Lawyers.com Editor in Chief : Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog : Law firm marketing, legal marketing, attorney marketing, business development, sales training, practice development, training, marketing consultant, legal consultant, individual lawyer coaching, business development, client team, practice development, business development, law firm coach

It's well-known that people look up phone numbers, business addresses and restaurant menus on Google Local.  Just type in the Google box "Mexican Restaurant Lisle Illinois" and you'll find my favorite local restaurant in position "D."

I highly recommend that lawyers also list themselves in Google Local, because you know that potential clients will type something like "Property Tax Appeal Chicago" in the Google search box and you'll want to be in the top 10 (A through J).  So how do you get into Google Local's Top Ten list?

I turned to Web expert Dale Tincher, CEO, Consultwebs.com, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, and he offered this advice on the LawMarketing Listserv:

1. Sign up for Google local listings at http://bit.ly/2QUU
2. Have “category” keywords that match the phrases you anticipate potential clients will type.  Do not “stuff” (place excessive) keywords.  You can get penalized for that.
3. Obtain links (referred to as citations) from local sources.  Unlike incoming SEO links, citations do not need to be relative (e.g., law firms, legal associations.)  Citations indicate that your client is, indeed, a local firm.  They are similar to receiving endorsements.
4. Obtain links in directories such as Superpages, infoUSA, YellowPages, Localeze, Yelp, InsiderPages, Niche Industry Sites (BBB, Vertical Directories), Acxiom, Yahoo, Citysearch, the Chamber of Commerce.  You will have to pay for some of them.  Search engine placement is not inexpensive in 2009.
5. Obtain numerous client reviews.
6. Insure that a local address and phone number are listed on the Website.

"Do not enter your Website numerous times.  This can cause penalties," Dale said. "It takes work and monitoring, but we have had great success following these steps. Note: Findlaw nor any other vendor 'owns' positioning in Google."

Dale's advice was first shared on the LawMarketing Listserv. If you like to see marketing tips like these, I invite you to join the LawMarketing Listserv and become a member at http://www.lawmarketing.biz/

According to Steve Matthews and Reid F. Trautz, social networking sites are free services to connect to others through your existing relationships in order to obtain business referrals and build new alliances for future business.

"Know that every time you participate in your network you make small deposits into relationships in order to maintain them and have them grow," they said.

"Becoming involved in social networks helps us manage our existing relationships and build new ones. Spending time through social networks is an investment in future business. Increasing communication is an important aspect of social networking -- more frequent, more varied to deepen your relationships. However, like so many marketing activities, many lawyers are loath to invest that time, preferring to “just be a lawyer.” Social networking is more fun and less drudgery, especially if you are not comfortable in face-to-face interactions."

• Illustration: An often untapped source of quality referrals is an individual's past, and sometimes distant past: childhood friends, elementary and secondary school classmates. While most people will think to reconnect with University peers from their past, one of frequently told benefits of social networking is 'the excuse' to re-connect with people we've known in the early part of our lives. Interestingly, these bonds can be exceptionally strong; and can be especially beneficial when an individual comes from affluent background.
• Illustration: If you represent businesses, use your social network connections to add more to your client roster. As part of your overall marketing efforts, identify businesses that you would like to represent and find the names of their top decision-makers. Then search for those names across social network websites (all of them provide this simple service), then find people in your own social network to help you get an introduction to the decision-makers.

Visit the LawMarketing Portal to read the 7 benefits of online social networking, and their take on LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Legal OnRamp and Plaxo.