There are more than 446,000 law firms in the U.S., many of which require the services of a legal content writer. Most lawyers understand the basics of what a law firm content writer does. However, there are still many unanswered questions.
If you’re an attorney thinking about hiring a law firm content writer, this article is for you. Once you've read this article, you will have a better idea of:
Continue reading to learn more.
Note: At the bottom of this post, I’ve also answered frequently asked questions for aspiring law firm content writers.
What is a Legal Content Writer?
The best law firm content writer does a lot more than just write. In today’s day and age, you need your law firm blogger to create accurate, engaging, competitive, easy to understand, and rankable content. That can include:
Law firm blog posts
Content for practice area pages
Law firm email marketing campaigns
Downloadable e-books and guides
That can be accomplished in a myriad of ways. What’s most important is that your law firm content writer has the skills, curiosity, and writing ability to deliver the goods.
Do Law Firm Content Writers Need a JD?
The answer to this question depends on several factors.”Generally, some lawyers prefer writers who have their J.D., while others are okay working with people without a legal background.
In my (biased) experience, I would say that if your writer:
Understands complex laws
Has above-average reading comprehension skills
Can explain complicated laws accurately and in an easy to understand way
Knows what they can and can’t say in law firm marketing materials
Can stomach hours of research and cross-referencing
Has an intermediate understanding of on-page SEO, keyword research (unless it’s provided)
Uses SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, Surfer, and the like
Then, it’s a lot easier, less expensive, and just as effective as hiring a non-J.D. law firm content writer. I’ve personally helped countless law firms to rank solid content without a J.D. However, everyone has their opinion and varying needs. The choice is always yours
What Does a Legal Content Writer Do?
Creating good legal content is not for the faint of heart.you’reIt requires writing skills, a strong grasp of SEO, the right software, and certain personality traits.
Generally, you can expect an experienced legal website content writer to do the following:
Legal Content Writer Job Description
Content Creation: Ideate, draft, and edit legal blog posts, practice area pages, and similar content.
Research: Know where to find updated jurisdiction-specific information from trusted sources
Writing skills: The ability to interpret complex laws for the average person.
Competitive Analysis: Understand what keywords your competitors rank for and how to create content that will be more in-depth, engaging, and search engine optimized.
SEO Skills: Have an intermediate to expert understanding of search engine optimization. That includes keyword research, competitive research, interlinking, on-page optimization, and more.
SEO Tools: It’s almost impossible for a legal website content writer to create solid SEO content without the right tools.that’sPopular SEO tools include Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, Moz, SEMRush, Surfer, Screaming frog, SERanking, and more.
General Writing Tools: Grammarly premium, Google Drive, Microsoft Suite, etc.
*Some law firms require their writers to also create social media posts. Some legal content writers (like myself) have social media experience. However, the vast majority don’t. It’s important to remember that writing for social media and writing for a law firm’s blog requires different skills.
What a Legal Website Content Writer Doesn’t Do
While a law firm writer's job description incorporates many things, there are also a few limitations. That’s especially true for a non-J.D. content writer. Generally, legal website content creators don’t:
Write law briefs - unless they are an attorney
Do technical SEO (i.e., sitemaps, URL structure, website structure, add schema markup for breadcrumbs)
Conduct mass-scale data analysis
Get backlinks for lawyers (other than organic backlinks)
Focus on sales (they focus on highly informational, engaging, and accurate content to increase page views, click-through rates (CTR), and rankings)
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising
Facebook ads
What Does a Legal Copywriter Do?
A legal copywriter and a law blog writer serve two different purposes. A law blog writer’s job is to create easy-to-read, informational, and rankable SEO content. Essentially, a law blog writer creates on-page content to drive organic traffic and increase search engine rank/authority.
On the other hand, a legal copywriter’s job is to turn those clicks into sales. You’d benefit by hiring a legal copywriter for your landing pages, email marketing, and other ‘sales pages” where your main goal is conversion.
It’s important to note that a legal copywriter’s fees are generally much higher than a law blogger’s. That’s due to the nature of the work and the desired outcome from their efforts.
What Are The Skills a Legal Content Writer Should Acquire?
Suppose you’re actively searching for a law firm content writer to work with your firm. In that case, you should have a firm grasp of what skills they need to make your content successful.
In my opinion, a successful law firm content writer should have the following skills, but not limited to:
In-depth knowledge of SEO
Experience and understanding of law firm marketing and its competitive nature
The ability to understand complex laws and make them understandable to the average reader
Experience with keyword research, on-page optimization, and finding low competition/high-volume search terms
What is on-page optimization for Law Firm Websites?
On-page optimization is the process of optimizing specific web pages to improve search visibility, traffic, and ranking. Generally, on-page optimization includes aligning a web page’s headers, title tags, copy, and internal links with the target keyword.
How Much Should Content Writers Be Paid?
