VelSEOity’s 11 Tips for Better Lawyer Reputation Management

A positive reputation is essential in the world of law. Attorneys are becoming increasingly aware of how important it is to have a strong presence online. It’s important that potential clients can find you online, and it’s even more important that the lawyer reputation they find is positive according to Cormac Reynolds founder of reputation management business VelSEOity.

Business cards and the Yellow Pages have gone by the wayside, and the internet has stepped in to take their place. It’s important for professionals to be where their clients are. If a person is seeking an attorney, they’ll start their search on the internet. It’s likely that a prospective client will learn more about you online before they call you or schedule a consultation.

In 2017, 94% of all consumers researched local businesses online before spending money. According to 83% of consumers, online reviews are as reliable as the recommendations they receive in person.

73% of all consumers say that they are mostly true businesses that have positive reviews. And even more notably 49% claim they won’t work with a business if it has a rating below four stars.

The number of consumers researching businesses online increases with each passing year. Furthermore, consumers are even more likely to research lawyers. No one wants to waste their money on a service or product that will fall below expectations. Because of this, a growing number of people are reducing their risk by gathering information from online review sites.

Working with a reputation lawyer can be very costly. Because of this, it’s likely that consumers will take the time to investigate you online before they give you their business. Lawyers and healthcare workers are more likely to receive an in-depth investigation than people in other industries according to VelSEOity.

There is a high level of competition between law firms, and that has only been intensified by the internet. You can safely assume that your major competitors have a solid lawyer reputation management strategy. If you don’t follow their lead, it’s likely that you’ll lose clients.

Like staying in good standing with the state bar and marketing, reputation management is a key part of any law firm’s success. It’s not something you can overlook.

Read on to find the best lawyer reputation management advice from VelSEOity to improve your online reputation.

1. Improve your Lawyer Reputation by Creating a Website

According to VelSEOity, websites are essential, but there are many people, companies, and brands that don’t have them. If you don’t currently have a website, you’ll want to remedy this immediately. It’s the best way for you to protect both your name and your brand.

When you register a domain, you’ll want to register both your legal name and the name of your brand (i.e., youratlantaimmigrationlawyer.com). After your site goes live, you’ll want to create high-quality content. Make sure you link to all of your social media profiles as well.

2. Build a Blog to Improve your Lawyer Reputation

People often use the terms “website” and “blog” synonymously, but they’re actually very different. If you have a website already, add a blog to it. The purpose of a website is primarily to provide static information. Blog content is updated continually. Usually, blogs are powered by the WordPress content management system.

Why should you add a blog to your site? When you blog, search engines will see that you’re regularly adding new content. This can improve your search engine rankings. If your blog is powered by WordPress, you can also allow users to comment on your posts and share your content across the web.

3. Spend More Time On Social Media

From Facebook to Twitter, from LinkedIn to Pinterest, you’ll want to make sure you have an account on every major social media platform. Take advantage of tools and resources so that you’ll be able to maintain a strong social media presence.

Because social networks appear near the top of Google search results, they’re an essential component of reputation management online. When someone uses Google to search for you, you’ll want them to see platforms that you have control over. Having a lot of your own content ranking on Google means you’ll have more control over your reputation.

4. Getting Rid Of Negative Backlinks to Improve Lawyer Reputation Management

If you have a site or a blog already, it’s likely that there are a number of links that lead to your site. Many of these links may be beneficial to you, but it’s also possible that some of them are harming your site. If links are low-quality or irrelevant, it could actually hurt your search engine rankings.

5. Don’t Comment On Negative Feedback Publicly

As you monitor your online reputation, you may spot some negative comments or reviews. In these cases, you’ll want to make sure you don’t respond with harsh comments. Firing back might feel satisfying in the heat of the moment, but it could harm you in the long run. Remember, the comments you make will live on online.

6. Make a Wikipedia Page

Wikipedia is considered to be an authority site. You can find it near the top of search results for the majority of names and keywords. If you’ve made major accomplishments, or if your business is large enough to be notable to Wikipedia, you should create an article. Being listed on Wikipedia can improve your search rankings and earn you more mentions from sites across the web.

7. Set Up Notifications for Google Alerts

Have you spent a lot of time searching Google to see the search results for your name or brand? If you’ve done this, you’re certainly not alone. It’s hard not to be curious about what people are saying about you or your brand online.

Sadly, this can take up quite a bit of time, and it’s likely that you’ll miss some results. Instead of checking things on your own, you can set up a Google Alerts notification. When your chosen phrase or keyword appears in new content, Google will send you an email alert. To make things even better, it doesn’t cost a thing.

Don’t have Google Alerts set up yet? The process is simple, and once things are set up, you’ll always receive updates.

8. Use LinkedIn to Write an Article

Social media platforms are an excellent way to make industry connections, and they’re also a fantastic way to share content. Some platforms, like LinkedIn, even allow you to write content through the platform.

If you want to establish that you’re an industry expert, you should write a high-quality article on LinkedIn. Your content could even go viral. The better your content is, the more likely that people will share it.

There are millions of people that use LinkedIn. If you write a high-quality article that’s genuinely useful, your article could be shared and viewed thousands of times.

9. Build a Viral Infographic

Data can be boring when on its own. Infographics are a great way to turn that data into something people will want to see and share according to VelSEOity. You can make infographics using just about any statistic, and they can be used in virtually any industry. They’re also a great way to encourage sites to link and share your content.

Want to learn how to build unique content for your site? Read our article about reputation management infographics.

After you’ve built an infographic, you’ll want to work on your outreach. Ensure that plenty of other sites share the content that you’ve created.

10. Craft Content for Other Sites in your Industry

Another way to reach out to sites is to contribute content to these sites suggest VelSEOity. This can be a fantastic way to get exposure. Having content on a new site can help you capture the attention of a brand new audience.

There are more than a billion sites online, and nearly every one of them wants more content. If you search for phrases like “guest blogging” or “write for us,” you’ll be able to find a number of sites that will allow you to write original content for them.

This is an excellent way to get your name — and your knowledge — in front of a wide audience. In addition, you’ll usually be allowed to create an author bio where you can link back to your site and your social media profiles. Writing a guest post shouldn’t take much time, and you’ll be able to get a lot of mileage out of it.

11. Interviews and Media Outreach

If you’re looking for a fast and effective way to get more exposure for your brand — or yourself — you should try contacting major media outlets and writers for well-known sites. As an example, the Huffington Post, Forbes, and Entrepreneur employ thousands of independent writers. These writers are continually searching for new topics to write about.

Check out some of the newest articles posted on these sites. You should easily be able to find contact information for writers. Follow them on social media, share content, and send follow-up emails asking about working with them on a future article. Of course, if you contribute to an article, you can expect to be featured. Some writers may even want to interview you!