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Introduction
Why is it crucial to rank near the top of Google’s search engine pages? These recent statistics say it all.
7 out of 10 consumers searching the web immediately go to Google, bypassing Yahoo!, MSN, AOL and other search engines.
Google offi cially crossed the 70% mark for search engine market share in February 2008, and has grown on average 3% per month since February 2007. This is supported by statistics that we have from the 180+ websites we run for law fi rms in the UK, who see more than 10 times the traffi c from Google than any other search engine.
Major advertisers clearly know where the eyeballs of the masses are trained. So too must law fi rms. Those who understand the cost-effi ciencies of search engine optimisation (SEO) are increasingly prioritising resources towards ranking as high as possible on Google. Obtaining a top position on Google’s search results pages should be an increasingly important element of your marketing mix.
In that context, consider that most consumers searching Google rarely look beyond the fi rst two pages of results. This means that if you haven’t done the work of positioning your law fi rm’s website to rank high on Google, your opportunities to capture enquiries are severely diminished. This booklet has a number of sections covering the main topic areas of this subject, namely
:-n Content - this section is all about the way your site is built, the words on
the page.
n Context - looks at meta data, domain names and navigation. n Reputation - is all to do with links, and how you “build” reputation
(for your site).
About Us
Conscious Solutions designs, builds and manages websites, and provides SEO services for over 150 law fi rms throughout the UK. We’re proud that, via our SEO work, over 75% of our clients’ websites rank within the Top 5 positions on Google for the highly-searched term “solicitor <town>” for their geography. This tips booklet has been created to share some of our Google SEO secrets with you. We would welcome the opportunity to improve the search engine ranking of your own website.
David Gilroy
Sales & Marketing Director 0117 325 0202
Content
1
Page structureGoogle shows a preference for websites with “clean coding.” This term describes a page that’s structured to separate its HTML content code from its presentation code.
Specifi cally, that means using H1, H2 and other tags correctly. So, for example, if your main page includes the heading “Partners,” it should be coded with H1 tags. The names of various departments within your fi rm would be coded with H2 tags. The name of each partner you’re listing would be coded at the H3 level, and so on (if required).
This also means correctly using <p> tags, as well as bulleted lists and other types of HTML formatting.
2
Separate content and presentationSeparating content and presentation means that anything you need to make your web page display correctly, such as Javascript and CSS, should be kept in fi les external to the main HTML page. For example, if you’re using some Javascript code to confi rm whether a visitor has entered data into the mandatory fi elds of an enquiry form, this script should be kept in its own fi le and “called” into the main page as required.
3
Most important content should come fi rstWhen Google fi rst views your web pages, it looks at page structure to make an initial determination of its most relevant topics. Google then looks at the true text and assumes the text closest to the top of your web page is the most important.
For that reason, make sure the fi rst 100 words of a page’s content contain all the necessary key phrases. Most people who’ll fi nd your site will do so by entering search phrases that consist of between two and fi ve words. Placing these strings of words within the fi rst 100 or so words on your page can therefore be considered an absolute best practice.
4
Hyperlink keyword phrasesWhen Google’s “robots” view your web pages to learn what’s there, they consider your hyperlinked phrases more relevant than any other “pure text” copy you’ve written. For this reason, make sure your links include your keywords and/or key phrases.
Look at the examples below. Which of these two do you think is the more search engine friendly?
“Click here for our conveyancing calculator” or
“Click here for our conveyancing calculator”
5
Optimize the right keywordsBefore you begin optimising your website, you need to know and understand the keywords and phrases you are going to optimize for. Also, you need to understand the “competitiveness” of those phrases. “Competitiveness” refers to the number of other websites vying for web traffi c for the same phrase. Services such as WordTracker (http:// www.wordtracker.com) and WebCEO (http://www.webceo.com) can help you determine keyword competitiveness - however, neither is free to use.
Still, it’s crucial to do your homework. Take the time to carefully research your keywords. For example, fi nd out which key phrase people are typing the most: “Manchester solicitor,” “Manchester law fi rm” or “Manchester lawyer.”
Also, consider whether to use abbreviations, slang and translations of the selected keywords. For example, will you use “RTA solicitor” as well as, or instead of, “road traffi c accident solicitor?”
