketing for Law Firms

The Power of Content Marketing for Law Firms

As the legal industry becomes increasingly competitive, law firms are searching for ways to differentiate themselves and attract more clients. 

One effective strategy is content marketing, which involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a defined audience. By providing helpful information and insights, law firms can establish themselves as thought leaders in their field and build trust with potential clients.

In this blog post, we will explore the power of content marketing for law firms, including why it’s important, how it can benefit your firm and best practices for creating a successful content marketing strategy. Whether you’re just starting out with content marketing or looking to improve your existing efforts, this post will provide valuable insights to help you succeed.

1. Building Trust and Authority Through Content Marketing

For law firms, building trust and authority is essential in order to attract and retain clients. 

One effective way to accomplish this is through content marketing. By creating informative and valuable content that addresses the legal needs and interests of your target audience, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your field and build a reputation as a trustworthy and reliable source of legal information.

To build trust and authority through content marketing, it’s important to focus on the needs and concerns of your target audience. This can involve creating blog posts, articles, videos, and other content that addresses common legal questions and issues. 

Additionally, your content should reflect your law firm’s unique personality and brand values, so that potential clients can get a sense of who you are and what you stand for.

In addition to creating great content, it’s important to distribute it effectively. This can involve using social media, email marketing, and other tactics to promote your content and reach a wider audience. 

By using a strategic approach to content distribution, you can increase your reach and build trust and authority with your target audience.

Slater and Gordon’s YouTube channel is an excellent example of how law firms can use video content to connect with their target audience and build trust and authority. The channel features a wide range of videos on various legal topics, including personal injury, medical negligence, and employment law.

One particularly effective type of video content that Slater and Gordon creates is client testimonials. These videos feature interviews with clients who have successfully used the firm’s services to resolve their legal issues. 

By sharing real-life stories of how they have helped clients achieve positive outcomes, Slater and Gordon has been able to establish themselves as a leading provider of legal services in their areas of focus.

In addition to client testimonials, they also create informative videos that explain legal concepts and processes in a clear and accessible way. For example, they have videos that provide guidance on what to do after a car accident, how to make a personal injury claim, and what to expect during an employment tribunal.

By using video content to engage with their target audience, Slater and Gordon has been able to build trust and authority as a leading provider of legal services in their areas of focus. 

Their YouTube channel has become a valuable resource for people seeking legal advice and information, and has helped them to establish themselves as a trustworthy and reliable source of legal information.

2. Establishing Your Law Firm as a Thought Leader in the Industry

Positioning your law firm as a leading authority in the industry through thought leadership. can be a powerful tool to differentiate your firm and stand out from the competition. 

Being recognised as an authority in your area of practice can help you attract and retain clients, improve your reputation and credibility, and ultimately grow your business.

To become a thought leader, you need to focus on building expertise in your area of practice and sharing your knowledge and insights with others. 

This can be achieved through a variety of channels, including publishing articles and whitepapers, speaking at conferences and events, hosting webinars and podcasts, and engaging with your audience on social media.

One effective way to establish thought leadership is to identify and capitalise on industry trends and hot topics. By staying up-to-date on emerging issues and trends, and sharing your thoughts and opinions on them, you can position yourself as a go-to resource for your clients and peers. 

This can also help you anticipate and adapt to changes in the industry, ensuring that your firm stays ahead of the curve.

Mishcon de Reya is a London-based law firm that has built a strong reputation for its expertise in litigation and dispute resolution. 

The firm has been able to establish itself as a thought leader in the industry by taking a proactive approach to sharing its expertise with others. 

It regularly publishes articles and thought leadership pieces on its website and in industry publications, providing insights and analysis on a range of legal topics.

In addition to its thought leadership content, Mishcon de Reya has also been active in speaking at conferences and events, and hosting webinars and podcasts. 

By engaging with audiences in a variety of formats, the firm has been able to expand its reach and build a loyal following of clients and peers who value its insights and expertise.

Another key aspect of thought leadership is building a strong personal brand. This involves creating a consistent and recognisable image that reflects your expertise, values, and personality. 

By building a strong personal brand, you can enhance your credibility and visibility, and create a loyal following of clients and fans who trust and admire you.

3. How to Create Effective Content for Your Law Firm

Creating effective content is an essential part of building a successful law firm marketing strategy. 

Content that resonates with your target audience can help you attract and retain clients, establish your firm as a thought leader in the industry, and ultimately grow your business. 

Here are some tips and best practices for creating effective content for your law firm:

  1. Understand your audience. The first step in creating effective content is understanding your audience. Who are your ideal clients? What are their pain points and challenges? What type of content do they find most valuable? By answering these questions, you can tailor your content to address the specific needs and interests of your target audience.
  2. Focus on quality over quantity. While it’s important to create content on a regular basis, it’s even more important to ensure that your content is high-quality and valuable. Avoid creating content just for the sake of creating content. Instead, focus on providing real value to your audience with insights and perspectives that they can’t find elsewhere.
  3. Be consistent. Consistency is key when it comes to creating effective content. Establish a regular publishing schedule and stick to it. This can help you build momentum and keep your audience engaged over time.
  4. Mix up your content formats. Variety is important when it comes to creating effective content. Don’t just rely on written blog posts. Experiment with different formats such as videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media posts to keep your content fresh and engaging.
  5. Optimise for search. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is important for ensuring that your content is discoverable by your target audience. Research keywords and phrases that your audience is searching for, and incorporate them into your content in a natural and meaningful way.
  6. Promote your content. Creating great content is only half the battle. You also need to promote your content effectively to ensure that it reaches your target audience. Share your content on social media, in email newsletters, and through other channels to maximise its reach and impact.

By following these tips and best practices, you can create effective content that resonates with your audience and helps you achieve your marketing goals. 

Remember to stay focused on providing real value to your audience, and to be consistent and strategic in your approach to content creation and promotion.

4. Using SEO to Optimise Your Law Firm’s Content Marketing Strategy

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a critical component of any law firm’s content marketing strategy. By optimising your content for search engines, you can increase your visibility and attract more potential clients to your website. 

To do this, the first step is to research relevant keywords and phrases. Identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for, and incorporate them into your content in a natural and meaningful way. 

By doing so, you can increase the chances of your content showing up in search engine results for those keywords.

Once you have identified your target keywords, it’s important to optimise your content accordingly. This includes incorporating your target keywords into your headlines, subheadings, and body copy, as well as optimising your meta descriptions and title tags. 

Meta descriptions and title tags are important because they provide a brief summary of what your content is about and are often the first thing that users see in search engine results. 

By optimising these elements, you can increase the likelihood that users will click through to your website.

While SEO is important, it’s equally important to focus on creating high-quality content that provides real value to your target audience. 

Avoid keyword stuffing and other black-hat SEO tactics that can hurt your credibility and reputation. Instead, focus on creating content that answers your target audience’s questions, provides valuable insights, and establishes your law firm as a thought leader in your industry.

Backlinks are a key factor in determining your website’s authority and ranking in search engine results. 

Focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources to boost your website’s authority and visibility. 

This can be done by creating guest blog posts for other websites, participating in online forums and communities, and building relationships with other industry thought leaders.

If your law firm primarily serves clients in a specific geographic area, it’s important to optimise your content for local search. 

This includes incorporating location-specific keywords into your content, as well as creating local business listings on platforms like Google My Business. By doing so, you can increase the visibility of your law firm to potential clients in your local area.

By incorporating these SEO best practices into your law firm’s content marketing strategy, you can improve your website’s visibility and attract more potential clients to your business. 

Remember to focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that resonates with your target audience, and to stay up-to-date on the latest SEO trends and best practices to stay ahead of the competition.

5. Leveraging Social Media to Amplify Your Law Firm’s Reach

Social media platforms offer a powerful way to amplify your law firm’s reach and connect with potential clients. 

By leveraging social media effectively, you can increase your visibility, establish your law firm as a thought leader in your industry, and drive more traffic to your website. 

