Content Writing
Written By: Dominic Padova
Stop Wasting Billable Hours, Hurting SEO & Losing Clients: Why Lawyers Should Never Write & Publish Their Own Web Content
If you’re an attorney and writing your own website content, or, especially after investing in a brand-new website design, you’re not doing your site, users, or firm any favors.
It’s easy to convince yourself that you can handle it or use AI to crank out web pages quickly and cheaply. However, what appears to be a cost-saving move will often backfire. DIY or AI-generated copy may sound fine on the surface. Still, without proper structure, SEO optimization, and a comprehensive strategy, it won’t rank, won’t convert, and may even hurt your visibility.
The issue isn’t intelligence or skill. As a lawyer, you’re probably an excellent and accomplished writer. You’d have to be right? But the mechanics of writing a motion versus web copy are very different. Google rewards structure, depth, and authority, not dense legal jargon or flowery language that compels juries. Here, I’ll break down why doing it yourself impedes growth, explain how professional content transforms your site into a lead engine, and how to convey your expertise the right way.
DIY Content Is a Bad Use of a Lawyer’s Time
Every minute you spend writing web content is a minute you’re not being a lawyer. Even if you write quickly or use AI, you’re still losing valuable time.
A 2,000-word practice page or even mildly researched blog post can easily eat up several hours, and that’s without optimizing it for SEO or formatting it for the web. At $350–$600 an hour, that “free” content piece just costs your firm thousands of dollars. Now multiply that by approximately 50 pages for an entire website and any ongoing desire to add blogs, videos, update reviews and case studies, and you get the idea.
But that’s only the writing.
Most lawyers don’t realize that effective web content begins long before the first word is typed. It starts with a strategy. A process that involves selecting the right topics, outlining essential content that’s applicable to you market, planning content silos, identifying target keywords, structuring internal links, and ensuring compliance. This strategic layer takes research, tools, and experience. Without it, you’re not building authority; you’re guessing.
Here’s What Happens When Lawyers Write It Themselves
It usually starts innocently with a few quick Google searches to see what competitors are doing. For instance, if you’re a DUI lawyer, you will likely notice every firm around you has a main DUI page describing their services, listing penalties, touting experience, and offering a contact form.
You read a few and think, I can do that. You might even wonder why they’re defining what a DUI is or quoting code sections. After all, your clients already know it means “driving under the influence,” and what does someone need to know the code section for? That’s what you’re paid for, right?
Here’s the problem: you’re thinking like a lawyer, not like Google, which its own way, is trying to think like your prospective clients or anyone doing a general search about DUIs.
Those “obvious” definitions and statutes are signals of completeness and authority. Google evaluates pages like this for how useful and thorough they are to average users. So, when you skip what feels superfluous, you’re actually stripping away context that helps pages rank.
Strategy & Substance Matter More Than Just Words on a Page
Writing one or two pages about your primary practice area is a start, but it’s not a strategy. Law firms often stop after publishing a general overview page (“Divorce Lawyer in Columbus,” for example) and maybe one interior page about dividing assets. That’s where most DIY content plans end.
Those pages only scratch the surface. They target broad, competitive keywords that dozens of other firms are already chasing. Google no longer rewards surface coverage. Today it prioritizes depth, structure, and relevance.
Professional SEO-driven content development takes that same topic and builds a silo—a structured series of related pages that show Google (and readers) you’re an authority. For a divorce practice, that might include:
- Divorce for business owners
- High-asset divorce
- Dividing stock portfolios and real estate
- Spousal support and alimony tax implications
- Child custody modifications
- Divorce mediation vs. litigation in your local courts
Each of these pages serves a purpose: they expand topical coverage, attract precise searches, and funnel qualified leads back to your main “Divorce Lawyer” page.
Who Are You Even Writing For?
Suppose your firm targets business owners, professionals, or high-net-worth individuals. Your content needs to address their world: business valuations, partnership dissolutions, complex asset division, stock portfolios, and lifestyle considerations. Without that deeper, segmented content, your site casts a wide, generic net that attracts everyone but converts almost no one.
Effective law firm SEO isn’t about churning out more pages. It’s about crafting the right ones, strategically organized in user friendl” silos that build authority, signal relevance to Google, and connect with the exact clients you want to attract.
Legal Writing for Google & Humans: It’s a MUVERA Balancing Act.
While it’s a common adage, it’s worth repeating – writing “good” web copy isn’t about stuffing pages with keywords or overselling yourself. It’s about clarity, usefulness, and trust. At least that’s the intent behind Google’s recently introduced MUVERA framework (Make Useful, Valuable, Engaging, Relevant, and Actionable), which offers a gauge as to whether your content delivers real value.
A well-written law firm page should educate before it persuades. Define the issue, explain what happens next, and guide readers toward the right action. For example, a criminal defense page that clearly outlines what to expect at arraignment, links to local court resources, and features an easy-to-use “Call Now” button will outperform one that simply states, “We fight for your rights.” Google recognizes it, and so do potential clients.
If you’re thinking about writing your own content, remember that balancing SEO with MUVERA means writing for people first and search engines second. Use plain, confident language and natural keyword placement. Break up text with subheads, bullet points, and visuals so readers can scan on mobile devices. Avoid long, dense paragraphs and overused marketing slogans. Include essential on-page elements like optimized headlines, internal links, FAQs, and CTAs, but don’t let them drown out your message.
