This is a presentation I gave on Oct. 14, 2011, at the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section meeting on Cape Cod.

1. Websites
Website 201 201
or
Lessons from One
Firm’s Mistakes
ABA LPM Fall Meeting
Oct. 14, 2011
ABA LPM 10/14/11
Robert J. Ambrogi, Esq.
Robert J. Ambrogi
www.lawsitesblog.com

2. 101: Review
of the basics
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

3. 101: Develop your theme
• What distinguishes you?
• Why should clients trust
their problems to you?
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

4. 101: Clean, simple design
• Break topics over multiple short pages.
• Use short paragraphs and bullet points.
• Use heading tags <h1><h2> to emphasize key text.
• Test in multiple browsers, including Lynx.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

5. 101: Write it well
• Content is king.
• Write for readers, not
search engines.
• Use natural language.
• Don’t bury the lead.
• Use facts, not hyperbole.
• Follow the “four eyes”
rule.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

6. 101: Be client focused
• “What we will do for you.”
• Client extranet, for access to documents.
• Transparency on billing.
• Easy contact information.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

7. 101: Add a blog
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

8. 101: News and resources
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

9. 101: LinkedIn & Facebook
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

10. 201: Beyond
the basics
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

11. 201: Watch on-page SEO
• Use descriptive <title> elements
• Use descriptive ALT elements
• Page title elements are shown in search results
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

12. 201: Use ‘description’ tag
• Tells search engines what page is about.
• Sometimes used as description in search results.
<meta name="description" content="Devine
Millimet Attorneys at Law Devine Millimets
Business and Tax Planning practice group
provides advice on organizational structure, tax
issues, ongoing operational issues and sale and
acquisition planning to businesses of all sizes and
in all industries." />
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

13. 201: Research keywords
Google Keyword Tool: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

14. 201: Use analytics
• Website traffic.
• Incoming links.
• Search engine
rankings.
• Intakes.
• Files opened.
• Invitations.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

15. 201: Seek inbound links
Yahoo! Site Explorer: http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

16. 201: Use descriptive URLs
Like this:
Not this:
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

17. 201: Use anchor text
• Click here.
• Click here: Law Office of Robert Ambrogi.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

18. 201: Don’t bury a blog
• Make your blog a brand.
• Give it a unique URL.
• Name should be
descriptive and easy to
remember.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

19. 201: Update your blog
• This firm’s most recent
post was June 21.
• Meanwhile, firm
published major article
on the same topic.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

20. 201: Sign your posts
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

21. 201: ‘about this blog’
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

22. 201: Promote your blog
• List on blog directories.
• Tweet your posts.
• Share on Facebook.
• Share on LinkedIn.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

23. 201: List in directories
Alexa Global Rank Compete.com Rank
1. FindLaw.com, 5,765 1. FindLaw.com, 618.
2. Avvo.com, 7.748 2. Justia.com, 1,674.
3. Justia.com, 8,925 3. Lawyers.com, 1,716.
4. Lawyers.com, 8,927 4. Avvo.com, 2,273.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

24. • Build links.
• Complete profiles.
• Update profiles.
• Integrate of blogs.
• Add presentations.
• List events.
201: Link up on LinkedIn
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

25. 201: Use social media
• Just one lawyer in firm on Twitter.
• No strategic use of social media.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

26. 201: K.I.S.S.
• Separate sections for “Alerts,”
“E-Blasts,” “Articles,”
“Newsletters,” and “Blogs.”
• Last “Alert” was from 2008.
• No clear differentiation
between types of content.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

27. 201: If it’s broke, fix it
• “Send to
Colleague” page
wouldn’t send.
• Many broken links,
particularly internal
links.
• Webinar “player”
wouldn’t play.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

28. 201: Get the name right
• Firm had changed name but never followed up.
• On LinkedIn alone, firm had three different names.
• Directories not updated.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

29. 201: Know
where to find
your partners
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

30. Homework
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

31. Homework: Refine your
content.
“Creating compelling and
useful content will likely
influence your website more
than any other factor.”
-Google SEO Guide
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

32. Homework: Simplify
your design.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

33. Homework: Start a blog.
“Organic or word-of-mouth
buzz is what helps build your
site’s reputation with both
users and Google, and it
rarely comes without quality
content.”
-Google SEO Guide
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

34. Homework:
Get out of
your cave.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

35. Homework: Set goals and
measure success.
Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. lawsitesblog.com

36. Useful resources
• Google Analytics, www.google.com/analytics
• Google Webmaster
Tools, www.google.com/webmasters/tools
• Google Webmaster
Guidelines, www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
• Google Website
Optimizer, www.google.com/websiteoptimizer
• Google SEO Starter
Guide, www.google.com/en/us/webmasters/docs/search-
engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf

37. www.lawsitesblog.com
@bobambrogi
ambrogi@legaline.com