Here are some tips for leveraging social media to amplify your law firm’s reach:

  1. Choose the right platforms. There are many social media platforms available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. To leverage social media effectively, you need to choose the right platforms for your law firm. Consider your target audience and which platforms they are most active on. For example, if your law firm primarily serves business clients, LinkedIn may be a more effective platform than Instagram.
  2. Create high-quality content. To engage your social media followers and attract new ones, it’s important to create high-quality content that provides real value. This could include blog posts, infographics, videos, and other types of content that are relevant to your target audience. By creating content that resonates with your followers, you can increase engagement and build a loyal following.
  3. Engage with your followers. Social media is a two-way conversation, so it’s important to engage with your followers and respond to their comments and questions. This can help to build trust and establish your law firm as a credible and approachable authority in your industry. Additionally, engaging with your followers can help to increase the reach of your social media posts by encouraging shares and likes.
  4. Measure your results. Like any marketing strategy, it’s important to measure the results of your social media efforts. Use social media analytics tools to track engagement, reach, and other metrics, and use this information to optimise your social media strategy over time.

By leveraging social media effectively, you can amplify your law firm’s reach and connect with potential clients in a powerful way. 

Remember to focus on creating high-quality content, engaging with your followers, and using the right platforms and tools to achieve your goals. With the right strategy, social media can be a powerful tool for growing your law firm’s business.

6. Measuring the Success of Your Law Firm’s Content Marketing Efforts

Measuring the success of your law firm’s content marketing efforts is critical for optimising your strategy and ensuring that you’re getting the best possible results from your investment.

Here are some key metrics to track when measuring the success of your law firm’s content marketing efforts:

  1. Website traffic: One of the most important metrics to track is your law firm’s website traffic. By monitoring how many people are visiting your website and which pages they’re spending the most time on, you can get a sense of how effective your content is at attracting and engaging potential clients. Additionally, you can track how website traffic changes over time and correlate those changes with specific content marketing campaigns.
  2. Conversion rates: Another key metric to track is your law firm’s conversion rates. This could include how many people fill out a contact form or sign up for a newsletter after visiting your website. By tracking conversion rates, you can get a sense of how effective your content is at driving potential clients to take specific actions.
  3. Social media engagement: Social media platforms offer a powerful way to distribute your law firm’s content and connect with potential clients. By tracking social media engagement metrics, such as likes, shares, and comments, you can get a sense of how well your content is resonating with your target audience. Additionally, you can track changes in social media engagement over time and correlate those changes with specific content marketing campaigns.
  4. Search engine rankings: Search engine optimisation (SEO) is critical for ensuring that your law firm’s content is discoverable by potential clients. By tracking your law firm’s search engine rankings for relevant keywords, you can get a sense of how effective your content is at driving organic traffic to your website. Additionally, you can track changes in search engine rankings over time and correlate those changes with specific content marketing campaigns.
  5. Return on investment (ROI): Ultimately, the success of your law firm’s content marketing efforts will be determined by the ROI you achieve. By tracking the costs associated with creating and promoting your content and comparing them to the revenue generated by new clients, you can get a sense of the ROI of your content marketing efforts. Additionally, you can compare the ROI of different content marketing campaigns to identify which ones are most effective at driving new business.


    Key Takeaways

    • Content marketing can help law firms differentiate themselves and attract more clients.
    • Building trust and authority through content marketing involves creating valuable content that addresses the legal needs and interests of your target audience, reflecting your law firm’s personality and brand values, and distributing your content effectively.
    • Using video content, such as client testimonials and informative videos, can be an effective way to engage with your target audience and build trust and authority.
    • Establishing your law firm as a thought leader in the industry involves building expertise in your area of practice and sharing your knowledge and insights with others through various channels, such as publishing articles, speaking at events, hosting webinars and podcasts, and engaging on social media.
    • To create effective content for your law firm, it’s important to understand your audience, tailor your content to their needs and interests, use a variety of formats, such as articles, videos, and social media posts, and focus on quality over quantity.
    • It’s also important to track your content marketing efforts, analyse your results, and make adjustments as needed to optimise your strategy.


    Feeling Inspired?

    Take your law firm to new heights! It’s time to revamp your marketing strategy and set yourself apart in the crowded industry. Let’s make it a reality. Email us and let’s chat about unleashing your full potential!

Building a Strong Online Reputation for Your Law Firm

Building a Strong Online Reputation for Your Law Firm

As a law firm, you understand the importance of credibility, trust, and reputation in your industry. These factors are even more critical in the digital age, where potential clients are likely to research your firm online before engaging in your services.

Establishing and maintaining a strong online reputation can help you showcase your expertise, build trust with potential clients, and ultimately grow your business. However, it takes more than just a great website to stand out in the competitive legal landscape.

In this blog, we’ll explore various strategies for building a strong online reputation for your law firm, from leveraging social media and SEO to reputation management and ethical conduct. With these tips, you can position your law firm for success in the digital age and beyond.

Understanding the Importance of Online Reputation for Law Firms

Cartoon people working on graphs and phones

In today’s digital society, a law firm’s online reputation is an essential component of its overall reputation. It can shape the perception of the firm and influence potential clients’ decisions to engage in the firm’s services.

A positive online reputation can also help build trust between the law firm and its clients. By showcasing positive reviews and testimonials, a law firm can demonstrate to potential clients that it has a track record of success and satisfied clients. This can give potential clients the confidence to engage the law firm, knowing that they are working with a trusted and experienced team of legal professionals.

On the other hand, a negative online reputation can be damaging to a law firm’s credibility and ability to attract new clients. Negative reviews or comments can create a perception of poor service or a lack of expertise, which can turn potential clients away from the firm.

Law firms need to take an active role in managing their online reputation. This can involve monitoring social media channels and review sites for comments and reviews, responding to feedback in a timely and professional manner, and proactively seeking out positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied clients. 

Leveraging Social Media to Strengthen Your Law Firm’s Reputation

Cartoon people surrounded by graphs

Social media has become a crucial tool for businesses to connect with their clients and potential customers, and law firms are no exception. By leveraging social media, law firms can strengthen their reputation and build a loyal following. 

One of the primary benefits of social media for law firms is the ability to establish thought leadership. By creating and sharing high-quality content, such as blog posts or infographics, law firms can position themselves as experts in their field and gain the trust of their followers. This can lead to increased engagement, with followers more likely to share and comment on the firm’s posts, amplifying their message even further.

Social media for law firms is the ability to engage with clients and potential clients in a more personal way. By responding to comments and messages promptly, law firms can demonstrate their commitment to excellent customer service and build strong relationships with their followers. Social media also provides a platform for law firms to share news and updates about the firm, such as new hires, awards or notable case wins, further enhancing their reputation and showcasing their expertise.

Clifford Chance is a law firm that has been using social media to its advantage in recent years. They understand the importance of establishing a strong online presence and have done so by creating engaging and informative content across various social media platforms. On their LinkedIn page, they frequently share updates about their practice areas and recent achievements, while also providing insights into current legal trends and news. They also use Twitter to share their thought leadership content, as well as to engage with their followers and other legal professionals. 

Clifford Chance’s Instagram account (with over 16k followers) showcases its corporate social responsibility initiatives and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. By utilising social media in these ways, Clifford Chance has been able to connect with a wider audience, establish their thought leadership, and showcase their values as a firm.

In addition to engaging with clients and sharing thought leadership content, social media can also be used for targeted advertising. Law firms can use social media platforms to run highly targeted ads to specific demographics or industries, ensuring their message reaches the right people. This can be particularly effective for attracting new clients or promoting specific practice areas.

Here are a few ways to leverage social media to strengthen your law firm’s reputation:

  • Share valuable content. Law firms can use social media to share informative and educational content that showcases their expertise and thought leadership. This can include blog posts, infographics, videos, and case studies. By providing valuable content, law firms can position themselves as a trusted source of information and build their reputation as an authority in their field.