The best legal content feels human, structured, and helpful. And it converts not because it sells harder, but because it solves problems better.
On-Page Mistakes Make DIY Content Invisible
Most DIY law firm content doesn’t fail because it’s poorly written. It fails because it’s technically invisible. Even the most eloquent, informative page won’t perform if Google can’t crawl, interpret, or connect it properly. These are the behind-the-scenes elements that professional content writers and SEO pros obsess over. Without them, your content may never get indexed, included in AI Overviews, or appear in high-value placements like featured snippets and “People Also Ask” results.
One of the most significant issues is schema markup, the code that tells Google what your page represents. A professional SEO strategist will add LegalService schema to practice area pages, LocalBusiness schema for your office, FAQ schema to Q&A sections, and Person schema for attorney bios. Without this structured data, SERPs cannot categorize or feature your information. That means that your competitors’ optimized content is being cited instead.
The same principle goes for internal linking and outbound credibility signals. Linking to related sections of your site, such as the first DUI penalties page from your main DUI page, and referencing reputable sources like court websites, local ordinances, or bar associations demonstrates to Google (and users) that your information is reliable. DIY legal writers often leave important pages isolated, unsupported, and algorithmically weak.
Visual & Local Content Elements Matter Too
A lack of alt text for images or missing map embeds can hurt accessibility and local rankings. Likewise, skipping infographics, tables, or process visuals makes your content harder to understand and less likely to earn backlinks.
In the AI-driven search era, Google favors content that’s accessible and layered with multimedia context. Without these elements, your pages may be relegated to page 2.
DIY Legal Content Gets Stale Fast
Often, the real differentiator between a page that exists and one that performs lies in what happens after you hit publish. Research suggests that law firm websites need continuous refinement, and a “set it and forget it” approach is rarely effective.
Tracking and performance analytics are essential: Which pages are converting? Which ones are stagnated? How are users moving through your site?
Professional agencies like Postali use tools that measure rankings, engagement, click-through rates, and lead behavior, then adjust strategy accordingly. This means refreshing content when competitors expand their pages, identifying new search trends, and optimizing internal linking as new resources become available. Other core SEO elements, such as meta descriptions, image alt tags, header structure, and indexing protocols, must be updated proactively to maintain authority.
When DIY legal content is published once and never revisited, it starts collecting digital dust.
AI is a Tool, Not a Robo Content Strategy
AI has revolutionized the speed at which web content can be produced. However, faster doesn’t necessarily mean smarter or even accurate. As a lawyer, you’ve probably heard tales of bar discipline being handed down to attorneys overusing AI contracts and ChatGPT-generated briefs. The same is true here.
Relying too heavily on generative tools can lead to serious issues with your website’s content, such as inaccuracies, broken links, duplicated phrasing, and content cannibalization that confuses Google’s indexing systems. Not to mention that carelessly churning out AI legal content won’t be written with your design, audience, or even site structure in mind. Even if you save time writing the content, it may take twice as long to reformat and publish it appropriately.
AI tools can and should assist in ideation, outline generation, and keyword clustering. But it can’t fully understand nuance, jurisdictional accuracy, or the tone that builds trust with real clients.
When agencies use AI responsibly, they are applying layers of human editing, SEO review, and quality control to ensure factual accuracy, originality, and compliance with bar advertising rules. If your entire content library is machine-generated, you’re building on unstable ground. Once Google adjusts its algorithm to detect and devalue AI-heavy text, your visibility could collapse overnight.
In a profession where precision matters, your marketing deserves the same level of care you give your clients’ cases. Therefore, it’s best to use AI to augment content development, as human expertise, creativity, and editorial oversight are what ensure your content remains accurate, compliant, and future-proof.
Writing Your Own Content Is Like Representing Yourself — You Can, But You Shouldn’t
Just as you’d never recommend a client represent themselves in a serious legal matter, you shouldn’t take a do-it-yourself approach to your law firm’s content strategy. Writing for the web requires a different skill set — one rooted in technical SEO, user experience design, and an understanding of how Google’s algorithms evaluate trust and authority.
You may be an excellent legal writer, but persuasive motions and optimized web pages are two very different languages. When those differences aren’t respected, your site’s performance and visibility suffer.
Protect Your Investment with Postali’s Expertise
Your website is one of the most significant marketing investments your firm will ever make. It’s a front door to your law firm, a sales tool, and a lot more. Without professionally developed, optimized, and consistently updated content, that investment starts to depreciate the moment it goes live.
Postali helps law firms protect that investment by transforming their websites into high-performing, lead-generating ecosystems. Our team of legal content strategists, SEO specialists, and designers works together to ensure your site:
- Is compliant with all applicable bar advertising and ethical rules.
- Includes schema, internal linking, and structured data to maximize visibility in Google’s search results and AI Overviews.
- It is written for your ideal clients, not just general traffic, with clarity, empathy, and precision.
- Features strategic calls to action, local optimization, and accessibility features that turn visitors into leads.
- It is continuously monitored and refined to stay competitive as algorithms, trends, and client behavior evolve.
Your law firm deserves a marketing partner that understands your profession, not just your keywords.
If you’re ready to stop wasting time on content that doesn’t perform, schedule a consultation with our team. We’ll review your site, identify content missteps and growth opportunities, and build a roadmap for sustained visibility and success.