Creating and maintaining a presence online is essential in modern legal marketing. Research has confirmed that most people turn to the Internet for answers to legal questions and information about legal services; they also research attorneys and law firms online after referrals from other sources. Establishing a presence online with a website, Google Business Profile, and respected directory listings are important first steps. Once you have covered these basics, it’s time to think about the benefits of publishing website content, including law firm announcements and news. News about your law f ..read more

It’s a common question for law firm owners, administrators, and attorneys: should you hire (or assign) in-house staff to manage your marketing needs and goals or work with a law firm marketing agency? Determining which is a better fit—in-house or outsourced marketing for law firms—or if a combination of the two is preferable requires considering a law firm’s current capacities and marketing goals and evaluating the pros, cons, and costs of the available options. In-House vs. Outsourced Marketing for Law Firms: Asking the Right Questions In any decision-making process, thoughtfulness and resear ..read more

LinkedIn® Corporation provides one of the most versatile networking and marketing tools available. This business networking platform helps legal professionals showcase their experience and qualifications for potential clients and referral sources alike. Indeed, 94 percent of LinkedIn® users use the platform for research before hiring an attorney. As legal marketers, our law firm clients often ask us, “How do lawyers use LinkedIn®?” One common use for lawyers on LinkedIn is making connections. Whether you became friends with a fellow law student at your university or met another legal professio ..read more

Links serve an important purpose in connecting online content to other relevant sources and information. They are also an important element in search engine optimization (SEO). The quality of links to and from your law firm website can boost your online presence and search rankings or damage your website’s credibility and SEO. Unfortunately, law firm website link schemes could be in place—creating affiliations between your website and others—without your law firm or website manager’s knowledge. This blog is the second in a two-part series that explains what link schemes are, the risks of link ..read more

TOPDOG Legal Marketing is excited to announce that it is now an approved partner of the State Bar of Arizona (SBA). This distinguished partnership allows the legal marketing firm to connect with more law firms and attorneys while supporting the mission of the SBA and the Arizona legal community. The TOPDOG team is humbled to be the first legal marketing agency to be granted a partnership with the SBA. The opportunity allows the firm to offer its personalized legal marketing strategies and plans to SBA members at a discounted rate. As an SBA partner, TOPDOG plans to set a high standard for exce ..read more

Link schemes place unnatural hyperlinks in web content to try to manipulate search engine rankings. These links can damage website credibility and result in penalties from search engines like Google, so it’s critical that attorneys and law firms know about the potential consequences of these black hat search engine optimization (SEO) methods. Disturbingly, law firm websites can be involved in link schemes without the website owner ever knowing about them. Understanding the dangers of link schemes for lawyers and law firms, as well as how they can happen, is key to mitigating potential damage ..read more

The legal marketing industry is flush with companies offering services that are either built or rely heavily on proprietary technology and platforms offered exclusively to their law firm clients. This is all fine, in theory. But for law firms, choosing a web hosting platform or content management system (CMS) built on proprietary legal marketing technology can result in problems with content ownership, integration of additional services, and more. Like frustrated mobile phone customers trapped in unclear contracts and extended payment plans, many law firms find out too late that their practica ..read more

Magic can be fun. We all love an illusion that defies the laws of reality. However, when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) for law firms, it is critical to know if you can trust what you see. Specifically, some law firm marketing agencies may lead you to believe they can pull a rabbit out of their hat by making inbound links to your law firm website magically appear. In this blog, we will discuss why law firms should avoid black hat link building techniques, focusing instead on proven strategies that boost your website’s credibility and authority over time. SEO Explainer: Why Law Fi ..read more

Heather Banner Kane, an attorney and Legal Content Director at TOPDOG Legal Marketing, LLC, has earned two of the top digital marketing certifications in the US: Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) in Digital Marketing. These certifications are granted by two authorities in the marketing industry, the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) and the American Marketing Association (AMA), respectively. The extensive coursework required to earn the CDMP and PCM credentials included training in online advertising, analytics, social media, content mark ..read more

Nathan Chase, a member of the TOPDOG Legal Marketing team, has expanded his skills as a Google online advertising professional. Having completed the Google Ads Search Certification, Google Ads Measurement Certification, and Google Analytics Individual Qualification, the AZ legal marketing specialist continues to expand and demonstrate his proficiency in online advertising and analytics and put these skills to work on behalf of TOPDOG clients nationwide. A resident of the greater Phoenix area, AZ paralegal Nathan Chase holds an associate degree in Applied Science in Paralegal from Rio Salado Co ..read more