Lunch Hour Legal Marketing (Legal Talk Network)

A rundown of what Conrad and Gyi will be talking about at the March ABA Techshow. Plus, Google Ads are so dang expensive, amiright? ----- Oh, boy! ABA Techshow is really, really soon, and the guys can’t contain their excitement. On the pod, Gyi and Conrad give you a preview of their sessions and what you can expect; including branding and positioning, a data-driven section on the future of legal marketing, and using LinkedIn for brand acceleration. I mean, you ARE going to Techshow aren’t you? Ha, of course you are. Be sure to bring all of your homemade #LHLM gear, hunt down the guys, and share your undying love for all things Lunch Hour Legal Marketing. Then, Conrad tries to make Gyi’s head explode with the question, “Are Google Ads too expensive?” So, are they? Maybe, just maybe, you’re asking the wrong question. If the only thing you are measuring is cost-per-click, you might be a little bit off-base. Learn from the best on how to analyze the true cost and benefit of your digital ad spend. The News:  A.I. saw a $100 billion market cap loss. What happened? And how did Google react? DoNotPay is in the news again, and it could mean legal troubles are brewing. Using fruit snacks to generate good reviews from jurors.

Conrad and Gyi hit the hardwood as the top marketing channels square up for the Big Dance. It’s March Madness… Marketing Madness that is! Gyi and Conrad fill out their tournament brackets, not with their favorite teams, but rather the top marketing channels and tools. Then it’s a battle to the end as the guys pit these tactics head-to-head to see which will come out on top. From the Sweet 16 to the final matchup, the action never stops! Tune in to see which marketing powerhouse reigns supreme. The News:  ChatGPT 4 launched this month. Now it’s taking standardized tests such as the LSAT … and it’s beating most humans. The new March Google Core update is out. TikTok is under fire again amid threats to ban the video app from the U.S. Conrad made a special appearance as a guest on The Game Changing Attorney podcast.

Adam Kosloff presented our Lunch Hour Legal Marketing webinar on November 18, 2015 at 12pm EST. Most attorneys who even attempt to write books get bogged down, because the process takes way too long, and they have far too many other things to do. This webinar will give you a proven shortcut. It will show you how to leverage content that you’ve already produced on your blog (and elsewhere) to create your ebook. You won’t need to rely on untested writers or expend much effort or time. Adam Kosloff has ghostwritten over 60 books for attorneys on subjects as diverse as personal injury, criminal defense, family law, tax law and estate planning. He will walk you through the exact, battle-tested process he uses to create ebooks for his clients. We will cover: How to survey your current content library to assess its ebook potential The importance of a Big Idea for your ebook — and how to create that awesome hook The secret to sewing together seemingly disparate ideas and content pieces using the same tactic employed by bestselling authors like Dave Barry and David Sedaris An interview-transcription process that will personalize your book and fill in any gaps — and will only take about 1-2 hours of work on your part How to organize your blog (and other content creation activities) in the future to create more books Repurposing your book into other forms of content, such as a podcast or YouTube channel The smartest, most certain ways to monetize your book — and how to measure success

You’re spending money to attract potential clients, now take the next step to ensure every moment of that client experience is amazing from intake to follow-up. In a special LHLM 101 episode, Conrad and Gyi go deep into the mysterious world (well, not that mysterious) of Customer Relationship Management platforms, known as CRMs. Provide a better experience for your clients; analyze marketing data to know what’s working and what isn’t; and do it all while saving you both time and money. It’s hard work, but CRMs make it easier.  The days of tracking open cases on yellow legal pads is over. If you don’t know where to start, the LHLM dynamic duo run through the big-name platforms, the tricks and traps, and share their number one tactical tip to successfully implementing a CRM platform. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, Posh, and Clio.

Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam dissect current events and trends affecting legal marketing.

Hosts Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street talk to Rand Fishkin about his new book, “Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World.” Gyi and Kelly get tips from Rand about how lawyers can use the tactics from his book as they build their businesses. Rand gives practical advice about reputation building, client research, resource development, current SEO trends, and much more.

There’s no way around it, prospective clients want to talk to a lawyer, so get into your intake! Then the guys go LARPing—a little role play to quickly up your SEO game. Also, the return or Dear State Bar Regulator. As a lawyer, how involved should you be in the intake process? You’ve got people to handle that, right? After all, you’ve got better things to do. Gyi and Conrad discuss intake best practices and what really turns phone calls to clients. In the return of a fan favorite segment, Dear State Bar Regulator, Gyi pens a letter to those weirdly nitpicky South Carolina regulators. Let’s be honest, how much can a potential client really infer from a 3rd-party’s URL? And then, it’s time for some legal marketing LARPing! No, the guys aren’t donning wizard gowns and medieval attire; rather, they take on their respective roles as lawyer and marketer and dive deeper into the realm of SEO expectations. With a few quick tweaks, you can unlock the quick wins that will level up your magical powers, or at least your internet footprint. The News: LawPay acquires MyCase: Case management meets payment services. Good for the consumer? We’ll find out. Mentioned in this Episode: Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube Joe Patrice, “MyCase Acquired by LawPay Parent,” LawNext: Conversation with LawPay and MyCase Law Firm Intake Fundamentals, Facebook Group (Private) South Carolina State Bar Regulators 22-02 MyCase LawPay Clio Legal Trends 2021 Report

For lawyers who are investing a lot of time and money into marketing your firm, how can you tell whether that marketing is working? Hosts Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street explore the topic of testing and analyzing your marketing techniques in order to make informed and data-based decisions about where you’re investing your time and money. They discuss establishing your marketing goals and the different methods of tracking your success rate, from web analytics to call tracking.

Lawyers can’t just take a backseat when it comes to marketing, but what do you actually need to know to make sure your marketing approach holds water? Later, how do you go about marketing for two distinct practice areas in your law firm?  ----- Depending on your role in your firm, you may need to know much more or much less about the way the marketing world works, but you absolutely need to have some basic knowledge to ensure that your tactics/data/vendors/potential hires/etc. make sense. Gyi and Conrad talk through what you need to know to be able to hold your marketing people accountable for delivering on your law firm’s objectives.  Next, if you have more than one practice area in your law firm, what’s the best way to make sure each one is marketed effectively? The guys answer a question about how to grow different aspects of your law firm with well-thought-out marketing, resource allocation, and web content.   The News: Hona succeeded in raising $9.5M, so there’s all sorts of new potential there.  Get more of Conrad and Gyi! The guys will be speaking at Answering Legal Summer Camps - July 24th and August 14. Gyi told you so on LSAs! Go listen to these episodes: Google Local Service Ads: To Brand or Not to Brand? and The Lawyer’s Guide to Conversions || Listener LSA Queries Mentioned in this Episode: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Gyi and Conrad gaze deeply into the hazy future of law firm marketing in 2024, but are they true fortune tellers or phonies? They talk through the successes of predictions past and offer their insight into the uncertain future. ____________________________________________________________ Time to dust off the crystal ball, but first, the guys take a look back and show off their brilliant powers of prediction with a whole slew of spot-on prophecies that did, in fact, come to pass in 2023. In-house marketers increased, lawyers took to social media in bigger ways, brand affinity/awareness tactics were key, and more! And, uh… y’know—nevermind that bit of a psychic blind spot on the massive AI renaissance. Next, let’s take a look at the most significant trends of 2023. The guys unpack the major happenings in AI, the legal business sphere, marketing strategies, social media engagement, and all the other things competent soothsayers must examine as they ponder eternity. Finally, the future. Gyi and Conrad gaze into the depths of the mystic orb, and what lies ahead is clear—more and more AI is coming into the practice of law. What else? We’re not giving it all away! Listen in to find out.  Many thanks to our friends at CallRail for sponsoring this extra LHLM episode. Mentioned in this Episode: Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street answer listener questions in this special mailbag episode.

Subscription legal services are the future, folks, so let’s ride the new wave! The billable hour has become increasingly despised, but how do you make the switch to a subscription-based, recurring revenue law firm? In a live conversation at ABA TECHSHOW, Gyi chatted with Kim Bennett and Blaine Korte about how to leave the billable hour behind and create processes and automations that keep your ideal client’s journey in mind and make your law firm more profitable.  Kim Bennett is CEO and co-founder at Fidu Legal. Blaine Korte is CTO and co-founder at Fidu Legal.

A new chapter for Lunch Hour Legal Marketing begins today with new co-host Conrad Saam. Tune in to hear the first of what promises to be a long line of insightful conversations.

If the bio pic you chose for your website shows you standing in front of a shelf of law books… you might be in need of a website teardown. ----- Folks, we have a volunteer! As promised, the guys devote this episode to an in-depth diagnostic of a law firm website—one that might just look a whole heck of a lot like yours. Paul Robinson of Paul Robinson Law, PLLC offered up his personal injury law firm site to the merciless scrutiny of Gyi and Conrad. So if you, too, have been wondering whether your site is up to snuff, take a listen to the guys’ detailed teardown. From the first Google search to the nitty-gritty details of Paul’s site pages, they discuss both the failings and successes and explain smart, effective strategies all lawyers can employ to improve web presence and reach target clients.  Watch on YouTube Suggested LHLM Episodes: Ring, Ring! What to Expect When You Call Up a Marketing Agency   Does My Website Suck? | Law Firm Website Teardown  Local SEO 2024: How to Rank AND Expand Your Law Firm  Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Almost every lawyer wants to command higher rates, attract more clients, and increase his or her profile in the marketplace. However, many are unable to achieve these objectives because they are stuck pursuing ineffective strategies – or no strategy at all. In this presentation, Jay Harrington will provide some tips on how to develop more business by establishing a niche legal practice. “Getting narrow” is more important than ever as, in all aspects of today’s economy, consumers are trending toward specialization. Consumers of legal services are no different. They are no longer looking for lawyers with broad skill sets and general knowledge, but rather are seeking out specialists with very particular knowledge in narrow industries and practice area sub-specialties. Jay will discuss niching strategy and issues such as: Why it’s important to carve out a niche Why lawyers with niche practices develop more business more easily, and command higher rates How to pick a profitable and sustainable area of specialty Jay will also discuss how to market your niche practice through various thought leadership and content marketing initiatives.

