Do we really still need to answer this question?
If you haven't yet downloaded it, go get the Clio Legal Trends Report. At first glance, you might conclude, as some have:
The overwhelming majority of legal services consumers don't use social media to find a lawyer.
You'd be wrong.
Okay, only about 5% of respondents surveyed reported using social media to search for a lawyer. But let's dig a little deeper.
Let's start with the other "Searched on their own" responses.
The leader here was lawyer's website. But how did they get to the website? My hunch is that most of them used a search engine, the second most common response. But I also suspect that many of the respondents would actually arrive at the lawyer's website via a social media site. But this still probably doesn't represent a significant number in the overall scheme of things.
Because I'm a law firm SEO consultant, I would be remiss if I didn't spend a few sentences on the next most popular response: Online search engine.
I mean, duh, right? And yet, I've seen people posting about how this data proves that people largely don't use search engines to find lawyers. Come. On. People. I suggest to you that the overwhelming majority of the "Searched on their own" responses involved a search engine (I'm dumping online, because, seriously).
Lawyer's Website? We covered that.
Online reviews? What's the biggest online review website? Hint: It's Google My Business (Google is an online search engine, I can't resist). Plus, you really think that these other online review respondents are going directly to Yelp, Avvo, etc? They're not. They're searching first (ask Mark Britton).
Phone book? Okay, there's one in the "not the internet column," although I could argue we should distinguish "phone book" from "Yellow Pages online" (release the underlying data Clio).
Lawyer directory? See online reviews (it's search).
Lawyer blogs, articles, videos? Admittedly, some blogs have actual subscribers. Most don't. How do people get there? Altogether now: Online search engine!
Advertisement? I'll even give you this one, even though it doesn't distinguish between pure offline and multi-channel attribution (i.e. see a TV ad and pop open my phone to perform a search).
Online map service or app? Summarily dismissed.
If you're still not convinced (I know you're not because you're a lawyer), let's talk "Used a referral."
Do you read this as all of these referral respondents meant, "didn't use social media to get a referral?" Come on.
Go search for "lawyer recommendations" (and permutations) on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. See, I told you.
Are you a lawyer? Are you in any private social media groups? Oh good, then you already know that lawyers are referring clients to each other there on the reg.
So, does social media marketing work for lawyers? Maybe it's not working for you, but legal services consumers are there looking for lawyers every single day. You think it's social media? Or maybe, could it possibly be, how you're using it?
Here's a recent Google SERP for "๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ." Ads? โLSAs? โLocal Pack? โLinks? โ ๐ท AI Overview? โ 6 firms listed. Only one tiny ๐. Click the ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ button? ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐: Here's a more detailed look at some of these firms: THE PEARCE LAW FIRM, P.C.Edith Pearce, […]
On April 22, 2025, Google sent an email updating Local Services Ads Additional Terms for Providers: Subject: Action required: important updates to Local Service Ads Additional Terms Many people are arguing that lawyers cannot participate in Local Services Ads, as this would constitute a per se violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct related to […]
Conrad and I recently joined Zack at Lawyerist to record a conversation about AI and marketing. You might think that we spend the whole time on how lawyers can use AI to publish content. You'd be wrong. While AI can certainly support publishing, there are many more interesting ways to use it in legal marketing. […]
As more legal services consumers turn to ChatGPT for local law firm recommendations, a fascinating intersection between AI, search, and maps unfolds. While Google remains the undisputed leader in local business data, ChatGPT is increasingly becoming an entry point for searchers seeking legal representation. But hereโs the kicker: instead of keeping users within its ecosystem, […]
When law firms contact us, they usually want to talk: โข PPC Ads โข SEO Rankings โข Lead Generation Very few want to talk: โข Brand โข Trust & Recognition โข Emotional Connection Admittedly, much of this concerns that AttorneySync is known for lead generation across those common digital channels. But even when we start […]
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I'm grateful for my friend, Charley Mann of Law firm Alchemy. If you're a lawyer, subscribe to his Free Email List. In a recent email, Charley calls out bad guru advice on hiring: "Trying to execute a major SEO improvement? You need to find people who will help you, instead of trying to DIY it […]
If youโve spent any time on LinkedIn, youโve likely seen posts from law firm SEO experts showing off charts with an โup and to the rightโ trajectory. These screenshots, often pulled from tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, are meant to signal SEO success. And itโs not just the agencies celebratingโ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ […]
Meh, links! All things being equal, links still tend to move the dial more than any other factor in legal SERPs. Maybe links are having a diminishing impact internet-wide. But in my experience, quality links, especially relevant links (both topically and geographically), tend to improve law firm visibility in search more than most everything else. […]
