Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Content Marketing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Exclusive Article from Nick Jervis, Author of “The Law Firm Growth Formula”
AI Everywhere
It seems that you cannot avoid AI at the moment. There is a lot of excitement around all of the wonderful things it will be able to do, and a lot of fear about the number of employees it will replace. When it comes to getting to the top of Google (which most have been trying to do for many years), you now also need to consider getting to the top of ChatGPT search results, or whichever is your preferred AI platform.
Or do you?
Getting to the Top of Google
If we focus on what is required to get to the top of Google, it can be summarised as:
A Fast Loading Website
Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool will tell you if it is fast enough. Generally, your mobile speed should be 70 or more, and your desktop speed should be in the 90s (out of 100). If your website developer tells you that they use metrics other than Google’s own, change them. Google is still the dominant force for search, and whether you are targeting organic traffic or paid traffic using Google Ads, your site speed is assessed by Google and is a part of the process for determining how far up the pecking order your website will be listed.
Enough Content
You need enough content on each page for Google to understand what you are talking about, and equally as importantly, for visitors to decide that you are an expert in the field of law for which they are looking for help. Not having enough content leads to one certainty: no visitors to your site and therefore no new clients. Each page should include at least 750 words, but 3,000–5,000 will not harm you. You should break up longer content with headings, subheadings, images, and bullet points to appeal to both detail readers and skimmers.
The Right Keywords
The most important part of content marketing is keyword research. You must be trying to answer a question that someone would type into Google if they were looking for your services. There are excellent tools available to find good keywords. If you download my free Website Cheat Sheet at the end of this article, I will tell you my preferred ones and show you how I use them. If you do not target any keywords, your wonderful words are unlikely to be seen by anyone, which is such a waste of time and effort.
The Right Keywords with Buyer Intent
Often, I am asked to review a website that has supposedly been worked on by an SEO company for months or years. They show me reports where visitor numbers are rising, but when I ask, ‘How many extra new clients does the website deliver each month?’, the answer is usually the same: none. The company is targeting keywords with no buyer intent. They are researching keywords such as ‘What is conveyancing?’ or simply ‘conveyancing.’ I want my clients to be found for something that leads to a new instruction, for example, ‘Conveyancing Solicitor Reading’ or ‘Best Conveyancing Solicitors Near Me.’
Enough Pages on Your Website
If you have only a five-page website, you will only receive traffic for your firm’s name. If you have 20 pages, you might attract some visitors looking for your legal services. If you have 50 pages or more, regularly add new content, and always target buyer intent keywords, then even with AI taking general non-buyer searches, you should see your visitor numbers and client instructions rising.
Website Authority
Search engines want to know that your website is authoritative on your topic. They assess this by seeing which other websites link to yours. The best way to build authority today is through good media coverage around your topic of expertise. This not only signals authority to Google but also suggests expertise to visitors, making them more likely to contact and instruct you. Other methods include (which also improve the volume of people enquiring about your services when they find your website, as they build trust and credibility):
- Membership of professional organisations (so long as you explain why this makes you a better law firm for your prospects, as most people do not know what most of them stand for).
- Press coverage (local and national).
- Reviews (from Google Business or Trustpilot).
AI and SEO
Now that we’ve covered SEO basics, how does AI decide which businesses to list in its search results? Well, I did the obvious thing, and asked it (Chat GPT on this occasion). Here is the summary, referring to my headings above.
- Regulatory Status & Accreditations – Website Authority
- Experience & Scope – Depth of Content to Prove Expertise
- Lender-Panel Coverage – Website Authority
- Client Outcomes & Reputation – Website Authority
- Transparency & Pricing – Website Authority
- Independent Recognition – Website Authority
- Local Knowledge – Covered by Search Engines via your office locations
- Service Delivery – Additional Consideration over Traditional SEO
- Technology & Process – Additional Consideration over Traditional SEO
- Capacity & Responsiveness – Additional Consideration over Traditional SEO
- Conflicts, Complaints & Risk – Additional Consideration over Traditional SEO
Most of the points that AI considers are the same as those used by search engines. The ones marked as Additional Considerations Over Traditional SEO are not usually discussed, but they are common-sense indicators of quality, so you should ensure that they are covered on your website.
AI and Google Ads
As a manager of many accounts and a huge fan of Google Ads as it brings your ideal clients to them at the precise moment in time that they are looking to engage your legal services, I have to mention the relationship between AI and Google Ads.
I’ve observed this daily for months, and considering that Google generates over $85 billion a quarter from its Ads platform, my conclusions will likely not surprise you.
When there is a non-buyer-intent search made (e.g., ‘what is conveyancing’), Google’s AI results will appear first.
When there is a buyer-intent search (e.g., ‘Conveyancing Solicitor Bath’), four Google Ads results will appear before the AI answer.
Google will not be biting the hand that feeds it anytime soon, so Google Ads is still of significant value if you are looking to drive more visitors to your website.
Download Free Website Cheat Sheet
If you’d like to discover the keyword research tools I use and see exactly how I structure law firm websites for better rankings and conversions, download my free Website Cheat Sheet for Law Firms here: https://www.samsonconsulting.co.uk/cheat-sheet
About the Author
Nick Jervis is a law firm marketing consultant, former solicitor, and author of the best-selling book The Law Firm Growth Formula (we regularly recommend it to solicitors seeking to improve their marketing and grow their business). He has been helping law firms generate more clients from their websites since 2001. Nick’s website is www.nickjervis.com.
