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What Lawyers and Marketing Teams Should Know about Google’s Upcoming Helpful Content Update

What Lawyers and Marketing Teams Should Know about Google’s Upcoming Helpful Content Update

Posted on by David B. Arato
Table of Contents
  1. How Can Lawyers and Law Firm Marketers Create Content that Ranks Well in the Helpful Content Update?
  2. Have a Robust About Us Page & Attorney Bios
  3. Post on Your Blog Regularly
  4. Work with a Team of Professional Legal Content Writers

Google is updating its search algorithm – again. While the company isn’t overtly saying that the change is in response to a potential flood of mediocre content created by generative AI, it isn’t hard to read between the lines. In its announcement, Google shared that it will be rolling the update out in the coming months. Specifically:

  • A  greater focus on content with unique expertise and experience
  • The update to the system will more deeply understand content from a personal or expert point of view

In addition, Google is looking into displaying content in the SERPs found in “unexpected places” like forums or blogs. Here’s what Google’s Danny Sullivan had to say about it on Twitter the other day:

So, how does this impact lawyers and their marketing teams? Can they use generative AI to create marketing content? We all know that Google looks to experience, expertise, authority, and trust (E-E-A-T) when it evaluates the quality of a page. We also know that Google’s systems evaluate content for “Your Money or Your Life” sites – such as law firm websites – much more closely for E-E-A-T than others.

Putting this all together, it is more critical than ever for law firms to create and post content that demonstrates a unique perspective and expertise in a particular matter. In addition, it increases the likelihood that a well-maintained blog or engagement in forums will result in content that appears in users’ search results.

How Can Lawyers and Law Firm Marketers Create Content that Ranks Well in the Helpful Content Update?

If you’re wondering how to create content with a good chance of getting Google’s attention, you’re in luck. Last August, Google provided guidance on how to create content that will be successful within the Helpful Content System.

First and foremost, you should be creating content for people, not for search engines. People-first content focuses on satisfying the reader and using SEO best practices secondarily. Some of the specific ways you can ensure that you are creating people-first content include:

  • Providing content that is useful for your intended audience
  • Creating content that clearly demonstrates first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge on the topic
  • Ensuring your site has a primary focus
  • Providing enough information to help consumers achieve their goal (which, for law firm websites, is connecting with a lawyer that can help them

Google is updating this guidance to focus on the importance of experience as an element of helpful content and helping users find “hidden gems.” What does this mean for lawyers, specifically?

Have a Robust About Us Page & Attorney Bios

Your about us page and attorney bios are a great place to showcase your firm’s expertise and experience. Make sure that you discuss the firm’s history, experience, and successes (if allowed in your jurisdiction). Also, be sure to highlight individual attorneys’ educational achievements, professional affiliations, accolades, and anything else that demonstrates expertise and experience.

Post on Your Blog Regularly

Blogging has always been an essential part of a comprehensive content marketing strategy, but this update may make it even more important to cover topics of interest to your potential clients in your blog posts. A blog is a great place to target specific questions your clients may be asking – also known as long tail keywords. Some examples of specific search phrases you could target in your blog include:

  • Who Will Cover My Medical Bills after a Car Accident?
  • Is Student Loan Debt Dischargeable in Bankruptcy?
  • What Do California Courts Look for in Child Custody Cases?
  • How Does a Plea Bargain Work in a DUI Case?

By posting content that answers questions like these on your website, you are more likely to connect with legal consumers looking for the same legal services you provide.

Work with a Team of Professional Legal Content Writers

Creating helpful, accurate, and compelling content takes significant time – as does staying on top of Google’s content guidelines. If you are a busy practicing lawyer, it’s extremely likely that you don’t have time to do it.

Fortunately, the attorney-led team of professional legal writers at Lexicon Legal Content is here to help. We are obsessed with creating captivating and optimized legal content for lawyers and marketing agencies that work with law firms. To learn more about our services, contact our office today or email us through our online contact form.

Florida’s New Tort Reform

Posted on by David B. Arato

The Florida Legislature has changed the tort law in an effort to reduce frivolous lawsuits by limiting personal injury cases, insurance litigation, and attorney fees. These sweeping changes are uprooting the landscape of Florida’s civil litigation and, among other things, will make it more difficult and expensive to sue insurance companies.

In short, the tort reform:

  • Decreases the statute of limitations from four to two years in general negligence claims.
  • Modifies Florida’s comparative negligence system from a “pure” comparative negligence system to a “modified” system (with the exception of medical negligence cases). As such, plaintiffs over 50 percent at fault for their own damages aren’t generally entitled to damages.
  • Establishes standards to assist in jury calculations of the actual amount of medical damages in both personal injury and wrongful death cases.
  • In negligent security cases, the business’s insurance company may be able to make the criminal entirely liable and not on the business that failed to protect customers.

