Lawyer Monthly - August 2021 Edition

41 AUG 2021 | WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM WHO ARE 2021’S STAR PLAYERS IN DIGITAL LEGAL MARKETING? place in terms of revenue. That has not stopped the firm from climbing 11 places this year to second place in our Legmark Index. Perhaps more interesting, when we compare the firm’s performance against Stephensons’, is the difference in individual metric scores. While Stephensons tops the charts for desktop and mobile speed, Lindsays scores 122 for desktop – though it boasts a very impressive 198 for mobile speed. However, while Stephensons also ranks highly for traffic and total keywords, Lindsays flourishes with its domain rating. This proves that the firm has invested heavily in its off-site reputation, acquiring links from reputable sources to improve all-round performance. Third Place: Irwin Mitchell Not surprisingly, we see one of the UK’s largest law firms (ranked 25th by revenue) in third place. We have used Irwin Mitchell as an example of the “perfect site” when it comes to ticking all the boxes for Google. Our radar graph analysis shows that Irwin Mitchell is just shy of 200 on almost all metrics – with total traffic scoring an impressive 200/200! So, what is it that stops Irwin Mitchell from coming in first place based on our index? Firstly, let’s remember that the system is weighted – so one metric may have more value than another. For example, mobile speed is considered top priority when we remember factors such as ‘Mobilegeddon’, or, more recently, Core Web Vitals. Secondly, as an established brand, Irwin Mitchell may also be relying on brand name searches rather than specific “X law firm” keywords. As a full-service firm, it is safe to say Irwin Mitchell has high-value keyword coverage. The firm’s value per keyword score, based on the equivalent cost to rank for a paid ad, comes in at 197. However, where Irwin Mitchell falls relatively short is total keywords. Again, as a full- service firm, it faces the challenge of trying to rank for anything and everything, but may be a victim of its own success. Our research revealed that 15,000 searches for “Irwin Mitchell” are made each month. This is great for brand awareness, but the firm scores 179 for total keywords, showing it could rank for marginally more. The Most Improved Firms of 2021 While it is important to learn from the best- performing law firms of 2021, we must also consider those that have improved the most. Let’s not forget that search engine optimisation is constantly changing, so those firms that have improved in the here and now are hugely significant. The top three most-improved firms for 2021 did not make the top 10 overall, but they have come on in leaps and bounds. Gunnercooke This innovative firm is shaking things up for the legal sector. Established in 2010, the firm says it does not believe in “law as usual” and instead works on a franchise model, only recruiting lawyers with more than 10,000 hours’ experience. As a relatively young firm, Gunnercooke will need time before they can climb the ranks in terms of domain rating or referring domains. But they have harnessed the power of page The demands of remote working, coupled with pandemic-related employment law and family disputes, has piled the pressure on law firms.