San Fernando Valley Bar Association 2009 Membership Directory and Resource Guide

As a member of the SFVBA Bar association (www.sfvba.org), I just received my print edition of the 2009 Membership Directory and Resource Guide. Consisting of almost 100 pages, it has over 2000 attorney listings, information about the local courts, and detailed resource sections.

Browsing through the guide, almost every attorney has an email address listed, and over 50% list a website URL.

Using Google, a search on "lawyers in the San Fernando Valley" results in over 200,000 results. I narrowed down my Google search to "San Fernando Valley Estate Planning Lawyer" and there were 30,500 results.

For the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) - 5 of the first 10 organic listings were FindLaw developed attorney websites - the rest were: 2 non-FindLaw developed attorney websites, this blog, and 2 online legal directories.

So based on a quick search using one keyword phrase - FindLaw performs well . Do this over and over with a variety of search terms, and you'll see the FindLaw value in visibility alone - visit the website themselves to see the design and content value.

Now in the SFVBA member directory section there are over 100 attorneys listed in the Estate Planning, Wills, and Trusts section. How many are benefiting from FindLaw and the variety of ways to be found? Less than10%- but that is pretty good market share considering there are hundreds of vendors to build you a website.

So where do you want to be and who will help you get there?

Los Angeles Attorney Daniel Perlman quoted on E! online about Chris Brown / Rihanna

Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel Perlman was quoted on E! online about the possibility of a plea deal in Chris Browns' case. Daniel is not working on the Brown case, but he is very familiar with the judicial process - being an accomplished criminal defense attorney. Prior to his work in criminal defense he was a prosecutor for the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Daniel is frequently quoted by E! and has even been on their satellite radio channel as a "Celebrity Legal Expert". He previously has been quoted about legal issues involving Britney Spears.

Daniel is soon expanding his internet presence - but check out his website http://www.danielperlmanlaw.com/ - and keep an eye out for future work on the site!

Content /Focus - Negligent Security Law Website

People in search of legal help look online to research and find the help that best fits their needs. As greatly discussed in this blog, "content is king". This applies to both the search engines and the ability to convert website visitors to clients.

Properly written and coded text drives search traffic to website. This includes searches using attorney names, common searches (more on that in the next sentence), and long tail (recently discussed in my blog). "Common searches" involve the following syntax (non-sequential): lawyer/attorney - legal issue - geographic location. For example - "car accident lawyer woodland hills" is what I would call a common search. I should mention that there can be some overlap between classification of common and long tail - because frequency of the search term is also a factor used for classification.

I showed a nice long-tail chart a few posts ago, and I've just compiled a pie chart using the keyword data from a smaller FindLaw FirmSite. I grouped the search terms into the three categories listed above, making a few judgment calls regarding long tail vs. common.


The results are pretty much in-line for numbers I have seen from technical teams presented at nationwide meetings. Again, my chart is for a smaller website- our larger sites have a higher ratio of content/attorney information, so names searches are usually less prominent.

Besides the content amount- the quality and type is important. This is really evident in focused websites, where even smaller sites that have more unique content capture an amazing depth of search terms. A website focusing on Arizona Negligent Security Law, is a perfect example of content doing it's job. Multiple pages on a common theme, set this website apart from the thousands of attorney websites in the search engines. I bet if I created a keyword type chart for the aforementioned website, the attorney name portion would be a considerably smaller piece of the pie.

Howard Kornberg - Lawyer / Attorney Websites with Focus

More and more attorneys are finding that a focused website will help them achieve success online. Los Angeles attorney Howard Kornberg has built a website exclusively targeted at people who have fractured bones due to an accident. The website has an incredible amount of information.

Supplying an online resource like this gives a potential client confidence in the attorney. It shows a dedication and expertise to an area that is most important to that individual. If you were injured and sustained a broken bone, you would find his website very informative

Loan Modification Fraud Lawyer FOX11 LA TV interview

Attorney Robert L. Starr was on FOX channel 11 news at 10 tonight. This is a follow up story to FOX's piece on Loan Modification fraud happening in the SouthLand that originally was reported in November of 2008.

Robert's office has asked the courts permission to file a class action lawsuit, representing victims of loan modification fraud.





In addition to the video segment, Robert's office is also mentioned in FOX11's online article and video segment. You can also check out Robert's website about Loan Modification scams.

Robert & I do interact often, and I believe his passion for consumer rights and his legal experience make him an ideal advocate for those ripped off.

Did you know that Robert is also a licensed real estate broker and has a background in banking/lending? His law practice helps comsumers with loans, real estate, employment and auto issues, including windshield defects.

Los Angeles Accident Attorneys - Injury, Malpractice, & Negligence

Experienced trial lawyers Ball & Roberts have a great internet presence - over 20 pages of content and a very professional, powerful graphic design. The color scheme of the design emphasizes the courtroom feel and draws viewers to the practice areas and accomplishments of the firm.

The practice areas center around accidents and injuries in Los Angeles, but the firm also handles, business disputes, consumer issues, defective drug cases and labor/employment law. Significant outcomes have been obtained throughout the years, and one can get a sampling of results on their website's special section involving verdicts and settlements.

Marketing wise, compare this website to the thousands of other sites - I think you'll agree it does an excellent job of design and content.