Google rolled out its Panda 4.0 update, aimed at penalizing websites with low quality or copied content that its original Panda release zeroed in on in 2011. 

Google believes that poor quality content is bad for users, so it seeks to find those sites that are written poorly, plagiarized from other sites or stuffed with keywords and other nonsense that provides no benefit to users.  It sees this as spam, and tries to eliminate it by making sure the offending sites don’t rank high in search results.

The best way to ensure your site is not affected is, of course, to fill it with high quality content – words, pictures, videos – that people who are searching for the kind of information you provide will find useful.  Doing this will help your website or blog rise in the rankings, so it is viewed by Google as an authority on the area of law you practice.

If you haven’t looked at your site recently, now is the time to do it.  Get rid of old, outdated content or low-quality stuff that can be found elsewhere.  Find your authentic voice and use it.  If, as you are writing, you keep in mind that people like to do business with people they know, like and trust, this will help you find the right note to strike with your target audience.

Frankly, all SEO benefits aside, supplying great content that establishes you as a trusted, knowledgeable source with the people you want to do business with only makes good sense.  With so many avenues available for attorneys to develop great content – either internally or by outsourcing to a credible copywriter – there is simply no excuse for not having superior content on your website and a professional blog that keeps your content fresh and inviting.