How fast are you moving potential clients from contact to contract? And businesses, which law practices most definitely are, need metrics, but the guys help you avoid the metrics that are really just noise. And, for a little something extra, we get into what’s been going on with Patagonia and a rant a little bit about the upcoming legal conference season. ----- Do you even like making money? Gyi and Conrad walk you through how you’re probably too slow to respond to inquiries and too slow to sign your clients — and it’s costing you. Learn exactly how to track your sales velocity and how fast you NEED to move getting that client through the funnel if you want to grow your client base and grow your revenue. And then, metrics? We don’t need no stinking metrics. The guys share a couple of their interactions with lawyers in the wild and the lingering sentiment of “we’re professionals, not a business.” Guess what, your law firm is a business, and what gets measured gets managed. But, not all metrics are useful, and further, some can be false flags of success. Gyi and Conrad each share their worst metrics to hang your hat on.   

Lies, betrayal, false promises… Valentine’s Day may look like it just took a very unromantic turn, but Gyi and Conrad are here to rescue you from a potentially toxic agency relationship. And later, Google’s Hidden Gems might not be all it’s cracked up to be.  We guarantee (okay, we hope!) that you’ll love this podcast, but what about when an agency guarantees success? Flashy promises from marketing agencies are probably always absolutely sketchy, and Gyi and Conrad want to make sure no one takes advantage of you. The guys share the warning signs you should look for when considering a relationship with a new agency.  Next, what’s the deal with Google’s new update, Hidden Gems? It’s meant to bring real user experiences and content to the forefront, but is it actually helping? Forums like Reddit and Quora can be a strategic place to put yourself out there as a lawyer, but don’t be a skeezeball about it. Gyi and Conrad talk through unintended problems arising from Hidden Gems—far too often resulting from users manipulating the system. The News: Local Service Ad bombings truly suck, and Google needs to prevent business competitors from using these gross tactics.  AI is coming to Google Maps to help you discover new places through AI Local Guides. Attorneys—pay attention to how this could impact the ways people find your law firm! Speaking of maps, they’re currently showing up significantly lower in Search Engine Results Pages. How will this affect your business? Mentioned in this Episode: What are Hidden Gems? – Google Search ranking improvement aims to surface hidden gems  It’s Goog Enough! - Blind Five Year Old Beyond SEO Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Janet Falk gives attorneys tips for connecting with reporters to become a source for comments.

Gyi and Conrad divine what’s to come in 2021 and offer New Year’s resolutions for those wedded to vanity metrics.

Bad math might be holding you back from your business goals, and, later, is it a good or bad idea to diversify your legal practice areas?  _______________________________________________________________ Lawyers aren’t known for their math skills, but those who are business owners need to understand how to budget their money for continued growth. In fact, if you’re not investing enough in your marketing, you might be moving backwards. Gyi and Conrad talk through strategies for effective marketing investments that will help you reach your business goals.  To maximize your revenue, should you undertake multiple niches in your legal practice? It depends. Practice area diversification isn’t all bad—in some markets it might work well for you, but it can also be problematic. They guys break down the pros and cons of a multi-niche legal practice.  The News: This video looks amazing: Hands-on with Gemini: Interacting with multimodal AI - YouTube. But now it’s looking like we’ve been misled: Google shares sink following reports that some of their AI demo was faked. Joy Hawkins has informed everyone that they basically don’t exist after hours on Google unless they run a 24/7 listing.  Mentioned in this Episode: Maximum Lawyer Ask a question—get some swag! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Lead thievery! How on earth could your competitor’s ad have YOUR name in it? Brand conquesting is a real thing, and it sucks. Later, is Gyi completely wrong about direct brand search in LSAs? The guys fight it out.  ------ Having a competitor’s brand in your ad is some super shady lawyer marketing and violates Google’s trademark policies, but it still happens. What’s the deal? Gyi and Conrad talk about the ins and outs of brand conquesting, how it should be viewed under lawyers’ rules of professional conduct, and whether this kind of dirty campaigning is actually successful for the law firms who engage in it.  Next, does having direct brand search turned on in Google Local Service Ads negatively impact your visibility? Maybe so, maybe no… it’s complicated! Gyi and Conrad argue their viewpoints and nerd out on a variety of marketing scenarios that could affect those pesky LSA outcomes. The News: If you’re amongst the crowd of laid off federal lawyers, Ben & Brian Glass are offering their assistance in helping you start your own gig.  The Diversity Update from Google might be causing a drop in your organic results. Everybody’s noticing an uptick in AIOs in legal, so—yay! Lawyerist Podcast with Gyi and Conrad is coming soon!    Links Mentioned: Google "Diversity Update" Live Stream Google - Trademarks - Advertising Policies Help   Suggested LHLM Episodes: Google Local Service Ads: To Brand or Not to Brand?   Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Today, we unpack Gyi’s beloved catchphrase to see how “meh” he really feels about the significance of links in local SEO. Later—the strategic guide you need for top-knotch link building in 2025. A whole lotta folks like to say links don’t really matter anymore, but are they right? In practice, the guys have seen the positive effects of link building for clients for many, many years, and it’s still a piece of the pie today. However, there’s a ton of misinformation out there, so Gyi and Conrad debunk the most common misconceptions to get you on track for optimized, relevant, business-building links.  And, later, what’s working best for link building in 2025? The guys share some great stories of businesses who engaged their local communities through service, scholarships, sponsorships, and more—all while getting awesome PR and plenty of links.  Room for dessert? Here's some exclusive bonus content from this week's episode: How to Get Your Website to Rank in ChatGPT Search | SEO Strategy | Lunch Hour Legal Marketing The News: More mergers & acquisitions! Places Scout was purchased by Yext… so are we all in for some price jacking? Sigh. Probably.  ABA is standing up for the judiciary, and you should too: ABA condemns remarks questioning legitimacy of courts and judicial review Quit ruining our weekends, Googs. Sheesh. Google Confirms Business Profile Reviews Outage Super grateful to Ahrefs for this really well done post: Google Says "Links Matter Less"—We Looked at 1,000,000 SERPs to See if It's True    Mentioned: Google Cites Scholarship Links in a Manual Action Penalty Suggested LHLM Episodes: Is Link Building Worth It Anymore? || Top 10 Link Building Tips Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok Chapters (Times Approximate) (0:00) The Consummate One-Upsman (3:26) The News: Places Scout, the ABA takes on Trump, & GBP Outage (10:00) Busting Link Building Myths (24:45) How To Create Backlinks For Your Website In 2025

Live from Clio Cloud Conference—the 2023 Legal Trends Report is hot off the presses and Gyi and Conrad have some compelling thoughts on what it’s showing us this time around. Later, they dig into the problems and limitations associated with current perceptions of ROI. ------ Should you trust AI for good legal advice? Apparently, 27% of you do, but that stat is making Gyi and Conrad pretty concerned about your qualifications as a lawyer… Yikes. The guys unpack this finding and other notable insights from the 2023 Legal Trends Report.  Later, is tracking ROI truly helpful or even really possible for most law firms? Conrad’s got a soap box here, dear listeners, so get ready. For the most part, stop getting hung up on ROI metrics and point your growth mindset elsewhere.  The News: Google v. DOJ — Yeah, there’s some stuff you won’t like: Google search antitrust trial updates: Everything you need to know (so far) Former Googler: Google ‘using clicks in rankings’ Has Google Ads lost all credibility? Why one advertiser says it’s time to leave Google Maps sued for sending someone off a bridge. Family sues Google alleging its Maps app led father to drive ... - CNN  Google Local Chat Google Local Chat With A Live Agent Rolling Out?  Startup Alley Nominations are now open! 2024 ABA TECHSHOW Startup Alley Application - LawSites    Mentioned in this Episode: Clio’s 2023 Legal Trends Report Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Erin Levine, founder of Hello Divorce, joins Conrad and Gyi to explain how her innovative tech platform streamlines and demystifies the divorce process for clients while allowing lawyers to practice law – not schedule appointments, manage clients, and waste time with administrative tasks.  Entrusting basic drafting, scheduling, and filing work to a robot, though, does have one obvious conclusion––fewer tasks to bill for. But if you’re worried about your bottom line, don’t freak out just yet. Levine says Hello Divorce isn’t built to put you out of business but, by allowing clients to only use lawyers for what they need, to open up a broader pool of paying clients and improve the process as a whole.  Hello Divorce and services like it may be harbingers of the future legal industry, so it’s time for you, dear lawyer, to start thinking about how to adapt your practice and messaging to fit in. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Clio.

Now that Conrad and Gyi have decided whether or not to rebrand this podcast, the game is on to see who can market it best.

Pop quiz: Which LHLM hosts earned early paychecks running a paper route, and which pumped gas? Gyi and Conrad discuss their early forays into working life. Then, Gyi and Conrad then wade into the dispute between the North Carolina Bar Association and Google over Google’s recording of phone calls related to ad leads. In the recurring segment, “Dear State Bar Regulators,” Gyi lists the pros and cons of recording, third-party access, legal ethics, solutions, and the gap between tech advances and bar rules. On the topic of bar rules, Arizona’s decision last year to invite non-lawyer ownership has attracted an application from the behemoth un-law firm Legal Zoom. Conrad explains the model in terms of MBAs running medical practices that hire doctors. He and Gyi discuss how Legal Zoom might operate, ID impacted practices, and how lawyers can compete. Listen for instructions on how to get half off of the ongoing Bedlam Conference. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw and Clio.