Conducting some keyword research upfront means you won’t waste time optimizing for low-traffi c phrases.
TIP: We have developed what we believe is a very practical
approach to keyword research using Google PPC. This approach is aimed at fi rms who are optimising their sites for regional based search phrases. To download a whitepaper on our approach, go to http://www.conscious.co.uk/keywordresearch.
6
Keyword densityKeyword density is the number of times a given keyword is repeated on a web page. It’s expressed as a percentage of the total number of words contained on that page.
The optimal keyword density varies somewhat from one search engine to the next. However, as a rule of thumb, aim for a keyword density between 2-8%. Using a keyword analysis tool will help you optimise the density of your chosen keywords in your web copy. Also note a couple of other factors that Google’s search “bots” calculate:
n Keyword frequency: This can be tricky, time-consuming business,
achieving the guideline of between 2-8% in keyword density. Having only 2% of your words on the page being your keywords doesn’t achieve a very high ranking for your web page within Google’s search results. However, coming too close to an 8% - or exceeding it – makes Google suspicious of your site’s integrity. Google’s bots can detect abuses of the system, such as simply repeating a keyword over and over on a page, as this signals an attempt to manipulate the system as well as poor quality writing.
n Keyword prominence: Keyword prominence is another factor
Google’s bots evaluate in determining a page’s search relevance. For the best keyword prominence, place the most important keywords near the top of a webpage and/or at the beginning of the content. Also place important keywords in the TITLE or META tag. Ultimately, it’s bad practice to dump a load of keywords on your pages, and doing so still won’t get your website ranked at the #1 position overnight.
Rather, start by focusing on a single keyword or phrase, two at most. Concentrate all your eff orts on ranking high for that word or phrase. Devote each of your web pages to one keyword, along with an accompanying phrase. This is especially true when you’re targeting highly competitive keywords such as “accident claim”.
7
Content is kingsearch phrase, than to have 1,000 visitors who fi nd your site listed under a generic phrase – and then fi nd little of value on your site.
9
No duplicate contentIf a search engine detects duplicate content in your website, those pages will not show up in its search results. Search engines are programmed to deliver the most relevant, best quality results possible. Listing the same pages in their search results doesn’t accomplish this goal.
Search engines also dislike duplicate content because it’s a waste of resources to index substantially similar web pages. Do everything you can to make the content of each of your pages unique.
10
No hidden textHidden text is page content that’s invisible to your visitors but readable by search engine bots. Basically, you load up the page with strings of keywords and phrases, but you use little tricks to disguise the gibberish from visitors. One such trick is selecting a font color that allows the keywords to disappear into the site’s background color. To search engines, hidden text is spam. Once detected, a site with hidden text risks being banned from that engine’s search pages. The potential boost in rankings isn’t worth risking the consequences of getting caught. Something similar
happened to the BMW Mini site last year.
11
SiteMapsWhat is a sitemap and why is having one important? A site map is a single web page that lists links to every page on your website. As a result:
n Visitors can quickly scan the sitemap to get a general idea of what
your site has to off er. A site map also is a helpful tool for visitors who may have become “lost” on your site. Your visitors want to be able to fi nd what they need quickly and easily. If navigating your site is too time-consuming or complicated, they’ll just leave.
Equally important, having a sitemap can in some circumstances aid pages your website contains, the better chance you have of a Google
search sending visitors to a particular page on your site.
But while the amount of content on your site is extremely important, so is the quality of the content.
There are four key reasons well-written content makes for better search results. It:
1. Encourages the reader to spend more time on your site, 2. Boosts your search engine rankings,
3. Drives more traffi c to your website,
4. Increases the chances of other quality sites linking to yours. Boasting an established, popular brand name is key to your business success. However, that’s not the foundation of search engine ranking success. The problem with relying too heavily on the familiarity of your brand is that you don’t properly distinguish yours from similar businesses.
Go beyond the standard photo, short blurb and price. Off er quality, detailed information that a customer would search for when considering using your services. Every page of your website should provide detailed
information that a visitor will fi nd useful.
8
Don’t forget about the “long tail”When a website owner reviews their website statistics, most are surprised to learn that many of their hits came from unexpected and unpredictable search terms. In fact, most of any website’s traffi c actually comes from these more specifi c – and less obvious – key phrase searches.