 

  • Engage with followers. Law firms can use social media to engage with their followers and respond to their questions and comments promptly. This can help to build trust and foster a sense of community around the law firm’s brand. By demonstrating a commitment to excellent customer service, law firms can enhance their reputation and differentiate themselves from their competitors.

 

  • Highlight client successes. Law firms can use social media to highlight their clients’ successes and share testimonials and case studies that showcase their expertise and track record. This can help to build credibility and trust with potential clients and demonstrate the law firm’s ability to achieve successful outcomes.

 

  • Participate in online discussions. Law firms can participate in online discussions and join relevant groups and communities on social media platforms. By sharing their insights and expertise, law firms can build relationships with potential clients and other professionals in their industry. This can help to enhance their reputation and position them as thought leaders in their field.

Leveraging social media can be a powerful tool for law firms to strengthen their reputation. By sharing valuable content, engaging with followers, highlighting client successes, and participating in online discussions, law firms can position themselves as thought leaders and trusted experts in their field. These efforts can help to build credibility, trust, and a sense of community around the law firm’s brand, ultimately leading to increased visibility and new business opportunities.

Collaborating with Clients and Colleagues to Build a Strong Online Reputation

People with letters (cartoon)

Building a strong online reputation isn’t a solo venture; it takes collaboration with clients and colleagues to truly make an impact. 

One way to do this is by encouraging satisfied clients to leave reviews on popular review sites like Yelp or Google Reviews. These reviews can help to build trust and credibility with potential clients, and also provide valuable feedback for the law firm to improve upon.

Another way to collaborate with clients is by showcasing their successes on social media. This can include highlighting their achievements in case studies, sharing testimonials, or even creating video content that showcases the client’s experience working with the law firm.

By collaborating with clients in this way, law firms can build stronger relationships and tangibly demonstrate their expertise.

Pinsent Masons is a prime example of a law firm that has successfully leveraged social media to build its brand and connect with clients. Their social media strategy focuses on providing high-quality, industry-relevant content that showcases their expertise and promotes engagement with their followers. Through regular updates on LinkedIn and Twitter, they share thought leadership articles, insights, and event announcements that keep their followers informed and engaged. 

Additionally, Pinsent Masons use social media to showcase their corporate social responsibility initiatives and highlight their commitment to diversity and inclusion. By actively engaging with its audience and creating valuable content, Pinsent Masons have built a strong online reputation that reflects its status as a leading international law firm.

Internally, law firms can collaborate with colleagues to develop a cohesive brand message across all online platforms. This can include developing a social media strategy that highlights the firm’s unique value proposition and expertise or creating a unified brand identity across all online properties. By collaborating with colleagues in this way, law firms can build a strong online presence that truly sets them apart from the competition.

There are many ways to collaborate with clients and colleagues to build a strong online reputation, such as: 

  • Create a podcast or video series. Collaborate with clients or colleagues to create a podcast or video series where you discuss industry trends, share your expertise, and interview other professionals. This can help to build your reputation as a thought leader in your field and create a sense of community around your brand.

 

  • Host webinars. Collaborate with clients or colleagues to host webinars on topics related to your industry. This can help to showcase your expertise and build trust with potential clients.

 

  • Write guest blog posts. Collaborate with colleagues or clients to write guest blog posts for each other’s websites. This can help to expand your reach and build your reputation as an authority in your field.

 

  • Offer workshops or training sessions. Collaborate with colleagues or clients to offer workshops or training sessions on topics related to your industry. This can help to position your brand as a valuable resource for other professionals.

 

  • Participate in industry events. Collaborate with clients or colleagues to participate in industry events, such as conferences or trade shows. This can help to build your network and enhance your reputation within your industry.

 

By implementing these tactics, your law firm will be able to establish a strong online presence, showcase your expertise, and build trust with potential clients and colleagues. This can ultimately lead to increased visibility, credibility, and business opportunities for your firm.

Maximising SEO to Improve Your Law Firm’s Online Reputation

Jigsaw, cartoon people

Maximising SEO efforts for your law firm can be a daunting task, but it is essential to establish a strong online presence and reputation. 

Conducting thorough keyword research is the first step in optimising your website and online content for search engines. This research involves identifying the specific keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for when looking for legal services. Once you have identified these keywords, you can strategically incorporate them into your website’s content, including page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body text.

In addition to keyword research, other strategies can help maximise your law firm’s SEO efforts. These include creating high-quality, relevant content that is optimised for search engines. This content should be informative and engaging, providing your potential clients with valuable insights and advice related to your area of practice. By creating content that is both informative and optimised for search engines, you can increase your website’s visibility and attract more potential clients.

To further maximise your SEO efforts, you can also consider utilising local SEO strategies. This involves targeting specific geographic areas and including location-specific keywords and phrases in your website’s content. By doing so, you can improve your law firm’s visibility for local search queries and attract more potential clients from your surrounding area.

There are several ways to maximise SEO to improve a law firm’s online reputation, here are some suggestions:

  • Optimise your website. Your law firm’s website should be easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and optimised for speed. This can help to improve your website’s user experience and increase the likelihood of visitors staying on your site for longer periods. Additionally, your website should have a clear call-to-action that encourages visitors to contact your law firm.

 

  • Build quality backlinks. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your law firm’s website. Search engines view backlinks as a sign of authority and relevance. To build quality backlinks, you can reach out to other websites and offer to contribute guest posts or provide quotes for articles.

 

  • Monitor and adjust your SEO strategy. SEO is an ongoing process that requires monitoring and adjustment. You should regularly review your website’s analytics to track your traffic and rankings. If you notice that certain keywords or pages are not performing well, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

 

By following these tips, a law firm can maximise its SEO and improve its digital presence . Optimising the website for speed, mobile-friendliness, and user experience, building quality backlinks, and monitoring and adjusting the SEO strategy regularly can all contribute to better search engine rankings and increased website traffic. These efforts can help to attract more potential clients and grow the firm’s business.

Encouraging and Leveraging Client Testimonials for Reputation Building

Cartoon people looking with a giant magnifying glass

Client testimonials can be a powerful tool for building and strengthening a law firm’s online reputation. By showcasing positive feedback and experiences from past clients, potential clients can gain insight into the level of service and expertise that the law firm provides.

To encourage clients to provide testimonials, law firms can make it a part of their post-service follow-up process. This can involve sending a survey or feedback form to clients after their case has been resolved, asking for their feedback and permission to share it publicly. Law firms can also incentivise clients to provide testimonials by offering discounts or other benefits in exchange for their participation.

Once testimonials have been gathered, law firms can leverage them by incorporating them into their website and other online platforms. Testimonials can be featured on the homepage, included on service pages, or even used in social media posts. By showcasing client feedback in a visible and accessible way, law firms can build trust with potential clients and establish themselves as reputable and reliable legal service providers.

It’s important to ensure that testimonials are genuine and authentic, and not fabricated or exaggerated. Law firms should never pay for or incentivise fake testimonials, as this can harm their reputation and lead to legal consequences. By only using genuine testimonials, law firms can build a solid foundation of trust and credibility with their clients and potential clients.

There are several ways law firms can encourage and leverage client testimonials to build their online reputation:

  • Make it easy for clients to leave a review. Provide clear instructions on your website and social media platforms on how clients can leave a review. Make sure to include links to review sites, such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Avvo.

 

  • Follow up with clients. After a successful case or project, follow up with clients and ask them to leave a review. This can be done via email or through a follow-up phone call.

 

  • Showcase positive reviews on your website. Display positive reviews prominently on your website. This can include a dedicated testimonial page, as well as displaying reviews on relevant pages such as your practice area pages.

 

  • Share positive reviews on social media. Share positive reviews on your law firm’s social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This can help to further amplify the positive feedback from clients and demonstrate your firm’s commitment to excellent customer service.

 

  • Use client testimonials in marketing materials. Incorporate client testimonials into your law firm’s marketing materials, such as brochures, flyers, and advertisements. This can help to build credibility and trust with potential clients who may be considering engaging your services.

