Legal marketing takes a special touch. Along with an understanding of lead generation, search engine rankings, and conversions, it requires a deep knowledge of compliance and ethics. When done right, online marketing can provide valuable information to your audience and drive traffic. But a flawed strategy can rapidly erode trust. 

A good law firm content marketing agency should not only help you stand out from competitors but also build trust with prospective clients and strengthen your reputation in your community. To find an agency capable of providing strategic, attorney-driven content, you need to know what to look for and what to avoid.

The cornerstone for effective legal marketing is knowledge of the industry. When researching agencies, start by asking them about their experience working with law firms, especially those of a comparable size and with similar practice areas. Ask for relevant examples and case studies of successful past projects. 

Your marketing agency should know how to create content for different kinds of client intent. For example, if you run a personal injury firm, your page should include information relevant to clients who want to seek compensation following an accident. A lack of experience in your particular practice area makes it more difficult for an agency to navigate different audience needs.

Because trust and confidence are so important to the attorney-client relationship, an agency providing law firm content marketing services should offer consistent, authoritative content, which is crucial to obtaining strategic backlinks. Compliance is also key, particularly when it comes to adhering to bar association rules for disclaimers, misleading claims, and confidentiality.

Another essential point to consider when choosing a legal marketing agency is whether they can provide practice-area and location-based content planning. Focusing on your specific services and tailoring information to your geographic region allows you to connect with local clients who are looking for help in their immediate area. 

The agency should also know how to integrate search engine optimization (SEO) best practices with your content marketing strategy. One of the benefits of SEO services for law firms is the ability to improve your search ranking and connect with a larger pool of potential clients. 

To achieve those goals, the agency needs to provide local SEO optimization using location pages and your Google Business Profile (GBP). They should also be adept at the technical aspects of SEO in your website design, such as site speed and security.

A reputable agency specializing in law firm content marketing is open and clear, providing a detailed explanation of both their SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) ads and search strategies. While agencies can't promise results, they can define deliverables and timelines, so you know what types of content they plan to publish and when you'll see them on your site. 

In addition, content ownership should never be in question. If you want your firm to retain ownership of any content the agency publishes on your site, have an early discussion about the agency's policies. 

Honesty is critical at every stage of the marketing process, including after content goes live. The right agency will provide you with high-quality reporting tied to key metrics, including lead quality and conversions. They'll tie pieces of content directly to increases in site traffic or improved lead generation and show how your strategy is helping you achieve your firm's goals.

Every state bar has a set of advertising and marketing regulations, and violating them can have serious consequences, ranging from fines to malpractice lawsuits to disbarment. To protect you from those kinds of negative consequences, a marketing agency needs to remain up to date with the regulations for your state.

Speak to any prospective agencies about their content review processes and what efforts they make to reduce your compliance risk. For instance, do they use standardized checklists to ensure they're meeting all the necessary requirements? Dig deep into their processes by asking how often they review or provide training on evolving regulations and compliance standards. 

Another helpful step when evaluating an agency is asking for examples of their existing content and reviewing it to see if it follows ethical SEO and content standards. For instance, check whether the content includes proper attributions and is fundamentally truthful and accurate. These points are both critical to staying in alignment with legal marketing best practices.

If an agency guarantees rankings or gives unrealistic performance promises, steer clear, especially if they say you'll see dramatic changes in a short period. Content marketing is a long-term strategy, not an overnight transformation. Agencies that say otherwise are more focused on securing clients than delivering results. 

Vague strategies and unclear deliverables are other good reasons to walk away. For instance, if an agency tells you they plan to use social media marketing but doesn't give any details about the platforms, types of content, or frequency of posts, you won't know what to expect or how to measure their success. 

Along those same lines, an agency relying on black-hat tactics, such as keyword stuffing or hidden text, is doing you a disservice. These methods violate Google's guidelines and can result in de-ranking, significantly damaging your site traffic. 

Finally, remember you deserve a content marketing strategy tailored to your firm's goals, practice areas, and geographic markets. If an agency doesn't align with those criteria, they probably can't get the results you want.

With a combined 27 years of experience crafting customized marketing content for law firms, Hype Legal understands the importance of a solid strategy, strong ethics, open communication, and updated SEO strategies. Contact us to learn more about how our approach to legal content marketing can help you reach more clients.