Three Lawyer SEO Content Errors Not To Make

October 28 , 2024 | BY Matthew Stark

SEO content

The Do Not Dos For Content: Duplicate Content, Common Content, and Plagiarized Content 

Creating high-quality, original content is the cornerstone of a successful law firm’s digital marketing strategy. These days, Google and other search engines prioritize the user experience. With this in mind, lawyers and their marketing teams must understand the significant impact that content quality can have on their search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Among the biggest mistakes are producing duplicate content, relying on common or generic content, and plagiarizing material. These missteps not only harm your firm’s visibility but also damage its credibility, both with potential clients and in the eyes of search engines.

To succeed in the increasingly competitive digital environment, law firms must proactively avoid common content pitfalls. In this article, we’ll explore each of these content-related mistakes in detail, why they matter in the context of SEO, and what steps your firm can take to correct and prevent them. Understanding these content errors is essential for maintaining your law firm’s online reputation and ensuring long-term success.

Duplicate Content: What It Is and Why It Hurts Your SEO

Duplicate content refers to content that appears on the internet in more than one place, whether within the same domain or across different websites. While this can happen unintentionally—such as through multiple pages of similar information or when republishing the same content across various platforms—duplicate content can create confusion for search engines. When a search engine encounters two or more pages with identical or highly similar content, it struggles to determine which version is most relevant for the user.

This confusion can lead to several negative outcomes. First, your law firm’s website may experience keyword cannibalization, where multiple pages compete against each other for the same search terms, diluting the impact of each page and lowering their overall ranking. Second, search engines might penalize your site by reducing its overall ranking or suppressing one or more of the duplicated pages from search results. This reduces the organic traffic you would otherwise receive. Addressing duplicate content necessitates a systematic approach. Begin by auditing your website with tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog to identify duplicate or near-duplicate pages. Once identified, take the following steps:

  • Use canonical tags to signal to search engines which page is the preferred version, ensuring the non-canonical pages don’t compete for rankings.
  • Consolidate similar pages into one comprehensive page where possible, providing users with a single, authoritative resource.
  • For duplicate content created from cross-posting articles on other platforms, include the proper attribution. Also, avoid reposting entire articles on your site. Instead, create unique introductions or summaries with a link to the original.

Preventing duplicate content will ensure that your law firm’s website remains authoritative in the eyes of search engines and that your SEO efforts are focused on driving traffic to the most relevant and optimized pages.

Common Content: Why Generic Material Won’t Cut It

The term “Common Content” refers to generic, uninspired material that does not provide unique value to users. In industries like legal services, where many firms create content that simply echoes information already available online, the need for originality becomes even more crucial. The problem with common content is that it does not differentiate your firm from the competition, nor does it provide any additional insights or specialized knowledge that would help prospective clients understand why your firm is the right choice for their legal needs. Embracing originality in your content creation can inspire and motivate your team, and set your firm apart in the digital landscape.

From an SEO perspective, common content struggles to rank because search engines prioritize freshness, originality, and value. Search algorithms, such as Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), focus on rewarding information that demonstrates high levels of expertise and offers in-depth information tailored to the user’s search intent. If your law firm’s website is filled with material that offers the same basic information that can be found on countless other sites, your website pages are unlikely to perform well in search engine rankings.

To move away from common content, law firms must invest in creating high-quality, original content that answers specific legal questions or addresses niche areas of law. This can include case studies, client testimonials, detailed explanations of legal processes, or insights into recent changes in legislation that may affect potential clients. Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help identify content gaps in your industry by showing what keywords or questions your competitors are not adequately answering.

Creating unique, valuable content tailored to your firm’s strengths and client needs is crucial to your online marketing success. This approach boosts search engine rankings and enhances your law firm’s reputation as an authoritative voice in the legal industry. By avoiding generic information and investing in personalized, thoughtful content, your firm can stand out and build trust with prospective clients.

Plagiarized Content: The Quickest Way to Damage Your Law Firm’s Reputation

Plagiarized content refers to material copied from another source without proper attribution. In the legal profession, plagiarism is not just an ethical breach; it can also have serious SEO consequences. Search engines like Google have algorithms designed to detect and penalize websites that have plagiarized content. When your site includes plagiarized material, you risk a Google penalty, which can result in severe ranking drops or removal from search results altogether.

Aside from SEO penalties, plagiarism damages your law firm’s credibility. Law firms thrive on trust, and clients expect legal professionals to be knowledgeable, ethical, and original in their work. When your firm’s website is caught using plagiarized content, it sends the wrong message to prospective clients, suggesting that your firm lacks the integrity to provide authentic, valuable legal services.

Correcting plagiarized content starts with a thorough audit of your site using tools like Copyscape or Grammarly’s Plagiarism Checker. These content tools help you quickly identify pages with content that may have been copied from other sources. After you have identified plagiarized content, you should take the following actions:

  • Rewrite plagiarized sections entirely, ensuring the new content is original and provides a unique perspective.
  • Properly cite or attribute any information taken from other sources, linking back to the original material where appropriate.

To prevent plagiarism, you should create a content creation process that stresses originality. Encourage your content writing team to develop content based on their own legal experiences and insights rather than copying material from competitors. By committing to original content, your law firm will avoid SEO penalties and build a reputation for trustworthiness and thought leadership.

Why Attorneys Should Outsource Content Marketing

Lawyers are highly skilled professionals, but content marketing requires a different set of tools and strategies to succeed. Managing your firm’s SEO and content strategy in-house can be both time-consuming and technically challenging, often diverting attention away from the most critical aspect of your business—practicing law.

This is where outsourcing content marketing becomes a game-changer. By partnering with an experienced legal marketing agency like FORWARD Lawyer Marketing, you gain access to professionals who understand the intricacies of SEO, content creation, and social media marketing within the legal industry. Our team works to ensure your firm’s content adheres to the highest SEO standards, avoiding the pitfalls of duplicate, common, or plagiarized content.

Lawyer SEO Content FAQs

Why Is Duplicate Content Bad For SEO?

Duplicate content can confuse search engines, leading to lower rankings for all affected pages. This reduces the organic traffic your site receives, harming your visibility and authority.

How Can I Ensure My Content Is Not Plagiarized?

Regularly audit your content using plagiarism detection tools like Copyscape or Grammarly. Ensure all sourced material is properly cited, and always strive to produce original content tailored to your audience.

What Is The Best Way To Avoid Creating Common Content?

Focus on providing unique insights or perspectives. Explore niche areas of law, offer in-depth explanations, and use personal case studies to differentiate your content from that of competitors.

Outsourcing allows you to focus on client service while our lawyer SEO experts handle the technical details of maintaining a high-quality online presence. FORWARD Lawyer Marketing offers comprehensive content marketing services, including content audits, keyword optimization, and ongoing SEO support, all designed to help law firms thrive in the digital landscape.

Contact Forward Lawyer Marketing

If your law firm is struggling with content issues such as duplicate content, common content, or plagiarized material, FORWARD Lawyer Marketing is here to help. We offer tailored solutions that will boost your law firm’s online presence and ensure your content meets the highest SEO standards. Contact FORWARD Lawyer Marketing today for a free consultation by calling (888) 590-9687.