 

  • Respond to negative reviews. If you receive a negative review, respond to it professionally and courteously. Address the client’s concerns and offer a resolution if possible. This can demonstrate your firm’s commitment to resolving issues and providing excellent customer service.

Implementing this techniques can be a powerful way for law firms to build their reputation online. By making it easy for clients to leave reviews, following up with clients, showcasing positive reviews on their website and social media, using testimonials in marketing materials, and responding to negative reviews professionally, law firms can enhance their credibility, trustworthiness, and customer service reputation. These efforts can lead to increased visibility, improved online reputation and as a result more business opportunities.

How to Build and Maintain a Consistent Brand Image for Your Law Firm Online

Cartoon people

Building and maintaining a consistent brand image for your law firm online is crucial for establishing credibility and attracting potential clients. One way to achieve this is by developing a clear brand message that defines your law firm’s values, mission, and unique selling points. Your brand message should be reflected in all your online communications, including your website, social media, and online advertising.

Consistency in visual branding is also important. Your law firm’s logo, colour scheme, and typography should be consistent across all online platforms. This will help to reinforce your brand image and make it more recognisable to potential clients. Your website’s design should also be consistent with your brand image and convey a professional and trustworthy image.

Building and maintaining a consistent brand image is a key factor in content marketing. Your law firm’s blog, social media accounts, and other online content should be consistent in tone, style, and messaging. By providing valuable content that aligns with your law firm’s brand message, you can establish your expertise and build trust with potential clients.

Consistency in online reputation management is also important. Your law firm should have a clear and consistent approach to responding to online reviews, whether they are positive or negative. Responding in a timely and professional manner can demonstrate your commitment to client satisfaction and enhance your law firm’s reputation online.

There are several ways to build and maintain a consistent brand image for your law firm online. Here are some ideas:

  • Develop a brand strategy. Develop a clear and consistent brand strategy that reflects your law firm’s values, mission, and personality. Your brand strategy should be the foundation for all your online activities, including your website, social media, and marketing campaigns.

 

  • Use consistent visual elements. Use consistent visual elements such as logos, colours, and fonts across all your online platforms. This helps to create a strong and memorable visual identity for your law firm.

 

  • Develop a consistent tone of voice. Develop a consistent tone of voice that reflects your law firm’s personality and values. This tone of voice should be used consistently across all your online platforms, from your website to your social media posts.

 

  • Provide consistent messaging. Develop consistent messaging that communicates your law firm’s key values, services, and expertise. This messaging should be used across all your online platforms to create a clear and consistent message for potential clients.

Building and maintaining a consistent brand image for your law firm online is crucial to building trust and establishing a strong reputation. This can be achieved through developing a clear and consistent brand strategy that reflects your law firm’s values, mission, and personality. Additionally, using consistent visual elements such as logos, colours, and fonts, developing a consistent tone of voice, and providing consistent messaging can help to create a strong and memorable visual identity for your law firm. By implementing these strategies, law firms can enhance their brand recognition and credibility.

The Importance of Transparency in Building and Maintaining Your Law Firm’s Reputation

Cartoon people

Transparency is essential for building and maintaining your law firm’s reputation. 

Transparency involves being open and honest about your firm’s practices, policies, and procedures. By being transparent, you can establish trust with potential clients and demonstrate your firm’s commitment to ethical and responsible practices.

One way to promote transparency is by providing detailed information about your firm on your website. This can include information about your team members, areas of practice, pricing, and any relevant certifications or awards. Providing this information upfront can help potential clients feel more informed and confident in their decision to work with your firm.

Another way to promote transparency is by actively seeking and addressing feedback from clients. 

Encourage clients to leave reviews or provide feedback through your website or social media channels. If a client raises a concern or complaint, respond promptly and work to address the issue transparently and respectfully. By taking feedback seriously and openly addressing any issues, you can demonstrate your firm’s commitment to providing excellent customer service and building trust with your clients.

Additionally, consider incorporating transparency into your firm’s social media strategy. 

Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your firm’s operations or events to showcase your team’s expertise and build a more personal connection with your audience. By being open and transparent on social media, you can help potential clients get to know your firm better and build a positive reputation in your community.

But how do you achieve transparency? Here are several ways:

  • Be upfront about your fees. Many clients are hesitant to work with law firms because they are worried about hidden fees or surprise charges. To build trust with potential clients, be upfront about your fees and what clients can expect to pay for your services. Consider providing a breakdown of your fees on your website or in your initial consultation with clients.

 

  • Share your qualifications and experience. Clients want to know that they are working with experienced and knowledgeable attorneys. Share your qualifications and experience on your website and in your marketing materials. Consider including information about your education, past cases you have worked on, and any professional associations you belong to.

 

  • Be honest about your success rates. While it can be tempting to exaggerate your success rates to attract clients, this can ultimately damage your reputation. Be honest about your success rates and share case studies or testimonials from past clients to showcase your expertise and track record.

 

  • Respond to feedback. If a client has a negative experience with your law firm, it is important to respond to their feedback in a timely and professional manner. Acknowledge their concerns and take steps to address the issue. This can demonstrate your commitment to providing excellent customer service and can help to rebuild trust with the client.

 

  • Use plain language. Legal terminology can be confusing and intimidating for clients who are not familiar with the law. To build trust with potential clients, use plain language in your communications and marketing materials. This can help to make your services more accessible and can demonstrate your commitment to transparency and clear communication.

In today’s competitive legal market, it’s essential for law firms to prioritise building trust with potential clients. By implementing the practices mentioned above, law firms can establish themselves as reliable and trustworthy legal service providers in the eyes of potential clients.

Key Takeaways

  • The online reputation of a law firm is crucial in today’s digital society, as it can shape the perception of the firm and influence potential clients’ decisions. A positive online reputation can help build trust with clients, while a negative reputation can be damaging to a law firm’s credibility. 
  • Law firms should take an active role in managing their online reputation, such as monitoring social media and review sites, responding to feedback, and proactively seeking out positive reviews and testimonials. 
  • Social media is a useful tool for law firms to establish thought leadership, engage with clients, and advertise their services. 
  • Collaborating with clients and colleagues can also help to build a strong online presence
  • Maximising SEO efforts and showcasing client testimonials can further enhance a law firm’s online reputation.
  • Keep branding consistent throughout your social media and website.

 

Feeling Inspired?

Ready to take your law firm to the next level? Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your Law firm . Email us and let’s chat about how to achieve success!

 

 

 

7 Craft Brewery Marketing Tips

7 Craft Brewery Marketing Tips

Craft breweries have experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, making it an exciting time to enter the industry.

However, with so many craft breweries vying for customers, it’s important to have a strong marketing strategy in place. Let’s take a look at the top seven marketing tips that you can use in your craft brewery business.

1. Utilise Social Media

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be powerful tools for reaching and engaging with potential customers. By creating a strong social media presence, you can:

  • Showcase the unique character of your brewery
  • Promote events and special releases 
  • Build a community of loyal followers.

Utilising social media is a great way to make yourself visible in a sea of craft beer breweries. To effectively utilise social media, it’s important to have a clear strategy in place. Define your target audience and determine which social media platforms they are most active on. You can do this by creating a buyer persona. This will help you determine where to focus your efforts and ensure that you are reaching the right people.

Once you have identified your target platforms, it’s important to create engaging and shareable content. This could include photos of your brewery and its products, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your production process, or information about upcoming events and product launches. By sharing high-quality, relevant content, you can build a loyal following and attract new customers.

In addition to creating content, it’s important to engage with your followers and respond to comments and messages. This helps to build a sense of community and shows that you value your customers’ feedback. You can also use social media to ask for reviews, and conduct polls or surveys to further engage with your audience.

Engage with other users by adding location tags to your social media posts, which could be your store or a British beer festival. This will enhance your presence and reach on social media platforms.

Additionally, it is essential to interact with other craft beer enthusiasts!

Engagement is the key to success when it comes to social media algorithms. If your posts are engaging, they will be more likely to go farther thanks to the algorithm’s boost.