The new law also does the following regarding bad faith claims:

  • Provides that negligence in and of itself is insufficient to support a bad faith claim. Instead, the insurer must not act solely based on their own interests in settlement.
  • Allows the bad faith or unfair actions of the claimant and their legal counsel to be considered when examining the insurer’s actions.
  • Makes insurance companies immune to bad faith actions if they tender either the amount demanded by the claimant or the policy limits, whichever is lesser, within 90 days of receiving actual notice of a claim, provided there is adequate evidence to justify the disputed amount.
  • When multiple claimants and limited policy limits exist in a single claim, the insurer can now file an interpleader action or use binding arbitration to determine how the limited policy limits are split up among the claimants to prevent bad faith claims.

Tort Reform Fast-Tracked in Florida

Governor Ron DeSantis proposed the tort reform changes in February before the new legislative session began. Florida’s new tort reform law was then presented at the beginning of Florida’s current legislative session, and, as expected, DeSantis swiftly signed it into law. 

In the Florida House, the bill passed with an 80-31 vote. The only member to cross party lines was Rep. Paula Stark, a Republican from St. Cloud who voted against the bill.

The Florida Senate voted 23-15 in favor of the bill. These Republicans voted no: 

  • Jennifer Bradley of Northeast Florida
  • Jason Brodeur, representing Seminole and part of Orange counties
  • Erin Grall of East Central Florida
  • Joe Gruters, representing Sarasota and part of Manatee County
  • Jonathan Martin, representing part of Lee County

The single Democrat to vote in favor of the bill was Linda Stewart of Orange County.

Opponents of the new tort reform argue that it won’t help lower insurance premiums. Instead, they will hurt people seeking compensation from businesses that have harmed them. DeSantis said the tort reform was essential “to protect Floridians, safeguard our economy and attract more investment in our state.”

Now effective, the law “returns Florida’s tort system to fundamental American judicial principles that the most responsible pay for the damages they caused,” Representative Tommy Gregory said.

Leaders from both Florida Legislature’s chambers supported the reform effort, which was similar to the strategy used for property insurance reforms from the legislative December special session. Leaders predict the bill’s impacts as a boon to the state’s economy. However, many opponents to Florida’s new tort reform are concerned about consumer and plaintiff rights. 

Changes Under House Bill (HB) 837

House Bill (HB) 837, titled Civil Remedies, according to Gov. Desantis’ office, modifies the “bad faith framework, eliminates one-way attorney’s fees and fee multipliers, and ensures that Floridians can’t be held liable for damages if the person suing is more at fault.” The hope is that insurance rates will decrease, although there is no mandate providing for this in the bill.

“Florida has been considered a judicial hellhole for far too long, and we are desperately in need of legal reform that brings us more in line with the rest of the country,” DeSantis said. “I am proud to sign this legislation to protect Floridians, safeguard our economy, and attract more investment in our state.”

Changes under the legislation will apply to causes of action accruing after the effective date of March 24, 2023. The significant changes include:

Decreased Statute of Limitations

HB 837 also amends section 95.11, Florida Statutes, regarding the statutes of limitations for various civil causes of action. The statute of limitations for general negligence has decreased from four to two years. 

As a result, plaintiffs and their attorneys will prepare their cases and assess the validity of their claims at an earlier point in the case. The change may also increase the ability to gather evidence closer to the date of the alleged incident in many cases.

Additionally, plaintiffs may be deterred from filing suit sooner in contested liability cases. The new two-year statute of limitations could also help leverage earlier settlements and resolutions of claims, especially during the pre-suit phase.

A Modified Comparative Negligence Standard

This law changes Florida’s comparative negligence standard from “pure” comparative negligence to “modified” comparative negligence. Florida joins the majority of the other states that already subscribe to a “modified” comparative negligence standard. However, this doesn’t apply in medical negligence cases.

Before this round of tort reform, plaintiffs could recover a percentage of their damages proportionate to the defendant’s degree of fault. Now under “modified” comparative negligence, if a plaintiff is more negligent than the defendant, they can’t recover anything. So, for instance, if someone is 51 percent at fault for causing a car accident, they can’t recover damages from it. Previously, if they had been 99 percent at fault, they were still entitled to recovery for the other one percent of their damages. 

Evidence Admissibility for Medical Expenses

HB 837 also modifies evidence plaintiffs rely on to establish their past and future medical expenses in a civil injury claim. Under the previous law, plaintiffs were allowed to claim the total amount of medical bills charged for services rendered outside of services paid by Medicare or Medicaid. They didn’t need to show evidence of adjustments or reductions made by their insurance company. Plaintiffs covered under Medicare or Medicaid could only use the amounts actually paid by Medicare or Medicaid as evidence of past medical expenses. 

