LCL Web Solutions partners are attending one of the largest search marketing conferences in the world. This is their third time attending the popular, Search Marketing Expo (SMX). SMX is a highly regarded conference, organized by Search Engine Land, one of the largest SEO/search marketing companies in the country.
Below is a summary of a handful of sessions and what lawyers should pay attention to:
1. Penguin Proof Link Building
External link building is a necessary tactic, especially for long term marketing plans. However, Google recommends quality links (i.e., those which come from trusted, quality sites). An example of a high quality external link is a link to your article about social security disability litigation coming from a national agency/non-profit for disabled persons. The reality is that these types of links are few and far between, but in Google’s eyes, highlight your website as a quality one. Read more about Penguin Proof Link Building and a few takeaways for lawyers to implement in their law firm internet marketing campaigns.
2. Life Beyond Google: Diversifying Your Digital Marketing
The truth is that the search engine market is dominated by one entity. We all know who that is. So, are there ways to diversify digital marketing? Sort of. There are some ways to get traffic to your website, outside of Google, and they center on content. Be it an infographic or great article about your practice area, the key is having interesting things on your website. Then, you must open the channels or pathways to that content. Social media engagement and Youtube are great ways to open channels to great content on your website. For example, you can create a short video about something relevant in your practice area and then post it on Youtube. Invite viewers back to your website for additional information.
3. What are the Most Important Search Marketing Ranking Factors?
This is probably one of the most important questions for any internet marketer. Everyone wants to know the keys to search engine ranking, whether you are a lawyer just starting a website or your law firm already has a well-established internet marketing program. No one knows the algorithm factors but Google. Therefore, many SEOs take a stab at what is important in order to rank. Caveat – Google is always changing its algorithm. In a given year, there may be dozens if not hundreds of tweaks to the algorithm. However, the most important and time-tested factors are:
- external links/anchor text (who is linking to you and how),
- keywords and content on the page (what words are on your website pages),
- freshness (where else are you being mentioned on the web and when), and
- social signals (where/how are you being mentioned on Google Plus, FB, Twitter).
SMX provides great updates on what is happening in the search marketing industry. SMX offers a basic track for those just entering the search marketing world. It also offers other tracks for advanced search marketing and more.
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