--- title: SEO & Lead Gen Review — 2026-01-30 type: article created: '2026-01-30' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2026-01-30-axley-marketing-meeting-118642563.md tags: - axley - client-meeting - seo - ppc - lead-generation - family-law - personal-injury - criminal-defense - video-production - local-service-ads - website - navigation - content-strategy - salesforce layer: 2 client_source: Axley Law industry_context: legal-services transferable: false --- # SEO & Lead Gen Review — 2026-01-30 ## Overview Monthly check-in between Sebastian Gant (Asymmetric) and Nicole Hadaway (Axley) covering SEO content progress, PPC budget status, website navigation cleanup, and a future PI video production project. First meeting since before the holidays. **Attendees:** Nicole Hadaway (nhadaway@axley.com), Sebastian Gant (sebastian.gant@asymmetric.pro) --- ## Key Decisions - **SEO is the current top priority** — goal is to reduce reliance on expensive PPC, particularly for PI and Family Law where CPCs are prohibitive - **Family Law PPC remains paused** until at least April due to overwhelming lead volume (January is peak divorce season); will experiment with Local Service Ads in Waukesha before reactivating - **Criminal PPC budget consolidated** — DUI and criminal catch-all campaigns merged into a single $2,000/month combined budget - **PI PPC remains active** at its existing daily budget (~$65/day); acknowledged that meaningful lead volume increases would require budget well beyond current levels - **Website navigation restructure confirmed** — add a dedicated "Locations" menu item housing all office/directions pages; strip location details from the Contact page (form only); Contact moves to last position in nav - **All PI content to feature Heath exclusively** — two retired PI attorneys and one criminal attorney who dabbled in PI are no longer relevant; remove any non-Heath mentions - **PI video ad: produce in 2026, run in 2027** — split the cost across years; prioritize high production quality to avoid the "ambulance chaser" stereotype --- ## Action Items - [ ] Publish Madison & Waukesha office pages; update nav (add Locations, move Contact last) — **@nmh** - [ ] Incorporate Heath's drafted PI FAQs into new PI pages; remove all non-Heath mentions; build out PI nav — **@Sebastian Gant** - [ ] Finish final two Family Law pages — **@Sebastian Gant** - [ ] Email SEO doc link to assistant to accelerate content approvals — **@nmh** - [ ] Email Nicole Madison videographer options; contact drone videographer re: availability — **@Sebastian Gant** - [ ] Add Fathom note: high-value divorce landing page opportunity — **@Sebastian Gant** - [ ] Email Nicole baseline PI & Family Law organic rankings before any page changes go live; store for post-launch comparison — **@Sebastian Gant** - [ ] Coordinate on state bar-compliant award language for ad copy (PI and Family Law) when campaigns resume — **@nmh + @Sebastian Gant** --- ## SEO & Content Progress ### Completed - FAQs added to all Criminal defense pages - Final two Criminal pages sent to Nicole for approval - "From Divorce Through Paternity" page — copy and FAQs drafted (pending tool usage reset to finalize) - Madison and Waukesha location pages ready to publish as-is (iterative improvement acceptable post-launch) ### In Progress - Remaining Family Law pages awaiting group approval across multiple offices - PI pages not yet built out; navigation structure still needed ### Website Navigation Restructure **Problem:** Location information is scattered across the site (Contact page, standalone directions pages), diluting SEO signal and creating a confusing UX. **Solution:** 1. Create a new top-level "Locations" menu item 2. House all office addresses, directions, and location-specific content there 3. Strip location details from the Contact page — form only 4. Move Contact to the last position in the nav --- ## Lead Generation & PPC Status | Campaign | Status | Budget | |---|---|---| | Family Law | **Paused** (until ~April) | $0 | | Criminal Defense | Active | ~$2,000/month combined | | Academic Misconduct | Active (folded into Criminal) | Included above | | Personal Injury | Active | ~$65/day | ### Family Law - Paused due to overwhelming inbound volume — even organic/website leads are being turned away - One Family Law attorney going on parental leave in spring; expect on/off toggling throughout 2026 - **Next step before reactivating PPC:** Test Local Service Ads (LSAs) in Waukesha first - **Opportunity:** Dedicated landing page for high-value divorces (complex estates, business assets) — one attorney's specific expertise; note logged in Fathom ### Personal Injury - High CPC environment; competitors like Hupy & Abraham reportedly spending $1M+/year on AdWords — not a winnable arms race at current budget - SEO improvements to PI pages are the primary lever for organic lead growth - **Award language opportunity:** Heath has been named "Best Attorney in Cottage Grove" five consecutive years — could be incorporated into ad copy with state bar-compliant language (Super Lawyers requires specific formatting, trademark symbol, etc.) ### Criminal Defense - Performing well; no changes needed --- ## Future Project: PI Video Ad **Goal:** Build a "community lawyer" brand for attorney Heath that counters the negative PI attorney stereotype. **Timeline:** - **2026:** Fund and produce the video ad (third-party videographer) - **2027:** Distribute on YouTube and streaming services **Creative Direction:** - Feature Heath walking into recognizable local Madison businesses - Drone shots of the Madison cityscape - Tone: approachable, local, community-rooted — not a large firm **Vendor:** - Backflip (previous vendor) is no longer operating - Sebastian to provide referrals: a Madison-area photographer/videographer contact (has a drone) as a mid-budget option; Mark also has contacts at various production budget levels - Nicole's preference: mid-range production quality — not $25K for a 15-second spot, but not DIY either --- ## Parking Lot / Future Topics - **High-value divorce landing page** — dedicated page targeting complex, high-asset divorce cases; circle back once current page backlog is cleared - **Local Service Ads** — experiment with Family Law in Waukesha before broader rollout; potentially explore for PI as well - **Salesforce / CRM automation** — not a current priority but remains on the radar; Mark available to assist when ready - **Baseline organic rankings** — capture PI and Family Law rankings before page updates go live to enable before/after comparison --- ## Related - [[clients/current/axley/_index]]