What do you do if the marketing agency you are engaged with gets acquired? Legal marketing experts Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam break down the news of Scorpion’s acquisition of Get Noticed Get Found and get into the potential pitfalls of YOUR marketing agency getting bought out. Learn the crucial things to watch for, like loss of data control, hidden fees, and potential conflicts of interest. Don't get caught off guard—stay informed and protect your firm's interests!  Conrad’s Blog Post Press Release: Scorpion Acquires GNGF 📺: Watch on Youtube 0:15 Get Noticed Get Found Acquired by Scorpion 3:15 Does my agency have a conflict of interest?  6:28 Can I choose where my ads run?  8:45 Are you renting your own website? 14:22 What are the legal ramifications?  16:10 Transparency, Data, Ownership

Why you shouldn’t just play the SEO long-game. Plus, a law firm’s surprising (and sketchy) use of Google review numbers. ----- Most marketing agencies tell you that SEO is going to take time. Well yeah, maybe, but it doesn’t ALWAYS have to. Gyi and Conrad reevaluate traditional “tempered” expectations and discuss how long SEO should take and whether marketers are just using SEO to lock you into long-term contracts.  Then the guys dig into one of the cringiest law firm slogans, “Size Matters,” Morgan & Morgan’s new Google reviews marketing campaign. Is it legit, is it ethical, and does it breach Google’s rules? The News: Legal marketing podcast ranks own podcast #1. I guess that’s settled then.  Big news: Google core update, get on it. Wordpress Update: a speed and security change that may affect your plugins. Mentioned in this Episode: Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube Everest Legal Marketing Doug Bradley, how long should SEO take?  Gyi: SEO Expectations for Law Firms  Size matters, Morgan & Morgan Google Structured Data Guidelines Clio Legal Trends 2021 Report

Barbenheimer is upon us, along with legal coaching mayhem, and a very gassy marketing campaign.  ----- Law firm coaching has really, really, really taken off in the legal world, and Gyi and Conrad find themselves wondering why. And, is coaching truly beneficial to you in your legal practice? The guys hash out why today’s lawyers are seeking professional coaches at an ever-quickening pace, and whether this a good trend or (sometimes) a little sketchy. Later, the guys pick apart Michigan lawyer Sam Bernstein’s free gas marketing scheme. Does this tactic engage new clients for the law firm? Is community awareness really happening? Is it worth the price tag? Gyi and Conrad discuss.  The News: The Fastcase 50 list is out, and Gyi and Conrad might have just blacklisted themselves after some pretty pathetic pandering.  Threads might not be the Twitter-killer we thought — traffic has dropped by half after first week. Bar associations, take note! Nota has partnered with the Florida Bar to provide free IOLTA accounts for members. Mentioned in this Episode: Sam Bernstein’s Free Gas Marketing Campaign on YouTube  And Its Very Aggressive PR: 7 Action News - Free Gas Giveaway  Live in the D  Planning a Road Trip? Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

The guys do a whole session on targeting—what it means and how to do it—and then dive deep into a case study on a well-known attorney’s geotargeting mishap.  ----- Welcome back to school, kids. Today’s lesson is all about hitting the marketing bullseye—with targeting! Now, targeting means that you are putting the right message in front of the right person at the right time. How do you do that? Gyi and Conrad focus this session of LHLM 101 entirely on helping you understand how to identify and connect with your target market to gain more clients for your law firm.  Later, Conrad recently stumbled upon a Facebook ad specifically targeting Pennsylvania car accident victims… but he wasn’t IN Pennsylvania. So, why did this ad appear outside of its target area, and does this equate to sending marketing investments up in smoke? Gyi and Conrad analyze this particular example of a geotargeting blunder and share their thoughts on how lawyers should approach the complexities of area-specific advertising.  The News: From the Googly Googs at Google: Something’s up with the Local Pack. Gyi’s thoughts on what to do about Google’s core algorithm update and AI policy changes.  ClioCon is coming, and LHLM has swag! Mentioned in this Episode: Target Markets: Why They Aren't Just for Marketers [A Quick Guide]  The Geotargeting Mishaps of a Pennsylvania Lawyer  Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Does SEO demand that you prune old content from your website? And, Gyi and Conrad pick The Face and The Guest during round 3 of the marketing dream team draft. ----- Improving your SEO performance is always a good idea, but there have been disagreements of late as to whether deleting underperforming content is a means to that end. So, what’s the deal? Should you, indeed, prune legacy content? As usual, the answer may not be black and white, but Gyi and Conrad draw from their years of experience to explain how to analyze performance in order to decide what to do with older content.  Later, time for round three of drafting your marketing dream team! Conrad picks The Face—an individual your law firm puts forward to rally affinity toward your business. Gyi picks… The Guest! Who’s that? Someone whose respected expertise translates into podcasts, events, speaking engagements, and more.  The News: So, CNET is deleting old articles to try to improve its Google Search ranking. Google’s Danny Sullivan and John Mueller say, “No, absolutely not”, but Gyi and Conrad say, “Hmm…” Also sensational—The ABA just pulled an Op-Ed on lawyer reforms —what’s that all about?  Lawmatics has some cool new features, and so does CallRail Labs. Could it be that they both listened to this LHLM?   Mentioned in this Episode: Our other Marketing Dream Team picks: Round 1 Round 2 Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok  

Welcome, A.I. overlords! ChatGTP, the rise of artificial intelligence content creation, and why your law firm needs to make more cat videos. The guys have a new best friend: ChatGPT. Well, maybe not best friend, but it’s pretty damn cool and maybe, fills us with just a wee bit of existential dread. Recent, high profile advances in AI-driven content generation have painted us (literally?) a vision of the future. However, legal content is highly nuanced and localized. Is that even what people want? What is good content anyway and does it matter who—or what—wrote it? Then, are you still just running a law firm, or are you a media company too? If you’re still avoiding content development, social media, video, etc., there may be an expiration date on your practice. You don’t have to hire a TikTok dance choreographer to build brand affinity and start renting space in potential clients’ minds. Get your name out there and make yourself the go-to firm for anyone thinking “law.” The News:  The explosion of ChatGPT and deep fake marketing. Google’s Infinite scroll is getting some buzz. Congratulations, you’re all on the front page now! ABA Techshow’s “Startup Alley” is accepting applications for 2023.

You may be losing prospective clients if their experience on your website is mediocre—or just plain bad. The guys share how to fix things up to grow your business. ----- What do marketing pros look for when they check into a law firm’s website? Gyi and Conrad take us through their processes as they take a deep dive into the structure and content of a Denver PI law firm website. They explain what to be on the lookout for, how issues with both site content and coding negatively affect a user’s experience, and tools they use to assess the visibility, credibility, and success of a site. 📺 Watch on Youtube  The News: Will there be any enforcement behind this? We hope so: FTC Fake Reviews Rule and the End of “Fake Reviews”? (John Henson). Looks like Google AI Overviews Are Impacted By Core Updates, but will it change anything? Joy Hawkins writes about How Links Impact Organic Results and Local Packs, but Gyi’s got beef. AI Overviews Research: Analyzing sources in Google’s AI-generated answers—Are you tracking this stuff? You should be! Clio Sets Legal Tech Funding Record with $900M Raise at $3B Valuation. Someone’s got to compete with them, but can they, really? Mentioned in this Episode: LEX Summit Digital Marketing Q&A / Live Taping of Lunch Hour Legal Marketing  The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street share how to create tactful, empathetic marketing to reach new clients during the pandemic.

Do lawyers still need to blog? Do I really need to spend time on Twitter? Let’s take a look at the common marketing trends in 2015, and what must have marketing trends we feel will carry through into 2016. Mark Homer will share the trends he and the GNGF team have seen this year, with a focus on digital.

This time, the guys unpack Google’s latest headlines, caution lawyers against some highly questionable speakers at legal conferences, and share the latest books to add to your reading list. ____________________________ Today’s big thing—The News: Google’s latest core updates are really trying to crack down on spam and garbage content. Will it work? Gyi and Conrad talk through what it all means for you. Check out: Google’s Search Status Dashboard for Ranking and Google Is Finally Trying to Kill AI Clickbait. Disgusting, but predictable––Google’s February LSA update was super gross: Google tests Branded Local Service Ads with opt-out option. Gyi explains how Google is trying to reduce spam in some areas through quality rater guidelines, but they don’t seem to care about it when it comes to ads: Search Quality Rater Guidelines: An Overview. Conrad rants against Google’s Pay Per Click (PPC) tactics, so to wrap your head around PPC marketing in general, try LHLM 101: Advertisement Buying Alphabet Soup and Search Engine Land’s What is PPC – Pay-Per-Click marketing? Later, there are a fair amount of conference sessions these days in which the speakers are paying big money to pitch their message/product to attendees. What do we think of this practice? Gyi and Conrad both have their own take, but the bottom line is: there’s a lousy content issue at conferences, and the guys share IRL examples of session claptrap you should avoid.  Finally, what have the guys been reading lately? For Conrad, Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, tells the story of the messy process of building a successful business. And Gyi has been reading all of Tiago Forte’s books, including Building a Second Brain and The PARA Method for organizing your digital life.  Mentioned in this Episode: LHLM Office Hours are coming March 15th! Register or View Here The Game Changing Attorney Podcast: The Brutally Honest Guide to Public Speaking Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

The Super Bowl isn’t just about football and bean dip, it’s about the ads! Join Conrad and Gyi as they explore an increasing trend in the legal industry - ads during The Big Game. But first, the guys challenge Kevin O’Keefe’s latest take on Advertising vs. Business Development. How do we distinguish between the two, which is better? Is there room for both reputation and relationship building? And what about old fashioned marketing and advertising? But on to lawyer Super Bowl ads. The trend started with an absolutely “batsh*t crazy” 2014 ad by personal injury attorney Jamie Casino; a spot still getting views on YouTube. This year, we saw more law service ads airing in regional markets during the game. The lads highlight their favorites (and check out Friend-of-the-Podcast Joe Patrice’s own list). How do these PR stunts, not necessarily a Super Bowl ad, fit your practice? Do you need a gimmick? And how would you track your results? And of course, The News: Carolyn Elefant releases her third version of “Solo By Choice” and it’s worth your time. Bob and Ben Ambrogi launched their LawNext Directory. And don’t forget the upcoming ABA TechShow and your chance to hang out with Conrad and Gyi. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, Posh Virtual Receptionists, and Clio.

Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam take on the cold-hearted client rejection letter, review the headlines, and consider a new podcast jingle.

Has Google finally been dethroned? Greg Sterling of Near Media joins Gyi and Conrad to hash out the DOJ’s ruling on Google’s search monopoly.   ----- So, is the government going to break Google up? Greg begins by explaining the nuances of what actually makes a monopoly illegal and whether Google has acted in opposition to the law. Later, the guys discuss the spectrum of remedies that could come into play in Google’s future and whether new competition will be able to break through in the search space. For more on Greg’s perspective, read his article: Google Loses, AI Ankle Biters, GBP Menu Optimization. Gyi and Conrad also ask Greg to give his take on critical things lawyers should do to be easily discoverable by prospective clients and reduce their dependence on Google.   The News: Google has an illegal monopoly on search, US judge finds Mentioned in this Episode: nearmedia.co localdialogue.com  Interested in attending Auto Crash Litigation 2024? Check out the 360 Advocacy LHLM Discount. The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

LHLM - ✭✭✭✭✭ - The best podcast ever made! (At least within the practice, ethics, and law of fake Google reviews). Plus, how you reviewing other local businesses is good Business Karma for you. ----- The guys bring on local search guru Joy Hawkins from Sterling Sky to share her hot take on the scourge of fake reviews on Google Business Profiles. Fakes aren’t hard to spot, but what can you do when a competitor buys fake reviews? Both Google and most state bars have rules banning their purchase. But with less-than-ethical practices still widely tolerated and arguably even incentivized (at least for now), learn how you can remain ethical AND compete. Listen to the whole discussion here While the world of fake Google reviews is challenging, you can (and should), as a business, spread the love and build community. Call it business karma. Following the lead of Ryan McKeen, the guys challenge you and your team to accept the 100 Local Business Review Challenge yourself, to leave real, heartfelt reviews for the local businesses you love and become a source of positivity. Stand out by standing up for local businesses. The News: Clio has released its Solo and Small Firms Legal Trends report. Operating system mover and shaker Litera has acquired Salesforce-based CRM firm Upper Sigma. Two known marketing providers have jumped into the solo and small firm marketing arena. One is Martindale-Avvo with new services for small firms. The other is friend-of-the-show Carolyn Elefant with a new focus on A.I.’s impact on small and solo firms. Read about it here.

