Why Legal Websites should Invest In Organic Traffic

There's a famous saying, "if you build it, it will come". This couldn't be truer when looking at building a great website that attracts traffic. However, there are different ways to achieve this.

Every time a person types a search into an internet search engine, they will be given two distinct result categories i.e. paid-for ads or organic search results. In this article, we shall be taking a closer look at which is better to use and why.

What Paid Results Means

In recent years, more and more companies have decided to pay for ad placements. The main reason for this is that once you have paid to be listed, you'll always be one of the first results shown on the page. Paid ads mean that you'll automatically be rewarded with better rankings, which in turn makes your content appear higher up on the search results lists than your competitors. Bear in mind, though, that this comes at a cost as the price to remain at the top will become more expensive the more companies there are that take out paid ads. 

Another benefit of using paid-for search results is that you can target specific audiences. This means that you can fine-tune who sees your ad. You can target a certain age, gender, specific interests, and many other demographics. Furthermore, the results will usually be tailored to an individual's search queries.  Algorithms determine whether or not a user is looking to purchase or if they are merely looking for information on a specific topic. In many cases, paid results will be targeted towards search terms that indicate a desire to purchase a product or service.

The Definition of Organic Results

The main difference between organic and paid search results is that the former results from growing value over time and creating content that resonates with the user or reader.

Unlike paid-for results, the organic approach gives room to work your way up the rankings. This usually takes a while longer as opposed to paid ads. However, once your content has shown its credibility, it will often yield better click-through-rates and consequently more traffic in the long run.

In most cases, consumers will often consider an organic search result more trustworthy. This is because organic sites made it to the list by establishing themselves over a period of time, and the only way this can be done is by creating value.

Once your organic search results begin to appear higher on the listings, they tend to be more recognised in the user's eyes. On the other hand, as soon as a payment is missed, a paid ad will drop off the list. This is not the case with an organic result.

Why You Should Go With Organic 

The main reason it is more attractive to go with an organic approach is simple: Once you reach the upper limits of the search results list, you can keep on building from there and establish your site as an authority in the legal field. Customers form a sense of security when they realise you're not paying for your spot on the top of the list.

Rather, if you've managed to achieve this by providing great content that truly brings value to your customers, there's an instant sense of trust. Not only that, Google and other search engines like Bing highly appreciate true value for their users. This fact alone helps organic posts garner more "true" customers in the long run, as the search engines assume you are a natural, relevant solution for them. 

Here's yet another reason why organic is the way to go: you don't need to spend unnecessary money on placing ads. Although the unpaid journey may be arduous when first starting out, the more you keep improving your website and the longer you have a valuable online presence, the more traffic you'll generate to your site.

When conducting a simple search for legal services in your city or country, you can see that the legal industry is saturated with paid ads. This, in itself, poses a massive obstacle for new law firms or existing firms that prefer not to pay.  This is exactly why using organic SEO is the way to go to get you to the top of search lists. Remember not to go overboard on keyword stuffing and focus on creating value first.