In the SEO world, this is popularly known as the “long tail theory,” and it’s well worth using this to your advantage. By repeating in your content these longer, more exact – but less competitive – phrases, you’ll easily reach a top position in the search engine results for those terms. For example, someone who searches on “probate solicitor bradford” knows exactly what they want, who they want and where they want that person to be.
The bottom line is this. It’s better to have 100 highly-qualifi ed visitors who fi nd your site listed in Google under a very narrowly constructed
your SEO eff orts.
Sitemaps are more necessary on large sites than small ones. Also, they have less value to a website that is coded in the right way, as Google will crawl over the site quite adequately. However, a sitemap can still be valuable to both webmasters and site visitors alike. It’s a powerful tool, but it should be used with a full understanding of the eff ect it can have on your SEO goals.
Not everyone agrees that it’s benefi cial to submit a feed to Google Sitemaps. Some of the world’s top SEO experts advise against it, and here’s why:
n If you don’t have a sitemap, the search engines will still visit your
site’s pages. They do so by following the links located both on your site and those leading to your site (e.g. comments you’ve left on forums, blogs, and directory listings).
n Without a sitemap, the “weak” pages on your site could reap a nice
benefi t. This is because the search engine overlooks sitemap pages that don’t have strong internal or external links. But those same pages will be discovered and indexed by the search engine, regardless of link strength, if Google discovers them “naturally.” So, what’s the verdict? In general, small to medium size sites needn’t rely on a sitemap to increase their search engine rankings. Instead, focus on getting links out there on the web that point to your site. Eventually, Google will pick up those links and index your entire site.
TIP: To see how well your site has been indexed, go to Yahoo or Google and enter “site:www.yoursite.com” and you will be showed how many pages each has in their index.
Context
12
Meta dataMeta tags are information located in the <head> area of your web pages, and your <title> tag is the most important meta data for SEO purposes.
Visitors viewing your page in browsers cannot see the information located in the <head> area. Rather, this information gives a browser information such as which fonts and character set to use and the
nature of your site’s content. Your <title> tag also makes up the words that describe your page when a visitor bookmarks it or adds it to their lists of favorites.
But in terms of search engine rankings, your <title> tag serves a considerably more crucial function. It’s one of the greatest factors infl uencing whether and how high a search engine will rank your page. Also, the text of your <title> tag will be the text used as your page title on search engine listings.
In practical terms, this means you should:
n Think strategically about the keywords for which you’d want a
crawler-based search engine to fi nd your pages.
n Then, be sure to include those keywords in your <title> tag.
n Also ensure your <title> tag is well-written. It will serve as your site’s
title in search engine listings, bookmarks and browser bars. The thing is, regardless of how relevant your pages are to a given search, your site will rank poorly if you don’t include your targeted keywords in the <title> tag.
13
Your site’s <description> and <keywords> come nextAlso in the <head> are your site’s meta <description paragraph> and <keywords list>. Neither is as important as your <title> tag, but you’ll want to optimise your site’s description and keywords list for any SEO support they can lend, nonetheless.
Your meta description paragraph should provide a summary of your site’s content. It should give the search engine spiders a keyword-rich description of all that your web pages cover. Some, but not all, search engines incorporate meta tag content in their algorithms. However, no search engine will penalize you for having meta tags (as long as you use them properly), so it’s a good idea to include them. Your meta description tag should be written as actual sentences containing multiple keywords. For the best ranking results, place the keywords close to the beginning of the paragraph, and very close to each other.
Though search engines vary in their preferred lengths, it’s best to limit your description to around 150 characters. If you’re unable to succinctly explain your fi rm’s services following that guideline, just know that 250 characters is the absolute limit. Search engines cut off or dismiss every syllable you write beyond that.
14
Domain nameHaving your keyword in your domain name can help with search engine rankings. It is, however, only one of numerous factors that aff ect your ranking. Unfortunately, you’ll fi nd that most of the best keyword rich, legal domain names have already been taken. Additionally, lots of keyword rich domain names are snapped up by businesses that then resell the domains at high prices.
Also note that the fi lenames of your pages do matter. Try to use your keywords in the naming of your pages.