There is no “average” legal writer salary. That’s because legal writers come in all shapes and forms. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay a legal writer salary commensurate with the following:
Level | Per Word | Hourly | Annually |
|---|---|---|---|
Beginner Law Writer Salary | 0.03 - 0.05 per word | $15 - $20 per hour | $35k - $45k |
Intermediate Law Writer Salary | 0.05 - 0.12 per word | $20 - $40 per hour | $45 - $65k |
Expert Legal Writer Salary | 0.12 - 0.20 per word | $40 - $70 per hour | 65k+ |
J.D. Legal Writer Salary | 0.15 - 0.25 per word | $70+ per hour | 85k+ |
If you’re a larger law firm, you may also want to consider making room for legal editor jobs as well. In my opinion, this is the best use of a law firm content writer with a J.D.
That way, you don’t have to worry about editing or reviewing every blog post or practice area page yourself.
Do Law Firms Need Writers?
A prerequisite to becoming a lawyer is the ability to write. With that in mind, do law firms need content writers? Well, it depends. You should consider hiring a content writer for your firm if:
You don’t have time to create thousands of words for your website
You're not familiar with SEO strategies or don’t have time to keep up with the changes
You’d rather spend your time on billable activities than creating law firm website content
You’ve noticed that your current content strategy isn’t working
Your competitors post content at a faster pace than you can keep up with
If you’re sure that you can handle your law firm's online content needs on your own, then it may not be necessary to hire a law blogger or legal copywriter. However, if you work with a good law firm content creator, you can expect an incredible ROI.
Should I Hire a Part-Time Legal Content Writer?
Potentially, yes. The most significant difference between hiring a part-time legal content writer and a freelance legal writer is access, investment, and a plan.
If you hire an in-house part-time legal content writer, they will likely be available at any time you need them, can work on a myriad of projects, and will not have to bill you for every piece of content (since they will be an employee).
If you find that you want a closer working relationship with your legal writer, hiring a part-time law blogger may be the answer. However, if you just need 1k - 10k words of content produced monthly, it may suit you better to woI’veith a freelancer instead.
What Are Some Good Content Ideas For Lawyers?
I’ve found that the best content ideas come from a law firm content writer and a lawyer working together.
That’s because your legal content writer understands what keywords people are searching for, and lawyers understand what's going on in the legal industry (i.e., new laws, nuanced legal strategies, and issues they’ve seen with their clients).
Generally, the best place for you and your law firm content writer to start is Google. Google can help to inform you of what people are searching for in your practice area, what questions they are asking, and related questions.
The next best place is your competitors. By scrolling through the first page of Google, you can learn what your competitors are posting, and how to create better content.
Lastly, you’ll want to use keyword tools like Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, SEMRush, and similar to learn more about search volumes and which terms are easiest to rank for but have the least competition.
A few good content ideas for lawyers can include topics discussing:
Criminal Law: Best defenses for <criminal offense> in <insert city>, First-time offenses in <city, state>, <Offense name> + Penalties in <state>
Personal Injury: How to file a personal injury claim with <insert insurance company>, What to do after a <insert injury> injury, How to get maximum compensation for <insert injury> personal injury cases
Immigration: What you need to know about Marriage Visas in <insert year>, Newest immigration changes for <insert visa type>, ICE detainment in <city, state>
Family Law: How to get a divorce in <city, state>, 10 reasons to get a prenuptial in <state>, Everything you need to know about adoption laws in <state>
Obviously, there are countless content ideas for your law firm content writer to produce copy. However, you should ensure that the topics you choose help you to build topical What’sity, compete with other law firm websites, and have meaningful traffic.
What’s The Best Content For a Law Firm Website?
The best content for law blog writers and lawyers to focus on depends on a number of factors. You want to focus on the content that is closest to your practice area. Further, law blog writers should produce content that readers and potential clients are searching for.
Generally speaking, law blog writers are encouraged to spend their efforts in the following areas:
Evergreen Content - Content that doesn’t change much over time and can be relevant years later.
Medium to High Traffic - You should produce content that people are searching for. Ranking for certain search terms that have zero queries can be beneficial to a degree. However, in the long run, it’s not worth as much effort as medium-to-high traffic keywords.
Low Competition - If your domain rating is not that high, going after high competition keywords can be an uphill battle. Instead, it’s better to focus on the keywords/phrases that you’re most likely to rank for.
What Types of Legal Writing Services Are Available?
There are many types of legal writing services. A law firm content writer can specialize in legal website content like practice area pages, law blog posts, about us pages, etc. They can also specialize in legal copywriting services for email marketing, landing pages, and sign-up pages.
Before working with a law firm content writer, you should understand their strengths and limitations. Otherwise, you may expect a product that they can’t deliver. It’s also possible that you may overlook some of their strengths and leave them underutilized.
At YourLegalContentWriter.com I focus on the following legal writing services for solo, small, and medium-sized law firms:
Blog posts
Practice area pages
About us pages
Search engine optimization
Keyword ch
Competitive analysis
SEO planning and implementation
If you're interested in learning more about the legal writing services I provide, feel free to contact me here. Good luck in your journey to the top of the rankings, and let me know if I can help you with anything along the way!
FAQ For Aspiring Legal Content Writers:
Are you interested in learning more about law blogging and legal writing? If so, this section is for you. In this FAQ, I answer the most common questions regarding legal website content writing. Continue reading to learn more.
