Blog comments are a much debated issue. More and more legal blogs that I see on some of the major blog networks don't even have commenting systems enabled on their blogs. Others, that have comments enabled, either don't publish any comments at all, or don't respond to comments on their blog. This is a huge mistake.
First, if you operate a blog and you don't have comments enabled, I would suggest to you that you really don't have a blog. You have some quasi-publishing platform. To me, blogging is a form of interactive two-way communication. Without comments, anything you publish is more like a newsletter. It's one-way, meaning your readers can't participate in any discussion. "Blogs" without comments enabled are merely websites organized in reverse chronological order.
Second, for those of you who have blogs with commenting enabled, but simply don't publish any comments, this is actually worse. From a user experience standpoint, let me tell you that, in my humble opinion, there is not much worse than reading your blog post, formulating a thought-out response, and never seeing it posted. This is almost a guaranteed way for you to get me not to return to your "blog". Quite frankly, you're better off disabling your comment system altogether.
For those of you that have comments enabled and publish comments (whether intentionally or by accident) take the time to respond. You may be greatly surprised by how much more effective your blog is in terms of engaging your visitors if you take just a couple minutes to respond to excellent comments from time to time. Look at some of the most popular legal blogs out there. You will notice that the best legal bloggers on the web are active participants with the comments on their legal blogs.
Lastly, spend some time commenting on other blogs. No, don't go spam a bunch of high-profile legal blogs with optimized anchor text. Provide insight into a discussion. Disagree with a blogger. Or simply pay them a compliment. The web provides us an amazing opportunity to engage in discussions on all types of issues. Unlike with radio, television, and newspapers, the voices of the audience can actually be heard, and our comments published. Be an active Internet user.
Here's a recent Google SERP for "𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗮." Ads? ❌LSAs? ❌Local Pack? ❌Links? ❌ 🔷 AI Overview? ✅ 6 firms listed. Only one tiny 🔗. Click the 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 button? 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁: Here's a more detailed look at some of these firms: THE PEARCE LAW FIRM, P.C.Edith Pearce, […]
On April 22, 2025, Google sent an email updating Local Services Ads Additional Terms for Providers: Subject: Action required: important updates to Local Service Ads Additional Terms Many people are arguing that lawyers cannot participate in Local Services Ads, as this would constitute a per se violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct related to […]
Conrad and I recently joined Zack at Lawyerist to record a conversation about AI and marketing. You might think that we spend the whole time on how lawyers can use AI to publish content. You'd be wrong. While AI can certainly support publishing, there are many more interesting ways to use it in legal marketing. […]
As more legal services consumers turn to ChatGPT for local law firm recommendations, a fascinating intersection between AI, search, and maps unfolds. While Google remains the undisputed leader in local business data, ChatGPT is increasingly becoming an entry point for searchers seeking legal representation. But here’s the kicker: instead of keeping users within its ecosystem, […]
When law firms contact us, they usually want to talk: • PPC Ads • SEO Rankings • Lead Generation Very few want to talk: • Brand • Trust & Recognition • Emotional Connection Admittedly, much of this concerns that AttorneySync is known for lead generation across those common digital channels. But even when we start […]
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I'm grateful for my friend, Charley Mann of Law firm Alchemy. If you're a lawyer, subscribe to his Free Email List. In a recent email, Charley calls out bad guru advice on hiring: "Trying to execute a major SEO improvement? You need to find people who will help you, instead of trying to DIY it […]
If you’ve spent any time on LinkedIn, you’ve likely seen posts from law firm SEO experts showing off charts with an “up and to the right” trajectory. These screenshots, often pulled from tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, are meant to signal SEO success. And it’s not just the agencies celebrating—𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 […]
Meh, links! All things being equal, links still tend to move the dial more than any other factor in legal SERPs. Maybe links are having a diminishing impact internet-wide. But in my experience, quality links, especially relevant links (both topically and geographically), tend to improve law firm visibility in search more than most everything else. […]