To maximise success, it’s important to regularly create high-quality content and interact with your audience on social media. Doing so can build trust and loyalty and form a community around your brand.

2. Host Events

Hosting events at your brewery is a great way to create a sense of community and build brand loyalty. By inviting customers or key figures from the craft beer industry to experience your brewery in person, you can create a personal connection and give them a taste of your brand’s unique culture.

Offering exclusive experiences can help inspire your followers and create a sense of exclusivity and community among your consumers.

This can drive customer loyalty and encourage them to continue buying your products and following your craft beer business. By offering unique and memorable experiences, you can differentiate your brewery from competitors and build a loyal customer base.

Events can take many forms, from tastings and tours to live music. By offering a variety of events, you can appeal to a diverse audience and create a sense of excitement and anticipation around your brewery. 

3. Collaborate

Collaborating with other businesses and organisations is a powerful tool for craft breweries to promote their brand, attract new customers, and network.

One way to collaborate is by teaming up with local restaurants, bars, and other venues. This allows your brewery to expand its reach and gain exposure to new customers who may not have otherwise discovered your brand.

This can also create a mutually beneficial relationship, as the venue can attract customers with the unique offering of local craft beer.

Working with influencers and bloggers in the craft beer community is another effective way to collaborate and promote your brand. Influencers and bloggers have a built-in audience who trust their opinions and are likely to be interested in trying new craft beers. By providing them with free samples or access to exclusive events, you can gain valuable exposure to their followers.

Collaborating with other local businesses can be a great way to promote the local economy and create a sense of community. By working together, local businesses can support each other and create a vibrant and thriving local market. This is demonstrated by Donzoko Brewery Company, who collaborated with Leeds based film lab to create ‘Take It Easy Lager’ a beer that features a peel apart label with images on the inside, similar to a roll of film! 

Additionally, many customers prefer to shop locally and support their local economy, so promoting these collaborations can be a great way to appeal to these customers and promote your brand.

Networking with other businesses and organisations can be a powerful way to promote your craft brewery and build a strong sense of community. Whether you’re partnering with local venues, hosting events and promotions, working with influencers and bloggers, or supporting local businesses, there are many ways to build mutually beneficial relationships and attract new customers.

4. Create a Loyalty Programme

Creating a loyalty program for a craft brewery can be a great way to reward loyal customers and encourage repeat business. A loyalty program is a system where customers can earn points or rewards for making purchases or engaging with the brand. These rewards can include discounts, free merchandise, or exclusive access to events and promotions.

Another important aspect of creating a loyalty program is making rewards desirable and valuable to customers. This can be done by offering a wide range of rewards that cater to different customer preferences, such as discounts on beer purchases, exclusive access to events and promotions, or merchandise. Additionally, it’s important to make sure the earning and redemption of rewards are simple and straightforward.

Finally, to increase the effectiveness of your loyalty program, consider promoting it through various mediums such as on-premise, off-premise, social media, and email campaigns. This can help to increase awareness of your program and attract new customers to your brewery.

A loyalty program is a great way for craft breweries to reward and retain customers. By creating a digital loyalty program, offering valuable rewards, and promoting the program effectively, craft breweries can increase customer engagement and drive repeat business.

5. Be Consistent 

Being consistent is a vital aspect of any successful marketing strategy, and this is particularly true for craft breweries. Consistency in branding, messaging, and social media posting can help to build trust, establish a strong brand identity, and attract new customers.

Firstly, consistency in branding is crucial for craft breweries. This means using the same logo, colours, and overall aesthetic in all of your marketing materials. This creates a sense of familiarity and helps customers easily identify your brand. Additionally, it’s important to ensure your branding is consistent across all your channels, whether it be on-premise, off-premise, or online. This is particularly important for social media, where customers are likely to come across your brand for the first time. Ensuring that your branding is consistent across all your social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok, will make it easy for customers to recognise your brand and increase the chances of them following you.

Secondly, consistency in messaging is essential to building trust with your customers. It’s important to communicate a clear and consistent message across all your marketing channels, whether it be on social media, email campaigns, or in-store promotions. This helps to create a sense of trust and makes it more likely for customers to believe in your brewery. Additionally, if your message is consistent, it will be easier for your customers to understand what you are all about, what your values are, and what you stand for.

Consistently posting on social media is crucial to attracting new customers and increasing customer engagement. A consistent posting schedule can help to keep customers engaged and build a sense of anticipation. This can help increase customer retention and drive repeat business. Additionally, regularly posting on social media can help your brewery to stay top of mind for customers and increase the chances of them visiting your brewery or purchasing your beer. A consistent schedule of posts can also make it easier for customers to follow your brewery and stay up-to-date on your new beers or upcoming events.

6. Use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO is a crucial part of any online marketing strategy, and it is important for businesses of all sizes and industries to incorporate it into their digital marketing efforts. By using SEO, businesses can increase their online visibility, attract more potential customers, and establish their brand as an authority in their industry.

One of the primary benefits of SEO is that it can increase your online visibility, making it easier for people searching for products or services in your industry to find your business. When your website and social media profiles rank higher in search engine results, they are more likely to be seen by potential customers.

Additionally, SEO can help establish your brand as an authority in your industry. By creating high-quality content and optimising your website and social media profiles, you can demonstrate your expertise and establish trust with potential customers. This can lead to increased conversions, higher engagement rates, and ultimately more sales.

Furthermore, SEO is a cost-effective way to drive traffic to your website, as it does not require a significant investment like paid advertising. It is a long-term strategy, the results can continue to drive traffic to your website even after the initial optimisation work has been completed. This means that the investment made in SEO can continue to pay dividends for a long time.

Lastly, SEO is an ever-evolving field, with new techniques and strategies emerging all the time. This means that businesses can always find new ways to improve their website’s visibility and reach a larger audience without having to spend a lot of money

In summary, SEO is a crucial part of any online marketing strategy and should not be overlooked by businesses of all sizes and industries. By using SEO, businesses can increase their online visibility, attract more potential customers, and establish their brand as an authority in their industry.

7.  Experiment with your Marketing 

Experimenting with different marketing strategies and tactics can be a valuable approach for craft breweries looking to stand out and attract new customers. This can help to identify what works and what doesn’t and allow breweries to continually improve and refine their marketing efforts.

Experiment with different platforms and channels to see where your audience is engaging the most. For example, it might be discovered that Instagram is a more effective platform for attracting new customers compared to Facebook. Or, it may be found that beer festivals are more beneficial than hosting a taproom event. Experimenting with different platforms and channels can help to identify where you should focus your efforts, and increase the chances of reaching the right audience with your message.

One of the main benefits of experimenting with marketing is that it allows craft breweries to stay ahead of trends in the industry. With the craft beer market becoming increasingly crowded, it’s important for breweries to find new and unique ways to promote their brand and attract customers. Experimenting with different marketing strategies can help to identify new opportunities and stay ahead of the competition.

In Summary 

  • Utilise social media to showcase the unique character of your brewery, promote events and special releases, and build a community of loyal followers.
  • Host events at your brewery to create a sense of community and build brand loyalty by offering exclusive experiences, tastings and tours, and live music.
  • Collaborate with other businesses and organisations to promote your brand, attract new customers, and network.
  • Optimise your website for SEO to increase online visibility and reach a wider audience.
  • Use content marketing to create valuable and informative content that appeals to your target audience.
  • Leverage influencer marketing by partnering with influencers in the craft beer community to promote your brand and reach a wider audience.
  • Create a loyalty program to reward customers for their loyalty and encourage repeat business.

Feeling Thirsty For More?

Ready to take your craft brewery to the next level? Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your brewery’s marketing strategy. Email us and let’s chat about how to achieve success!

 

 

 

How to use SEMRush Keyword Intent to Bid Against Competitor Traffic and Steal Conversions

How to use SEMRush Keyword Intent to Bid Against Competitor Traffic and Steal Conversions

Having utilised the full extent of the SEMRush platform over the last six years, we’re always excited to see the latest updates and utilise them to our (clients) advantage. The latest round of updates came with “Keyword Intent” within the Organic Research Section. 