Marketing’s not free. Is yours working? Conrad and Gyi dig into marketing attribution and how to ensure you’re spending wisely. Rand Fishkin’s new article claims “attribution is a boondoggle” and you should trust your gut, not a fancy attribution system (especially if you’re a smaller office). So, what’s going on? Can software track your marketing end-to-end process, from Google Ads to paying client? So, how do you avoid throwing your marketing money into a black hole? Learn the 6-ish best tips for measuring marketing effectiveness. Tracking client journeys, client acquisition costs, and your marketing performance matters; do it like a marketing professional does. Plus: they get into the specter of “Dark Social” — driving demand by leveraging social media and the “network effect” to build your brand. In the Legal Trends Report by Clio, did you know law firms with increasing revenue are 46% more likely to use client intake and client relationship management (CRM) solutions. How do online forms and intake processes figure in? The News There’s new investment into LinkSquares and the recent acquisition of WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel Scorpion brings back its founder as CEO CallRail’s take on Google Analytics 4 (psst, if you use an agency, ask if it’s keeping up with the new Google Analytics and preparing for the changes)   Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, Posh Virtual Receptionists, and Clio.

What really is the purpose of an online social presence for a law practice? Can lawyers really attract clients through social media? In this episode of Lunch Hour Legal Marketing, Jared Correia interviews Leigh McMillan, vice president of marketing at Avvo, during Mass LOMAP’s 5th Annual Marketing Conference in Boston. Leigh explains the importance of participating in social media, how a lawyer’s presence can affect search results, and how to choose the right channel to increase your law firm’s visibility online.

Join Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam live from the Crisp Game Changer Summit, where they dive into game-changing insights for law firm marketing and branding success. From Michael Mogill's big announcement of Streaming Stack to strategies for building your brand through digital and omni-channel advertising, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways. 📺 Watch on YouTube You'll hear our thoughts on: The value of brand-building before clients need you Effective targeting strategies to make the most of your marketing budget Why retargeting and leveraging first-party data are gold for law firms Fresh insights on how to connect with your audience and stay top of mind Whether you're a solo attorney or part of a growing firm, these tips will help you stand out in a competitive legal market. Don’t miss our scoop on the quiet LawRank acquisition and our take on branding do's and don’ts for lawyers. Pro tip: Stick around for creative marketing ideas you’ve never thought of before! Hit subscribe and drop your questions or comments below—we love hearing from you. Recommended Episodes: What is Dark Social and Why it Matters HELP! My Marketing Agency Was Acquired — What You NEED To Know   Chapters  (Times Approximate)  (0:00) LHLM at Crisp Summit 2024 (1:54) Crisp Announces Streaming Stack: TV Streaming, Digital Campaigns (4:02) EverService Invests in Law Rank (10:50) Brand Building 101 (15:46) Optimizing Audience Segments and Targeting (19:07) Retargeting and Lookalike Audiences (24:11) Targeted Saturation (30:27) Brand Affinity > Brand Awareness (34:57) Forbes - Best Lawyer Near Me

Chewy’s eating your marketing lunch straight outta the bowl, and Supreme Court rulings may seem removed from legal marketing, but this could be the moment to serve your community with empathy and a bit of humanity. ----- You want to see great customer service? Take a look in your pet’s food bowl. Gyi and Conrad discuss the recent virality of Chewy’s exceptional customer service and highlight, comparatively, how maybe—just maybe—your clients should expect more humanity from their lawyer than from a dog food company. Can adding a touch of empathy (hard for lawyers, we know) to your customer service make you go viral? Maybe not, but this is the genesis of referral marketing at its finest. And, yeah, it’s been talked about a lot lately, but the elephant in the room is the end of Roe v. Wade. The guys talk about what this means not only to the country, but for cause marketing in the legal world. Don’t worry, the show’s not shifting into political punditry, nor advocating for cheap or showy opportunism; this is about lawyers being humans. Lawyers have to stand for something, so the guys discuss why it is OK to wear your cause, whatever it may be, on your marketing sleeve. The News: Bob Ambrogi spotlights Mighty’s unique approach to serving victims of personal injury. A look at Aira’s “State of Link Building 2022” about building connections on the web. LeadFerno’s chat and texting capability now connects to your Google Business Profile. Mentioned in This Episode: Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube:  Bob Ambrogi, “Uneasy About Billboard Lawyers?”  Mighty.com State of Link Building 2022, from Aira Chewy Tweet  Agencies for Reproductive Rights Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Supreme Court Clio Legal Trends 2021 Report

What do we think of using AI in social content creation? It’s complicated. And, the guys share the surefire signs that mean it’s time to drop your digital marketing agency.  ______________ With ChatGPT by our side, social media might just have the potential to become more inauthentic than ever. If, that is, you employ AI to generate your content full-time. So… should you? Gyi and Conrad talk through the current state of ChatGPT-aided content creation, explaining how to use it for what it’s worth, while leaving its lame, boring robot side out of your socials.  For today’s LHLM question, a listener asks about the value, or lack thereof, in hiring a local celebrity for your marketing scheme. Does it work? Is it fraught with peril? The guys hash it out.  Spotty communication? Red flag. No data access? Red flag. Certain indicators really do prove that it's time to oust your digital marketing agency. Things get a little heated as Gyi and Conrad outline a full list of things that just aren’t acceptable, so you’ll know when to give your agency the boot.    The News: Google is using click data as a ranking factor, because apparently Google users… like it? Ugh.  It's Goog Enough! - Blind Five Year Old  The latest announcements from Google are promising personalization: Lily Ray on LinkedIn: New ways to find just what you need on Search New ways to find just what you need on Search - The Keyword Open AI is letting you make your own version of ChatGPT: OpenAI announces platform for making custom ChatGPTs - The Verge   Mentioned in this Episode: https://www.reddit.com/r/LawFirmMarketing/ Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Podcast: The Anatomy of an Annual ...  Ask a question—get some swag! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

It's a special bonus episode. Recently, Conrad appeared on the long running program Lawyer 2 Lawyer and he had loads of fun, so we decided to run it for you here. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to Lawyer 2 Lawyer. --------- Many attorneys have received an offer of an award recognizing them as a distinguished lawyer in your city or state. Perhaps the message, coming as an email or a message on Facebook, offers a custom plaque, an inscribed crystal, and/or an appearance in a publication, and all for the low, low price of the membership fees to the awarding organization. Who would ever pass up such a rare opportunity? So are we looking at a pay-to-play here? A scam? What is the application process? And should lawyers beware?! On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Conrad Saam, founder of Mockingbird Marketing, to talk about the award industry, the constraints for legal marketing, and what lawyers should do if they receive a solicitation promising an award for a price.

The day has finally come: Conrad and Gyi are live from ABA Techshow! F.O.P’s Allison Johs and Rukayatu “Ruky” Tijani share the importance of investing in marketing and authentic branding and purpose. (1:46) You may be surprised at how few small firms and solo practices have a true budget, never mind a specific marketing budget. So how do these firms know how much money they have and how to use resources effectively? In our first segment Allison Johs of Legal Ease Consulting gets right into the results from the latest ABA Tech survey with tips on how to deploy your resources to grow your business. (12:38) Being intentional and goal oriented starts with knowing yourself, your clients, and your goals. Consider Rukayatu “Ruky” Tijani, a shining example of how lawyers can build their brand and create meaningful connections with real people. Hear how Tijani sets goals, creates routines, and thrives as her authentic self. Resources from This Episode: ABA Techshow Check out Alison Joh’s book, “How to Do More in Less Time: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Productivity and Improving Your Bottom Line, Second Edition” Canva Groove app Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

This time, it’s all about the absolute perfect amount of time to spend on your marketing efforts and what a local social butterfly and a mathematician can do for your marketing dream team. --- Money is time and time is money, so exactly how much of both should you be putting into your marketing schemes? Gyi and Conrad have the magic percentage right here in this very podcast, so put your growth mindset on and listen in. And, while you’re fine tuning your perfect balance, don’t forget you can be as creative with your marketing as you dare. The guys talk about how Dean Blachford uses his love of softball, Charlotte Towne has fun on social media, and you can do whatever strikes your marketing fancy.  You’re looking to grow your in-house marketing team, but what kind of candidate do you want? Gyi and Conrad draft their first two picks—watch for more in future episodes! Gyi selects the local social butterfly, who helps a firm become well-known purely through a knack for community connections. And Conrad’s dream pick, the mathematician, understands the business math behind your marketing and sees the value in both measurable and immeasurable tactics.  The News: Joe Patrice has yet another great article—this time shining the light on some really bad lawyering that is absolutely not AI’s fault: For The Love Of All That Is Holy, Stop Blaming ChatGPT For This Bad Brief. Lawmatics has a new “Help Me Write” feature to help your communications sound like you actually do have all the smarts it took to graduate law school: Lawmatics Launches LM[AI], A GPT-Driven AI Feature to Generate and Inspire Client Emails and Templates. And, if you’re a lawyer, legal techie, legal marketer, etc, etc, submit a proposal to speak at next year’s TECHSHOW. New talent and new thoughts always needed: ABA TECHSHOW 2024 Call for Proposals.  Mentioned in this Episode: Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

You wrote some stuff, have great expertise, have great content… but does Google care? The guys hash out how to establish your cred and boost your content with tactical authorship strategies. ----- Conrad still values the bygone era of Google’s authorship attributions, but Gyi’s all about the latest on expertise with E-E-A-T. Who’s right, and how is authorship recognized by search engines across the breadth of the internet? Gyi and Conrad throw down on best practices for helping your content demonstrate Google’s E-E-A-T criteria and solidify the importance of your authorship. And, it’s not just about you publishing on your own domain. The guys explain how to effectively expand out onto other reputable platforms/publications to help search engines value and promote your expertise. Learn more here:  Creating Helpful, Reliable, People-First Content | Google Search Central | Documentation And here: Author markup best practices   The News: There’s not a lot of control over how brands show up on Google—will this change anything? - Maximize performance on Search with updates to query matching Google killed off its business messaging. What’s the deal? - Changes to Google Business Profile Chat Gyi and Conrad will both be at some upcoming events! Come see them at Auto Crash Litigation 2024 and Law Firm Summer Reboot Camp.  And, for even more of Gyi’s mellifluous tones (oh, and marketing know-how), check out his appearance on the ABA Legal Rebels podcast. Mentioned in this Episode: LHLM Episode - Google’s Algorithm EXPOSED – What Matters and What Doesn’t - Legal Talk Network  The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

This episode of Lunch Hour Legal Marketing offers an overview of the new skills and competencies that lawyers should have today that they did not need only 20 or 25 years ago, especially with regard to the use of technology. The panelists cover a number of issues, including cybersecurity, internet marketing and investigation, and e-discovery, but will focus most heavily on the Suffolk/Flaherty Legal Technology Audit, which was created to assess lawyers’ ability to use basic law practice technology, such as Microsoft Word and Excel, and how that demonstration of technological competence can be used as a marketing tool.