Under the new tort reform, the evidence proving the amount of damages for past medical bills that have been paid is limited to the evidence of the amount actually paid, no matter the source of payment. Admissible evidence for unpaid past medical bills will depend on if the party bringing the legal action has health care coverage, Medicare, or Medicaid as follows: 

  • If they have health care insurance but obtain treatment under a letter of protection or they don’t submit charges, they can admit evidence of the amount that health insurance would have paid to satisfy charges, plus their share of medical expenses. Reasonable amounts billed to the plaintiff for medically-necessary treatment or services are also admissible as evidence. 
  • If they don’t have health insurance, or they have Medicare or Medicaid coverage, they can admit evidence of 120 percent of the Medicare reimbursement rate.
  • If there is no applicable Medicare rate, 170 percent of the applicable state Medicaid rate is admissible as evidence.

Damages can’t include any amount exceeding the evidence of medical treatment and services expenses admitted. Claimed amounts also cannot exceed the amounts actually paid, amounts necessary to satisfy charges due, and those essential for reasonable and necessary future medical treatment and care. 

For future medical expenses, the “usual and customary” sum will depend on whether the plaintiff has health care coverage as follows: 

  • Suppose the plaintiff has health care coverage outside of Medicare or Medicaid. In that case, they can admit evidence of the amount that could be satisfied if charges were submitted, along with the portion of medical expenses under the insurance contract.
  • If the plaintiff doesn’t carry health insurance or has Medicare or Medicaid, evidence of 120 percent of the Medicare reimbursement rate in effect is admissible. 
  • If there is no applicable Medicare rate, 170 percent of the applicable state Medicaid rate is admissible as evidence.

In essence, there are now uniform standards to help juries calculate the actual amount of medical damages in civil personal injury and wrongful death cases. If an insurance company has paid a full medical bill for past services, the actual amount they paid is the only amount admissible at trial.

Disclosure of Letters of Protection and Referrals

If a plaintiff receives medical treatment under a letter of protection, an agreement to defer collection on a medical bill until the plaintiff recovers in a lawsuit, it must be disclosed, along with all bills for medical expenses. The new law also requires them to be itemized and coded. Plaintiffs must also disclose if they were referred for treatment under the letter of protection and who referred them.

If the plaintiff was referred for medical treatment under a letter of protection by their legal counsel, disclosure of the referral is allowed, notwithstanding the attorney-client privilege. Why? Because the financial affiliation between the law firm and the medical provider pertains to the issue of bias of the testifying medical provider. This portion overturns the Florida Supreme Court’s decision in Worley v. Central Florida Young Men’s Christian Ass’n, Inc., 228 So. 2d 18 (Fla. 2017).

Changes to the Law for Bad Faith Actions

The new laws also address bad-faith actions. For example, the insured and their representative now have a duty to act in good faith to attempt to settle a claim. If it goes to court, the trier of fact (judge or jury) can consider if good faith efforts were made. If they determine they were not, then they can reduce the amount of damages. In addition, negligence alone is insufficient for bringing a bad faith claim against an insurer.

Bad faith actions aren’t viable if the insurance company pays the lesser of the policy limits or the damages demanded by the plaintiff within 90 days after receipt of a notice of claim with sufficient evidence. If the insurance company doesn’t pay, the 90 days won’t be admissible in court for bad faith actions, and the statute of limitations extends for 90 days. 

If one occurrence leads to multiple claims, the insurer isn’t liable beyond the policy limits for failure to pay within 90 days as long as one of the following applies:

  • The insurer files an interpleader to identify rights of claims, and if they are in excess of the policy limits, claimants can then receive a pro-rated amount
  • The insurer provides the full policy limits available at binding arbitration, which provides a pro-rata share of the funds as the arbitrator decides, who should include comparative fault and the potential trial outcome in their decision. 

Negligent Security

For negligent security actions against owners or operators of real property brought someone legally on the premises who suffered harm by the criminal act of a third party, the judge or jury in the case now must consider the fault of all individuals who contributed to the injury or death, including the criminal. As such, the property’s owner or operator can’t be held liable for damages caused by a third party attempting to commit, or while committing, any criminal act on the property. 

 This bill also establishes a presumption against negligent security liability for “multifamily residential property” owners or operators if they meet the burden of proof demonstrating “substantial compliance” with such things as crime assessments, employee crime and safety training, and safety and security measures to include:

  • Active security camera systems at places of exit and entry that maintains retrievable video for at least 30 days
  • Lights in the parking lot from dusk to dawn
  • Lighting in common areas, walkways, proches, and laundry rooms from dusk to dawn
  • A deadbolt in every door that measures a minimum of one inch
  • Locking devices on every sliding door and window
  • Locked gates at pool fence areas 
  • A peephole or viewer on a door that doesn’t have a window or window next to the door

Changes to the Contingency Fee Multiplier

Under previous tort laws, courts could consider and award contingency fee multipliers to attorneys’ fees based on various factors such as:

  • The applicable market if contingency fee multipliers were required to obtain competent counsel
  • If the attorney mitigated the risk of nonpayment
  • The amount of fees involved
  • The final results obtained
  • The fee arrangement between the lawyer and client
  • The chances of success at the outset of the action

The new law creates a “strong presumption” that the “lodestar” fee, the number of hours a lawyer would have reasonably spent, and multiplying it by a reasonable hourly rate, is sufficient and reasonable. Only in rare and exceptional circumstances can this presumpting be overcome and the evidence must show that competent counsel couldn’t otherwise have been retained. 

Limited Applicability of One-Way Attorney Fees

Before the new law was enacted, “one-way attorneys’ fees” applied when the insured prevailed in an action against an insurance company. Since the law went into effect, they only apply to declaratory judgment actions for determining insurance coverage against an insurer after coverage is denied for a claim, excluding a defense under a reservation of rights. Suppose a declaratory judgment is granted for the insured against the insurer. In that case, the court shall award reasonable attorneys’ fees; however, they are still limited to those incurred in the action. 

Furthermore, section 768.79, Florida Statutes, the “offer of judgment” or “proposal for judgment” statute, applies to any civil action involving an insurance contract.

What Critics of Florida’s Tort Reform Say

Opponents of this year’s tort reform argue that it won’t lead to lower insurance rates and may negatively impact policyholders and their lawyers. Instead, they say that insurance companies will have an easier time avoiding or defending against lawsuits by policyholders claiming denial or low-balling of benefits. 

In addition, ordinary Floridians will face higher risks, less safety, and fewer options to hold wrongdoers accountable as the law removes the incentive for private businesses to take the necessary steps to keep their customers safe. The measure might also discourage trial attorneys from representing clients against insurance companies as it stands to constrain what they can garner in attorney fees sharply.

The legislation lacks any requirements for insurance companies to decrease their policyholder rates as a result of the substantive changes. This is only one reason the legislation has been criticized by trial attorneys and their clients, who argue that this reform goes too far and will cause a windfall for insurance companies.

Critics of the newly signed legislation also say the new law itself will likely face a lawsuit.

Florida’s Civil Courts Inundated with New Case Filings

Plaintiffs in recent civil cases were in a race against the clock when the legislative process wrapped up on March 24th when the governor signed the bill into law, which took effect immediately.

Last year in March, Orange County reported under a thousand circuit civil lawsuit filings. Contrastly, 9,194 cases were filed before Florida’s governor signed the new bill into law before the end of March this year. As of March 28, 2023, 4,097 were still being processed.

In Seminole County, 285 circuit civil suits were filed last March, compared to 1,856 this March. Osceola County’s civil lawsuit filings increased from 158 in March of 2022 to 1,679 this March. Some lawyers estimate that 100,000 civil cases were filed statewide in March alone, mainly because the new law is considered unfavorable to attorneys and their clients.

Statewide, data from the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (responsible for maintaining a statewide court registry) show that a total of 90,593 circuit civil cases were filed between March 17 and March 22 in Florida. This figure equals 77 percent of the 118,179 cases filed between January 1 and March 22.

Meanwhile, in South Florida’s tri-county area, 23,666 circuit civil cases were filed between March 17 and 24, representing 71 percent of the 33,315 filed in 2023 through March 22. The dramatic rise in case filings has caused staffers throughout the state to work overtime and administrators to implement measures to limit expected delays. 

Attorney and founder of the personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan, John Morgan, shared with the South Florida Sun Sentinel that his legal teams filed about 25,000 of these civil suits before the bill took effect. He described it as “a Herculean effort” and then went on to express that not to do so would have been “legal malpractice.”

A civil defense lawyers association requested Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz in a letter dated March 23, 2023, to issue an emergency declaration providing defendants additional time to respond to the downpour of litigation. Supreme Court spokesperson Paul Flemming told the public a few days later that Muñiz knows about their issues and “is trying to decide what the best course of action would be.”

HB 837 immediately took effect upon becoming law. However, it should be noted that many of the changes will apply only to causes of action filed after the law’s effective date, which is why so many were in a hurry to file cases earlier in March. 

The change to the statute of limitations for negligence actions also applies to causes of action accruing after the effective date. Regarding insurance contracts, the law may not be used to impair consumer rights under insurance contracts arising before the effective date. However, the legislative changes will only apply to insurance contracts issued or renewed after the law’s effective date.

What’s Next?

Whether the new law faces legal action is yet to be seen. There’s no denying that some parties will benefit more than others from these changes. Still, the full effects of changes and their benefits or consequences won’t be known for some time. No matter how courts, attorneys, lawmakers, consumers, policyholders, or businesses think about Florida’s new tort reform, the fact remains that the change has happened, and they must move forward together. All involved parties will need to make some adjustments to their practices, some more than others. Consumers and policyholders should seek counsel from an experienced attorney as soon as they suspect they have legal matter on their hands.

FAQs: Can Lawyers Use AI-Generated Content for Marketing?

Posted on by David B. Arato

Right now, it’s nearly impossible to have a discussion about digital marketing without mentioning ChatGPT or AI generally. The technology is undoubtedly amazing; it’s capable of answering questions, creating a business plan, and even writing essays. One of the most obvious potential use cases for the newest generation of AI tools is content creation – but is it a good idea to use it? Let’s dig in and see what the issues are….

