How Often Should You Update Your Law Firm Website Content for SEO? [2024]

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), keeping your law firm’s website content fresh and relevant is crucial for maintaining and improving your search rankings. In this blog post, the experts at Houston Law Firm SEO discuss how often you should update your law firm website content, and how it can impact your SEO performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Regular content updates signal to search engines that your site is active and relevant
• The ideal frequency for updates depends on your law firm’s resources and goals
• A mix of evergreen and timely content can provide the best results
• Quality should always take precedence over quantity when updating content
• Implementing a content calendar can help maintain a consistent update schedule

The Importance of Fresh Content for SEO

Search engines, particularly Google, favor websites that regularly publish new content or update existing pages. This preference is based on the assumption that frequently updated sites are more likely to provide current, relevant information to users. For law firms in Houston, staying on top of content updates can give you a competitive edge in search results.

How Often Should You Update Your Website Content?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, here’s a general guideline for law firms:

1. Blog Posts: Aim for 2-4 new blog posts per month if you are implementing your own SEO.  If you are working with a legal SEO specialist, or have someone internally, this figure should be closer to 5-10 per week.

2. Practice Area Pages: Review and update quarterly

3. Attorney Profiles: Update as needed, at least bi-annually

4. Home Page and Main Service Pages: Refresh every 3-6 months

5. News and Events Section: Update weekly or as news occurs

The experts at Houston Law Firm SEO emphasize the importance of consistency: 

“It’s better to maintain a steady, manageable pace of updates rather than overwhelming yourself with an unsustainable publishing schedule. Consistency signals to both search engines and potential clients that your firm is actively engaged and up-to-date.”

Factors Affecting Update Frequency

When determining how often to update your content, consider these factors:

1. Your Firm’s Resources: Be realistic about the time and personnel you can dedicate to content creation and updates.

2. Practice Areas: Some areas of law, like tax or immigration, may require more frequent updates due to changing regulations.

3. Competition: In a competitive market like Houston, you may need to update more frequently to stay ahead.

4. Search Volume: Focus more on updating content for high-traffic keywords and pages.

5. Content Performance: Regularly review your analytics to identify which content needs refreshing based on declining traffic or engagement.

Implementing Google’s 7-11-4 Rule for Content Strategy

While not directly related to update frequency, Google’s 7-11-4 Rule can provide a framework for creating a comprehensive content strategy that supports regular updates. This rule suggests:

• Spend 7 hours creating content

• Distribute it across 11 different touchpoints

• Publish on 4 different platforms

For law firms, this could translate to:

1. Creating Content (7 hours):

   • Write blog posts

   • Produce video content

   • Develop informative infographics

   • Draft whitepapers or eBooks

2. Distributing Across Touchpoints (11 examples):

   • Website blog

   • Email newsletter

   • Social media posts

   • Paid advertising

   • Guest posts on legal websites

   • Podcasts

   • Webinars

   • Press releases

   • Community events

   • Client presentations

   • Legal directories

3. Publishing on Platforms (4 examples):

   • Your law firm’s website

   • LinkedIn

   • YouTube

   • Legal industry forums

By following this rule, you can create a diverse content ecosystem that supports regular updates across multiple channels, enhancing your overall SEO strategy.

Best Practices for Updating Website Content

1. Prioritize Quality: Always focus on providing value to your audience rather than updating for the sake of it.

2. Update Existing Content: Don’t just create new content; regularly review and refresh your existing pages.

3. Monitor Legal Changes: Stay informed about changes in laws and regulations relevant to your practice areas and update content accordingly.

4. Use Data to Guide Updates: Analyze your website metrics to identify which pages need attention.

5. Maintain Consistency: Develop a content calendar to ensure regular, planned updates.

6. Optimize for Local SEO: Regularly update your local citations and Google Business Profile to improve visibility in Houston-specific searches.

7. Incorporate User-Generated Content: Encourage and feature client reviews and testimonials as a form of fresh content.

8. Leverage Current Events: Create timely content that relates current news to your legal expertise.

Refreshing Evergreen and Older Content

While creating new content is important, don’t overlook the value of updating your existing pages and posts. Evergreen content, which remains relevant over time, can benefit from periodic refreshes to maintain its SEO value and usefulness to readers.

Here are some strategies for updating older content:

1. Add Current Year to Titles: 

One simple yet effective tactic is to update your titles with the current year. For example:

   Old title: “What To Do In a Car Accident”

   Updated title: “What To Do In a Car Accident in 2024”

This small change signals to both search engines and users that the information is current and relevant. It can also help improve click-through rates from search results.

2. Update Statistics and Data:

Replace outdated statistics or data with the most recent information available. This is particularly important for content related to legal trends, settlement amounts, or success rates.

3. Incorporate New Developments:

Add information about recent changes in laws, regulations, or legal precedents that affect the topic of your content.

4. Expand on Topics:

If you’ve gained new insights or experience related to the topic, consider expanding the content with additional valuable information.

5. Improve Readability and Structure:

Enhance the content’s structure with updated headings, bullet points, or numbered lists to improve readability and make the information more digestible.

6. Optimize for Current Keywords:

Review and update your keyword strategy based on current search trends and user behavior.

7. Add New Media:

Incorporate new images, videos, or infographics to make the content more engaging and informative.

8. Update Internal and External Links:

Check all links within the content, replacing broken ones and adding new relevant links to both internal and external resources.

9. Refresh Meta Descriptions:

Update the meta description to reflect any changes in the content and to improve click-through rates from search results.

10. Consider Consolidating Content:

If you have multiple posts on similar topics, consider combining them into a more comprehensive, authoritative piece.

When updating evergreen content, it’s crucial to maintain the original URL if possible to preserve existing SEO value. If significant changes are made, consider adding an editor’s note or “Last Updated” date to inform readers that the content has been refreshed.

The experts at Houston Law Firm SEO note: 

“Regularly updating your evergreen content is a cost-effective way to maintain and improve your search rankings. It allows you to leverage your existing content’s authority while ensuring it continues to provide value to your audience and signals freshness to search engines.”

By implementing a strategy to systematically review and update your older content, you can maximize the value of your existing assets and improve your overall SEO performance.

Call the Experts at Houston Law Firm SEO

Keeping your law firm’s website content fresh and relevant is an ongoing process that requires dedication and strategy. At Houston Law Firm SEO, we specialize in creating and implementing content strategies that keep your firm at the forefront of search results. Our team can help you develop a sustainable content update plan tailored to your firm’s unique needs and goals.

Ready to elevate your law firm’s online presence with a robust content strategy? Contact Houston Law Firm SEO today for a free consultation and discover how we can help you stay ahead in the competitive Houston legal market.

Frequently Asked Questions About Updating Website Content for Law Firm SEO

Glossary of SEO Terms

1. Content Freshness: A factor in SEO that refers to how recently content was published or substantially updated.

2. Evergreen Content: Content that remains relevant and valuable over a long period, requiring minimal updates.

3. Content Calendar: A schedule of planned content creation and publication dates, often used to maintain consistent updates.

4. Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who navigate away from a website after viewing only one page, often used as an indicator of content relevance or quality.

5. 301 Redirect: A permanent redirect from one URL to another, used when content has been moved or consolidated.