Your competitor is using YOUR name to promote themselves, and you’re totally ticked, but what can you do? Later, learn the very best ways to spend your marketing budget to grow your business.  Generating clients for yourself by mentioning your competitor is sketchy, right? Or, is it? In the words of every lawyer ever, “It depends.” Gyi and Conrad analyze a particular instance of an aggressive brand practice Ben Glass highlighted in a recent LinkedIn post. A very questionable strategy used by one of his competitors could easily have misled consumers, so, ick, but is there an okay way to use a brand conquest strategy? The guys unpack the philosophy and ethics behind this type of marketing approach.  Pop quiz, hot shot. You’ve got $5,000 for your marketing budget. What do you do? The possibilities could run in a variety of directions, and Gyi and Conrad share several creative takes on what kind of impact can be made with your investment.  The News: Everybody is in the digital media business—maybe even your bank! Yep, JP Morgan has started an ad agency… What do we think about this? - JPMorgan Creates Marketing Agency Built on Purchase Data   Paid search is still king, but is regicide coming? - U.S. search ad revenues hit record $88.8 billion in 2023   Mentioned in this Episode: The Next LHLM Office Hours will take place on May 3rd. Join us on LinkedIn! Mockingbird Legal Marketing 2024 Review  Gladiator Law Marketing Agency Review 2024  The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! You Asked, We Answered || A Line in the SPAM - LHLM Episode Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street talk to Michelle Calcote King about all things PR for law firms. They discuss best practices for press releases, laying out what types of news are worthy of release to the media and outlining how to establish a relationship with a journalist.

The only thing more expensive than hiring a lawyer is advertising as one. For example, a recent study of online advertising found that 78 of the top 100 most expensive Google advertising terms are fought over by lawyers looking for clients. It can cost a lot of money to market a law firm. Worse, most law firms cannot track whether their expensive advertising is actually producing clients. In this session, learn from Joshua Lenon, Lawyer in Residence at Clio, about the numbers you should be tracking when it comes to legal marketing. Learn about: How much marketing costs your firm should carry; Calculating Return on Investment (ROI) for each method of advertising you use in your firm; and Tools to measure revenue from cases against your advertising costs. Joshua Lenon is an attorney who currently serves as lawyer-in-residence for Clio, providing legal scholarship and research skills to the leading cloud-based practice management platform.

Gyi and Conrad explain the term UTM and why it helps mine SEO gold. Spoiler alert: Google is involved.

Make your Google Profile do more, and a look at how a chatbot plug-in may be selling your potential clients to other firms. ----- Having a strong online presence is essential when marketing your practice, and your Google Business profile is a critical component in any good marketing strategy. But, even if you have a “totally awesome” profile, don’t you kind of wish yours was doing better? SAY NO MORE! Gyi and Conrad share their top 5 tips for how to really make yours stand out from the crowd. And then — you’ve heard it a million times: automation is here to make your practice easier and more efficient. And it absolutely can. But sometimes the devil is in the details (e.g. read the damn fine print, people). The guys explore a troubling story of Ngage, a chat vendor service that’s growing in popularity, but raises serious ethical concerns and frankly, may just piss off your clients. The News: A big merger in the legal world as Fastcase merges with vLex. Another sign of the artificial intelligence craze? Darren Shaw’s local search ranking results are out. Learn what you’re doing right, (and wrong). The newest Near Media study looks at the reality of “going viral” and rankings. Does “viral” really matter in the keyword universe? Mentioned in This Episode: Mass Torts Made Perfect seminar Fastcase merges with vLex, Reuters Fastcase vLex Bob Ambrogi Darren Shaw’s local search ranking results 2023 Michael Mogill Game Changing Attorney Podcast Near Media Joy Hawkins on Google reviews Google local services ads Conrad Saam’s take on chat leads and your provider Leadferno Ngage Live Chat LHLM on Apple podcasts, leave a review Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Google ad prices keep increasing, but a lot of lawyers feel like their Google marketing isn't getting them where they want to go. Later, should you keep content that brings in plenty of web traffic but no new customers? _______________________ Is Google engaging in some sneaky tactics? Ad prices continue to rise, but many lawyers are feeling like their Google ads are less and less effective. What’s going on here? Gyi and Conrad talk through the increasingly convoluted ad space and how to actually reach your target clients. Later, a listener asks a question that merits its own segment—what do you do when you have a web page that generates a lot of organic traffic but doesn’t convert to clients? The guys discuss whether all traffic is good traffic and what you should do with a weirdly performing page from a variety of marketing perspectives.  The News: Once again, Elon’s employing some seriously questionable tactics against his naysayers, and it’s hard to imagine he’s accomplishing anything other than shooting himself in the foot: Elon Musk to advertisers who try to blackmail him: 'Go f**k yourself' Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, says major changes are coming to search rankings, so buckle up, folks. We may be experiencing some turbulence. Also from Google—structured data changes. Check out these articles from Search Engine Journal: Google Highlights Forums & Profiles With New Structured Data and Google Search Central: New in structured data: discussion forum and profile page markup.  And, well, Google’s definitely monopolizing the news (again): Jerry Dischler of Google Ads has Resigned. Mentioned in this Episode: Ask a question—get some swag! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam explore new Google Screened ads, respond to listener feedback, and ask for your help in rebranding this very podcast.

Katy Goshtasbi shares strategies for identifying and utilizing your strengths to grow your legal business.

The guys are back at the ABA TECHSHOW with F.O.P. Carolyn Elefant, the “Godmother of Solos.” They talk about what’s in and what’s out in the latest edition of her book, “Solo By Choice.”  Also, there’s more legal tech and more competition for your legal dollar than ever. That means great things for small and solo firms. Do you want something custom for your practice? It might be worth it to just ask for it. Plus, exciting news from Lawmatics, and the guys debate the merits of TurnSignl, an app that connects motorists in an instant to an attorney during a traffic stop and winner of the Startup Alley competition. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, Posh Virtual Receptionists, and Clio.

Paul Faust explains the benefits of branded phone numbers for law firms.

On this episode of Lunch Hour Legal Marketing, Jared Correia and Larry Port discuss the outdated landscape of legal marketing, how lawyers can effectively market their practice online, and the importance of measuring data and analyzing the right metrics. This fun interview will make you laugh, and you might learn something too.

Wendy Witt gives tips for creating marketing strategies that emulate your firm’s goals and your personal ideals.

Weed, cookies, Google, TikTok; this episode has it all! Gyi and Conrad sort through the latest and greatest in the world of law firm marketing, and help you stay ahead of the curve. Hope you’re hungry. ----- The new Hubspot Marketing Trends Report, The State of Inbound Marketing Trends is out. And you know what? Short videos, TikTok, and “reels” are hot. Social Media might be the new king, but is it better than search engine Marketing? A look at what’s new in 2022. Hack your way through today’s digital jungle.   Then the guys take a look at the Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines Update. What’s working in Google search results? And what are you wasting your time on? YMYL, E-A-T, and all the big changes. The things you need to know—and put to work—today. The News: Google slow rolls their rollback of third-party cookies. What’s a third-party cookie? Canna Law Blog cited by Congress  References mentioned:  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing is now on YouTube!  Mockingbird.Marketing.com/benchmarks  Google Ending Third-Party Cookies Canna Law Blog Cited by Congress  China Law Blog New Hubspot Marketing Trends Report:  Law By Mike Joshua D. Hodges, Esq Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines Update: What Has Changed  2022 Update for Google Quality Rater Guidelines – Big YMYL Updates  Clio Cloud Conference Clio Legal Trends 2021 Report

Gyi and Conrad count down the top five metrics law firms need to care about most/least. Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

Traci Reuter offers essential strategies for social media marketing for lawyers.

Yes, it’s more of that pre-sentient AI everybody loves, ChatGPT! But first, we take a look at CallRail’s 2023 Marketing Outlook for Law Firms. ----- As a devotee of Lunch Hour Legal Marketing, CallRail’s 2023 Marketing Outlook for Law Firms offers you the chance to see how well you’ve been following along. But, regardless of whether the report surprises you, the takeaways are crucial. Gyi and Conrad break down some of the most significant findings and give you the context you need to understand how they should impact your practice. And, you know we couldn’t leave it alone. Everyone’s favorite subject—ChatGPT—is still top of mind. With Google flip flopping on whether AI content will help or hurt your site, should you be using it? Avoiding it? The guys break down the pros, cons, and today’s best practices, so you’re ready for tomorrow. The News: Lawyerist and Affinity have tied the knot. Congrats to the happy couple! Google’s messed with stuff again, but at least they told us how, so you can adjust how you look at your metrics. And DoNotPay will… well, PAY a cool million if you let a computer feed you arguments in front of the Supreme Court. Mentioned in This Episode: CallRail 2023 marketing outlook for lawyers DoNotPay/Supreme Court on Twitter ChatGPT Marketing Explained on YouTube Google’s AI can see through your eyes what doctors can’t ABA Techshow ABA Techshow Startup Alley Register for Techshow Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Gyi and Conrad share the scary legal marketing stories you definitely wouldn’t want to find yourself entangled in. Later, don’t throw the attribution out with the bath water! It’s not impossible to track, and the guys explain how to go about it.  ----- Sometimes you have to wallow in the muck of the digital marketing world to learn how to avoid the scum. All law firms should ask themselves this question: Do you know how your ad agency is spending your money? Gyi and Conrad dive into the allegations surrounding some very iffy third-party dealings to help you, dear listener, traverse the perils of the marketing world. And later, it seems that some LHLM words to the wise have been misconstrued! Don’t hear what we’re not saying—attribution is an essential marketing element, and your agency should absolutely be monitoring your advertising channels with careful attention. But, there’s more to it than just a simple pie graph. Gyi and Conrad share how to get the fullest picture possible for tracking attribution. The Quasi-News: Ownership v. Partnerships: A Connecticut lawyer is embroiled in some painfully messy business. American Association for Justice Winter Convention - Look out for LHLM LIVE!  PILMMA Super Summit - Conrad’s Ski Invitation for April 28th.     Suggested LHLM Episodes: Marketing Attribution: Follow the Data or Trust Your Gut?  Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok Chapters (Times Approximate) (0:00) RISE OF THE MACHINES (3:00) News: Partnerships Gone Bad and LHLM on the Move!  (9:24) How to Spot a Shaddy Marketing Agency (22:05) That’s Not What We Said! 

