1. Start with Cornelius and Washington County—not an invented market signal
The firm’s location should shape the editorial boundary. Cornelius is a city in Washington County, Oregon; it is not interchangeable with the county, the Portland metropolitan area or the state as a whole. A Cornelius firm may serve people in more than one geography, but that service area should be stated by the firm rather than inferred from population. The Census estimate of 14,255 residents is useful for identifying the municipality being discussed. It cannot establish how many people need a lawyer, how often they search, or how many matters a news page could generate.
Recommended approach
Define the geographic language for each practice before reviewing topics. For example, decide whether a page should address Cornelius, Washington County, Oregon law, or a broader state event. Keep the place named in the source story separate from the place where your firm accepts matters. That distinction helps prevent a page about a statewide legal development from implying that the event occurred in Cornelius.