Table of Contents

Can I Post AI-Generated Content on My Website?

Yes, you can. That said , the last thing you should do is post AI-generated content on your legal site without significant oversight and review. On February 8, 2023, Google clarified its position on AI-generated content. In short, it said that using AI-generated content is not against its guidelines. Like other forms of content, it will rank well if it is helpful for people searching for information. Additionally, as clarified in March of 2024, if you use AI to create content in an attempt to “game” SEO, your site will likely be penalized.

Should I Use AI Content?

As the old adage goes, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. If your site deals with topics that can affect your money or your life (YMYL, in Google’s parlance), it will scrutinize your site’s content more closely. Specifically, it will look closely for signals that demonstrate experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

YMYL sites include sites that relate to topics like medicine, finance, and law. As a result, it’s critical for lawyers to ensure that the content on their site is accurate, helpful, and in compliance with the rules of professional conduct. If you are using AI to generate content, it’s imperative that you (or someone with the necessary expertise) review every word of it before you post it on your website. At that point, it becomes a legitimate question as to whether using AI to create long-form legal content is truly more efficient than human writing.

If you need 100-word product descriptions for kitchen appliances, you’re likely fine to use AI to generate them and post them with a cursory review. If you are creating long-form blog content on complicated legal topics, you probably want to have more human involvement and oversight in content creation.

How Can AI Help in the Content Creation Process?

That said, there are certainly ways in which AI tools can help content creators make the process more efficient. Some of the ways that you can use AI to help in content creation ethically and without creating more work include:

  • Blog topic ideation
  • Client persona identification
  • Keyword research
  • Content outlining
  • Basic legal research
  • Getting over writer’s block

Is AI-Content Well-Written?

Whether you think AI-generated content is well-written depends on what you believe makes content “good.” To many people, it’s just too generic and “clean” to qualify as good content. The reality is that law firms and other professional service providers have a brand identity that they want their content to reflect, and content generated by artificial intelligence lacks the personality that achieves that goal.

Is AI-Content Bar-Compliant?

There is no guarantee that the content created by AI will be compliant with the rules of your state bar. It may make statements that inadvertently guarantee a favorable outcome, it may suggest that you are a “specialist” or an “expert,” and it may even provide incorrect information. Furthermore, it’s possible that some state bars may hold the position that using AI-generated content without oversight is, per se, a violation of the rules of professional conduct. 

In Conclusion…

If you are a law firm or a digital marketing agency that works with law firms, AI can certainly help you in your efforts. That said, you should be certain that there is a significant amount of expert oversight in the process. Using AI to mass-produce content and posting without review can land you in hot water with Google and even your state bar.

Why Lawyers Should Promote Their Awards in their Blog Posts

Posted on by David B. Arato

It’s estimated that over 2,000 honors or recognitions specifically target the legal profession in the United States. The number of awards given by bar associations, law schools, and media outlets has swelled tremendously during the past two decades. The law firms and attorneys receiving them can leverage them to their advantage by blogging about them.

Legal awards and recognitions are third-party validation of an individual attorney, practice or law firm’s credentials. No legal client is likely to hire a lawyer simply because of an award they received. However, it may get them on a prospective client’s radar or shortlist.

Simply put, legal awards and honors help enhance attorney and law firm profiles law firms, and differentiate them from the competition.

One way to get your audience and prospective clients to learn about the accolades you have receive is to start writing blogs announcing when you receive them.

Awards Set You Apart from Other Attorneys

Legal marketing isn’t easy, especially considering the many ethical and legal compliance constraints you must adhere to. You must be keenly aware of how you talk about your services, skills, and track record.

At the same time, many prospective legal clients don’t know how to tell one lawyer apart from the next and generally assume that they are all about the same. So how can you set yourself apart from the competition and still stay within your ethical and legal bounds?

There are many ways, but one of the easiest and most obvious is to include your award nominations and recognitions in your marketing efforts. This includes publishing blogs about the honors you receive.

Awards for attorneys aren’t typically handed out like participation trophies to the elementary soccer team. These awards, honors, and recognitions set you apart from the competition.

When you leverage them in an appropriate way, you can do so without seeming like you are bragging or at the risk of crossing any ethical boundaries.

Awards and New Attorneys

You can certainly benefit from writing a blog about a recognition or award if you are a newer attorney. When you first start out, you may not have much experience or many skills that differentiate you from your local peers. Receiving awards and recognitions might be the first thing that distinguishes you from someone else and ends up bringing you more clients.

Publishing a blog post about your award not only helps you with SEO but also establishes your authority locally within your legal niche and target audience, drawing more potential clients to your law firm’s website and increasing your numbers.

Highly Decorated and Experienced Attorneys

Attorneys who have been in practice for quite some time may have received multiple awards; some may be the same award year after year. While they might seem redundant, don’t discount these awards.