15
NavigationA robust site navigation structure helps your visitors navigate your website effi ciently, in as few clicks as possible. But more importantly, a well-structured site allows the search engine spiders plenty of basic internal links to follow.
Search engine spiders index the text on your homepage, and then attempt to follow the links to other pages on your site. This is why it’s crucial to use keyword rich anchor text links, to increase the relevance of your pages for certain terms. The more these keywords and phrases link from page to page on your site, the higher your site’s rankings. These are the basics to getting your site indexed within search engines.
Optimised sites rely more heavily on text-based navigation rather than images. But don’t worry, you needn’t sacrifi ce style or visual appeal. Cool eff ects such as reversed out color, animation and rollovers all can be achieved using CSS and Javascript to create an
easily navigated, engaging user interface.
When it comes to navigating your site, Google bots aren’t much diff erent from your average visitor. If your site can be easily navigated by a person, then it can be easily crawled by Google. The upshot being that you improve the odds of the vast majority of your pages being stored in Google’s index.
Quick note: If your site is easy for Google to crawl, then having a text-based site map won’t do much in terms of improving your rankings. Wherever possible, use the keywords you’re optimising in your navigation. Including keywords in your navigation can be diffi cult since they typically aren’t the words users would expect to see there. That’s a hurdle you can do your best to overcome, but don’t worry if you can’t pull it off completely.
Reputation
16
Inbound linksWhen it comes to inbound links, quality – not quantity – is what matters most to Google. You see, in the SEO world, if you can get just 10 links from sites with a sizeable PageRank of 5, that’s far more benefi cial than 100 links from sites with a negligible PageRank of 1. Of course, there’s no specifi c formula that will boil down quality versus quantity to a precise number. Just remember that fewer higher quality links will do more for your search engine position that many lower quality links.
Having said that, some links are better than none. In the beginning, the fi rst thing you want to do is get some links, any links. Consider the following examples based on the number of inbound links reported by Yahoo.com:
4 http://www.fdl-law.co.uk has 15 links site-wide 4 http://www.eversheds.com has 6,041 links site-wide 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk has 2,404,670 links site-wide
TIP: To check the number of inbound links for your website, go to http://www.yahoo.com and enter “site:www.yourdomain.com” and see what the “Inlinks” number is.
17
Don’t buy links from “link farms”Link farms are a big no-no. So how do you identify them? A link farm is a site that contains hundreds, even thousands, of links to other sites in order to boost their search rankings. Note that it’s not the number of links that distinguishes a link farm from a legitimate collection of links. A link farm is characterized by a list of links to sites that have nothing to do with your site’s topic or content.
You’re not a spammer though, are you? Well, Google considers you a spammer if your site is affi liated with a link farm. In fact, Google hates link farms. Should Google determine that you’re link farming, your site may be removed from Google’s index all together.
There are services out there that promise 300 inbound links to your website. But it doesn’t come for free. You’ll have to reciprocate by adding three hundred outbound links to your own site. Basically, your website is being turned into a link farm. It can seriously hurt your credibility, as the links are unlikely to have anything to do with the topic of your site. These links might also point to sites with content you fi nd objectionable.
That’s not to say that all links are bad. It’s fi ne, even encouraged, to create links to other sites -as long as they’re related to your topic and useful to visitors.
18
One-way links are better than reciprocal linksNow that Google and the other major search engines know about link farming, they’re devaluing reciprocal links in their algorithms. Instead of the sheer number of links, Google cares more about relevance and quality. As a result, one-way links are becoming more important and valuable to webmasters. They’ll boost your rankings, and they don’t send up red fl ags the way link farms do.
The more one-way links out there pointing to your site, the higher your site will be ranked. Obviously, obtaining a large number of one-way links takes time, but there are things you can do to get started. Here are three quick and easy ways to get one-way links to your site:
n Get your site listed with Internet directories
n Comment on blogs and forums related to your site and include
a link in your signature line
n Buy one way links on related sites that sell advertising space
Google places more weight on one-way links in terms of ranking sites. A few well-chosen reciprocal links, though, will benefi t your site. Quality, relevant reciprocal links won’t lower your ranking, and they might even boost it a bit.
