Legal Marketing: A Microsite Can Work…If You Do It Right

For years now, SEO experts have been arguing that having multiple websites and domains for your business can be bad for you, SEO-wise. Not only are these additional websites filled with duplicate content, something that Google does not appreciate, but they can easily confuse a potential customer.

But there are benefits to having a well-built microsite, if it’s done correctly. Unlike your main site, which has everything you ever needed to know about you and your business, a microsite can focus on a specific part of your practice. For instance, let’s say you practice both tax law and intellectual property law. Although your tax law practice is going well, your other practice can use some help. So you decide to create a microsite devoted specifically for this practice and sure enough, you start seeing an increase in customers.

Also, another website means more exposure for you and your law firm. And who doesn’t like being a superstar online? By having another site that’s focused on one practice, you can reach a whole new audience who may have never known that you perform that service. But be careful…you will be competing against your main site for those keywords.

But the important thing to remember when creating a microsite is doing it right. You have to think of this site as a standalone site. Why? Well, if you have a microsite that shares the same design and content as your main site and have many links that point to your main site, you’re not going to see much movement on Google.

In order to make your microsite successful, keep these valuable tips in mind:

• New keyword-rich content – That’s right; you’re going to need to write new content. Not only should the content be original, but it should have enough information to keep your potential client on your site. Just like our recent blog on not having enough content, if you only have a couple of pages, then you’re going to lose that client.
• Be careful with your backlinks –Don’t believe the experts who say backlinks are a thing of the past. They are still pretty relevant. You may be thinking that a new site that’s under your control means a great way to build backlinks. And you’re absolutely right. But be careful – too many links and Google will catch on. It will think that you built a site just for the backlinks and penalize both your microsite AND your main site. You’re going to want a few links in there obviously, but remember, minimal is the key here.
• Time management is key – Can you barely make time to add a blog to your main site? Then maybe a microsite isn’t for you. Building content on a site takes time and the more sites you have, the more time it’s going to take to build them up.
• URLs are essential – A microsite should be used specifically for one piece of your law firm, such as a practice area. And just like for your main site, your URLs need to be structured correctly and it should be easy to navigate through the site.