A law blog is a great way to discover potential clients and build authority in the legal field. You may have learned that a blog is an important part of every marketing strategy—no matter what field you’re in. And although legal topics might seem a bit unglamourous, the fact is that content development can take your firm to the next level.
For starters, it builds search engine optimization. Each piece of content that goes on your website builds up your presence. Search engine algorithms scan each piece of content to search for keywords that determine relevance. It also creates value for potential clients and helps nurture leads.
Yet, chances are you don’t have the time to spearhead a blog and run your firm. Managing a blog time, patience, and dedication. This is where freelance writers and writing agencies come in. And yet many business owners make the crucial mistake of enlisting the help content mills (agencies that offer on-demand writing in bulk) to help them churn out blog posts. To help you circumvent this novice mistake, take a look at these reasons why you should avoid content mills:
High Volume = Low Quality
One reason many business owners are attracted to content mills is that they offer the promise of low-cost, high volume content. But like most services, you get what you’re paying. Many of the writers employed by content mills are not native English speakers, and are paid very low money for the work they do. They have no connection to your business, and therefore no direct relationship or loyalty to the work they produce for you. Like it sounds, each piece is churned out one after the other. In the long run, this won’t help you grow your firm at all.
Avoid Liability
As a law firm, it’s important for you to avoid liability when it comes to content. Content mills provide writers who unfortunately may inadvertently expose your business to liabilities. Unlike other businesses, lawyers need to pay particular attention to the writing they publish. Because of this, it might be better for lawyers to explore some legal content writing services rather than work with a traditional freelancer or general marketing service.
Keep in mind that anything you publish on your blog can be held against you in court. In the event that your business is taken to court, the points you’ve illustrated in your blog can be held against you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry with preventative measures and strong writing.
It Could Hurt Your SEO
In an effort to win at SEO, you could actually end up hurting your SEO. For starters, pushing too much content on your website could actually raise some red flags with Google. Google searches for consistency, not bulk content. Furthermore, algorithms can clearly tell when your content isn’t useful to your readers.
For example, if you publish a cookie-cutter blog post about personal injury, your bounce rate might be abnormally high. Or, if you’re consistently referencing low-quality links, your website can be penalized. Since Google rolled out its Panda update in 2011, it strived to put a stop to low-level content, which specifically hit on-demand content mills.
It Hurts Writers
Unfortunately, content “farms” are an unsustainable business practice that is actually harmful to writers. Running a law firm, it’s important that you uphold the utmost integrity. These content mills attract writers by promising large volumes of work and consistent pay. But for many, they’re paid a few dollars, despite the fact that the company is paid significantly more. If you want to support writers and contribute to a more sustainable system, go elsewhere. The less clientele that content mills have, the more likely those are writers are to have fair opportunities with more reputable agencies and freelancer platforms.
Inconsistent Quality
You will never truly know what you’re getting with a content mill. The quality of work is often inconsistent, and many writers are never screened before they take on a job. Because of this, you might find yourself having to do plenty of editing. This is because on-demand writers don’t have much motivation or loyalty to the client, and are simply trying to make it from one assignment to assignment.