Three other factors also fi gure prominently in the equation. When considering a link, whether one way or reciprocal, ask yourself these questions:
nDo the link source and the link destination pages have similar
themes?
n Where on the page is the link placed? (body of content, ad
section, etc.)
n Are the two linked sites related and/or in comparable industries?
The answers to these questions are a more accurate assessment of a link’s quality than whether or not it’s a reciprocal link.
Less can be more when it comes to links. You’ll have a higher ranking with 100 one way links from good sites than you would with 1000 links generated by a link farm. For the best return on your investment, focus your time and eff orts on amassing one way links.
19
Link to keywords, not the name of your businessWhether linking within your own pages or from an external site, it’s important to use descriptive phrases, not just the name of your business. For instance, a link that reads “top law fi rm in London” is better than “Higgins & Higgins.”
In other words, be sure to include important keywords and key phrases in all of your links. The keyword(s) contained in each link helps Google and the other major search engines understand what your site is about.
Here’s a quick example:
n The wrong way: “For more information about legal services,
click here.”
n The right way: “For more information, visit legal services.”
Also, a link is deemed more valuable if it’s placed within the text of a page. For this reason, resist the urge to create a “Related Links” page. Placing links in context and surrounding them with related copy helps search engines determine their importance.
20
Internal linking is importantWhen most webmasters think of linking, they think external. You might be surprised to learn that internal links can give your search engine rankings a boost. One of the best things about internal links is that you’re in complete control. You don’t have to convince another site to link to you, reciprocate a link or pay for an ad.
Every website owner should have a comprehensive internal linking strategy. First, readers will spend more time on your site as they click on your internal links. As a result, your number of page views will also increase. Second, internal links can increase your search engine ranking for the pages you link to, the same way that inbound and reciprocal links do.
21
Five ways to link internally1. Use a sitemap A sitemap helps visitors fi nd their way around when exploring your site. This same sitemap is also a simple way to place more internal links on your website. Sitemaps can be really simple. An XML sitemap isn’t necessary. Sitemaps enable you to increase the number of internal links to the pages you believe are most important.
2. Create a FAQ page The major benefi t of using your Frequently Asked Questions pages for internal links is that you can focus on specifi c keywords and phrases. You can link to blog posts that contain answers to questions you believe your readers will have. You can also link to your main page within your FAQ section.
3. Link to related web pages Include links to other pages on your
website throughout your content. For instance, a web page that explains the conveyancing process is a good place for a link to another page explaining how you can help. You’ll be helping your readers fi nd additional useful content while simultaneously increasing your number of internal links.
4. Write a series of blog posts You can also increase your internal links by writing a series of blog posts. Then, simply include a link to the other parts of the series in each new post. For instance, you could do a fi ve-part series on current employment law topics. Part fi ve would link back to parts one to four, and so on. A quick little
“cheat” is to break up long posts into several smaller ones and publish them as a series.
5. Include links in your footer Your footer is valuable real estate!
Webmasters often make the mistake of overlooking this area. People expect to fi nd a collection of links at the bottom of a web page. Users sometimes scroll down for that very purpose. Be sure to include links to blog posts or other pages of your site in your footer.
22
Directory LinksGetting listed in online directories is a simple way of gaining one-way links. Directories are respected by Internet users and search engines alike.
n Getting listed at DMOZ is key:
DMOZ is the more popular name of the “The Open Directory Project.” DMOZ is short for its offi cial moniker and original domain name: http://www.dmoz.org.
Maintained entirely by volunteer editors, DMOZ is a directory containing links to millions of websites. Many of the web’s top search engines, such as Google and Netscape, are powered by this data. Because Google favours websites that DMOZ’s volunteer editors deem worthy, DMOZ is arguably the most important website directory on the entire web.
However, getting listed on DMOZ is fairly diffi cult. The volunteer editors apply a strict quality test to each site they consider. It’s this human-edited, tight quality control that has led Google to
consider a DMOZ-listed website more important. Google considers the DMOZ editors’ opinions to be authoritative on whether a website or blog is important.
DMOZ has stringent rules for listing sites, and you must follow them precisely to have your site listed. DMOZ editors do not tolerate spam, so you shouldn’t submit your site multiple times to the same category.
