1. Content Guidelines for your Law Firm Website By PaperStreet Web Design

2. Online Reading Habits Skim: Readers skim; they dont read. Snap: Readers make snap decisions. React: Instead of evaluating, they react. Calls to Action: Use them. TIP: Unlike a legal argument, keep your text brief.

3. Are you an Authority Online? Do you: Write often? Cover legal news / events in your area? Create in-depth articles that help? Have the most exhaustive resource? TIP: Goal is to become THE resource in your practice area.

4. You are Too Wordy Not about You! Write for the client. TIP: Dont just write about yourself, help clients first.

5. You are Too Wordy What you Should Do – Bullets: Use bullet points and short copy. – What to Use: Tables, charts, maps, lists, images, and diagrams, rather than text. – Break Up: Use headlines and sub headlines TIP: Cut Content and organize it into logical sections.

6. Content Rules Style: Set a style or tone for your website. Pagination: Break up the Pages. Short sentences are better than long ones. SEO: Keep SEO in mind. For your Reader: Write for them, not you. Avoid industry terms unless your targeted reader will already know them. TIP: Dont be afraid to have a voice to your website.

7. Duplicate Content Unique content is key. Dont steal and dont regurgitate. Check your copy at Copyscape. TIP: Seriously, dont copy. There are ways to be unique.

8. Site Structure Pyramid Structure 3 Levels is usually enough, sometimes 4. Less than 100 links a page Standard Pages: Home, Practice, Attorneys, Blog, About, & Contact Advanced Pages Industries, News, Media, Case Studies, Articles, Directory of Resources, Lists, Charts, Industry information, and more. TIP: Make your site logical and easy to navigate.

9. What to Include Become an Authority Dont just write about your business. – Industry facts – Q&A – How To – Case Studies – Top 10 lists – Blog TIP: Turn client questions into content.

10. What NOT to Include Short Pages: 1 paragraph pages Orphan Pages: Pages that dont link from any other page. Duplicate Content – Dont Copy, even from yourself and especially from other sites. TIP: Dont write just for the search engines.

11. Ideas for Content About Us Practice Areas and Info Service Areas and Info Products and Info Lists Top 10 News Articles Recommendations Directory of Resources Research Articles Interviews Free Tools Expositions Humor Reviews Video, Audio Surveys Contests Trends Advice Columns Charts & Graphics TIP: Include all of this and you will dominate.

12. Ideas for Features Why you got into the business. What inspires you. A compliment you recently received. Experience. Degrees. Awards. Trade, Bar Associations. Committees. Social Organizations. Recent News / Events. Personal Connections. Previous career, family businesses, or jobs. Hobby or interest that relates.

13. Bad Practices Tricks: Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings. Redirects: Pages dedicated to directing the user to another page. Duplicate Content: Multiple pages/sites offering the same content. Thin Content Sites: Automatically generated content of little value. Hidden Text: The use of text or links hidden from the user. Cloaking: Different content for search than what the end user sees. Irrelevant Pages: Pages built for search with excessive keywords. Fraud: Pages that seem deceptive, fraudulent, or poor quality. TIP: Make pages for users, not for search engines.

14. Headlines for SEO & Eyeballs SEO your Headlines: Keywords should be in the headlines. Make Headlines Easy to Understand: Short headlines are better than long. TIP: Always SEO your headlines. Always make them catchy. Would you click on the headline if you saw it in a search result?

15. Subheads for SEO Dont want your Headlines to Be SEOd, use subheads. TIP: Dont get spammy. But its OK to include some keyword phrases.

16. Home Page Example http://www.LakeLaw.com/ http://www.eb5fullservice.com/ http://www.millslawny.com/ http://www.margolislegalgroup.com/ http://www.productslaw.net/ Not Yet Launched, but Cool: http://www.paperstreet.com/concepts/dklaw.net /DKL_webhome-v3c.php http://www.paperstreet.com/concepts/dklaw.net /DKL_webhome-v3c.php TIP: Include Attorneys, Practice Areas, Interesting Design & SEO Text.

