One of the best ways to boost your law firm’s online presence is through consistent content marketing. Specifically, when you create a blog and post the right type of quality content regularly, you can increase the traffic to your website as well as your engagement and conversion rates.

Blogs have been known to boost traffic to websites by as much as six-fold. In fact, a firm that has a website with good, quality content can produce growth much higher than a firm that doesn’t.

Assuming you already have a blog or have decided to add one, you probably still have a lot of questions about the best way to approach legal blogging. A top question to consider is: Just how long should a law firm blog be?

Why the Word Count of Your Blog Posts Matters

Your word count refers to how many words are in your legal blog post. Most word processing programs, like MS Word and Google Docs, will provide you with this information.

You need to know how many words are in your blog because word count can impact the user experience as well as your likelihood of ranking well in the search engines. When your blog post is longer, Google gets a better idea of what it’s about. The longer your post is, the more your targeted keywords and related keywords will appear in it.

You might also be able to cover several sub-topics with a longer blog post, giving you the opportunity to rank for multiple keyword phrases in Google. In some cases, you can also pick up Google’s featured snippet, giving you another opportunity to drive traffic to your website.

Finally, a longer post gives you additional linking opportunities. You can add internal links to relevant pages within your website, keeping readers engaged even longer.

Now, to be clear, your shouldn’t simply “add words” to add them. Word count only genuinely matters when you are including impactful information. The quality of the content is equally as important as the length, or word count, of the blog.

How Long Should Your Legal Blog Post Be?

If you have a legal blog, you’re probably wondering about the optimal length for a post. If you have a random thought, can’t you just post a few lines and be done with it? Or, do you need a 10,000-word dissertation every time you answer a question or write about a topic? The real answer lies somewhere in the middle.

A few lines are not enough to tell the reader much, give the search engines enough information, or keep your website’s bounce rates low. Generally speaking, your law firm’s blog posts should be at least 750 words to answer relevant legal questions and provide an effective call-to-action (CTA).

Depending on the subject matter, you could write a longer post. But, anything beyond 1,500 words could tend to get lengthy or intimidating. When deciding how long to make your posts, consider these two factors:

• How many words do you need to convey your ideas clearly?
• How much length is necessary so that your content is SEO-friendly?

Tips for Creating High-Quality Legal Blog Posts

It can be challenging to write blog posts that have significant depth. Writing high-quality content is tough, particularly when you want to reach a goal of 750 words or more with each post. No matter what your word target is, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Write Original Content

It’s pretty important that your content be original. Sure, other attorneys have probably written on similar topics, but your explanations should not be verbatim to theirs. Check out the blog posts of your competitors. How can you create something that is more engaging and that more thoroughly covers the subject?

2. Make Readability a Priority

One of the most important aspects of blogging is readability. In short, you must write for your audience instead of for yourself or the search engines. Think about the most pressing questions your potential clients have. Provide clear answers to those questions with as much detail as possible. This is not a legal brief, nor is it content written for other legal professionals. This is content written for your “typical” client. Everything you write should be with them in mind.

3. Use Headings

When you structure your content, use plenty of headers so that people know what they’re reading. This not only helps with readers who like to scan articles but also makes your content easily accessible and readable by the search engines.

4. Supplement With Images & Video

People are visual creatures by nature. A wall of words doesn’t work well for most. Make sure you include plenty of images, graphs, and/or videos with your blog content to break up the text and add an additional perspective to the topic.

How to Get the Most Fuel Out of Your Legal Blog Posts

Whether your posts are 750 words or 1,750 words, you’ll want to capitalize on what you’ve written. Instead of posting it and just waiting for the traffic to arrive, you can go after it in several ways:

1. Share Blog Posts on Social Media

One of the best ways for your law firm to promote its content is through social media. Using your various social media platforms, lets followers know about your latest post or drop a link when the content contains the answer to a question you see posted.

2. Send Blog Roundups in Law Firm Newsletters

Make sure you include your most recent blog posts in your law firm newsletters that you email to your client/former client list. This is an excellent way to get additional eyes on your content and increase your page views.

3. Feature Guest Bloggers

Once your firm has its blog established, one of the ways you can expand your online audience is by featuring guest bloggers. Whether it’s a respected community member or another attorney, having a guest blogger can bring a fresh perspective to your blog. Another benefit is that they will often promote their work and drive traffic to your page.

Getting Started With Your Law Firm’s Blog Posts

Now that you have a better understanding of how long a blog post should be and what to include in your blog, it’s time to start writing! If you’re not sure how to get started or don’t have the time to devote to a legal blog, reach out to find out how we can help.

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing helps law firms showcase their knowledge and experience through web design, SEO, social media management, and content marketing. Contact us today to learn more about how our firm can create an engaging legal blog that produces results.