You’ve probably heard all about the importance of setting up a Google My Business page. Maybe you’ve even gone so far as to get your firm’s page set up, at least in skeletal form. However, in the midst of the 1,001 other things you have to do, you’ve never really gotten around to making it a vibrant part of your legal marketing.
We get it—but we also get that you’re missing opportunities. Here are 3 key benefits of Google My Business for lawyers.
The ripple effect
There are a lot of directories out there, but Google My Business (GMB) is like the Supreme Court. Not only is it the most important, but your GMB listings have a ripple effect across other major directories.
The most direct example is verification. When you create a listing for GMB, Yelp, Apple or any other reputable directory, they want to verify that you are who you say you are and that you are where you say you are. So either a phone call, a physical postcard or both has to come to your office with a verification code that you enter in.
Does it sound like a bit of a pain to have to sift through the mail for a few days to make sure you don’t overlook the postcard? Or to ensure that a directory has a phone extension that will get them through to a live person rather than an automated system? It is.
But because of Google’s prestige, a verification with GMB will be considered valid with most other major directories. If nothing else, using GMB means you only need to do it all one time.
Optimization opportunities
The biggest benefit of all your directory listings is an opportunity to optimize them for the appropriate keywords, and Google My Business provides plenty of ways to do that. The most important is in the description of your law office.
You’ll get both a long description and short description. We strongly advise that you use them both and give each some real thought. We’re not saying you have to write them like you’re doing a legal brief, but don’t treat the descriptions as just something to check off the to-do list. Make sure they include as many good keywords as possible without compromising linguistic quality.
Content development
When you get into your listing, you’ll see that the dashboard has room for posts. Maybe you’ve already got a company blog going. This is another place to put that content. If you host webinars, we strongly suggest promoting those here—not just under the blog, but under the listing for events. The same goes for any in-person events you might host or want to call attention to.
Google My Business, like most directories, takes some time to get up and running, but it offers tremendous value and enhances your law firm’s position in the battle for organic search traffic.