17. Home Page Examples TIP: Include Attorneys, Practice Areas, Interesting Design & SEO Text.

18. Home Page Examples TIP: Include Attorneys, Practice Areas, Interesting Design & SEO Text.

19. Practice Areas (Listing & Detail) Detail: http://www.hinklelawfirm.com/practices/oil-gas- and-other-natural-resources/ http://www.hinklelawfirm.com/practices/oil-gas- and-other-natural-resources/ Listing: http://www.hinklelawfirm.com/practices.php http://www.hinklelawfirm.com/practices.php Listing: http://www.mathewsllp.com/practice-areas http://www.mathewsllp.com/practice-areas Detail: http://www.mathewsllp.com/practice- areas/litigation http://www.mathewsllp.com/practice- areas/litigation TIP: Have Categories, Sub-categories and Detail Pages.

20. Hinkle Practice Listing TIP: Have Categories, Sub-categories and Detail Pages.

21. Hinkle Practice Detail TIP: Have Categories, Sub-categories and Detail Pages.

22. Attorneys (Listing & Bios) Listing: http://www.wsh-law.com/attorneys- search.php?letter=Whttp://www.wsh-law.com/attorneys- search.php?letter=W Detail: http://www.wsh-law.com/attorneys/richard-jay- weiss/http://www.wsh-law.com/attorneys/richard-jay- weiss/ Listing : http://www.llw-law.com/attorneys/http://www.llw-law.com/attorneys/ Detail: http://www.llw-law.com/attorneys/keri-ann-c- baker/http://www.llw-law.com/attorneys/keri-ann-c- baker/ Listing : http://www.henlaw.com/attorneys- search.php?letter=Bhttp://www.henlaw.com/attorneys- search.php?letter=B Detail: http://www.henlaw.com/attorneys/guy-e- whitesman/http://www.henlaw.com/attorneys/guy-e- whitesman/ TIP: Logically group attorney information and be consistent.

23. Attorneys (Listing & Bios) TIP: Logically group attorney information and be consistent.

24. Attorneys (Listing & Bios) TIP: Logically group attorney information and be consistent.

25. Attorneys (Listing & Bios) TIP: Logically group attorney information and be consistent.

26. Attorneys (Listing & Bios) TIP: Logically group attorney information and be consistent.

27. Attorneys (Listing & Bios) TIP: Logically group attorney information and be consistent.

28. Blogs & News http://www.Juryblog.com http://www.bevlaw.com/bevlog/ TIP: Write. Write. Write.

29. Blogs & News TIP: Write. Write. Write.

30. Blogs & News TIP: Write. Write. Write.

31. Contact Pages http://www.llw-law.com/contact-us/ http://www.mathewsllp.com/contact-us http://www.simmonslawfirm.com/contact-us/ http://www.mrthlaw.com/contact-us/ http://www.searcymasstort.com/free-case- evaluation/ http://www.searcymasstort.com/free-case- evaluation/ TIP: Include Map, Contact Form, Phone, Directions and SEO.

32. Contact Pages TIP: Include Map, Contact Form, Phone, Directions and SEO.

33. Contact Pages TIP: Include Map, Contact Form, Phone, Directions and SEO.

34. Site Architecture & Formatting Dont Use Flash or Graphics: Search engines can only index HTML text. JavaScript: Keep to a minimum and in own file. Avoid Outright SEO Manipulation: If it seems shady, it probably is shady. Include a Sitemap: Allows search engines to see all pages easily. Font Size and Color Choice: Dont use a font size that is too small. TIP: Your web design team should do all of this and more.

35. Content Management Systems Manage your Content Yourself No excuse not to publish weekly, except for time (and we can help too). WordPress: A great open-source content platform. Add, edit, delete any pages. Total Control: An awesome content platform built just for law firms. TIP: Dont build a site without a Content Management System.

36. 5 Take Aways Write. Write. Write Dont Duplicate Create an Organized Structure Write for the Reader First… …but make sure to SEO your headlines & copy. TIP: Direct correlation between high ranked and trafficked site and the amount of content they produce.