As an integrated digital brand ad marketing agency, we looked at how we could integrate keyword intent into our own campaigns. We are testing it in a few ways, but one of our favourite “quick solutions” was learning how to steal conversions and leads away from Organic traffic. 

Here’s how we’re doing it. 

  1. Step 1 – Use the “Keyword Gap” tool to find where your competitors are ranking better than you. 
  2. Step 2 – View “Untapped” keywords and filter keywords using intents “Commercial” & “Transactional”
  3. Step 3 – Sort by lowest CPC and Keyword Difficulty and pull together the phrases you will use in a campaign.
  4. Step 4 – Bid against non-branded competitor terms, with low CPC’s whilst you create content to build up your rankings in these categories.
  5. Step 5 – Monitor conversions and use the data to target better landing pages with an SEO focus.
  6. Step 6 – Reduce reliance on Paid as rankings grow on converting keywords, rinse and repeat. 

Step 1. Competitor Keyword Gap Analysis

We used the term “Refurbished iPhone” for this comparison. We then picked a number of domains from different positions in the rankings that we wanted to compare against. 

We chose:

  • Theioutlet.com
  • Reboxed.co
  • Raylo.com
  • Tech-tiger.co.uk
  • Qwikfone.com

*If any of you guys want a link, all you have to do is let us do an audit and hire us, we have some brilliant experience within the mobile phone market…#justsaying

As you can see from the chart, there are a number of similar terms the domains share, but the majority are dominated by one competitor. 

Now we need to set-up the report we want to use. 

Step 2. Filter keywords by the intents and position

In SEMRush, we are using the Keyword Gap tool. 

Then we need to do two things

  • Change the Positions for “All in the Top 10”
  • Select the Intent Filter and tick Commercial and Transactional, then apply.

This gives us two types of keyword Intent, which represent customers that are close to the buying stages of the sales cycle.

Commercial

Commercial keywords indicate that the searcher is looking to investigate a brand or service in our case, its users that know the phone they want and are investigating their options around the model and refurbished versions. So in terms of our customer journey, this is a fantastic entry point and introduction of our brand. 

Examples of Commercial Phrases from “Refurbished Phone” Research

 

Keyword Search Volume CPC
iphone xr second hand 2,900 0.54
raylo reviews 2,900 1.77
rent a phone 1,600 1.45
best iphone battery life 590 0.62
iphone 11 pro max second hand 590 0.53
is raylo legit 480 2.17
sim free phone contract 480 0.88
ipad pro 2020 vs 2021 390 0.9
iphone 11 pro max used 390 0.53

 

Transactional

Transactional keywords indicate that the searcher is looking to make a purchase of goods or services. These terms should result in more conversions than any other type of traffic. So from a Paid perspective exact match versions can support strong campaign growth for low cost per conversions.

Examples of Transactional Phrases from “Refurbished Phone” Research

 

Keyword Search Volume CPC
iphone 11 unlocked 1300 0.91
iphone 8 unlocked 1000 0.97
iphone 11 pro max pay monthly 320 1.21
iphone xs 128gb 320 0.5
cheapest place to buy iphone 170 0.66

 

Step 3. Find the cheap and easy wins

What makes this method so powerful against other forms of keyword research?

The research uses the strongest organic profiles  in any niche, alongside the SEMRush data, to identify phrases or exact match bidding terms that you might not have stumbled upon using the Google Keyword Ad Planner, or by simply performing research through the SEMRush Keyword Magic Tool. 

Not only that, but you are focused on terms that will drive sales. By utilising “phrase match” or “exact match” against these terms you can filter out a lot of campaign budget waste against broad match or even phrase match on more generic terms. 

Let’s compare some of the terms we found against some of the likely generic phrases that might be used to generate them. 

Generic Terms on Broad Match

 

Keyword Exact Match Search Volume Keyword Difficulty CPC Broad Match Variations Collective Search Volume
iphone 12 673,000 81 £0.88 6,500 2,700,000
iphone xr 301,000 79 £0.55 39,900 1,200,000
iphone 12 pro 201,000 63 £0.59 287 1,100,000
iphone 11 pro max 135,000 48 £0.62 5,000 338,000
samsung s21 ultra 74,000 62 £1.27 37 162,000

 

In this table we have:

  • The “Keyword” or Broad Match Phrase
  • Exact Match Search Volume – The monthly search volume for the Exact Match of the “keyword”
  • Keyword Difficulty – The keyword difficulty out of 100.
  • CPC – The average cost per click for the exact match phrase
  • Broad Match Variations – The number of phrases that could appear if this was set to Broad Match.
  • Collective Search Volume – The collective monthly search volume for all broad match phrases.

This would ultimately leave the bidding to the Google Adwords algorithm. If you have large reserves and a big budget then leaving keywords open and allowing the algorithm to find the best bidding strategy for your budget is an option. On tighter or controlled budgets this can destroy the campaign budget quickly.

Compare this against our new targeted phrases

iPhone 11

 

Keyword Search Volume Keyword Difficulty CPC Keyword Intents
iphone 11 unlocked 1,300 44 0.91 transactional
iphone 11 pro max second hand 590 33 0.53 commercial
iphone 11 pro max used 390 37 0.53 commercial
second hand iphone 11 pro max 390 33 0.58 commercial
iphone 11 pro max monthly payment 320 39 0.7 commercial
iphone 11 pro max pay monthly 320 42 1.21 transactional
second hand iphone 11 pro 320 29 0.55 commercial
used iphone 11 pro 320 30 0.66 commercial
used iphone 11 pro max 320 39 0.75 commercial
 

 

In this example, we ultimately end up with terms we can set to exact match and build bespoke adverts around. The competition levels are lower, the CPC’s are more achievable and we are more likely to generate conversions, whilst a lower budget will allow us to dominate the Ad Space. 

Step 4. Building & bidding

Build a list fitting to your budget of terms like this to bid on for the most possible ranking gains for the lowest possible cost. Of course you want to avoid any branded terms since people searching for “coca cola” don’t really want to find pepsi.

In this case, no, Pepsi is not ok!

Alongside this you want to create content to build your rankings for these keywords. You can use Pillar pages to direct more authority and encourage ranking diversity through to key service pages. 

Utilising the data from your paid accounts, you can see what converts and what drives the most leads.

When you have this as an understanding, you can create content on your site that reflects the conversions. The great thing about this is that if you’re smart about it you can create Pillar / Landing pages that encourage better conversion rates for your PPC, whilst also supporting your organic rankings. 

Step 5. Monitor & adapt

After making these changes you need to constantly monitor your analytics to see what’s working and what isn’t. If certain keywords aren’t working then stop spending on them and reroute those funds into the keywords that are working.

Find the pages on your website that are keeping people there for the longest amount of time and direct as much traffic there as possible. Check your goals / objectives, if you’re seeing high bounce rates, this may be an indication the conversion path isn’t resonating with the target phrases. 

Create more content around the topics that are generating you the most traffic. Even when you are on top of rankings it can’t hurt to secure your place even further so that it’s even harder for someone else to dethrone you.

Step 6. Reduce paid advertising reliance as organic traffic grows 

Across our campaigns, one of the most asked questions is at what point can we start reducing paid budgets in favour of organic? 

The answer is never as simple as switching off paid in favour of organic, but over time we work with clients to reduce their reliance on paid advertising, or at the very least reposition the budget into new target areas as the SEO builds. 

In reality, we find that around 80% of our clients continue to grow spend across both channels as they see a strategy that produces consistent growth and results. You can see more about our successful search strategies in our case studies.

SEO is an ongoing process so in reality you’ll be constantly looking to replicate these steps.

If you’re still unsure about anything here and need some advice on SEO for your website, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] and we’d be happy to have a no obligation chat and see if we can help you out. Even if it’s just a bit of free advice!

Writing to Take Advantage of Featured Snippets

Writing to Take Advantage of Featured Snippets

As part of the ever-evolving digital world, search engines are always trying to find new ways of feeding users with creative ways of displaying information. 