As time goes by, a DMOZ listing will become less important. For now if you’re unable to crack the DMOZ code, just focus on strengthening the SEO work within your pages, as well as applying strong off -site strategies you can control.
n It’s easier to get listed on Yahoo!
1 1111 11111111 111111111111111 11111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 much easier to work with.
Start by suggesting your website to Yahoo’s team of Directory editors. These editors visit every website submitted to the
Directory and decide whether or not it’s worth including. Note that there are both free and paid listing services in the Yahoo! Directory. Many professional associations also maintain website directories. The Law Society obviously, but also Waterlows and others.
23
Unique valuable contentWhat if the general public was doing all your marketing for you, and not because you paid them? That’s what viral marketing is about.
Viral marketing is the online equivalent of “word of mouth” advertising. It’s the general term for any marketing strategy that gets people talking about your website. With viral marketing, you’re planting the seeds for exponential growth of your message’s exposure and infl uence. As with real viruses, your marketing campaign multiplies rapidly and can reach thousands of potential customers after having started with just a handful of people. People love free stuff ! To grab someone’s attention, give away a valuable product or in-demand information. Then let word of mouth do its work – “Check out this site. They sent me a free how-to guide on selling your home!”
n Tips booklets - LIKE THIS ONE! :
We’ve all searched the Internet for tips and “How To” guides. Why
not turn the tables and be the expert yourself? Tips booklets are the easiest information product to create because they’re short and sweet. You can choose to sell your booklets or make them available for free. Tips booklets are like business cards for the online generation. You’re marketing, motivating and building your client base. Some real titles that we’ve seen law fi rms write
are as follows :
426 Things Every Business Owner Should Know to Keep them Out of an Employment Tribunal
480 Practical Tips To Help Combat Identity Theft
430 Common Mistakes People make when Moving House 449 Common Traps People Fall into when Renting Commercial Property
n Whitepapers
If someone asked you to name the number one, most frequently read content on the Internet, what would you guess? Consumer reports and case studies? Company websites? Blogs and articles by industry insiders?
The answer isn’t any of the above...it’s white papers! Even in our age of online videos and podcasts, the good old white paper is still king. People consider white papers to be credible sources of information written by authorities and experts. Because white papers are trusted and valued, people are comfortable passing them along to others. Studies have found that three out of every fi ve professionals share white papers they’ve read with colleagues and co-workers. It’s the tendency to share them that gives white papers their viral nature.
24
Comment on blogs, message boards and in forumsContribute to blogs, forums and message boards relating to your website. Even one or two comments per day can lead to extremely positive results:
n You’ll develop a reputation as a knowledgeable, helpful resource. n You’ll establish yourself as an expert in your fi eld.
n And, most importantly, you’ll be building inbound links!
If you participate in a blog or message board discussion and link to your site, chances are that many readers will click the link to your site... which boosts your site’s traffi c. The more popular the blog or message board, the more traffi c you can generate.
Just be sure to follow message board etiquette. Don’t place a signature link in the body of your comment. It’s considered spam; people will start ignoring your posts. Linking to your own site in the comment body can also get your name, site, email and IP address fl agged by “social” blog spam software.
Having a wealth of backlinks (ie. other sites that link to yours) is one of the most important factors in search engine optimisation. However, it’s not enough to just have a lot of backlinks. In order to improve your search engine rankings, they’ve got to be quality backlinks.
If you can answer yes to both of these questions, then you’ve got a quality backlink:
1. Is the theme of the backlinking site the same as your website’s? 2. Does it link to your website with a keyword you’re trying to optimise?
By frequently commenting on high-traffi c blogs and forums, you create many streams of quality backlinks leading to your site. These simple activities can immensely increase you website traffi c, which is the most crucial element for building your law practice on the worldwide web.
What other people are saying about this tips booklet:
”For any law fi rm serious about maximising the opportunities
presented by search engine marketing, this booklet is
invaluable.”
James Whelan, IT Manager
Canter Levin & Berg
“Another practical guide from Conscious that every law fi rm
will fi nd useful for their search engine marketing.”
Viv Williams, Managing Director2020 Lawyers
“A booklet packed full of great ideas that have helped us to
maintain our No.1 Google ranking for ‘solicitor salisbury’ for
over two years.”
Tim Bishop, Partner