Is Legal Writing in Demand?
Absolutely. Anytime someone searches for legal help on Google, they click on a link was most likely written by legal content writers. If you’re considering a career in law firm marketing as a law blogger, now is the best time to start.
How Do I Become a Legal Content Writer?
I started my career as a legal content writer working for On the Map, inc. It wasn’t well-paid, but I learned a lot. Honestly, most successful law blog writers have either started as content writers for a larger legal marketing company or learned through working with lawyers in another capacity.
There is no right or wrong way to go about writing for lawyers. However, if you’re unsure of how to become a legal content writer, here are a few tips.
Work for a larger company and learn the ins and outs of content writing
Take on as many certification courses as you can
Follow popular law blog writers and SEO wizards on social media
Practice, practice, practice
Be open to learning new skills and working with unfamiliar tools
Dive head into SEO and what it takes to rank a law firm website
How to Become a Freelance Legal Writer
Once you’ve learned the ropes a bit, you may want to branch out on your own and become a freelance content writer. I can tell you from experience. It’s not easy. Some months are incredibly busy and stressful. Other months are woefully slow.
If you’re an employed law writer looking to become a freelance legal content writer, my best advice is:
Hone your SEO and legal writing skills
Learn how to conduct your own sales and marketing
Be prepared to pay for your own marketing tools
Get used to rejection
Keep pushing, the better you get at being a law firm content writer, the more clients you will have
How is Legal Writing Different From General Writing?
The biggest difference between legal writing and general content writing is that general content writers can focus on “approximate” meaning. Whereas legal bloggers must produce copy that relays the exact meaning of laws (just written a bit differently).
Further, law bloggers must also adhere to law firm marketing guidelines. That means that you can’t say or guarantee certain things in your content. Lastly, you should understand that law firm marketing is a competitive niche.
Aspiring law bloggers should learn as much as they can about ranking in competitive niches, understand the difference between blackhat and whitehat tactics (and when to use them), and have the ability to understand complex laws.
How Can I Make Money by Writing Legal Articles?
There are plenty of entry-level legal content writer jobs on sites like Indeed, Monster, Careerbuilder, and similar. However, most legal writer jobs prefer if you have at least some experience with content writing and SEO.
You can get that experience by working with larger marketing companies or searching for freelance legal writer jobs on sites like Fiverr, Upwork, etc.
Once you’ve honed your skills, you can make a great living as a law firm website content writer.
How Do Freelance Writers Build Credibility?
The best way to build credibility as a legal web content writer is to learn as much as you can about content creation, search engine optimization, and law firm marketing. Depending on your schedule, credibility can be obtained in as little as six months.
However, you should be warned that clients expect a lot from their legal web content creators. Additionally, your competitors are always learning, testing, and getting better. So, it’s in your best interest to do the same.
What’s The Average Legal Writer Salary?
Generally, a legal content writer can expect their pay to commensurate with their experience, knowledge, and proof of past work. If you’re starting off as a novice content writer, you can expect a legal writer salary on a per word basis.
Most legal content writers I know (including myself) began their law firm writing career with a legal writer salary of 0.03 - 0.05 cents per word. If you’re a bit more experienced (1 - 3 years), then you can command a salary of $35k - $85k depending on your skills, ability to write rankable content, and many other factors.
Do Law Firms Hire Writers?
Absolutely, there are many legal writer and legal editor jobs offered by law firms. Just think about it, most law firms have a website.
Their websites require content that’s usually produced by legal writers and legal editors. If you’re looking for a law firm hiring legal writers of legal editor jobs, you can start by searching on sites like:
Indeed
Monster
LinkedIn
Careerbuilder
Upwork,
And similar
What is Legal Tech Writing?
Sometimes, a legal web content writer doesn’t work for a law firm. Instead, they partner with legal technology companies that offer technology and software to lawyers. Writing legal tech content is similar to writing for law firms.
However, there are some differences. For example, many legal tech companies develop content targeted at lawyers (not law firm clients). That requires a slightly different approach to content creation, usually requiring some level of copywriting / sales skills.
If you’re a legal tech company searching for a proven legal web content writer, contact Your Legal Content Writer today to discuss your needs.
What Are Some Legal Writing Skills That I Need?
Are you serious about becoming a legal content writer? If so, here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Learn everything you can about legal content writing best practices
Focus on learning the ins and outs of on-page optimization
Write 3 - 5 legal content articles based on content already published online
Market your new portfolio on sites like Upwork, Linkedin, and similar
Apply to as many “low-paying” legal content writing jobs as you can. The experience will be worth it, trust me.
Don’t give up. Legal content writing is a competitive industry, but the best rewards await those who keep pushing!
Continue to learn and apply new skills. The more you know, the more valuable you will be.
If you have any questions, feel free to message me on LinkedIn or via my website.
How Do I Start Myself As a Legal Content Writer?
There is no substitute for action. If you want to become a successful legal content writer, there are plenty of opportunities available for you to prove yourself.
However, lawyers and legal tech companies know the difference between someone who can write and someone who doesn’t take their craft seriously. Therefore, the harder you work and the more you learn, the more indispensable you become.