Vermont Bar Association Seminar Materials 2013 Solo and Small Firm Conference 5b) Local Digital Marketing for Attorneys May 16-17, 2013 Basin Harbor Club Vergennes, VT Faculty: George Aspland, evision
Local Digital Marketing for Attorneys - Overview Digital marketing is rapidly coming to be recognized as the most effective way to attract new clients and retain old ones. How can you increase leads from search marketing, local online marketing, and other strategies (including social media)? Find out with SEO (search engine optimization) expert George Aspland, founder of our sponsor, evision. Local Digital Marketing for Attorneys You ll learn how search and local Internet marketing coupled with a well designed web site can help build your online presence and increase your client acquisition while lowering the cost per acquisition from within your local area. There will be plenty of time for Q & A. You'll Learn: What is Search Engine Optimization? What are those Sponsored Listings (PPC) in the search results and how can they help increase my client load? Employing Local, Social, & Mobile Marketing to increase local clients from organic search listings like Google Maps, Paid Search Advertising, Directories, Online Yellow Pages, Social Media and related web sites. How long does it take to see results? How to measure ROI. George Aspland is founder and President of evision, providing Internet marketing services to companies and organizations for over 14 years. evision helps its clients grow their business by increasing targeted traffic to their web sites while improving the ability of the web site to convert those visitors into inquiries, leads, and new business. Mr. Aspland speaks regularly on the subject of Search Engine Marketing and is a regular contributor to Search Engine Land (http://searchengineland.com/author/george-aspland) the industry s leading online publication for the latest search news, research and analysis, commentary and expert advice and PubCon Social Media and Search Marketing Conferences (http://www.pubcon.com/). He wrote one of the industry s early books the subject, The Guide to Search Engine Marketing, a step by step guide to search engine marketing used by organizations who wish to optimize their own web sites. He also writes a periodic online marketing newsletter which is sent to webmasters and marketing executives around the world.
Local Digital Marketing for Attorneys evisionlaw.com
What We ll Cover Overview of Search Engine Marketing? Local Internet Marketing & Mobile Social Media Marketing How long does it take to see results? How to measure ROI
Three [Now Two] search engines account for About 97% of searches Top U.S. Online Search Providers Share of Searches (%) Feb 2013 Note - Goggle provides most of the results on AOL
Search Terms = Keywords Keywords: The words and phrases that people search on when trying to find information on the web such as Divorce Lawyer Burlington Keyword Phrases = Search Terms
Organic vs. Paid Listings Paid Listings 30-40% Organic Listings 60-70%
Google Heat Map Of Search Results Where People Click the Most
Paid Listings Content / Display Networks
Some Paid Listing Objectives Generate Leads, phone calls Inquiry form submissions etc Seminar/webinar White papers, newsletters Generate awareness
Advantages of Paid Listings One of fastest ways to get traffic to a site You choose maximum daily spending limit (daily budget) Target single of multiple locations Learn what keywords pay off Then optimize for Organic search results Conversion tracking = real-time return-on-investment data
Paid Listings How long does it take? Can get a PPC campaign up and start seeing results within a couple days or weeks, but Typically takes 3-6 months of optimizing to see if it s paying off One very important factor is the user experience on the web site May need to make & test changes to the web site to improve conversions before it will pay off.
SEO = Search Engine Optimization = Organic Search Results Important Tactics Keyword Research - Determine what phrases are ACTUALLY being searched on in your area Content to include on site etc Determine Competition Site Review/Audit (Existing sites and New Designs) - To improve search engine results (SE Friendly)
Onsite Optimization Important Tactics, cont. Optimize pages & files for search and conversions HTML Page Titles Meta Description Tags
Offsite Factors Very important - Links to the site As Google explains, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B Quality Links to your site help in two ways: Traffic from the link (legal directories & news site, vendors, resource guides, press releases, articles, social media etc) Help improve your web site rankings
What Google Says About Links In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by increasing the number of high-quality sites that link to their pages Google webmaster central
Correlation Between Links & Organic Search Traffic Oct 2010 Analysis of a few sites reported in SEW, Search Engine Watch
What's Working in SEO? 2010 Marketing Sherpa Survey of 2,194 Search Marketers Top 5 most effective SEO tactics are: keyword research on-page content optimization title tag optimization link building meta tag descriptions
SEO Myths What NOT to focus on Which myths do these senior SEO s agree are wasteful pursuits? evisionsem.com/blog search: Myths Meta tags will boost your rankings. Submitting pages to search engines Keyword tag Forget it! XML (or Google ) Site Maps
SEO How long does it take to see results? Depends largely on condition of three basics: SE friendly site? Link Position? Territory you cover If SE friendly site, then site changes can have affect in days to months. If above are issues can take many months to a year or more.