First things first: it’s about time you got your annual plan together for next year. Then, Gyi and Conrad help you build your metrics dashboard into a pro-level thing of beauty. And, book review—what you need to add to your Business Bookshelf. ----- It’s that time of year again, time to grab your pumpkin spice lattes and start your firm’s marketing planning for the upcoming year. You do have a plan, don’t you? Well, it’s not too late to get started (but it’s getting there). Gyi and Conrad share their insights into setting business goals, tracking them, and nailing your execution. Last episode, Gyi and Conrad warned you about the metrics to avoid. This time, the guys focus on what you NEED to pay attention to. They rank the five most important metrics you need on your marketing dashboard. Don’t waste your time with unnecessary noise. Learn how to track your business like a boss. And, to wrap things up, as promised, Conrad shares his selection for this episode’s new segment, Business Bookshelf. The News: BREAKING: Don’t touch your Google Business Profiles (GBP). Businesses are getting suspended for really weird, silly reasons. Marketing in an economic downturn: what to do and how to win. Google Search On: take-aways for law firms

Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam serve up strategic tips to help you invest your marketing money wisely.

The secrets of Google’s algorithm are out! So, what (if anything) should you do? ----- Is this the biggest news to hit the SEO industry ever? Google has had their first high-profile leak, courtesy of one of their very own engineers, and now SEOs are working all kinds of angles to leverage this new information. So, how juicy is it? Is all the hype justified? There’s a lot to unpack here, and you should certainly proceed with caution if some sort of SEO professional has flashy “leak secrets” for sale. Gyi and Conrad dig into the pile to explain how to process this news and make smart, tactical decisions moving forward.  The News: For the first time, Google has had a major leak. The biggest findings in the Google Search leak - The Verge  Local Search Implications of the Google API Leak  Quite a few AI Overviews have been scarily bad, and could be considered hilarious, dangerous, or future lawsuit fodder—especially if you’re the unlucky fellow who takes AI’s advice about eating rocks or adding glue to your pizza sauce. Google AI's Insane Answers AI Overviews: About last week  The ABA has a new ethics opinion on Listservs, so here’s what you need to know: ABA issues ethics guidance on a lawyer’s use of listservs, particularly for pending matters  And, LocalU Detroit is coming up on June 24th!    Mentioned in this Episode: Secrets from the Algorithm: Google Search’s Internal Engineering Documentation Has Leaked - Mike King / iPullRank Local Search Implications of the Google API Leak - David Mihm / Near Media 5 local SEO insights from Google’s API documentation leak - Andrew Shotland / Search Engine Land Gyi's Google Leak Threads on X The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Made you look! It’s hard to stand out in a sea of lawyer billboards, but, for better or for worse, some lawyers really make a splash. Later, a performance and brand advertising romance.  ----- Let’s take a look at a few lawyers’ arguably tacky billboard tactics. Gyi and Conrad examine the case of Morgan & Morgan and their recent “graffitied” billboards stunt. The legal community has pegged this as an embarrassment to the profession, but it’s hard to argue with that kind of exposure. Is their strategy utterly tasteless or a genius move?  Later, performance marketing is nicely quantifiable and efficient, but brand marketing eschews measurability, preferring to just stay frustratingly fuzzy. So, are these two approaches at odds with each other? Actually, no! The guys dig in deeper to help you understand how these strategies work in tandem to improve upon each other and grow your business.  The News: Apparently, now’s the time for consolidations and acquisitions: EverService acquired iLawyer Marketing Best Lawyers buys Good2bSocial And, in other news: In an LHLM exclusive (probably), Filevine is going through growing pains some (Gyi) have likened to a dumpster fire.  Survey: 51% of Gen Z women prefer TikTok, not Google, for search Mentioned in this Episode: Varner Faddis Elite Legal — F*** Around and Find Out  Bryan Wilson — Texas Law Hawk Corri Fetman & Kelly Garland — Life is short. Get a divorce.  Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Are you working outside the law and ethical boundaries of Google Business functions? Or are competitors passing you by?  Law practice marketing is one of the Internet’s roughest neighborhoods. Google has the tools, but what are the guardrails, and how does Section 230 dictate how far you – or your competitors – can go? Guest Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, digs deep into this fascinating and confusing field. If you haven't already, check out Part 1 of our conversation with Dean Goldman. Plus, news: The new Local Search Rankings Factor report is out (hint, maybe geotracking isn’t all that), and maybe a looming trademark fight between law firms Hello Divorce and Hello Prenup.  And in the 2021 Clio Legal Trends Report, lawyers say tracking revenue is the most crucial factor for measuring business health and growth. But is it? --------- At the top of the episode, Conrad and Gyi take a moment to share their horror at the tragedy of the November 30th Oxford High School shooting, reflecting on the pain events like this cause not only for the victims, but for their beloved Michigan community at large. The guys, and the producers at Legal Talk Network, invite you to join them in showing your support to the victims of this terrible event by contributing to funds set up for the victims via the links below. Gofundme Oxford Bank --------- Sponsor music provided by SoundStripe: Got Me Like by Dr. Delight Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Clio.

If your game plan is offline advertising, but your website sucks—you’re fumbling your growth strategy. And, later, Conrad shares his origin story! ----- There is often a significant imbalance between law firms’ offline and online marketing investments, but things simply won’t work as well if you don’t synergize both aspects. Gyi and Conrad talk through their recommendations for diversified online and offline expenditures that can maximize your firm’s potential for growth.  Later, how did Conrad become Conrad? The child of Australian immigrant parents, Conrad shares his life’s journey from Vegemite sandwich-toting lad to MBA grad to SEO pioneer to Mockingbird Marketing owner—and everything in between! The News: We are brilliant crystal ball pontificators! Cases in point:  Non-lawyer participation in the legal world - KPMG Law Firm Low firm consolidations - Sweet James purchased Jenn Gore’s firm. Chaos and confusion! - TikTok - Gone and Back Again Report bad business conduct in GBP - Google Maps New Report Business Conduct   Suggested LHLM Episodes: Conrad’s Crystal Ball IV | Lawyer Marketing Predictions for 2025  Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Which platform is best for marketing your law firm? Facebook? TikTok? Insta? Reddit? Well, it depends… And later, hold on to your data, folks! Does a vendor’s use of tracking pixels benefit you or them? ----- Now, depending on your practice area, certain social media platforms may be better suited to connecting you to your target audience. The guys zero in on which creative strategies work well for differing areas of law and explain how to determine the social media platforms you should be focused on.  Later, what can tracking pixels (like from iHeartRadio, etc.) do for you? Every pixel seems to have a tradeoff, and some of them most likely aren’t worth your while. Gyi and Conrad discuss the benefits and the possible lurking downsides in pixels. The News: At the time of this recording, Google’s Search Console had been down for 81 hours. Get it together already, Googs. And, more Googliness: Google Search Ranking Volatility Over June 28th & 29th Weekend Is AI search declining? – AI searches around 9% and zero click at 59% and Search Engine Land - AI Overviews  Ryan McKeen launches Best Era and you don’t want to miss it!  Last, but not least, Conrad made an appearance on Charlie Mann’s podcast - They Don’t Teach This in Law School Mentioned in this Episode: LHLM Episode - 5 Fresh Takeaways from Clio’s Legal Trends Report || The Case Against ROI - Legal Talk Network The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam celebrate and castigate the best and bottom of the barrel in legal marketing during their first-ever awards show.

Your underutilized, underappreciated marketing directors are writing quite the sob stories in their journals every night. Is your law firm worthy of their complaints?  ----- Today, we’re picking the heart-shaped lock of every law firm marketing director’s innermost desires and disappointments. Gyi and Conrad unpack the age-old issues between marketers and those they serve to (hopefully) broaden understanding for both sides. They outline some of the common mistakes made by each party—lawyers v. marketers—and give tactical advice for collaboration that encourages the bloom of efficiency and profitability. They pick apart the faulty ideology around referrals, search, and marketing budgets that could be stunting your firm’s growth and your marketer’s potential. Later, which should you pick—Ahrefs or Semrush? The guys answer a listener question on which, if either, of these tools is best, but not without a few caveats.  The News: Search Engine Land Acquired by Semrush – Eh, this probably isn’t great for Search Engine Land’s readers.  There’s got to be some sort of stupid Type-A ego B.S. going on with this whole situation: WP Engine asks court to stop Matt Mullenweg from blocking access to WordPress resources - The Verge.  Allison McKeen, Ryan McKeen, and Brittany Green launched a great new book (and may, or may not, be Mando fans)! – The Way: A Simple Roadmap for Leading a Healthy Law Firm Suggested Episodes: Dear State Bar Regulator - South Carolina Edition Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

In this episode, hosts Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street talk to Martha van Berkel about all things schema markup, a.k.a. structured data. Martha explains how this data language helps search engines understand what people are looking for in the real world and connects them to optimal search results. They discuss how lawyers can apply schema markup in their SEO and how understanding what drives online engagement can help lawyers make better business decisions.

Gyi and Conrad discuss some fundamentals that need to come first before you get fancy with your SEO. Friend of the Pod Jared Correia joins in to discuss the Digital Client Journey and to play a game of Becoming the Archetype.

