Since the early 2000s, our legal content marketing firm has had a front row seat to the evolution of the internet and how it affects lawyers – how they reach their audience, prove their authority and credibility, and build and reinforce their brand.
But if we hadn’t adapted to the changing search landscape, we wouldn’t still be around today. We wouldn’t be helping lawyers and law firms develop and position their online content and web properties for the best results. And one of the ways they’re seeing results is through the opportunities created through third-party blogging and publishing.
It’s more important than ever for firms to leverage specific tools that meet the demands of search engines and new tech. Contributor accounts on The Legal Examiner were built for this – for the introduction of AI Overviews in search results and the growing use of AI systems. Our platform was built for a search landscape that requires third-party context to understand who you are.
One of the main benefits of a third-party blog is that it increases your online visibility. As a result, lawyers and firms are expanding their audience reach because they’re getting noticed and cited by search engines and AI. Our Contributors are building crucial trust and sending the right signals to the systems that control what people find when they look for legal information or need a lawyer.
Keep reading to learn how The Legal Examiner can help your law firm increase its online visibility. Stay tuned for follow up posts on how our legal blogging platform can build authority and reinforce your brand, two other key benefits of third-party publishing for lawyers.
What Affects a Law Firm’s Online Visibility?
If you’ve ever wondered why competing law firms are showing up in search results and being cited by AI systems and you’re not, it’s not the size of their advertising budget. Yes, PPC ads and other advertising tools can be effective and have an impact on leads, but only while the ads are running. They don’t develop the trust or client loyalty that organic traffic and engagement does, and once the ads are over, the visibility disappears.
The signals that search engines and AI look for and pay attention to aren’t a mystery. They’re looking for the best answers and trusted sources. Legal blog posts that are informative, timely, of high-quality and written in a way your audience understands is an important component of generating online visibility.
But what the search landscape actually rewards – how AI and search engines prioritize and select their sources – greatly relates to where your content is found online. It’s about your digital footprint, and your firm’s website is not enough. Expanding your legal content marketing strategy to include third-party publishing can help get your name and law firm in front of your target audience.
How Does Third-Party Publishing Increase Online Visibility?
Where your name and your firm’s name is mentioned online has a critical role in how visible you are. Same goes for what legal topics you write about and are connected to, like practice areas, related news, and cases, and where you’re located, including the city and state(s) you practice law in. This is all part of your digital footprint, a traceable network of your online activities, connections, and mentions.
Search systems need third-party context to understand you and to determine if your content meets the needs of the user. To determine your credibility and whether what you have to say should be shown to an audience, they consider everything – websites, blogs, social media profiles, professional networking platforms, memberships to industry associations, and the original content you create and share.
That last one – your content – is something a lot of firms don’t put enough energy into beyond what’s on their own website or social profiles. In our experience as a legal content marketing firm, there are a few reasons for this.
Some lawyers don’t know the value of other types of legal content or its effect on branding, increasing organic traffic to their website, and generating leads. Others aren’t aware that where lawyers publish content affects whether it gets in front of their audience and how big that audience is.
Regardless of why you haven’t adapted, filling this gap is important if you want to increase and maintain your online visibility; there are numerous risks if your firm doesn't adapt its content marketing alongside new tech and the changing search landscape. Losing your search rankings and not being sourced or cited in AI means your competitors are gaining traction where you aren’t.
Our platform is already an established legal news and information source. It's powered by lawyers, other industry professionals, and legal writers who publish content that has clear value, isn't salesy, and can be trusted.
Content on The Legal Examiner:
- Demonstrates expertise and knowledge
- Offers solutions
- Informs readers on legal topics that impact them, their communities and jobs
- Anticipates and answers questions
- Provides pathways to other relevant sources and information
Lawyers and firms that contribute to The Legal Examiner are starting a step ahead because we’ve already gained the attention of search engines and AI. We provide clients with a news-style, legal blogging platform that these systems consider to be an important source of understanding who you are and what you have to offer.
When law firms expand their content strategy to include blogging on third-party platforms, they can increase their online visibility, but that’s just one of the benefits. Active Contributors also get the advantage of building long-term, sustainable growth through demonstrating trust and authority, and reinforcing their law firm’s brand.
If you’re worried about the kind of commitment publishing on The Legal Examiner entails, we have you covered. Our writing services help lawyers who don’t have time to write, don’t want to write, or aren’t sure how to write in a way that resonates with their audience. Our other services, like web optimization and hosting, content creation and revisions across platforms, and custom legal content projects, are also available to meet your needs.
Sign up as a Contributor or contact us for more information.
For a limited time, you can sign up for a Contributor account for under $2,400 for a full year – that’s 40% off the regular price. Grow your brand, become a trusted voice in the legal community, and reach potential new clients. You’ll also unlock discounted writing packages and a referral reward when you sign up before the sale ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does third-party publishing mean for lawyers and law firms?
Third-party publishing means contributing legal content to an established platform outside your own website. When you publish on sites like The Legal Examiner, you expand your presence beyond your firm’s domain so search engines and AI systems can better understand, index, and present your legal insights to a wider audience.
How does third-party publishing increase online visibility?
Publishing on a respected third-party platform increases your visibility because it gives search engines and AI additional context about who you are, what you do, and where your expertise fits in the broader legal landscape. These external signals help search systems notice and cite your work more often, expanding your reach.
Why can’t a law firm website alone achieve the same visibility?
A firm’s own website, while important, often lacks the broader context and external validation third-party platforms provide. Search engines and AI systems rely on signals like where your content appears online, how it’s referenced, and the established reputation of those sources to determine visibility. Third-party sites contribute to a richer digital footprint.
How does publishing on The Legal Examiner help my firm’s visibility?
The Legal Examiner is an established legal news and information platform that search engines and AI recognize as a valuable source. Publishing there means your content reaches beyond your firm’s site and taps into an existing audience and digital footprint, helping your expertise show up in organic search and AI results.
Will third-party publishing improve my search engine rankings?
While third-party publishing alone isn’t a guaranteed ranking boost, it generates backlinks and contextual signals that contribute to visibility and discoverability online. This improves the likelihood that search engines and AI systems present your content to users seeking legal information relevant to your practice areas.
Can third-party publishing help attract potential clients?
Yes. By getting your legal insights in front of a larger audience through trusted platforms, more people searching for legal information may encounter your content. When your visibility increases, so does the chance potential clients find you when they need legal representation.
Do I retain content ownership when I publish on The Legal Examiner?
Yes. You retain ownership of your content. Publishing on The Legal Examiner lets you benefit from the platform’s visibility while still controlling your legal insights and linking back to your own website or attorney profile.
See the next post in our series on effective third-party publishing:
Nick Carroll