Having numerous awards or receiving the same recognition for many years in a row not only shows that a lawyer was experienced and successful then but remains that way now. Some potential clients will be more likely to hire an attorney with more recent awards and recognitions than someone who won them years ago but not since.

Tips for Writing an Award Blog Post

Follow the Award Advertising Guidelines

Professional organizations that award recognitions in the legal industry frequently have their own guidelines for announcing and promoting these awards.

When you publish a blog post about or publicize an award on your website or elsewhere, always be sure you comply with their guidelines. If you don’t, you could be penalized by the organization and prohibited from further promoting the award in the future.

For instance, Martindale-Hubbell requires that any rating internet advertisement includes the text below and either a specific explanation of the rating or a link to the Martindale-Hubbell explanation:

“AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell DistinguishedSM, and Martindale-Hubbell NotableSM are Certification Marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards, and policies.”

Some organizations require you to place a trademark symbol by their name or the award or otherwise refer to the award in specific terms.

Furthermore, some companies let you know you have won the award months ahead of the announcement and require you not to release the information until they make their formal announcement. Martindale-Hubbell, Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers all publish their guidelines online.

Include All Recognitions Awarded to Lawyers in Your Law Firm

If you work for a law firm and multiple lawyers at your law firm receive the same or similar recognition at the same time, be sure you write one blog to include all of the awards received by the lawyers at your firm and the law firm itself. You can list each attorney and what they were recognized for and provide a short bio about them.

Comply with Your State’s Ethics Requirements

Attorney advertising falls under state bar regulations, including legal ethics rules. Attorneys or law firms who violate rules of professional conduct may face penalties such as fines, public censure, or even disbarment. In these cases, the attorney, not their marketing department, will be held responsible for what is published online.

Before publishing a blog post about your recognition or award, review the specifics of the professional conduct rules in every state where you practice and are licensed to ensure compliance.

For example, most states prohibit any statement that isn’t objectively verifiable, such as “Tom Smith is the Best Lawyer in the Pacific Northwest.” However, “Tom Smith has been recognized by Best Lawyers®,” is permissible. If an award recognizes an attorney’s work for a specific year, geographic location, or legal practice area, be sure to include that in the blog post or other announcement.

Keep in mind that some states have precise requirements. For instance, the Supreme Court of New Jersey recently enacted a provision that lawyer and law firm awards, honors, and accolades may only be referenced when they can be verified and the awarding organization has made sufficient inquiry into the qualifications of the individual attorney or law firm.

New Jersey also requires the following to accompany any reference to the award:

  • The name of the award-issuing organization
  • A description of how award recipients are selected, in the blog post itself or by referencing an easily-accessible public source
  • The disclaimer: “No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.”

Remember, it’s your responsibility to check your state’s legal conduct rules.

Don’t Forget Local or Regional Awards

Just because your award or recognition didn’t come from Avvo, Super Lawyers, or Best Lawyers doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share it with potential clients and your target audience. In fact, it may be more significant to those local to you.

For example, in the Denver metro area, 5280 Magazine publishes a list of Top Lawyers annually every January. While people looking for a lawyer in the area may have never heard of Super Lawyers or Best Lawyers, many have heard of or even regularly read 5280 Magazine. Lawyers with an award from this magazine will stand out to locals, whereas lawyers with other awards may not so much.

Stay Away from Paid Recognitions

There are many awards and recognitions out there. To protect your integrity and remain ethical, it only makes sense to stay away from paid recognitions.

You want to be able to say that your award was earned and well-deserved; paying for one can undermine your credibility and authority to your audience and legal community. Some of them may even be scams. The only thing these honors are recognizing is your ability to pay, not your actual skills or expertise.

Although some may offer paid advertisements in their publications, real awards honor outstanding attorneys without caring whether they pay. Instead, focus your efforts on your clients, which will, in turn, likely put you in the running for reputable recognition.

Don’t Just Post Award Announcements

Effective legal blog writing, just like all other marketing efforts, requires ongoing action. You can’t just write a blog post each time you have an award or recognition to announce for your practice or firm. Not only could it come across as tacky to your prospective clients, but it also doesn’t help your SEO.

Writing and publishing a legal blog at least once or twice weekly to drive traffic to your site and generate interest. Blogging about your awards should only be a small portion of your blogs. Instead, focus on blogging about helpful and valuable content for your readers when you don’t have awards to announce.

Remember, you wouldn’t be an award-winning attorney if you didn’t have valuable information to share. Periodic sharing of awards won’t attract the interest of real people or online algorithms. You need to regularly publish a blog post for effective SEO.

Don’t be afraid to share your awards and accolades with your readers via your legal blog and even your firm’s newsletter, if you have one. Incorporate these tips, good SEO, and it will only be a matter of time until you start to reap the benefits.

Do You Need Help with Blog Writing? Turn to the Blogging Experts at Lexicon Legal Content

If you need assistance writing your award announcements and other legal blogging or don’t have the time to do it yourself, the attorney-led team at Lexicon Legal Content can help. Contact us today to learn more about our customized blogging and legal content services.

