1. Set the geographic boundary before a story is written
Derry is recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau as Derry CDP in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. Its 2020–2024 ACS five-year population estimate is 21,339, with a margin of error of 1,078. That is context about the place, not evidence of legal-news demand, competition, search volume, leads, cases or revenue. A Derry firm therefore should not use the population figure to justify publishing every story that mentions the town. Instead, decide whether a proposed page is for people in Derry, people elsewhere in Rockingham County, people across New Hampshire, or a broader audience the firm actually serves.
Recommended approach
Write and review a geographic rule before implementation. For each proposed page, identify the event’s location, the legal audience, the firm’s service area and the appropriate call to action. Avoid implying that a Derry connection makes a matter local to every New Hampshire reader, or that a statewide story is specifically about Derry.
