This recent Mashable infographic demonstrates succinctly how the rules have changed when it comes to good SEO practices:

Good content and good SEO are no longer mutually exclusive entities; today, great content is the engine that drives SEO as far as Google is concerned, and since they are the 800-pound gorilla, anyone not complying is wasting their time.

SEOmoz CEO Rand Fishkin has outlined 5 best practices for law firm marketers looking to maximize SEO value through content marketing:

• Create content that makes people want to share.
• Know the keywords prospects use to search for what you have to offer so you attract quality traffic.
• Make sure your blog is on the same domain/subdomain (use XYZlaw.com/blog instead of blog.XYZlaw.com).
• Take a position that people can rally around and write about it often.
• Keep your content consistent with your brand. If you’re an estate planning attorney, write about estate planning and nothing else.

Fishkin notes that to be successful at the SEO game, you need to deliver a great experience and build a robust online presence. No arguments here.