Is there some sort of universal average you should be hoping for in your cost per acquisition, particularly on social media? Gyi and Conrad have the answer. And, later, your marketing dream team needs an off-hours operator! ______________________________ What is the best cost per acquisition you can hope to attain in your social media marketing efforts? Gyi and Conrad unpack this listener question and dig into how it actually ought to be considered in an entirely different way. Is a cost per acquisition of under $100 the magical threshold everyone thinks it is? Your law firm’s goals might beg to differ.  Later on, the draft for your marketing dream team is back! The guys talk about the essential role of the off-hours operator. Whether human-powered or fully automated, your firm needs to be able to be communicative with consumers at all times, day and night. The News: Google and Reddit are getting together: Google strikes $60 million deal with Reddit, allowing search giant to train AI models on human posts - CBS News   Aaand, more Google, as usual—they’re working with machine learning to keep trying to actually be helpful: How machine learning keeps contributed content helpful   Gyi was on Trial Lawyer Nation, so you better go check that out.  Mentioned in this Episode: Reddit Episode Curtis Boyd - The Transparency Company Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

AI replacing lawyers… undercapitalized marketing budgets… unanswered calls… the horror! Clio’s 2024 Legal Trends Report is a scary-good resource for attorneys, and the insights from its massive data set are super helpful from oh-so many angles. The guys unwrap their top fun-size tidbits for discussion and offer tips for applying them in your law firm. They discuss the AI revolution, stats on law firm communications, tactics for higher conversion rates, and more.  Read the full report! It’s here, and it’s free: Clio’s 2024 Legal Trends Report Mentioned in this Episode: BEDLAM - Mockingbird Client Conference Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Thomas Hamilton examines AI trends in the legal industry and dispels many myths surrounding AI tech.

You need to be on LinkedIn. Yes, it can be kind of painful, but it’s still the de facto social media platform of the business world. So if you HAVE to be on it, don’t f#¢% it up. Tune is as the guys share the best ways to make LinkedIn work for you. ----- Odds are, your LinkedIn profile is not working for you the way you’d like it to. Gyi and Conrad spell out the worst mistakes lawyers make on LinkedIn. They break down the common mistakes you should avoid; like ‘engagement pods,’ sabotaging your own SEO, and more. Learn the key things you CAN NOT DO if you want to avoid being just another junky LinkedIn profile. Next, learn how to best leverage LinkedIn to maximize its potential for your business. Just like every other social media platform, LinkedIn is an algorithm, so the guys teach you the tricks to maximize its effectiveness. Now, set up your profile the right way, and put yourself out there, your authentic self. Learn how to be truly “LinkedIn”, not left out. The News: Coming soon, “Lawyers By Amazon?” Why not? The American Bar Association takes a stand against new competition in the legal industry. And Lead Docket ventures deeper into automation. Examples of good LinkedIn profiles:  Ruky Tijani Ben Glass Joshua Baron Olga Mack

Gaze into the depths with Gyi and Conrad, so you, too, can be prepared for the legal marketing days to come. This one’s all about the future, folks!  ----- Well, and the past. First, an in-depth retrospective on whether Gyi and Conrad’s 2024 predictions showed true seer potential (or phony-baloney tendencies). Then, the guys turn a preternatural eye to what lies ahead. What mystically foretold trends will dominate the legal and marketing landscapes of 2025? From super-spammer AI avatars to, of course, another Michigan win—Gyi and Conrad can see it all.  The News: Happy New Year from the Googly Googs. They kicked off 2025 with an infestation of Google Business Profile bugs. Yaaay.  A Cautionary Tale: Deceptive marketing tactics could seriously come back to bite you in the you-know-where - “Strong Arm” Frank Azar wins $1.55 million in Google keyword lawsuit against Alabama law firm LHLM was selected by Feedspot as one of the 30 Best Legal Marketing Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025! Thanks, we think. Gyi’s GBP got suspended—again. ChatGPT for clients: MJ Morley shared that 3 out of 7 consults found her firm through ChatGPT – fascinating stuff! New CallRail launch – CallRail broadens attribution capabilities to include AI-powered search engines  Is the truth about to get even muddier? Meta backs away from fact checking in the U.S. : NPR    Suggested LHLM Episodes: Conrad’s Crystal Ball: The Re-Re-Return — Sponsored by CallRail  Connect: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok Chapters (Times Approximate) (0:00) Hail to the Victors (2:05) Google, Lying Lawyers, ChatGPT, and Meta all in the News! (13:47) 2024 Predictions in Review (24:45) 2025 Lawyer Marketing Prognostications

Our 50th episode features a deep dive into 2021 legal marketing trends and a look ahead at 2022. First, news: With a million new COVID infections nationwide, ALM’s New York Legalweek conference has been postponed to March 8-11. And a report on significant changes to Google’s vicinity advertising algorithm that may affect your firm. Gyi and Conrad also discuss interesting statistics from Justia’s annual survey. Most notably, some 17% of surveyed firms are backing away from Google ads. Why? Plus, what’s going on with local service ads and what firms are saying about their overall legal marketing spend. And surprising stats about LinkedIn, websites, and blogs. New client intake data from Clio.com’s Legal Trends Report finds prospective clients are turning to video conferencing and texting. Are you? And … the return of Conrad’s Crystal Ball. How will shifting economic factors—and, oh yeah, COVID—affect legal marketing? There’s a lot to think about. So how does marketing evolve?   Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Clio.

Meh, links. A recent article claims that the hard work of building backlinks to drive traffic to your law firm’s website isn’t worth it. Is that right? Spoiler alert: No; no it is not. The guys break down the fundamentals of link building and share their top ten tips to improve your search ranking. ----- Conrad and Gyi debate whether the Siege Media article is relevant to the legal industry, in their continued quest to find the best ways to connect your practice with prospective clients. Then they dive into the foundations of link building. Anchor text! Paid links! Link Sculpting! Oh, my! Now that you’ve been schooled on the fundamentals of link building, let’s get you started right. Here are the guys’ 10 top tips you can put into action today. Building a solid backlink profile takes work, but—when it’s done right—it can be remarkably effective. The News: ·     Smith.ai, the virtual receptionist service, now offers automatic call recording and transcription. ·    CallRail and Clio integration? What it is and what it isn’t. ·    Google showing TikTok video shorts inSERP. Time to dust off your fancy dance moves. ·    Internet Brands raises more money, now at a$12 billion valuation. Mentioned in This Episode: Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube ABA Tech Show Smith.ai Clio and CallRail Integration Near Media Internet Brands valuation recap Ross Hudgens, Siege Media, on Link Building Ross Hudgens, Link Building webinar Google Maps blog Screaming Frog Ahrefs Follow/No Follow Clio Cloud Conference Clio Legal Trends 2021 Report Plus, the Texas Hammer!

We are excited to announce our relaunch with legal marketing experts Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street as hosts. This new show, which can be consumed during your lunch break, will feature high-profile marketing gurus as guests, both within the legal industry and across all fields of professional services.

Live from the American Association for Justice conference in Miami, Lunch Hour Legal Marketing is back with another deep dive into law firm marketing strategies that actually move the needle. Conrad Saam and Gyi Tsakalakis break down the biggest questions they tackled at the event: 🍟 How much should lawyers spend on marketing? 🍟 Brand vs. non-brand marketing—why it matters 🍟 Are you tracking the right metrics, or just vanity numbers? 🍟 Lawyer referrals vs. digital marketing—what’s the real ROI? 🍟 Why law firms MUST use a CRM to stop missing leads Plus, we expose how some legal marketing agencies try to take credit for leads they didn’t earn. (Yes, we see you.) If you’re serious about law firm growth, you won’t want to miss this one. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more legal marketing insights! 🎥 Watch the full video here. Chapters 00:00 - Intro & Welcome from Miami 00:46 - How Much Should Lawyers Spend on Marketing? 01:32 - Investing in Growth: ROI vs. Volume 02:34 - Why 30% is a Key Number in Legal Marketing 03:56 - Brand vs. Non-Brand: What It Means for Your Law Firm 05:09 - How Marketing Agencies Take Credit for Your Leads 07:00 - Why "How Did You Hear About Us?" is Crucial 10:31 - The Biggest Intake Mistakes Law Firms Make 13:15 - If You Don’t Have a CRM, Are You Even Growing? 19:01 - How to Hold Your Marketing Agency Accountable 21:20 - The Truth About "Up and to the Right" Traffic Graphs 21:56 - Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts

Casey Cheshire shares strategies for successful marketing automation.

Dark Social — it just sounds nefarious, right? But there’s no need to break out a Tor browser and dive into the depths of the dark web; this stuff is legit. And once you understand and leverage it, it can be the difference between your marketing just “working” and blowing up. Gyi and Conrad explain what Dark Social is, why it can be difficult—nay, impossible—to track through your traditional attribution channels, and why it is nonetheless one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal you may not have even known you had. Also, CallRail’s marketing outlook for law firms in 2022 is out. In the latest edition of By the Numbers, the guys dig into the findings and share not only the most important takeaways but also highlight what these findings mean for you and your practice. In the Clio Legal Trends Report, it turns out law firms with growing revenue are twice as likely to use financial reporting tools. Understanding your firm’s financial performance helps you boost revenue. More at the Clio Legal Trends Report. The News: Sterling Sky and “Review Spam” - Lawyers are among the top spammers of review spaces, and law firms could be liable for this kind of behavior Search Ads Soaring - Search ad revenue hits $78 billion. Inflation and how it impacts our industry - Are you pulling back on your ads? Should you? And what about adjusting pricing? Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, Posh Virtual Receptionists, and Clio.

How important are online reviews, and what can you do about them? Guest Eric Goldman, legal scholar and expert, explains the intersection of Section 230 and the ethics of online reviews. Tune in next time for part 2 of the conversation. And Thanksgiving is a time to remind your clients you appreciate them. In a segment dubbed “Crappy Holiday Promotions,” Conrad and Gyi share thoughts on holiday season communications. Why share the same stock photo and silly platitudes? Get a jump on the season before Thanksgiving and tell clients how thankful you are for them.  And, as always, the guys break down the most important news in legal marketing.   Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Clio.  Mentioned in This Episode: Regulation of Lawyers’ Use of Competitive Keyword Advertising by Eric Goldman and Angel Reyes An Overview of the United States’ Section 230 Internet Immunity by Eric Goldman Previous Lunch Hour Legal Marketing, with guest Carolyn Elefant Blog: FindLaw WordPress Websites: A Cynical Middle Finger to Their Clients Google Core Updates Clio Legal Trends 2021 Report Scorpion acquires MediaSmack Smokeball-InfoTrack acquires LawLytics Google My Business Section 230, text

