Think your law firm’s blog should be all about the law? Well, you aren’t wrong, but it’s important that your content has a local component too.
Google tailors some search results to a user’s geographic location. Local search marketing has become one of the most important practices in the digital marketing age.
That’s where local news and events come into play. They offer ready-made topics that can attract local traffic. Here’s why your law firm should blog about local events.
Why Law Firms Should Be Creating Localized Content
Most law firms confine their practice to a single jurisdiction. Even large firms focus on a few key markets.
But lawyers struggle to incorporate local topics into existing content organically because, for the most part, litigators deal with state or federal law — not neighborhood events.
Regardless, it’s possible for law firms to create local content that makes sense within the larger context of their websites. Here’s why it matters:
- Each month, approximately three billion search queries include local keywords
- 70 percent of online searchers include local terms when searching for a brick-and-mortar business.
- 30 percent of Google searches are for local information
Local content can help bring more qualified traffic to your site, increase brand awareness, or build upon your social media presence. Your local content can be in different formats like:
- Email blasts
- YouTube videos
- Social media posts
- Guest articles on third-party websites
- Sponsoring or hosting local events
Blogs are the easiest and most efficient way to incorporate local news and events on your website. They’re timely, allowing you to capitalize on a hot topic, a recent event, or new trend with minimal effort.
Below are four ways to use local news and events to inspire content that targets local topics.
Tip #1: Stay Plugged In
You can’t write about what you don’t know. Keep your finger on the local beat. When you’re plugged into the community, blog topics flow naturally. They’ll come across as more authentic and credible.
Look for relevant news and events in:
- The local newspaper
- The evening news
- Community flyers at local diners and cafés
- Social media (this might be the easiest way to stay informed)
Tip #2: Focus on the Content
Write in a way that’s natural for the reader and the writer. It means creating content that is informative, worthwhile, of high quality, and pleasant to read.
Google’s algorithms are good at differentiating organic writing from keyword-stuffed garbage. There was a time when one could dupe search engines, but these days, honest and authentic writing wins.
Tip #3: Reference Local Information
Let’s say you’re writing a blog about traumatic brain injuries, and you decide to include some statistics to bolster your content and add credibility.
You search for related statistics and find great information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All done, right?
Instead of relying on national statistics or citing sources that cover a topic in broad strokes, start your research with credible sources in your state or city.
Transportation departments, health organizations, and local police departments often document local injury statistics. Use this to your advantage—it’s an easy way to add a localized spin to a broad topic—just be sure to credit those sources in your content.
Tip #4: Align Content with Your SEO Strategy
Your goal is to connect local topics to the services you provide. So, don’t turn your blog into a travel and tourism website or glorified classified ads. Once you’ve identified your topics, start thinking creatively about how you can relate them to your practice.
For example, street names could be relevant to blogs about auto accidents at a nearby intersection. A recent case of food poisoning or a high-profile hotel break-in might be a starting point for an article about premises liability.
In addition to creating local content for your blog, you’ll want to make sure that your law firm has claimed its Google My Business page and that its Google Maps listing features accurate contact and location information.
Beyond this, you might consider working with an experienced digital marketing team to ensure you’re doing everything you can to capitalize on local news, events, and relevant topics.
How Will Your Firm Utilize the Network?
Network Affiliates is a team of legal marketing professionals with decades of experience and proven techniques for local search marketing.
Whether you’ve only used our television advertising services in the past or this is your first encounter with our team, drop us a line and learn more about what we can do for you in terms of local search.
Give us a call at 877.709.0633 or contact us online to learn more.