Blended or Universal Search Results The Landscape has changed dramatically!! No Longer Just 10 Blue Links
Local Search
A Google Local Places Listing
Key Local Search Tasks Develop compelling listings: Google, Yahoo, Bing Some modifications to the web site to help local rankings
Key Local Internet Tasks, Cont Citations (Linking) e.g. YP, Yelp, Legal listing sites, etc Helps Google Rankings and increases business from the Citation sites Get Good Reviews (some markets) Participate in Mobile Apps (some markets) Possibly Social Media: eg Facebook, LinkedIn
Key Local Internet Tasks Cont Paid Search Advertising (e.g. PPC) Google, Yahoo, Bing, even Facebook and Linkedin. Less Competition, Less Costly, Faster Results
Example Local Search Results Improvements 1,200% increase in search results impressions after 2 months!!
Local Internet Marketing How Long to See Results? Changes to the listings: Weeks (SE local listings) Changes to Web Site: Fairly fast Reviews: Immediate for Google Reviews, Months for other sites Citations to affect Google Rankings: Takes Months
Social Media People submit or bookmark (tag), share, rate, or comment on content: such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Linkedin, blogs evision
What Does Social Media Marketing do? Goals? For many markets: Mostly facilitates communication with customers, vendors, etc Can help increase awareness, build reputation Can be used to help build incoming links Help increase organic visibility Links and mentions MAY help improve rankings in both web based and local organic search results
Social Media Marketing Goals Some Campaigns Can Generate Immediate Business. Communication with customers and target market: Helps Build Awareness. Helps Build Incoming Links To Your Site. Help dominate search results Social Media Marketing May Directly Influence Search Rankings in future for more markets
It Takes A Strategy Usually a Content Strategy is needed to obtain most of these goals High quality useful or interesting content that is Engaged with. Social Engagement = linking to content, sharing, bookmarking, rating etc
Traffic Measuring Social Media Google Analytics (example later) Interaction Increase in Fans or Followers Comments on a blog Sales Tracking sales through social media Timeframe: Many Months, Ongoing
Dominate The Search Results on Page 1! PPC Local Organic Social News Images Video
User Experience on Web Site is Critical Great first impression Easy to navigate & find info Must persuade visitors that you can help them Make it easy to take action (phone, forms etc)
Measuring Results Ranking reports (Most inaccurate) It s really not about Rankings! It s about traffic that turns into clients!
Can we setup a call sometime in the morning on Monday with Liz to go over the web site updates. Say 10ish? Measuring Results Leads By Traffic Source
Track Leads From Each Traffic Source To Your Web Site Leads by Keyword
Dynamic Inbound Call Tracking System Numbers change on web site based on traffic source Determine & maximize ROI
Lead Tracking Dynamic Inbound Call Tracking System
Lead Tracking Dynamic Inbound Call Tracking System See all the calls for any period, the caller s number, the time, whether you answered or not.
Measuring ROI Example Typical client is worth $4,000 Phone calls $4,000 / 3 leads to a client = $1,333 max cost per lead to break even on phone leads. Ideal Max Cost/Lead, $500? Form leads $4,000 / 6 leads to a client = 666.66 max cost per lead to break even with inquiry form leads. Ideal Max Cost/Lead, $300?
evision Blog All About Targeted Traffic and Conversions! www.evisionsem.com/blog
Presented by George Aspland gaspland@evisionlaw.com www.evisionsem.com 203 481.8005 888 576 5115