At this point we have a list of topics, and we’ve mapped specific target keywords to those topics, and we have the URLs for the top pages that currently perform well for those keywords.
Now, it’s time to actually write our articles. The most important thing to remember here is:
Content that is written by an actual subject matter expert (in this case, an attorney who has experience with auto accident cases) will nearly always out perform content written by a ghost writer.
Furthermore, for lawyers and legal marketers there is a question of ethics: Do you really feel good about publishing information on legal topics that you want your potential clients to read, but not having any hand in the writing of that information?
That being said, there are ways to leverage someone’s expertise without necessarily requiring that they write every word of each article. Here are several options for writing your articles, along with what to consider with each.
1. Straight from the camel’s mouth
Again, content straight from the subject matter expert will perform the best. Having a lawyer who is a subject matter expert write the articles is always the best option.
However, lawyers are busy; it’s not always a practical option.
2. Interview and record the subject matter expert
This is the next best way to get your evergreen content written. Conduct an interview with the subject matter expert, asking her to speak to each of your topics. Record the interview and transcribe it.
(For quick, affordable transcription, we recommend Rev.com).
The major benefit of this method is that it allows you to get some great nuggets of information from the subject matter expert without asking her to spend the time required to write each piece.
The downside is that this method requires substantial editing, structuring, and formatting of the content. Furthermore, you normally won’t get everything you need to publish a coherent article from the interview responses alone.
3. Use professional legal ghost-writer, edit heavily
The third, and what I consider to be the least desirable option, is to use a legal professional ghost writer to write the articles, and then have the subject matter expert review and edit them as necessary.
The major downside here is that ghost writers, no matter how talented, cannot be expected to posses the same intimate knowledge and insight as the subject matter expert, and so, your articles will end up being far less valuable.