Offline Visibility

We spend a lot of time talking about things that lawyers can do to increase their visibility online. From developing web content, to acquiring links, to getting business citations, there are a host of things that legal professionals can do to increase their visibility to their target audiences. However, the things that lawyers do offline, can have a much more significant impact on their online visibility. Here are some examples.

Speaking Engagements

Speaking to an audience is one of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise. It's the offline corollary to developing great content. Here's how it can help you online:

• One of the members of the audience is a journalist or blogger and decides to write a post, article, or do an interview of you. This will help build your reputation with their audiences, as well as, perhaps earn you a link to your blog or website.
• Usually, professional organizations and associations have websites and/or blog of their own. It's likely that they will want to publicize your speaking event. Again, publicity for you and perhaps a link back to your website.

Sponsorships

If speaking isn't really your thing, you can also participate as a sponsor of event. Sponsoring events, scholarships, etc, is great community outreach and also helps you attract attention, visitors, links, and social shares. All of which can help your visibility within search engines.

Memberships

Even simply being a member of a professional organization can help your online visibility. Memberships in certain organizations can work to establish trust with visitors to your website. Even memberships in organizations like the BBB are worth considering for both trust signals, as well as, authoritative search signals.

Excellent Client Service

Most of all, providing excellent service to your clients is likely to have a significant impact on your online visibility. In many instances, the web is the new word of mouth. We ask our friends and people we trust for referrals for a variety of professional services. Positive online testimonials, reviews, and mentions all play a role in signalling search engines about our professional reputations.

While these offline activities CAN have a significant impact on your online visibility, sometimes a connection is missing. Perhaps the journalist fails to include a link back to your site. Maybe you forget thoroughly complete a member profile. Perhaps your sponsorship opportunity doesn't have an updated website. Or maybe your clientele aren't online.

For any offline activity in which you participate, it's helpful to monitor and track its potential online impact. Setting up Google Alerts for your name will help you find places you are mentioned online. Following-up with event organizers about how your speaking engagements or sponsorship activities will be publicized online can help increase your chances of acquiring online reputation signals. Providing your clients with the means to leave online testimonials, will increase the likelihood that they will do so.