Since being introduced in 2011, Google+ has been alternately viewed as either the social network destined to usurp Facebook or a dismal failure that few people use. In truth, the real value of Google+ may not be tied to its number of active users or the level of their engagement, but to its ability to influence Search Results.

Google indexes public Google+ posts for search, in much the same way it crawls and indexes regular web pages. Your Google+ page, profile image and recent posts are eligible to appear on the right-hand side of search results when relevant to a search. Relevant posts can also show up within search results for your page’s followers.

Following these simple strategies can help you develop the search authority of your Google+ pages and leverage this powerful social network.

1) Optimize Your Page

Your Page Name, Introduction, and Tagline seem to rank especially well on Google Search, so be sure they are filled out completely.

• Page Name – Should be the name of your firm

• Introduction – Include a keyword-rich description of your firm and its services

• Tagline – Use a sentence or phrase to describe your firm, again keeping keywords in mind

Also be sure to include your address, phone number, and a link to your website.

2) Build Connections

Your content is more likely to appear in a person’s search results if they’re connected to you on Google+. Therefore, building Circles of targeted prospects is important in order to have your content found.

• Add a link to your Google+ page to your homepage and blog

• Encourage clients, prospects, and colleagues to connect with you by including a link to your page in your email signature and on all other marketing materials

• Leverage your presence on other social media platforms to drive traffic to your Google+ content.

• Connect with industry experts and engage with them by commenting, +1-ing, and sharing their content.

3) Share Great Content

Google Search places a lot of emphasis on new content, so it’s important to update your page with fresh material as often as possible. Share your latest blog posts, videos, press releases, along with online reports, seminar invitations and even entire web pages. Providing original content is great, but sharing other people’s links and posts is also beneficial. You can add value to your posts by:

• Using hashtags to make your posts search-friendly
  Just like Twitter, you can tag your Google+ posts. It’s a great way to get found — not only inside Google+, but in overall search results as well.

• Tagging people and brands in your posts
  Like Facebook, Google+ enables you to tag people and brands in your posts. It can be an effective way to connect with people and draw their attention to your content.

• Format your post to attract attention by using these shortcuts
       Bold= *Word*
       Italics= _Word_
  Strikethrough= -Word-

Google+ enables businesses to expand their online presence unlike any other social network. Developing a robust Google+ presence, enables you to directly affect the personalized search results of everyone in your network. It also gives you the ability to improve your search rankings, allowing you to be seen by even those not in your network or even on Google+. Surely, that’s worth some time and effort.

Rita Chaires
SEO and Social Media Manager
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

Congrats to Academy Associate Director of Education, Stephen Hartnett! Forbes just printed an article entitled, “More Estate Tax Changes Could Follow Fiscal Cliff Deal” and our very own Steve was quoted a couple of times in the article.
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/hanisarji/2013/01/06/more-estate-tax-changes-could-follow-fiscal-cliff-deal/)

When Members asked why we didn’t alert them to the publicity (which helps with their credibility), the answer was simple. We had no way of knowing the Forbes research team would use Google to gather opinions about this recent tax law change—and when they did, they found Steve’s timely blog on the very subject which interested them. (http://www.aaepa.com/blog/2013/01/fiscal-cliff-averted/)

1. We hope attorneys are able to read about law firm marketing, practice management, estate planning or elder law techniques and find the blogs valuable… and develop an interest in knowing more about what we offer attorneys excelling in estate planning.
2. But also, we want to be ranked by Google. So we try to regularly (3 times per week) write blogs that contain keywords that our future readers and future members may be searching for online so we are constantly introduced to more attorneys we would like to get to know.
3. And… what the heck, if journalists and writers around the country find us and quote us – there’s more publicity for Academy Members nationwide!

Just a reminder that if you’re blogging –

• BE VERY DISCIPLINED about the number of times per week you blog. Otherwise readers won’t get to know you; they certainly won’t be waiting for the next blog you have coming out.

• RELEVANT TOPICS. You won’t please everyone each time with interesting topics, but do try to provide information for which you want to become known.

• USE KEYWORDS. Make sure if your audience tends to search “Madison Estate Planning Attorney” you include those words in your blog, if your desired audience is likely to search, “Pennsylvania Probate,” make sure you have articles on that topic and you also find ways to mention the very words you expect prospective clients to use in search engines.

Jennifer Price
Chief Operating Officer
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com

As an estate planning lawyer, you’re clued into the latest developments in estate planning and elder law. You consider yourself an expert, and after years of law school and countless hours researching and writing important documents for your clients, you’re probably a pretty good writer, too.

If you’re hoping to expand your client base and get the word out about your practice, then it might be time for you to start a blog. Blogs have multiple personal and social benefits, and can also serve as a forum for you to offer thoughts about matters relevant to current and potential clients. They are a great way to connect with both your online and offline networks.

According to the 2012 LexBlog report, 155 of the nation’s largest law firms now have blogs or lawyers blogging. Those 155 firms produce 633 blogs amongst them. Perhaps most interestingly, firms that had blogs improved their gross earnings in 2011 about $1 million over law firms that didn’t have blogs. And, if that’s just the big firms, then imagine how an active blog might help people in small- to mid-sized practices.

In addition to encouraging personal and professional development, a blog offers the added benefit of directing web traffic to your site and business. Google products provide over 300,000,000 searches daily, and interesting, relevant content comes to the top of those searches. There are a number of ways that a lawyer or firm can optimize content so that it appears higher in search rankings, through search engine optimization (SEO) of keywords and key phrases.

Though maintaining a blog may require time and effort, it is also free advertising and promotion for your firm. There is no requirement that content be limited to updates in the field and recent cases – you can write about anything you deem appropriate, such as firm events, employee profiles and abstracts of recent research papers. You can also post photos and videos, which are ranked more favorably in search engine results.

In January 2010, we launched the Academy blog as a means to help connect with our community of estate planning attorneys by offering interesting, informative content, mixed with doses of humor and wit. Our blog continues to help us connect with our peers across the country. If you are thinking of starting a blog, we advise you to start creating content as soon as you can. Once you start, you’ll wonder why you didn’t begin blogging sooner.

Robert Armstrong
President and Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com