As a lawyer, you should post to your website often. Frequent updates improve your placement in search engines, enhance your reputation and build credibility with clients and prospects. But writing for the web is different than writing for print.
Tips for Lawyers Who Write for the Web
Writing and Editing:
Think like a journalist – Start with what you want the reader to know. Then add more detail. If you go into great detail, keep the main page short and link to the details. That’s the beauty of the web!
Edit to keep it short – Write, edit, then edit more. It’s hard to read text on a screen, so help your visitors – cut what’s not necessary.
Proofread – Have someone check what you wrote. Too often, only one person reads what’s published and errors are missed.
People first – It’s tempting to cram your page full of search engine keywords. Don’t. Write naturally. If you’re targeting keywords, make sure they’re included when you edit your page, but don’t overdo it. Attorney, I will tell you, no one likes to read a page crammed with keywords. It sounds stilted and awkward, right, lawyer?
Get rid of the marketing language – Write like you talk to clients and co-workers, not like it’s a commercial on TV. No one wants to read that kind of writing.
Keep it professional – You’re a lawyer. People don’t expect you to be funny. They want you to be competent and professional. Keep your writing that way.
Presentation:
Make it easy to scan – Bolded text can help people find what they need quickly. People scan first and read second – if they read at all.
Lists are great – They’re easy to scan and read.
Short sentences are great, too.
Build credibility – People jump into your site without knowing anything about you. Build credibility with a high-quality anti herpes drugs, design, clean, modern graphics and photos.
What to Write About:
Sometimes, Go In-Depth – It doesn’t hurt to write some long articles every now and then. You can only provide so much value with a short article. After all, people expect you to be an expert, so show it. While about 2/3 of the articles on your site can be short, make about 1/3 of them longer. People who read longer articles are truly vested in what you have to say and may be more likely to hire you. In-depth articles are harder to create, so you also won’t have as much competition as you do with shorter articles.
What Do You See? – You’re in a unique position to see things your clients don’t. What’s happening with legislation that could affect them, for example? Or what are trends that could affect what you do for them? Post articles about these. If you still need tips, take a look at Eight Law Firm Blog Post Ideas