I attended the social media for lawyers at New York Law School.  Here is the Reader's Digest version:  technology is inescapable, the Internet is here to stay, social media is real, law firms and many lawyers are already doing it, and it works. But it may seem like a full-time job.  Maybe not. 

Topics Include: Meeting Potential Clients, Getting Started with a Web Presence, Getting Started with Social Media, Twitter Quick Start Tips

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1. What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.

SEO is defined as the practice of including features in a web site so it is more likely to appear high in a list of "organic" (as opposed to paid) search results in response to particular keywords. The diagram below depicts the location of the paid and sponsored links.

Many lawyers have opted for web sites coupled with SEO services. Findlaw is one example of web design services coupled with SEO, there are many others.

2. What is the Value of a SEO Campaign?

Increased traffic to a web site. Provided your site is optimized for the right keywords and it converts visitors into clients once they arrive, SEO can mean more business.

Recent research into Google user behavior has revealed the existence of what is called the “Google Golden Triangle.” The Golden Triangle, situated over the top organic search results,  receives an overwhelming majority of clicks. Users  mostly ignore sponsored links and rarely go to the second page of results; rather they start a new search. A diagram generated by the actual number of clicks made by Google users.

Organic search that lands a page on the first page of results is the game when is comes to getting traffic from Google.

3. What is PPC and how do Sponsored Links work?

PPC stands for Pay Per Click and it means an advertiser pays each time a search user clicks on their link when it appears on the search results page.

Google's Adwords is the premier program that offers PPC advertising. Site owners choose keywords relevant to their site and when a Google user searches for those keywords, a link and description of the site appears in the Sponsored Links section of the Google results page. If the Google user clicks on a sponsored link the site owner pays the amount of their bid for each click.

PPC Adword campaigns are often used in conjunction with SEO campaigns but paying for links does not increase a site's organic importance within the Google search engine. If an advertiser stops paying, their presence will disappear unless the site has established a high rank in Google under the SEO principles.

4. Why is Google so Popular?

Google dominates because their page ranking algorithm named "Page Rank" after co-founder Larry Page - a fateful coincidence indeed - resolved problems that dogged precursor search engines and produced results people wanted to see. Understanding Google's basic innovation comes easily to lawyers because it is the same approach we use to assess the importance of a case or journal article. The more cites from important people makes a case or journal more important, that's it.

Prior to Google, search engines used primarily the number of keywords, once understood that system was easily defeated. The porn industry was frequent exploiter. For example, they would include the keywords "Chevrolet Suburban" hundreds of times in white text on a white background. Search for an SUV and find something else.

Google's algorithm crunched keywords, links, content, and other factors, and gave us back the Internet and very likely saved it from the junk heap.

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I have been on a bit of Twitter bender as of late.  I recently joined and, as more of a how-to guy,  have been looking around at tools to help Tweet.  So far, I like TweetDeck for iPhone, and TwitterFox and maybe Twitterbar, both add-ons for the FireFox browser. I’ll post a video review of my findings about those.  My marketing intern, Lenny, has been scouring the web for Twitter stuff and come across something interesting,  a “Twitter Grader.” 

The Twitter Grader is put out by HubSpot, an inbound marketing company we have been following.  Their algorithm comes up with a grade and rank for Twitter users by crunching factors such as:

1.  Number of Followers
2.  Power of Followers
3.  Number Updates
4.  Update Recency
5.  Follower/Following Ratio
6.  Engagement i.e. number of retweets (or times someone else posts to their account exactly what you just posted to yours) 

With respect to the first factor HubSpot states “Yes, I agree that it’s easy to game this number, but we are looking at measuring reach and I did say all other things being equal.” And indeed it may be easy to game the number because Lenny also found a program called “Twadder” , a program that automates adding followers.  Because it seems that many people follow those who follow them, it could be an effetive but I think dangerous tactic. It smells to me a little like black hat SEO.  

But on the other hand, the point is to get acquainted with new people, find out about interesting things, and otherwise expand the human experience 140 characters at a time.  On those grounds, might the judicious of some Twitter automation targeted to a finite and highly relevant group be alright?  Maybe.

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