Why Do Google Algorithm Updates Matter to Law Firms?
Last week, I was asked by two different clients why the Google algorithm updates matter. It doesn’t matter to law firms - unless they
have online content such as a website or blog
want to get found by potential clients through Google search
want to rank higher on Google.
Google is always updating its algorithms to improve the quality of search results. The Google October 2022 “Helpful Content” update, also called the spam update, is one of these updates. The Helpful Content update is designed to promote content that is genuinely useful and informative while penalizing content that is recycled, irrelevant, or otherwise unhelpful.
“The “Helpful Content Update” is a site-wide signal that can hurt the visibility of all content if too many articles are deemed “unhelpful.””
- Go Fish
For law firms, this means that content marketing efforts will need to be focused on creating fresh, original content that provides value to readers. Gone are the days of simply recycling old blog posts or churning out low-quality articles for the sake of SEO keywords.
“In short, did you write that piece of content to rank on Google or did you write it to help users?”
To avoid being penalized by Google, law firms should focus on creating new, relevant content that is genuinely useful to readers. This could include anything from in-depth guides and how-tos, to expert commentary on current events affecting the legal industry.
Whatever form it takes, Google's "Helpful Content" update is a reminder that law firms need to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to their content marketing efforts. By creating new, original content that is genuinely useful to readers, law firms can stay ahead of Google's ever-changing algorithms and ensure that their content is seen by the people who matter most. Google's "Helpful Content" update is just the latest reminder that quality content is key to a successful law firm content marketing strategy.
By creating new, original content that is genuinely useful to readers, law firms can stay ahead of Google's ever-changing algorithms and ensure that their content is seen by the people who matter most. Google's "Helpful Content" update is just the latest reminder that quality content is key to a successful law firm content marketing strategy.
Quality Over Quantity
Creating helpful, informative content should be a priority for all law firms, regardless of Google's ever-changing algorithms. By putting their readers first and creating content that is genuinely useful, law firms can ensure that their content is seen by the people who matter most. Google's "Helpful Content" update is just the latest reminder of this fact.
Google's "Helpful Content" update is designed to promote content that is genuinely useful and informative, while penalizing content that is recycled, irrelevant, or otherwise unhelpful. For law firms, this means that content marketing efforts will need to be focused on creating fresh, original content that provides value to readers.
To create helpful, informative content, law firms should focus on:
Identifying what topics their target audience is interested in
Conducting research to ensure that their content is accurate and up-to-date
Writing in a clear, concise style that is easy to understand
Utilizing visual elements such as images and infographics to break up text and make complex concepts more digestible
Publishing content regularly to maintain a consistent presence online
By following these tips, law firms can create content that is genuinely useful and informative, while avoiding Google's penalties for unhelpful content. Google's "Helpful Content" update is just the latest reminder that quality content is essential to a successful law firm content marketing strategy.
Creating helpful, informative content should be a priority for all law firms. By focusing on quality over quantity, law firms can ensure that their content is seen by the people who matter most - the people who need their legal services. Google's "Helpful Content" update is just the latest reminder of this fact.
Other Google Algorithm News
Google announced a core algorithm update on September 12th, 2022, which rolled out during September. Google's core algorithm is the heart of its search engine and is constantly being updated to deliver the best possible results to users. This update is designed to improve the quality of search results by looking at a variety of factors, including relevance, freshness and user engagement to provide users with the most relevant and useful results for their queries.
It appears the October Google spam update had a significant impact on rankings and traffic, and Google made an adjustment on October 28.
What does this mean for law firm content marketing? You will get the best results and ROI from:
well-written content
topics that are important and useful to your ideal client
good backlinks
user-friendly content formatting and design
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