A lawyer friend recently expressed to me that he has been having difficulty coming up with good ideas for blog posts. My advice, stop trying so hard.
Most bloggers will have some experience with blogger's block at some point in their blogging careers. The typical reasons given for blogger's block can be anything from fear to joy to boredom. Anything can cause this particularly frustrating condition to set in. Fortunately, blogger's block tends to be a short-lived phenomenon. Luckily, there are several ways to overcome it. Here are a couple that I have found work wonders:
1. Schedule Your Blogging.
Pick a time to blog. Like exercising, scheduling a time to commit yourself to blogging forces you into the "blogging zone". Even if you ultimately decide not to write during this time, in the very least, scheduling blogging time will serve as a reminder that you're missing it.
2. Relax.
Too many lawyers are simply trying too hard when it comes to writing for their law firm blogs. Just write. You can always save your post as a draft, come back to it later, or abandon it altogether. Personally, I think over-thinking posts is the most common cause of blogger's block. So, just write.
3. Step Away From The Computer.
If things get really bad, just stop trying. Go for a walk. Go to the gym. Watch TV. Sitting in front of an empty wysiwyg editor is just a waste of time. Often times, the harder you push against the blogger's block wall, the harder it pushes back.
4. Diversify
Get a variety of draft posts in your blogging queue. Having multiple ideas from which to work will help you "change things up". This will help when you're having a difficult time getting started on a new post.
5. Stream Of Consciousness
There are many writing exercises used by the pros to help overcome writer's block. My favorite is stream of consciousness writing. Just put something down. It doesn't have to make sense at all. Just type words. Sometimes this will lead to an idea that you never would have consciously developed.
6. Relocate.
Is your chair comfortable? Get up. Move around. Go to a coffee shop. Sometimes the stagnation comes from sitting in the same place. Finding a new location may mean finding a new muse.
7. Remember Why You Started Blogging in the First Place.
What was it that caused you start your blog in the first place? Was it a life-altering event? Was it merely a desire to market your law firm? Either way, hearkening (hearkening, really?) back to why you originally started blogging can help overcome blockage. What motivates you to write?
When it comes to blogging for your law firm, everything can be boiled down to 2 simple words, "just write". Effective blog posts can be just about anything. Too many lawyers hyper-focus on their content. Great law blog content doesn't isn't always about in-depth legal analysis and insightful editorials. What it's always about is engaging your readers and giving them a reason to interact and come back for more.
Here's a recent Google SERP for "๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ." Ads? โLSAs? โLocal Pack? โLinks? โ ๐ท AI Overview? โ 6 firms listed. Only one tiny ๐. Click the ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ button? ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐: 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 hereโs the kicker: instead of keeping users within its ecosystem, […]
When law firms contact us, they usually want to talk: โข PPC Ads โข SEO Rankings โข Lead Generation Very few want to talk: โข Brand โข Trust & Recognition โข Emotional Connection Admittedly, much of this concerns that AttorneySync is known for lead generation across those common digital channels. But even when we start […]
According to an October 2024 study by SE Ranking: "The legal niche triggers the highest percentage of AIOs (77.67%). The average number of links matched between the AI Overview resources and the top 20 search results was 6.49 for legal topics. AI Overviews for legal topics most frequently link to NYCourts.gov (114 links), YouTube.com (48 […]
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 youโve spent any time on LinkedIn, youโve likely seen posts from law firm SEO experts showing off charts with an โup and to the rightโ trajectory. These screenshots, often pulled from tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, are meant to signal SEO success. And itโs not just the agencies celebratingโ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ […]
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. […]