Ana Hidalgo
Ana Hidalgo Justia
Gustavo Montes
Gustavo Montes Justia
Tim Stanley
Tim Stanley Justia
2022 SEO Highlights & 2023 Forecasts SEO for Law Firm Websites
2022 SEO Highlights & 2023 Forecasts: SEO for Law Firm Websites

Interested in learning more about the changes in the SEO landscape over the past year? Want to take a look into your crystal ball and predict what is to come in 2023? In this interactive webinar, we’re reviewing the SEO highlights from 2022, including core algorithm updates, the latest news and trends in SEO, and how these changes have shaped the SEO landscape for the legal industry. Plus, get our predictions for the year to come!

Topics covered include:
Agenda:

  • 2022 Google Algorithm Changes
    • Overview
    • Content Algorithm Updates
    • Link Algorithm Updates
    • Technical Algorithm Updates
  • Google Display Changes
    • Google Local Services Ads
    • Google Ads
    • Local/Google Business Profiles
    • Organic Search Results
  • 2023 SEO Predictions
Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes
Originally broadcast: December 07, 2022 11:00 AM PT
Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

Introduction
The speakers, Ana Hidalgo, Gustavo Montes, and Tim Stanley, are experts in SEO and legal marketing. The webinar will focus on Google algorithm changes, content, links, and technical SEO, emphasizing the importance of Google for law firm SEO. The discussion highlights the significance of high-quality legal content, which Google prioritizes due to its 'your money or your life' nature. Google's search quality guidelines are mentioned, focusing on content's beneficial purpose and the expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of the writer.
Google Algorithm Updates and Content Strategy
The importance of maintaining up-to-date and accurate legal content is emphasized, since outdated content can negatively affect Google rankings. Previous webinars on SEO are recommended for further insights, covering content, links, and technical SEO. Google's core updates and the Helpful Content Update are discussed, highlighting the need for content written for people rather than search engines. Issues like spammy, AI-generated, and low-value content are identified as detrimental to rankings. The sitewide impact of having too many pages written for search engines is explained, with suggestions to avoid repetitive keyword usage. AI-generated content is cautioned against due to potential inaccuracies and penalties from Google. The September core update is mentioned, reinforcing the need for high-quality content.
Link Building and Future Predictions
Link building is predicted to become less important as Google focuses more on content quality and context. Quality links from legal or government websites are recommended over quantity. Law firms should start with lawyer and law firm directories for link building. Local business directories are also important for local search visibility and consistency in business information. Content topics like sports law, marijuana, and cryptocurrency are suggested for gaining media links and contacts. Child safety is highlighted as a valuable topic for attracting links from schools and nonprofits.
Technical SEO and User Experience
Google's focus on performance metrics like Core Web Vitals is expected to continue. Core Web Vitals assess website speed, interactivity, and visual stability, which are crucial for user experience. Accessibility is highlighted as a legal requirement, with tools and suggestions provided for improvement. AMP is recommended for faster mobile page loading. Google's evolving search result layout emphasizes the importance of FAQs for visibility. The importance of adapting to Google's changes in search result presentation is stressed.
Google Business Profiles and Local SEO
Google Business Profiles and Local Services Ads are discussed, with changes due to COVID and federal regulations. Multiple office locations and keyword usage in business names are examined, with potential future changes in Google's algorithm. The importance of using real business names is emphasized.
Reviews and Ethical Considerations
Reviews are crucial for Google Business Profiles, as well as relevance, distance, and prominence. The importance of having a high number of genuine reviews with detailed content is stressed. Google's preference for reviews specific to office locations is noted, with potential issues for multi-office firms. The FTC's focus on fake reviews is discussed, highlighting the need for ethical practices. Lawyers face additional risks from fake reviews due to ethical guidelines and potential disciplinary actions. The importance of filling out Google Business Profiles completely and obtaining real reviews is reiterated.
Final Recommendations and Resources
Final recommendations include focusing on high-quality content, FAQs, and obtaining links from reputable directories. Core Web Vitals and schema markup are emphasized for improving website performance and search visibility. Resources like Search Engine Land and Google Search Console are recommended for staying updated on SEO trends. The importance of maintaining a well-optimized website and adapting to Google's updates is highlighted.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Speakers
Ana Hidalgo
Ana Hidalgo Sr. Manager, SEO
Justia

Ana Hidalgo is a Senior Manager on Justia SEO Team, where she focuses on search engine optimization and search engine marketing. She has a BA in Business Administration with concentration in Marketing from Tecnológico de Monterrey, she is also certified in Google Ads Search and Google Analytics. With fourteen years of experience, she helps Justia and its clients with SEO and SEM marketing strategies. Ana lived in London for 7 years where she specialized in Customer Service. She is also a certified Power Jump instructor and loves traveling.

Gustavo Montes
Gustavo Montes Director of SEO
Justia

Gustavo is the Director of Search Engine Optimization at Justia. He has leadership and operating responsibility for all SEO efforts in the company. With over two decades of technical and senior leadership experience in the IT industry, Gustavo’s expertise and sharp analytical vision have been instrumental in maximizing the value proposition of Justia’s marketing solutions. When he is not working, Gustavo enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. He also enjoys playing the guitar, singing, and firing up the grill to enjoy a barbecue with his friends.

Tim Stanley
Tim Stanley CEO
Justia
Tim Stanley is the CEO and founder of Justia, one of the most visited legal portals in the world. Justia’s mission is to make law and legal resources free for all. Before founding Justia, Tim founded and was CEO of FindLaw. He is the general counsel and on the Board of Trustees of Public.Resource.Org, and was previously on the Board of Nolo and American LegalNet. Tim has a BS and MS from Stanford University and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School.
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