What Is Google Discover - And How Can It Help Your Law Firm?

You know your law firm needs optimized website content - but exactly what does that mean, and how does that help you get found by people who could benefit from your services? Here is something that just happened to me, and it explains why SEO optimized website copy is so important for law firms.

A friend and I were texting about the best pair of lightweight white tennis shoes to buy for our summer travels and were debating the pros and cons of shoes we both had read about. Within hours, ads for one brand were in both our Facebook and Instagram feeds. We were both annoyed and amazed. Our privacy settings are set to On, but clearly, Facebook is listening: The ads in our feeds featured lightweight white tennis shoes loved by celebrities by one particular brand and nothing by the other brands. Which leads to…. why not the other brands?

(And, how can law firms take advantage of this feature to get new clients?)

The same issue applies to Google. If you use Google search to find information or news, you’ll also automatically be shown fresh, related content in your feed, based on your search history - about topics you may be interested in but did not search for. This is called Google Discover. Discover is the feed that appears on the home page of Google. (Plus, Google has recently launched paid Discovery Ads. More about that below.)

How to Optimize Your Content For Google Discover

You’ve written an excellent blog post that shares important, relevant information or solves a legal problem. You hit the publish button, and then you wait to see how many people view it. 

However, if you’re like most law firms, you probably don’t get much organic traffic to your site at all, and the one or two visitors that do come to your page likely bounce away and aren’t prospective clients. So, what can you do to help your ideal client find your great blog post? Your law firm can optimize your blog posts for Google Discover to improve the likelihood that your content will be organically shown to Google users - meaning, without paying for ads.

5 Steps to Optimize Your Blog Post for Google Discover

Google wants you to create content that helps solve their user’s questions! In fact, in July 2020, Google released new Help guidelines to show publishers how to get their content to show up in Google Discover! Here are 5 key steps to optimize your blog posts for Google Discover.

1. Follow the E-A-T Principle

When it comes to writing content, keyword placement isn't a priority -the goal of your content is quality and not quantity. Google says that websites with well-written, high-quality and relevant content will consistently rank higher than competitor sites with poor quality, poorly written content. If Google is telling you how to help your content rank higher, your firm should be doing it.

In December 2020, Google announced an update to their algorithm that focuses on core vitals: website quality standards that focus on content quality. Google search engines reward relevance and expertise with higher rankings in search results. If you want your blog to show up in searches, you need to understand E-A-T:

• Expertise

• Authoritativeness

• Trustworthiness

Learn More: Does Your Website Follow the EAT Principle?

2. Link All Your Social Media to Your Blog (WITHOUT Using Clickbait)

There’s a very good chance that your readers find your content through social media. It’s also possible that they found it through a Google search or by stumbling upon a link from another website. So, with those two in mind, it makes sense to help both audiences find you on targeted social media platforms and via Google. 

Linking back to your site from each post is easy - and you should do it! That way, your content will appear in Google Discover.

3. Use Unique Images & Videos

It’s no secret that posts with images tend to get more clicks than ones without them. Not only that, but research says having an image in your Facebook post helps boost engagement by 80%. 

So, when choosing a picture for your content, aim for quality over quantity. According to research from HubSpot, 40% of people are more likely to engage with a post based on its visuals alone (with only 20% less likely). When you’re creating a visual component for your next piece of content, try to make it as visually appealing as possible. This will help the content appear in Google Discover before the reader adds in queryless search. 

4. Create New & Evergreen Blogs

If you want to be get found in the Discover user feed, create both new and evergreen (timeless) content for your blog. This is because Google focuses on content that is:

• fresh,

• evergreen and /or

• attention-grabbing

5. Create Relevant and Trending Topics

Post about trending topics in your local service area. If there is a big court case happening, talk about it. If a big legal decision is making headlines, talk about it. Trending topics are great because they aren't competitive, and they get more visibility when you include them in your titles. Again - don’t use clickbait which uses a trending topic in your blog title or social media post, but the article talks about a different topic.

Instead, write about a trending topic that IS relevant to your services and your client’s legal problems: you’re using a trending topic strategically to grab eyeballs to discuss a very real and relevant legal issue.

Google Topic Research Tools

You can find topic ideas and keywords with the help of Google’s free topic research tools:

Google Keyword Planner helps you research keywords to use in your blogs, and discover new local keywords related to your law firm’s services with estimates of the number of monthly searches they receive.

Google Suggested Search Queries appear at the bottom of every search page and show you other related search terms Google users are entering.

Google Suggest is a Google search engine function that provides automated suggestions to users as they enter their search query into the search box, based on users’ recent search behaviors.

People Also Ask is a Google featured snippet on many search results pages that show additional questions many users ask after their initial search query.

Google is giving you keyword and topic suggestions based on actual user queries - are you taking their suggestions?

And Now, Discovery Ads

Google is so happy with users’ engagement with Discover, that they are now monetizing it! Discovery Ads are personalized ads that appear in Google's feeds on the YouTube app, the Google app, and the Gmail app based on the user’s recent search activity. The goal of Discovery Ads is to reach audiences at the exact time when they are ready to discover your product or service. So a divorce law firm might target a Discovery Ad toward someone who is

Conclusion 

Let’s face it: it’s hard to stand out from your competitors who are also trying to rank higher and get found on Google. Consistency is key: if you create content that

• consistently meets people where they are

• shares useful information

• is timely

you’re on the right track for your blog to get found in Google Discover, and serve as a gateway to your law firm’s services.

Do You Need To Hire An Optimized Content Writer?

Well-written, optimized blogs and website copy help attract your ideal client to your website. By investing in creating high-quality content, you tell people (and Google!) how you can solve their problem. You’ll rank higher on Search and people will visit your website - and that will lead to new business and opportunities.

SEO My Law Firm can help your law firm get more online visibility and rank higher on Google! Contact Catherine to discuss how we help grow your business - and your profits!