Quickly digestible and often presented in an attractive way, Featured Snippets are an effective way to grab the searchers (often short) attention with concise definitions, step-by-step instructions, tables and lists.

Source: SEMRush

Position #0

Due to its ability to sit in a league of its own, and impressively, above organic rankings, featured snippets are often referred to as ‘Position #0’. As a result of this, this directs taps into the click-through rate from the search term.

A study by Ahrefs found that the top-ranking result of an average search term had 26% CTR, whereas a search term that had a featured snippet claimed 8.6% of traffic with the top search term claiming 19.6%.

This turns the featured snippet into something of a magic bullet, discounting all of the traditional SEO rules and practices to get ahead of the rest. 

But it can also act as a useful tool for someone who is quickly looking for an answer and might not necessarily have to click on anything to get what they are looking for. 

The versatility of the snippet itself can result in a no-click search, where all the information is quick and easy to follow, and depending on the complexity of the answer this can be answered in a short concise paragraph, a step-by-step guide a diagram.

Because of this, the snippet may have in appearing in Position #0 this may inform a wider keyword strategy, as this might divert what normally would be the organic traffic that is placing high up the rankings away from you.

The Main Types of Snippets

To help optimise your snippet for the search term, there are different types that Google and other search engines use. This means that you will have to identify the best way to format your snippet in order to have it feature.

The Paragraph

Using a brief and concise description, definition and other information on a topic, the paragraph snippet is a useful answer to queries.

Of all featured snippets on Google, paragraph snippets account for around 70% of all of these, as they can be quickly digested when the search is clear and direct.

As well as using the paragraph to answer specific questions, they can also be used as a definition box, where it can give the basic meaning of something. This allows the user to then decide if they have got enough information, or if they want to read on.

The Table

A useful way of visualising data when making comparisons. The ultimate goal for the user is to be able to spot large gaps and differences.

The table snippet is especially useful when you are comparing clothes or products sizing, comparing big and small data and as another way of displaying a list, which leads us nicely onto the next type of featured snippet.

Lists

Lists are a great way to quickly solve a question or give instructions. The key to it is understanding what the searcher is expecting to see before optimising the format in the most attractive and user-friendly way possible.

Useful in different ways, they can also vary in their appearance. There are numbered lists, which lend themselves to step-by-step instructions extremely well. There are also bulleted lists that don’t have to follow such a rigid structure.

Videos

With YouTube becoming one of Google’s subsidiaries in 2006, videos are a great way to weave a snippet in.

These are usually used as a how-to query, where it is easier to demonstrate the steps visually rather than as part of a list.

Looks Like a Snippet… But Isn’t a Snippet

As time goes by Google always likes to treat us to new flashy new ways of showing off their capabilities. These fall under special content resource blocks.

Rich Answers

These are instant answers that Google have preloaded without having to give credit to other websites.

Knowledge Graph

Pulling different answers sometimes from a variety of different sources, appearing in a neat box with accompanying images, and in the example’s case, secondary information that compares the individual tiles.

When navigating through the carousel of images, you are able to click into each one, which opens up wider links. These are usually used when searching for landmarks, brands, people and organisations.

Rich Snippets

Slightly different to other snippets, Rich Snippets use a range of different features compared to others, where the format is more fixed. These are created by the search engine by reading code, using it to create rich results.

The extra information embedded within them enhance the detail, giving it its title by making it a richer result. Recipes are usually a good example of a rich snippet, as the pancake recipes have the ingredients, prep time and ratings, which gives you a lot to take in.

How Do You Get a Featured Snippet?

Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as sending a message to the good people at search engines asking for them to use a pre-designed snippet. 

However, the good news is that as a form of organic content, the featured snippet box is available to anyone who knows how to optimise their content well. 

Answer Questions

With the majority of snippets informational in their nature, your content should be created to answer questions. In-depth content indexed by Google’s crawlers that gives the best answer can take the content to use in the form of a featured snippet. 

Get Inside the Mind of the Searcher

SEMRush and Brado studied over 160 million keywords on desktop, as well as 46.1 million keywords on mobile, and it found that questions are an especially rich land for Featured Snippets. 

29% of all queries that trigger snippets start with question-based words like “why”, “do” and “how”. Within this, 77.6% of all queries that start with “why” return featured snippets.

With this in mind, you can draw up a list of questions that you think your content could accurately answer. This involves research into the search itself, giving you a better chance of getting the snippet if there isn’t one currently. 

 

If you are in need of inspiration on what sorts of questions people are asking, simply start searching a question in your search bar and let Google’s suggested search bar do the work for you.

There are other free resources that can help inspire your question-based keyword research, including Answer The Public.

Polish Your Content

The best way to think about achieving a featured snippet is that it is a reward for having truly high-quality content. 

Just imagine it as if you are trying to rank something in an organic way, but instead, there are also sub-targets within it to answer the specific questions.

This goes for all content that you want to rank, but try and make sure your content is high quality, comprehensive, entertaining and engaging and user-focused. 

Take a Deep Dive

What better way to show off how much of an authority you are in a subject than to take a deep dive into it, demonstrating what a pillar of knowledge you are on it. 

This means that you can’t expect to achieve a featured snippet if you only touch the surface with your content.

Ways of achieving this include:

  • Cover every question that could come up from this topic.
  • Vary your content – from videos to step-by-step infographics and screenshots.
  • Try and tailor the content for beginners, no matter what it is.

Always have an eye on the competition, if you are often left scratching your head wondering how some content is ranking highly that is a good sign. It shows that you have identified that you can create something better.

Use Q&A’s

Q: Why is it a good idea to have a Q&A section on your page?

A: Because it is a great way to display all relevant questions with a pre-formatted answer oven-ready for featured snippets

Q: Great, so does this mean that they can replace the content? 

A: No, they should consolidate the information already on the page. When creating this section, imagine it as it being a conversation where you are giving a concise answer. 

Q: When you say concise, how much does that mean?

A: The ideal answer should be somewhere between a short answer that doesn’t give much away and a long-winded one that waffles on too much. This can be in effect roughly how you want your snippet to appear.

 

Featured Snippets The Future?

As search engines become more advanced, with a continual focus on user intent and experience, they will carry on gaining importance, becoming even more of a feature of a searchers life. 

What we might not be able to predict is what form they will take. As the web develops, user and search engine trends start to shift. This could open the door up for even more ways of displaying information through a snippet in years to come.  

Whatever happens though, one thing that we can be sure of is that by following the best practices in optimisation now, it will always keep you in a strong position. Content that is designed for people to consume in the most efficient and effective way possible is something that will always be key in making you an authority in a crowded digital world.

3 things you can do right now to get into SEO.

3 things you can do right now to get into SEO.

We started Brand Ambition with a clear ideal; Marketing for Good is Good for Marketing.

One of the goals we set when starting the company was to help and encourage the next generation of Digital Marketing professionals as we grow.

Our job adverts for our most recent hiring round generated over 200 CVs and we reviewed every single one. We don’t care about direct experience in digital marketing and SEO, but we do care about passion for the subject.

The biggest thing that stands out for us is when someone has gone above and beyond to make something themselves.

It might be:

  • An active YouTube channel.
  • A Shopify store
  • A website for a parent
  • Started a business
  • Got to 10,000 followers on a social media channel.
  • Started a blog
  • Been a contributor to a magazine

But honestly, some of these skills are so rare that even demonstrating a sound knowledge of how the internet works beyond social media can be a fantastic asset.

So you wanna be an rock SEO star?

I don’t believe that anyone growing up dreamt of working in digital marketing, SEO Sam doesn’t quite have the same ring as Fireman Sam, but here we are.

My first ever personal project and learning ground was a “Geek Blog” on the now-defunct blog Battletoys.co.uk. As you will see from the link, it now points to my latest passion project. The blog wasn’t a huge success, but I did manage a few minor successes.

