Let's get right into it. Here's an RCS SEO marketing idea.

Standing for SEO-mething

What do you stand for? Who else stands for this?

Some lawyers went to law school to help people, others for social change. If you're one of those types, there are probably some causes that you're passionate about. You might even serve clients in matters that are somehow related to these causes.

There are probably a bunch of other people that feel the same way you do. You probably even know some of them. Some of these people might even write about these issues. You might even already subscribe to their blogs.

Some of these people may have organized. They may have formed groups, associations and organizations to further their cause. You may even be a member in some of these.

Okay, so what does this have to do with SEO and marketing?

These people and organizations are likely to have websites, blogs and social media profiles and pages. They're likely following important news related to their cause. They're having discussions about the issues both online and offline.

Are you involved in these discussions? Are they talking about you?

You might not even think of standing for something as having anything to do with marketing. And that's fine. I don't really care what you call it.

But standing for something and participating in the conversations, organizations and events surrounding your cause is one of the most effective ways to increase visibility within search engines. Of course, SEO isn't the only reason (or probably even very high on the list) you ought to stand for something. Nonetheless, it's nice indirect benefit.

By standing for something and participating in the movement of your chosen cause, you will likely earn the attention of others in a positive way. This attention will sometimes lead to mentions, links, shares, comments and other opportunities for sending popularity signals to search engines.

Here's a quick example. Looking for local Chicago stories and discussions, I went over to Topix.com and performed a search. At the top of the list:

Which linked to this article on CBSLocal.com:

Which contains this link to Everest4Equality:

Now, did art gallery salesman and avid mountain climber, Joe Rudy put this plan together to get a link from CBS local? Of course not. He's fighting for equal rights. He's raising awareness. He enjoys mountain climbing.

But he also raised awareness for Everest4Equality. He was mentioned in the news. And yes, he got a followed link.

You might think that this is a cynical "markety" way to look at this. You're entitled to your opinion. But if part of your law firm's business development involves attracting potential clients from search engines, you should think more like this.

Instead of trying to game Google with crappy law firm internet marketing stuff, why don't you spend some time thinking and acting in a way that earns the kind of attention you want, as well as, popularity signals from search engines?

Law firms that have moved their marketing strategies in this direction are gaining valuable search visibility. The kind of visibility you can't beat by spinning articles, submitting your site to directories and buying links from other websites.

Yes, this approach takes time, effort and probably even a little money. But it's much more effective than that "other stuff." And more importantly, you can be proud of it.