How To Outrank Your Competitors
Where does your website currently rank on Google? Page one? Two? Maybe it’s not even listed within the top 10 pages of the search results – but your competitor’s might be.
If you don’t think your Google rank affects your business, think again. We all are often looking for something – whether a restaurant, store or law firm, and there’s one friend we commonly turn to for help: Google. But if you’re like most when you find yourself digging for information on the search engine, you rarely get past that first page of search results.
Let’s be honest: We rarely get past half that first page.
Studies show the top 5 positions often receive more than 70% of search traffic.
Simply put, where your website ranks on Google matters. If you want to beat the competition, you need to rank higher than the competition in Google. If your law firm’s website cannot quickly and easily be found with a basic Google search, how do you expect to gain clients?
While rankings matter quite a bit, keep in mind that your website won’t rank number one on Google overnight. Effective search engine optimization (SEO) techniques take time to implement and perform. Still, the following tips can help you inch your way to the front page.
4 Tips to Beat Your Competition on Google
Analyze Your Competition
We’ve already established that you want to beat other law firms in your area. To successfully do this, you’ll need to analyze the competition – recognize what they’re doing, and do it better. It’s not enough to match the marketing efforts of your competitors; you’ll need to surpass them.
That means if a firm publishes a blog post on personal injury accidents that is 300-words long, you should write one, too – but make it 600 words. Your post should offer more information and a better user experience.
Tip: Remember, you’re trying to establish trust and create positive relationships with potential clients. Don’t simply “tell” them; show them why you’re the best advocate for their needs.
The Key to Keyword Targeting
To get your content to rank in Google, use keywords throughout your pages. Just don’t use too many keywords, since it can be more harmful than helpful. Of course, you want to rank for as many terms as possible (i.e. personal injury attorney, car accident attorney, car accident injury attorney, etc.), but too many keywords will make your content to read like spam.
Tip: Once you’ve created your content, read it aloud. How does it sound? If it sounds natural, like something you could read to a client, you’re golden!
It’s the Little Things
You may not think page titles, images and links matter. Guess what? They do.
Page Titles
When it comes to page titles, write compelling and engaging titles that clearly reflect the topic you’re covering. If possible, try to incorporate your target keyword into the page title, as well as your brand name.
Tip: Keep the page title under 65 characters, or it will be cut short by Google.
Images
Images are equally important. After all, a picture is worth a 1,000 words, right? Because Google doesn’t understand what an image represents, setting alt tags when uploading pictures helps Google find them.
Tip: A short, keyword-rich phrase can help boost your website’s SEO.
Links
Both external and internal links are significant to your site. External links are links on outside websites that link back to your site, while internal links send the visitor to other pages within your site. Internal links are thought of as “doorways,” and make it easier for the search engine to locate your page as it travels throughout your website.
Tip: When adding an internal link, choose a short keyword or phrase that sums up the page you are linking to.
Content is King
If you want your prospective clients to actually read the content you publish, it needs to be appealing to them. The solution for this is creating user-friendly content that is both informative and engaging. Stay clear of industry jargon and use a simpler language and tone that is easily read and understood.
Remember, you are not writing content for other lawyers, but for someone who needs a lawyer. A client’s educational level can vary, so be sure your content is easily understood by your target reader.
Tip: Write for the reader, your intended audience and clientele.
Need More Help Beating Your Competitors?
Contact Obu Interactive at (800) 619-5944. Let us help you beat the competition!