Google Issues New Guidance on AI-Generated Content

Posted on by David B. Arato

Earlier today, Google issued guidance on how it views AI-Generated content. The TLDR version is that AI content is not inherently against guidelines and can be used effectively, provided that it is helpful and is not created in an attempt to manipulate search results. According to Google’s blog, this clarification does not reflect a change in its long-standing policy:

When it comes to automatically generated content, our guidance has been consistent for years. Using automation—including AI—to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of our spam policies.

In addition, Google points out that AI-generated content can be helpful:

This said, it’s important to recognize that not all use of automation, including AI generation, is spam. Automation has long been used to generate helpful content, such as sports scores, weather forecasts, and transcripts. AI has the ability to power new levels of expression and creativity, and to serve as a critical tool to help people create great content for the web.

What Does This Mean for Legal Content Marketing?

While Google is claiming that its position on AI-generated content has been consistent, the fact is that this policy is in direct opposition to Search Advocate John Mueller’s April 2022 statement that AI-generated content is spam. Clearly, AI-generated content can be created faster and more cheaply than hiring a team of specialized copywriters – so should law firms and legal marketers rush to mass produce AI content now that Google has explicitly said it’s not against its guidelines?

AI-Content Tools Provide a Good Starting Point

The fact remains that there are significant issues with using AI tools like ChatGPT to generate content. It can hallucinate facts and may not be aware of current events. That said, it’s a good tool for ideating blog topics, creating outlines, and even conducting basic legal research. The fact remains that any content generated by AI needs to be reviewed by someone who is familiar with relevant law and the ethical rules regarding attorney advertising.

Google Treats YMYL Content Differently

Google has overtly stated that certain sites – those that deal with issues related to “your money or your life” – have a extremely high Page Quality rating standard. This means that content on topics that have a high risk of harm to someone’s health, financial stability, safety, welfare, or well-being is more closely scrutinized for it’s E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, and trust). In Google’s own words:

On topics where information quality is critically important—like health, civic, or financial information—our systems place an even greater emphasis on signals of reliability.

As a result, if you are publishing legal content – which falls into the YMYL category – it’s especially important to demonstrate E-E-A-T. As a result, any content that you publish on your legal site should be thoroughly reviewed by a human being who has expertise in the area.

Ultimately, Google has this to say about whether you should use AI to generate content:

If you see AI as an essential way to help you produce content that is helpful and original, it might be useful to consider. If you see AI as an inexpensive, easy way to game search engine rankings, then no.

We’re On It

At Lexicon Legal Content, our team has been integrating AI into our processes for several years, and we’re committed to staying on the cutting edge of how AI tools can improve our content and deliver more value to our clients. To learn more about our offerings, call us today to speak with a legal content marketing expert.

Is There a Magic Number When It Comes to Law Firm Blog Posts?

Posted on by David B. Arato

If you’re regularly updating your law firm’s blog, you already know that blog posts help you connect with current and potential clients alike. You may wonder, however, if there’s a magic number, schedule, or time frame regarding how often and when you should be posting. Should you be slapping content up every day – even if you really don’t have much to say – or should you leave people wanting more by posting intermittently? Fortunately, it’s no longer a guessing game – there are some tried-and-true guidelines to help guide how often you should be updating your law firm’s blog. 

Continue reading “Is There a Magic Number When It Comes to Law Firm Blog Posts?”

how to increase traffic to your website?

Posted on by David B. Arato

Your law firm’s website plays an important role in terms of marketing and reaching your target audience – and your content matters. Generating relevant and compelling content is the name of the game, but if you find yourself at a loss when it comes to choosing inspiring topics that resonate with your widest potential audience, you are not alone. Many firms find themselves recycling the same, tired titles time and time again, but you can do better, and we have some helpful hints to get you started. 

Think Seasonal

The seasons hit us all the same, and they make a great anchor for developing content. 

The Spring and Summer Months 

With summer nearly upon us, your content should focus on legal matters that relate to summer living, including:

  • With the kids out of school, there are summer child custody schedules to tweak, and child custody modifications are common. 
  • With warmer weather, we see more road trips, which can inspire a wealth of topics, including traffic accidents, road safety, travel routes, destinations, and much more.
  • Summer means vacay, which lends itself nicely to articles about premises liability claims related to hotels, resorts, and pools. 
  • Boats and jet skis hit their stride in the warmer months, which makes articles that explore related accidents a gimme.  

There are also the summer holidays to consider, which deserve some attention of their own. 

Memorial Day

This year, Memorial Day is on May 27, and it tends to kick off summer break for all the kiddos out there. Memorial Day is a three-day weekend that brings family and friends together for beer, brats, and yard games (or some variant thereof), and it’s a great opportunity to visit and spruce up the gravesites of our lost loved ones – with a focus on veterans. Memorial Day, however, is also closely associated with some heavy-duty traffic accident statistics, including (according to the National Safety Council, NSC) that traffic fatalities spike over the Memorial Day weekend (compared to the weekends that bracket it). In other words, you can treat Memorial Day as a springboard for a wide range of related articles. 