  • I blagged a number of products from tech and toy companies to review
  • I created connections with other blogs and managed to get guest posts on other websites.
  • I earned money (about £5.80) on Amazon Affiliates by creating a Marvel T-shirt affiliate store.
  • I taught myself how to use WordPress, how to code, how to read code and also how to utilise plugins to my advantage.

I had hundreds of little learnings from simply setting up a blog and learning how to make it look similar to what was in my head.

So, the Brand Ambition first tip is a simple one.

Tip 1. If you want to learn how to do SEO, start a passion project online and put something on a website. Go through the process of buying a domain, getting hosting sorted and a CMS uploaded and set up.

You do that once. I guarantee you come out the other end of it with a better appreciation and understanding of how websites work.

Unlimited Online Resources but who do you believe?

Understanding theory and application are two very different things. I was lucky enough to have a brilliant mentor in Andrew Ash at Enjoy Digital. He let me apply knowledge, make mistakes and was patient, even when I wasn’t.

One of the things I learnt, very early on, in my career was that everyone in SEO has an opinion on how they think the Google Algorithm works…All of them are right and all of them are wrong at the same time. SEO is a testing process, not an exact science. The technical elements and Google guidelines are open to interpretation and often something that works for one site, might not have the same impact on the next site.

I start every employee off with resources collated by my peers, because it also provides a good list of websites to check in with when you want to learn something new.

Tip 2. Learn and Read. Put what you learn into practice. Here are a few resources to get you started.

The Brand Ambition Top SEO Resources in 2022.

Let’s start directly from the horse’s mouth…

Google SEO Resources

I love this video from Google on how to hire an SEO. It’s exactly right, yet they’ve done it in a way, that makes you not want to trust it.

The 7 Best Beginners Guides to SEO Rated by Brand Ambition.

    1. Learning SEO – I point every new starter to this ultimate list of SEO resources, learnings and support network. The list, compiled and most importantly constantly updated by Aleyda Solis is the one resource that makes most SEO professionals say “I wish I’d had that when I was starting out”.
    2. Moz – Beginner’s Guide to SEO – For those just starting out and looking to get an understanding then the Moz guide is a good, simple guide to understanding the basics of SEO. The information is still fairly relevant and the fundamentals are in easy to read chunks.
    3. The Google SEO Starter Guide – Getting an understanding of how Google talks about SEO is a great way to start out. Google is idealistic in its approach to SEO. Focusing on the user experience and getting people to the right answer in the quickest time. Actual Search Engine Optimisation is a little more complex than that, but it’s certainly a good place to understand the fundamentals.
    4. Ahrefs – SEO Basics – A simple chapter utilising Ahrefs data to get a clearer understanding of the most important elements within SEO. Definitely worth a read to get an understanding from a data powerhouse whose SEO software powers the analysis of more than 50% of the SEO community.
    5. SEMRush SEO Checklist – The other 50% use SEMRush and this checklist is a great basics list for ensuring SEO health. Super digestible and easy to understand once the other guides have provided a bit of context.
    6. Sitebulb Hint Explanations – Our favourite Technical SEO tool belongs to the team at Sitebulb. As well as some truly witty release notes, the team have put together a full list of the hints their software checks for and an explanation of why they look at that hint, whilst providing further reading to give an indication of its importance. Getting a proper understanding of each one of these hints essentially makes you an SEO expert, so it’s a great learning manual. Note down anything you don’t understand, do further reading and some testing and you’ve got a pretty great learning structure to understand and implement Technical SEO recommendations.
    7. Backlinko’s Link Building Guide – You can’t do SEO without building links and this is one of the most comprehensive guides on beginner link building strategies I’ve found to share with SEO execs.

Find a mentor.

You don’t need to read a thing or start up your own business to be an SEO. Another route is simply to find the right person to teach you. Read that again…I said The Right Person. I’ve worked alongside enough people to know when they’ve had the wrong SEO mentor and it doesn’t turn out well for the websites or the clients that belong to them.

Tip 3. Linkedin can be a fantastic source for discovering talented SEO professionals looking to give back, but the SEO Twitter community is one of the most active online resources. It can be a bit…cutting with embelished opinion sometimes, but through the noise its one of the best places to get insight and news on SEO. Check out @techseowomen & #SEOtwitter to get started.

When looking for a mentor, my advice is to check out their portfolio utilising some of the free tools that are above. If you can see a dip in traffic, or simply a pattern of constant decline, then you know you can speak to the person you’re about to trust to teach you SEO and get them to explain why a website isn’t performing.

We regularly review our accounts, to get a clear understanding and most SEO’s I know would be more than happy to take people looking to learn through the progress, what we are doing to fix issues and when we would expect to see positive results.

Where we love to recruit from

My favourite place to recruit from at the moment is a mixture of journalism graduates, who end up with an incredibly solid understanding of PR and often come ready to learn the basics of SEO and Digital Marketing Apprenticeship Graduates.

I’m increasingly impressed with the quality of the candidates that do a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, their rounded knowledge often surpasses Degree level marketing graduates for real-world application. So if you’re considering a Digital Marketing career path and want some formal education, as an employer, I’d strongly recommend the Apprenticeship scheme.

I hope this insight into our hiring process helps anyone looking to get into SEO. Of course, this is just our opinion and there is no clear path. If you want to get into SEO as a career, ultimately the key is just to learn and put it into practice. We spend a lot of time talking about what digital marketing is, but the true success stories are those that put their plans into action. You can read all the articles you want to on a subject, but until you apply it, you have no idea how things will play out in reality.

How to build a page for SEO

How to build a page for SEO

A lot of people think you either have to build a page for a person or a search engine but…
There are two main areas that you want to focus on to ensure your page fits both of these criteria:

  • Wordcount
  • Page Structure

Wordcount

There is a myth that pages with higher word counts rank higher and, quite like the myths of the Minotaur, this is not entirely the truth.

Looking at the average word count of a Google top 10 result it comes out to around 1447 words per top-ranking page but correlation does not equal causation so let’s make like a 1972 Lancia Beta and break down why this is actually happening.

First thing’s first, the quality vs quantity question must be answered. Yes, these top ranking pages may have 1447 words but it’s not the fact there are this many words that causes them to be high ranking, it’s what exactly those words are. If you have 1447 words that are totally useless to the reader but are appealing to a search engine, you may score well on your keywords but the backlinks and engagement won’t even register and so your page will not rank very well.
However, if you write a page of equal length that provides a lot of value to the reader and also contains plenty of keywords to please a search engine, you’re going to rank higher because of a very specific chain of events.

Let’s say our page is full of content that readers absolutely love and find incredibly useful. This increases the chance that the page will receive a backlink and, as those SEO-ists among you may know, this will improve your ranking as Google loves backlinks. So using the equation below you can increase your rankings not by using a lot of words, but using the right words.

Page Structure

Another incredibly important aspect to ensure you rank highly is ensuring the structure of your page is optimal for a search engine and a user. It’s all well and good having an article that is expertly written to be engaging and interesting to read but if your page is laid out terribly, nobody is going to read it.

Using this layout will ensure your page is easy to read for both a person and a search engine meaning you have the highest possible chance of getting a high ranking (If you look at this page you may, hopefully, see some similarities between it and the structure we’ve outlined above).

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How long should a blog post be for SEO?

A: It is the quality of the content, not the quantity of words that matter!

Q: How to write a good blog post for SEO?

A: Write blog posts for people, not search engines. The engagement you get will push you higher than any keyword ever will.

Q: Are images good for SEO?

A: Both directly and indirectly. Directly as long as you add alt text. Indirectly as it will make your pages easier to read and more likely to receive backlinks.

Conclusions

So if you’re looking to get your pages ranking as high as possible then bear in mind these three things:

  1. Create content that provides a lot of value
  2. Include keywords in a way that does not detract from the content
  3. Lay your pages out in a simple and attractive way

If you want some great examples to base your pages on then take a look at one of these four articles:

  1. Our Article – Why we won’t Rise at Seven
  2. Search Engine Rankings by Backlinko
  3. What is Digital PR
  4. Featured Snippet Guide