Is It SEO–Or Something Else?

To piggyback on my last newsletter, here’s a quick reality check.

If your law firm website isn’t converting, it might not be your SEO. It’s what people see after they land on the page.

Too much legal jargon. Too many empty phrases like “we can help” and not enough clarity about what actually happens next.

And here’s the part most firms miss: the people visiting your site aren’t browsing for fun. They’re dealing with something stressful, time-sensitive, and often confusing.

In personal injury, they’re worried about medical bills, missed work, and whether they’re about to get steamrolled by an insurance company.

In estate planning, they’re trying to make responsible decisions for their family without feeling overwhelmed or making a mistake.

Now imagine those same people landing on a wall of text that says all kinds of things without actually answering their questions.

That’s where they leave.

Not because you’re not qualified. Because you didn’t make things clear.

People don’t want more information.

They want to understand what their situation means and what they can do about it.

If your content isn’t doing that, it’s quietly costing you more clients.

What Happened To Me

Many years ago, I was in a car accident. To this day, I can’t tell you what happened, only what other people told me. As well as the bills that quickly arrived from the emergency room visit.

The last thing I remember was the light turning green. It was at an intersection, and it involved a black Audi from another city. The police report said I was at fault. But then I couldn’t find the police officer who wrote the report, or anything more than that. There weren’t any cameras in that area; it was just trees. I couldn’t find out anything beyond the police report.

Accident Aftermath

So there I was, sitting at my home desk, looking for a personal injury lawyer who would talk to me. One told me that since I was listed at fault in the police report, no lawyer would talk to me. I kept looking, but after a few more denials, I gave up. Nobody I knew had any referrals, either. I didn’t know what to do and had nobody I could ask.

Since I’d been laid off the Friday before the accident, I had to start looking for a job again. Eventually, I accepted the $1,400 check from my insurance company that covered what was left of my car. That was it. The health insurance I had from my last job was good until the end of the month and covered the medical bills. I was on my own.

Writing For Others Who Need Help

When I started writing legal copy, I write to the person sitting at their desk who is likely in a similar situation and doesn’t know what to do next after:

• A car accident
• A civil lawsuit
• Being served with divorce papers with no warning
• The death of a spouse or other relative
• An arrest for DUI or other traffic violation
• A child’s arrest
• Other unexpected legal issues they never saw coming, such as eminent domain

When a law firm’s website offers some information that tells them what they need to know now, they’re more likely to keep reading. If you can answer some of their questions, they’ll continue reading. Establish that trust, and they’ll make the appointment.

My car accident was 14 years ago, so I can’t do anything about it now. But going forward, I hope to help at least one person who is sitting at their desk or on their smartphone looking at law firm websites to quickly find the answers they need now.