The reason why law firms and other businesses choose to invest vast sums of money in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is apparent. The logic fits. You get on the first page of Google, large numbers of people see you, and you’ll bring in clients. It’s why it’s more than a $20 billion industry in the U.S. alone. 

But behind the curtain lies the secret of how it fails more than succeeds. If there are 12 spots on the first page of Google, the first four will be paid sponsorships. These will get ~10% of the clicks. The first three organic results (unpaid) get ~60% of the clicks. Even if you are on the first page of Google and are the last organic result, you’re getting less than 1% of the traffic. You and ALL of your competitors are fighting for those coveted three spots.

How SEO Works 

SEO is a method for improving your website’s visibility on search engines such as Google. When people need legal services and have no one to ask, they’ll likely turn to a search engine. When one of these people searches for a term related to your firm (e.g., “Best Estate Planning Attorney in Boston”), SEO will determine whether your website appears in the search results. 

The vast majority of people associate SEO with keywords. They assume that if they use phrases like “best estate planning attorney in Boston” in their content, then they will rise to the top of the first page. SEO uses several different techniques in addition to keyword optimization. There’s backlinking, on-page optimization, meta tags, UX experience, and internal linking. 

SEO is a guess that tries to play to Google’s complex algorithms that determine rank. Although Google has never made its algorithm public, people assume that Google analyzes your content’s quality, keywords, and the number of websites that link back to yours. The most important thing to remember is that Google updates its algorithms reguarly, which could disrupt your previous SEO results. 

Why SEO Likely Won’t Work For You 

The main reason that SEO won’t work for you is that it is highly competitive. 15 years ago, ranking higher in a few key areas was easier. However, the amount of people using SEO has increased significantly. The obvious conclusion is that standing out has become much more complicated, especially for small businesses (and firms) that don’t have the budget or resources to outspend larger ones. 

Now with the rise of AI, SEO is getting even trickier. Search engines are now using it to determine results and rankings. Google uses AI in what they have dubbed the “search generative experience.” You may have seen it. It answers your questions without the need to click on websites. This increases the challenge for SEO marketers because their content will create answers. The searcher may not need to view the website regardless of its rankings. 

ChatGPT and other AI systems give people the option to bypass search engines. People want answers, not a list of websites that could provide them answers if they look hard enough. Backlinking, also a key component of SEO, is much more challenging now. Years ago, you could get another website to write a blog and include links to your website. Like keywords, there are simply too many people doing it to be an effective solution. 

Choose Content Over SEO

Content marketing is designed to nurture your relationships with your past clients. It keeps you top of mind and generates referrals. Because no one has your network, you have an opportunity to use marketing that actually works. Want to learn more? Contact our friends at Spotlight Branding to see how content marketing can be a more effective strategy for your firm.