Fourth of July

The Fourth of July falls on a Monday this year, which – for many people – means a 4- or 5-day weekend. Fourth of July has everything that summer has to offer on tap, with some extras thrown in for good measure, including:

  • Elevated car accident statistics related to increased traffic, increased impairment behind the wheel and increased distraction
  • Water-related accidents
  • Injuries caused by fireworks

Labor Day

Labor Day means back to school and the child custody concerns that are often sparked by this transition. There are also topics about accidents on school grounds and accidents related to children making their way to and from school – including bus accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bike accidents – to consider. 

We can all relate to the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day – and all the other holidays – on a very personal level, which makes the summer holidays a great platform for blog topics. Don’t be afraid to give your blog entries and articles your own spin – it’s the best way to find your voice and to really speak to all those searchers who can truly benefit from your services. If you have a unique topic in mind, don’t back-burner it simply because it’s not what everyone else is doing – you might have a real winner on your hands, and when you speak from a place of authentic concern, it can have a profound impact. 

The Fall and Winter Months

As temperatures and daylight hours decrease, there’s a lot going on – and there’s plenty to keep you busy in terms of content. Consider all the following:

  • Winter driving risks
  • Holiday travel
  • Increased holiday traffic and traffic accident statistics
  • Increased impairment behind the wheel
  • Weather-related premises liability claims
  • Holiday-related stress and the accidents it causes

These basic topics are the starting point for articles that can be woven into your own masterpieces of content – that also address your potential clients’ needs. Remember, too, that a well-polished title and outline – about a subject of your choice – is going to take you farther than a rote reinterpretation of the basics. 

A Feast of Topics

If your firm focuses on personal injury, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, or any combination of these practices, NSC has a treasure trove of potential topics on offer. Each year, they publish a Safety Observance Calendar that focuses on specific national health and safety awareness campaigns (replete with valuable resources for you to explore). For example, just a few of the many topics on tap for May and June of 2022 include:

  • May is Motorcycle Safety Month, National Bike Month, National Electric Safety Month, Trauma Awareness Month, National Water Safety Month, National Building Safety Month, and much more. 
  • May 21-27 is National Safe Boating Week.
  • June is National Safety Month.
  • June 5-11 is National Trailer Safety Week (tractor-trailers).
  • June 20 is National Ride to Work Day (focusing on those who commute to work on motorcycles and scooters). 

This is the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking for current content ideas, NSC has got you covered.  

Keeping Your Content Fresh

In order to create quality content, you need great topics, but that – of course – is not the end of the story. The topic sets the stage, but your content has to deliver. Factors to focus on include:

  • Creating a strong outline that flows seamlessly from your introduction to a solid conclusion 
  • Allowing the reader to hear your voice 
  • Inspiring your readers to take the next step in moving from potential client to actual client

Finally, don’t shy away from revisiting older content and jazzing it up. Polishing the title, tightening the writing, updating the statistics, and including an eye-popping example or two can breathe new life into work that is down but not out.

Get More from Your Current Content with Historical Optimization

Posted on by David B. Arato

You recognize that content is king, but you may not be making the most of the content that you already have. And this is where historical optimization shines. Historical optimization sounds more technical than it needs to be – the bottom line is that it involves breathing new life into the content you’ve already published, which can do you a world of good in terms of giving your return on investment a bump.

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Lexicon Legal Content Named one of the Top 45 Legal Marketing Blogs and Websites

Posted on by David B. Arato

Lexicon Legal Content is honored to be included in the Top 45 Legal Marketing Blogs and Websites, which lists the best of the best from thousands of online offerings – ranked according to consistent traffic, social media fans, domain authority, and informativeness.

When it comes to legal content, we recognize that there are a lot of options out there, and we’re pleased to have earned our position among the most respected and trusted sources. Our team of skilled legal writers focuses on providing compelling, professional copy, and it shows.   

As search engine algorithms evolve into ever-more sophisticated and nuanced tools, having high quality, meaningful content has become that much more important, and this fact guides everything we do. Publishing material that generates decent rankings without offering relevant, reliable, and highly readable content that fills a need no longer moves the rankings needle, and it’s not a great strategy for fostering long-term business relationships. We’re here to help you change all that. 

Having a bright and shiny website that attracts visitors is great, but if you don’t have the content to back it up, you’re not hitting the mark. We’re in the business of helping clients like you improve their online presence with all the following:

  • Fresh legal blogs that generate interest in your firm 
  • Legal content that is accurate, informative, and written in an approachable voice (no legal mumbo jumbo here) 
  • Press releases that showcase your unique legal operation
  • Website audits that help maximize your legal cachet

Lexicon Legal Content is proud of the solid reputation we’ve built for ourselves, and we take great pride in consistently exceeding the expectations of clients like you.