Start your engines

In my previous article, which appeared in the June issue of the Journal, I touched on the subject of using your website to communicate securely and effectively with your clients. Prior to considering functionality it is imperative that clients and potential clients are able to find your site quickly.

The world wide web contains an estimated 30 billion web pages, comprised of HTML documents, dynamic database-driven pages and discussion forum postings. Within this vast amount of information it is easy to get lost. For law firms this is particularly the case as business names often comprise a series of surnames. A user entering surnames as a company name into a major search engine may count local golf club return scores and awards ceremonies among his, or her, search results.

A top 10 hit?

Virtually all internet users (99.8%) report using search engines to locate the information they are looking for on the world wide web. Research suggests that if you do not appear within the first 10 results of an engine search the likelihood is that the casual browser will not visit your site.

Some may say: “What does it matter? I do not rely on the casual internet browser as a source of business.” I would say that that is a shortsighted approach.

Being easily found by the most frequently used search engines reinforces brand awareness and creates a positive impression. Following an initial meeting with a company, when you are left with the impression that the company deploys technology effectively, it is offputting to return to your desktop and struggle to find that company’s website. “If they have overlooked this, what else have they overlooked?”, you might think.

Tailoring your site so that it comes up within the top 10 results for phrases relevant to your service offering is the first step to turning your website into a possible source of business. A site which is poorly optimised for search engine functionality will struggle to earn you new business.

A site which is optimised may result in a number of new clients. The fees generated from these new clients can quickly amount to more than the entire development expenditure of your website.

In actual fact, thinking about optimisation really assists the overall design process. Why rule it out? You have no idea who may be searching for services just like yours.

Who uses search engines?

Almost everyone. As already noted, 99.8% of internet users report using search engines. Google, Yahoo!, MSN and AOL share 90% of the market.

Researchers also found that almost 82% of search engine users will abandon their search after viewing the first three pages of results returned. Twenty two per cent of users stop looking after viewing the first few results, while a further 19% stop after looking at the first page.

I am definitely within the top 22%.

The survey, the “iProspect Search Engine User Attitudes Survey”, further revealed that more than 60% of search engine users will choose a natural search result over a paid search advertisement as being most relevant to their query. However the question of whether a listing is found in the natural or paid search results is irrelevant if it is not found within the first three pages of results.

The initial stages

Don’t rush your site. During initial development stages think about search engines and how both existing and potential customers are going to find your site. Make sure that your chosen design house understands that this is particularly important to you and ask them for examples of other sites they have been involved in where search engine listings have been important. Do your own searches for these companies using the key phrases that you think would be of most relevance. The results will indicate how effective the design house has been.

Pull your ranking

To get listed you have to submit your site to directories and crawlers. Directories require a manual submission whereas crawlers automatically visit web pages to compile their listings. The processes involved in obtaining listings are laborious and too lengthy to describe in this article.

While getting listed means that the site knows you exist, it does not mean that you will necessarily rank highly for particular phrases. For your site to rank highly, content is of paramount importance. Design aberrations which can affect search engine friendliness can generally be overcome using different or tailored coding techniques.

The point is that you know about your services, you know who you want to sell them to and as such you have to take the time to decide on your website’s textual content.

For this reason you may be at odds with your chosen designer. They will be thinking about aesthetics and functionality, not to mention getting the project signed off and paid for. They will need content quickly, so: be prepared.

Experience has taught me that it is highly unusual for any business to be prepared where content is concerned. In projects I am involved in I will normally compile all the content for my clients before submitting it to a search engine specialist for tweaking. If, as a partner, you decide to take on responsibility for your website’s content, delegate the task of research to a junior or trainee solicitor. Ask the design house to provide you with a site map and hand this to your website assistant who can then come up with proposed content for every page on the map. Amending is easier and a lot less time consuming than compiling.

Content: speak the language

“Website designers must design for search engines, not just for browsers. But the absolute best way to be listed is to have a really good content” (Danny Sullivan, editor, Search Engine Watch).

To rank highly, the content of your site has to be good and must contain strategically placed keywords/keyphrases.

Keywords are the words entered into search engines as queries; keyphrases are multi-word phrases entered as queries.

The content which you use on your home page requires very careful consideration. At all costs avoid using pages which contain only images (splash pages) or moving images (flash) as your home page.

The reason for this is that they contain very little text which the search engine crawler can index and, as a result, your site will not appear when people search.

Some search engines only index the home page of a site and if your home page is a splash or flash page your chances of being listed are dramatically reduced.

Sit down with a few members of your team for half an hour and note down all the phrases which you would use if you were looking for your organisation. Avoid text which could be considered marketing speak, even though you might believe it to be entirely true, e.g. “Brilliant legal firm: the best”. Think more of phrases such as: “conveyancing, estate agent, legal services, Glasgow, Scotland”.

Single words such as “lawyer”, or “solicitor” are almost impossible to use for search engine optimisation purposes as they are too vague. The services legal firms offer are often limited by jurisdictional differences. Use this to your advantage. Individuals will look to use legal services physically close to them and as such you should ensure that the textual content of your site reflects this. What is the point of attracting visitors looking for properties in Perth, Australia when your business offers conveyancing services in Perth, Scotland? This may seem obvious, but it is often overlooked.

A handy tool such as Wordtracker (www.wordtracker.com) can help you research the most popular phrases used to find certain services.

Do not just reproduce the text from your brochures or existing company literature. This will have been generated for print and will fit in an area of a particular size. Company literature may also reside at your reception desk and is only seen once an existing, or potential client is already through the door.

Site content must get people to the door.

A balance must be achieved. Pages must read well. A list of keywords separated by commas is not going to make much sense and will inevitably fail to get across your firm’s corporate message.

Content-rich pages are essential for good search engine rankings. It is generally acknowledged that the top 250 words of your main page are critical to search engine results. So make sure that you provide your designer with at least 250 words of readable text for your home page.

If you are concerned that a text-heavy home page may turn visitors off, use tricks like short paragraphs, subheadings and keyword-rich bullet points to allow for ease of use.

Your knowledge counts

Maximising the content of your site is one thing which can really make a difference to your website’s visibility. Submission to search engines and keeping on top of your rankings however is more convoluted and will often require the assistance of a specialist organisation, as it is not an area which can be dabbled in with any real success. The algorithms used by crawlers and directories are continually changing to take into account various changes in coding techniques. If you have worked on your content and understand why textual content is important to your site’s visibility, you will be better placed to employ the services of a specialist submission company.

My point is that the textual content of your site is really important. Don’t just sign off anything. You have to reach your target audience and to do this the content of your site must be effectively drafted. You can really make a difference as you know most about your own business and the sources you wish to tap into. As I mentioned earlier, visibility is as much about reinforcing your brand awareness as it is about collecting new clients; in fact the former can often lead to the latter.