Whether you have a DIY approach to your law firm marketing or an in-house team at your beck and call, you really should be using the top tools of the trade, and Gyi and Conrad share just what you need! But first—many, many SEOs preach that you should keep ALL your old content… but we’re pretty sure you really need to toss the majority of that bulk overboard.  Is your website riding a bit low in the water? We keep hearing marketers say that your old content is some sort of treasure trove, but, more likely, it’s just outdated junk that needs to be jettisoned—quickly. Clearing things out can make more valuable content perform better, and Gyi and Conrad lay out how to decide what should stay and what should go.  Next, the list you’ve always needed to fill up your marketing toolbox! Depending on your approach and resources, the guys outline three different lists of essential tools to help you hone your marketing tactics.  Total Beginner - The DIY Lawyer’s Marketing Tools Google Searches Meta’s Ad Library Google Maps CallRail Camera  Microphone - SM58, MV7, or similar. Intermediate Tools - For the Those With Growing Expertise    Local SEO Tools: Local Falcon, BrightLocal, Whitespark, or Places Scout. Intake Management Software: Clio Grow, Lawmatics, Litify, Lead Docket, etc.  A Link Index Tool: Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz Advanced Tools - for the Seasoned Pro, Marketing Directors, SEO Leads, and the Like! Screaming Frog   The News: Google I/O 2024 (their developer conference) just wrapped up, so what’s gonna be happening with the latest in the search realm? Google is adding more AI to its search results | TechCrunch and Generative AI in Search: Let Google do the searching for you. ChapGPT 4.0 (Omni) is now available, and we’re all just still hoping AI isn’t going to eventually kill us all: Hello GPT-4o | OpenAI  LSA now means Let’s Screw Attorneys — So, should you play the game or just quit now? Thanks? We got a blog award: The 16 Best Legal Marketing Podcasts Of 2024  Gyi and Conrad will both be participating in the Law Firm Growth Summit from May 21-23.  And, LocalU Detroit is coming up on June 24th!  Mentioned in this Episode: The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

100 episodes! Thanks for listening, LHLMers. This time, we’re focusing on the business and community benefits of expanding into new language markets for your law firm. Plus, what should be accomplished in the first 30 days of a new marketing year? _____________________________________________ What should diversity look like in your legal marketing? The ever-growing Spanish-speaking market has made attorneys realize there are many underserved populations in need of greater access to legal services. Whether it be Spanish or another language, what is the best way to reach out to new client populations in your area? Gyi and Conrad share what they’ve learned thus far about inclusive marketing strategies that serve communities more broadly and effectively.  Later on, what progress should lawyers and marketers expect to see after the first thirty days of their engagement/campaign/strategy/whatever? The guys talk through potential benchmarks in a variety of circumstances and the data-gathering frenzy that should eventually become measurable, meaningful metrics for your firm.  The News: LSA Reporting – you can now see more about your local service ads through Google’s interface, but it still kinda sucks. Google Business Profile Websites will be turned off on March 1st. Are they quietly sneaking off into the night?   Google is laying off hundreds from their advertising teams. What gives? The Stafford Jersey Swap was quite a thing.  Mentioned in this Episode: Hreflang: The Easy Guide for Beginners US Hispanic Population Stats LHLM Episode: The Anatomy of an Annual Plan || Top KPIs for Law Firm Growth  Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok  

At Google I/O 2023, the behemoth of search unveiled some truly fundamental changes. Plus, the guys open up the mailbag and answer your questions about misbehaving Google Business Profiles, branching out into new practice areas, and all that jazz! --- In what may be the most significant change to online search ever, Google announced the AI-powered SGE (Search Generated Experience) and Perspectives. Gyi and Conrad pontificate on the ins and outs of the announcement and how it could affect both traditional SEO and customer behavior. What will this mean for you, dear lawyer, and how can you be prepared? No hyperbole here: this will truly change search as we know it. It’s mail time! The guys answer your questions, including: Dude, where’d my Google Business Profile metrics go? What kind of fruit grows on a Linktree? Speaking of trees, how does one branch out into different practice areas? And finally, how do I make the connection between my sweet billboard and online advertising? The News:  Google I/O and the big announcement. This was a big one with tons of Google developments you need to know now. The Top Level Domain (TLD) .esq is here. Do you need the .esq, as in www.Lawyer.esq? The Attorney At Work website survey names LHLM as one of the Top 10 Legal Podcasts! Hat tip to Joan Feldman and friends. Mentioned in This Episode: Google IO and the Big Announcement (YouTube video) “The .Law TLD Sales Conspiracy,” Mockingbird Attorney At Work Top 10 Legal Podcasts “The Google Search Generative Experience - All New AI Google Search Engine,” Search Engine Roundtable Google Labs — SGE Signup Google Perspectives “What Is Dark Social And Why It Matters,” LHLM episode Want to be part of the Mailbag? Hit up Gyi on LinkedIn Linktr.ee LHLM on Apple podcasts, leave a review Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Bullshit actually works sometimes, but Gyi and Conrad still don’t like it. And, are so-called Super Lawyers actually extraordinary in any way?  ----- Even though the guys hate marketing bullshit, they happily bullshit their way through a chat with returning FOP Paul Faust! Paul gets razzed a bit after a 2019 DotCom Magazine cover story resurfaced and gained him another round of congratulations from his professional peers. But, Paul gets the last laugh, ‘cause all this BS gave him plenty of renewed exposure.  Speaking of bullshit, what’s the deal with Super Lawyers and other similar distinctions bestowed upon attorneys? Are they reputable? Are they worth paying for? Do they get eyeballs directly onto your law firm and help you grow your business? Ehhh… it’s neither a yes or a no—Gyi and Conrad discuss.  The News: Musk is rebranding Twitter, we guess, but it’s looking more like he’s just trying extra hard to run the whole platform into the ground — Twitter Turning Into X Set to Kill Billions in Brand Value. Things aren’t looking much better for Zuck at the moment — Threads Users Down By Half (still!). And, Conrad interviewed John Henson about The Crackdown Against Lead Generators.  Mentioned in this Episode: 10 Best Legal Marketing Podcasts Every Lawyer Should Listen To Paul Faust is the president and co-founder of RingBoost and a nationally recognized expert in the use of local and toll-free phone numbers in marketing. LHLM Episode: The Mad Proliferation of Lawyer Coaching || Lawyer Has Gas… and He’s Giving It to You  Law Firm Alchemy Charlie Mann’s Podcast: They Don’t Teach This in Law School The Super Lawyers Selection Process Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

Providing remarkable service is a no-brainer when it comes to earning a steady stream of referrals. It’s so basic that Gyi and Conrad aren’t even counting it in their lists of ways to get referrals. So what other methods are you probably overlooking? For one: give referrals. No one said it better than Paul McCartney in a classic SNL interview with Chris Farley, “The more you give, the more you get.” Getting clients in the door through referrals is great, but how do you budget for your marketing efforts? Whether a firm wants to take over Texas or just keep the lights on, Gyi and Conrad discuss why successful firms dedicate a portion (and how much) of their revenue towards marketing efforts. They also compare/contrast marketing effort and marketing infrastructure. Think gas v. engine. Listen to the end, and grab your popcorn, for Gyi and Conrad’s pop culture recommendations. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

Are you struggling to establish a powerful online presence for your law practice? Is your website failing to bring in business? Learn how to establish a comprehensive online presence that will increase your exposure and enhance your credibility, while maintaining MRPC compliance. This presentation will cover: Branding + using imagery that will resonate with clients SEO keywords + tips Turning your website into a potent resource Using legal content to convey credibility Blogging benefits + best practices Utilizing effective marketing tools to supercharge referrals Selecting a provider Fred Cohen is the founder and CEO of Zola Media, a legal marketing and technology company that specializes in high-impact attorney websites and marketing services. Fred’s management and experience spans across the information technology, marketing and legal sectors from founding a tech startup which was acquired by a publicly-traded company to practicing trusts and estates as a partner at a New York law firm. Fred writes on a wide range of topics related to legal technology, marketing and ethics in attorney advertising. He is also a regular speaker and CLE presenter at bar associations throughout the country.

The end of the year means the start of new opportunities for next year. It’s time to think about business metrics, what you’ve learned, and how to build on that. It’s never too late to start planning ahead. Conrad and Gyi talk about ways to look back not just on last year’s revenue, profitability, retention, but also on team health, team building, and trust. What can you do better? Plus, the guys review the year that was for the podcast, recount their favorite episodes from 2021, and share their resolutions for the show for 2022.   Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Clio. 

“Rank Number One!”—an all too easy promise made by SEO agencies, but probably only deliverable while they’re standing in your lobby. What happens when you walk down the block? The guys talk about real, meaningful ranking results with Local Falcon.  How is your law firm showing up in local search? Gyi and Conrad give an extensive explanation of Local Falcon, their go-to data visualization tool for seeing how your firm shows up in the local map pack (those three neatly featured business profiles you see at the top of your search results). You’ll learn how to figure out who your main competitors are, how to use Local Falcon metrics to make ranking improvements over time, and insights into the many effects of proximity and your area’s geography on ranking factors. Later, the guys dig in even deeper to explain how Local Falcon can be used to help you figure out whether you ought to open another office, or, perhaps, close one down. They hash out how to assess your metrics to determine the success (or lack thereof) of your investments.  The News: A very long, drawn-out Google Algo Update is finally done, and it was big—according to people who care about that stuff. Yelp has never been fond of Google, and the recent ruling against the Googs gave them the ammo they needed for a lawsuit – Yelp sues Google for antitrust violations - The Verge. And, the compulsory AI mention: Semrush Launches AI Overview Tracking in Organic Research.   Mentioned in this Episode: Local Falcon Does My Website Suck? | Law Firm Website Teardown - LHLM Episode The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter! Leave Us an Apple Review  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube  Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok

In a special Halloween edition, Conrad and Gyi share their top 10 legal marketing horror stories. Are you dragging your practice to an early grave with some of these? Long-term marketing agency contracts? Renting instead of owning your website and domain name? Misunderstanding web traffic data and metrics? Or––dun dun duh––Letting Phone Calls Go Unanswered (even if you think you’ve hired a reputable service)? Scary stuff.  Plus, in the news, trends in legal mergers and acquisitions, the upcoming Clio Cloud Conference, and some frightening survey data about offering clients discounts and devaluing your practice.  Watch this channel next week for a special bonus Lawyer 2 Lawyer episode featuring our very own Conrad Saam. But there’s no need to wait! Click here to find all the great content from Lawyer 2 Lawyer. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, and Clio.

As venture capital investment continues to sweep the legal market (and our news segment), Gyi and Conrad celebrate the $2 million seed round funding for Hello Divorce. Yay! In the segment, “Dumb Sh*t Lawyers Do,” the two discuss the case of a lawyer reprimanded for raking an unhappy client over the coals. They also discuss a Streisand Effect case in which a roofing company sued a couple because of their negative online review. The guys share their tips for responding to unflattering reviews and navigating these perilous waters.  And to wrap things up, the pandemic has undoubtedly knocked back law firms onto their heels. But, how have lawyers who continued their marketing investment fared? Should you batten down the hatches and rely solely on organic traffic? Do you need to start doing Tik Tok dances? The data may surprise you. Gyi and Conrad break it down and look ahead to the uncertain future. Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw and Clio.