You can't rank for what doesn't exist.

The world of online marketing can seem overwhelming, complicated and exploitive: as lawyers, we know that we're targets for agencies and consultants who see our profession and think $$$.

Nevertheless, digital marketing is an area you can't ignore. Fortunately, it's also one where you can hit the ground running and quickly start punching above your weight.

But you have to get started.

Kelly Gordon is founder & CEO of Dapper Codes, a digital marketing strategy firm. She joins us today to give us direction on how to find your niche as a trial lawyer, the importance of leaning into that niche, having clarity and consistency in your message, what works for SEO in 2026, and how it's all being impacted by AI.

Just like with trial lawyers helping those hurt from no fault of their own, the work Kelly and her firm do for small businesses has tremendous, meaningful impact: helping one business owner can impact an entire family.

Make sure the people who need your help know that you're out there.

"You can get a lot of people's attention, but if that attention doesn't resonate, then they're not going to buy, and then none of it makes sense. So, 'Who are you? Why do you do what you do? And what is it that you do exactly right?'" - Kelly Gordon

In this episode, we discuss:

◼️ The distinction between marketing and visibility.
◼️ Why search engine optimization is just scratching the surface.
◼️ How AI has impacted traditional search results.
◼️ How to make sure that people know you are an option for what they need.
◼️ Why FAQ sections are more important than ever.
◼️ Identifying your unfair advantage and leaning into it.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Digital Marketing for Small Businesses
06:11 Building a Strong Online Presence
09:05 Understanding Marketing vs. Visibility
11:56 Choosing the Right Digital Marketing Agency
15:10 Leveraging Free Tools for Visibility
18:05 Content Creation and SEO Strategies
21:08 The Role of AI in Digital Marketing
24:00 Finding Your Unfair Advantage
27:04 Navigating the Digital Marketing Landscape
30:06 Long-Term Strategies for Success

Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers
Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com

Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers.

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Thank you!

Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki