The web is big. Really big. And it's getting much bigger, much faster, than ever before. And finding anything worth reading online is getting more and more difficult. And while the googlers valiantly battle back the onslaught with math, there are other ways to sort through the mess. For example, people. Karin Conroy of Lawyerist defines a content curator as:
someone who makes sense of the enormous amount of information available online and presents it in a consistent and trustworthy way so that their followers respect their expertise in knowing and recognizing trends and relevant information.
And it is this consistency and trustworthiness that I would suggest distinguishes a curator from someone who merely aggregates.
Will the current method that Google uses to organize the web eventually fail to be able to keep up with the amount of data available on the internet? I'm not entirely convinced of that yet. However, curators who gather and sort data and content within your interests is already here. If you think about it, this is exactly what news media, bloggers, and others that share online do. They become sources of curated content.
This concept of being a content curator is especially powerful for developing trust and authority as a legal professional. Lexblog founder Kevin O'Keefe has a great understanding of the value of curating content. Here is what Kevin had to say on curating social media content in February of this year:
Why curate? Audience demands for new ways to tell stories seem to be on the rise -- plus there's growing acceptance of social media as a source for news, per Pollak.
I'm a big fan of curation, or at least where it appears to be headed, for the same reason as Pollak. Curation of legal content will help people discover the most meaningful content and people. ALM is sitting on a golden asset - talented writers, editors, and publishers who can use their journalism skills to identify and curate the best in legal commentary.
It's impossible for a traditional legal publisher to cover and provide relevant commentary on niche issues as well as they can be covered by people with domain expertise. In the law, it's lawyers publishing for collaborative learning and to enhance their reputations who have the passion, insight, and expertise to cover niches.
Kevin really gets the value of being a curator which is why he dedicates so many resources to helping lawyers to become curators of their blogs. I had the opportunity to speak with on this subject at the ABA Techshow. Keep your eye out for some exciting new ways of consuming legal content from Lexblog.
To me, being an effective content curator requires being a disciplined content consumer. Develop a great list of sources on your subject. Make it a regular habit to listen to what these sources are saying about your subject. Weave your voice and expertise into the content that you curate. Work to become a recognized and trusted source of curated content. Not only is this a powerful way to gain a larger consistent readership, it is also very beneficial in terms of building search engine traffic.
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. […]
