There’s one thing the law firm marketing experts at Stacey E. Burke, P.C. are always asking clients to provide, but we almost never receive: case results and/or representative matters. Case results should be present on every law firm website because they provide significant value. Unfortunately, since we can’t read minds, we have to rely on our clients to provide us with this information. Any lawyer that has successfully handled or assisted in any type of legal matter has case results, and they should absolutely be on your website. Here’s why.
Before we jump into case results, it’s important to point out that there are very specific attorney advertising rules in certain states (like Texas) that concern case results and case filings. All states prohibit the use of case results in any way that can be construed as misleading. However, states like Texas also require to disclose net amount to client, legal fees, and attorneys fees. You should not add any case results to your website before reviewing the rules in your state. Additionally, you should not share any case results before reviewing any applicable confidentiality agreements. It would be wise to obtain waivers from clients as part of the case resolution so that you can share the result. Attorneys should remain mindful of advertising rules and client relationships while working with case results.
Case Results: Not Just For Plaintiffs’ Lawyers
First of all – and I can’t stress this enough – showcasing case results is not just for plaintiffs’ lawyers. Plaintiffs’ lawyers have advertised their case results for years – in fact, many of the attorney advertising rules around the country deal with the appropriate method for showcasing results. While you might see a plaintiffs’ lawyer boasting, “$3 million dollar verdict for personal injury client” or “over $50 million recovered for clients” and think your case results are unimportant in comparison, I can promise you they aren’t. You don’t need big numbers to market a successful case result. A good case result shows potential clients you’ve specifically seen certain legal issues before, and you resolved them with the best resolution for your client. The best resolution could be a complete dismissal of a lawsuit or just a really well written contract. Potential clients aren’t just looking for a lawyer – they are looking for the BEST lawyer, so be sure to show them you have successfully handled multiple legal matters involving their legal issues before.
Reasons To Put Case Results On Your Website
SEO Value
While there are many factors that influence whether or not a website shows up in search engine results (over 200 if you really want to know), the quality of your website’s content plays a HUGE role. One of the best types of content your website can have is case results. There are many technical reasons why this type of content is helpful for SEO (keyword density, length of content, and relevancy of content), but most importantly this content is helpful to users. Search engines like Google work hard to connect users to exactly the type of content they are looking for. If someone is searching for “employment lawyer Houston,” then a page of content detailing a lawyer’s successful employment law results will be helpful to them. What’s good for users is good for SEO, so case results are important feature to include on your website.
Conversion Optimization
Many users visiting a law firm website are hesitant to reach out. Whether they have never worked with a lawyer before and are intimidated, or they are unsure whether your firm is a good fit for them, case results help convert website visitors into leads. Case results serve as proof that you are a competent and successful lawyer and help inspire a potential new client’s faith in you and your law firm before you ever make contact.
What A Case Result Should Look Like
Many of our clients are reluctant to provide case results because they believe sharing certain specific and identifying bits of information (such as names) could land them in hot water. To that we say, “then we won’t share those bits of information.” While case results can be really specific, you can also utilize more generalized language to protect the identities of the parties involved. All a case result needs is a description of the client, their legal issue, and how you resolved it. Here are two examples:
“We helped our client, a local Houston business owner, with a breach of contract dispute with a vendor that threatened their business. We successfully resolved the issue in settlement talks before trial.”
“Our law firm assisted a single mother of two who was injured in a truck wreck. She sustained a spinal cord injury as well as several broken bones and lacerations. She required two surgeries and months of physical therapy. The truck driver was distracted by his cell phone, which caused the accident. The trucking company that hired him knew he had a track record of distracted driving, but failed to take any corrective action. The case went to a five week jury trial with the jury finding in favor of the plaintiff and awarding her $8 million in damages.”
These case results are very different, but both are extremely valuable. Realistically, you might not be able to share every detail for all of your case results, but what you can share still provides confirmation to clients that you are successful (which increases conversions) and adds SEO value.
A Note On New Case Filings
Case results make great content for your website, but so do recent case filings. You don’t necessarily have to wait for a case to conclude to share information about it on your website. Drafting content about your law firm’s new case filings both legitimizes your firm to website visitors and provides SEO value. While recent case filings should not be placed on a case results page, they make for excellent keyword-rich blog posts.
We Can Help With Your Case Results
Lawyers struggle to add case results to their websites because they take time to craft and because the advertising rules can make figuring out the appropriate language a challenge. The legal marketing experts at Stacey E. Burke, P.C. can put together a case results page for your law firm website that increases your SEO value and encourages more conversions. You can send us your own summaries if you want, or you can just send us the title of your case and we will take care of the rest. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about advertising your case results.