From time to time, we like to filter our traffic to see what kinds of questions visitors are asking in search engines. Here are answers to some recent questions from visitors to our site.
How do I get rid of negative reviews of my law firm in search results?
If the review isn't genuine, you can try to contact the site directly. Many review sites have a process for appealing fake reviews. However, if the review is genuine, your first course of action should be considering whether and how to respond to it.
You might also be able to push the review out of the top positions in a search result. Here are a few ways to do it:
Usually, this is enough. However, if the negative review appears on a highly authoritative page and domain, you may need to take additional steps like building authority to your pages and profiles.
It's also important to keep perspective. Sometimes, even when you're working hard to provide excellent service, some people are going to be unhappy. If an unhappy client leaves a legitimate negative review, spend some time thinking about why it happened and preventing it from happening again. You may even consider responding to the review and discussing what preventative action you've taken.
How do I structure a a legal website with lots of content?
When you're structuring a website, you must put your users first. Obviously, websites can be structured in numerous ways. Think about the nature of your site. What purpose does it serve? Is it a blog? Is it a legal information portal? Is it a marketing brochure for your law firm? Your site's purpose should inform its structure.
If you care about attracting visitors from search engines, you'll want to think about how to make it search engine-friendly. Google provides some helpful information in this area.
The important thing is to think about site structure before launch. Too many people make the mistake of rushing their site to launch only to later make costly structural overhauls later.
What do lawyers spend on SEO?
Some lawyers spend no money at all on SEO. Of course, if they want to earn positions in search, they're undoubtedly spending time. So if time is money... At the other end of the spectrum, many busy lawyers don't have the knowledge or time to invest in comprehensive online marketing initiatives. So, they outsource it. But not all outsourcing is equal. After all, Godaddy sells SEO for $2.99 / month. Others spend tens of thousands of dollars per month.
The issue is less about the actual cost of SEO investments, but rather, their return. And the likely return depends on a variety of factors including the relative competition for the search queries that are likely to generate meaningful traffic and business for your firm.
Before you spend a single dollar or minute on SEO, you should spend some time learning about how search engines work.
What do people look for in an attorney?
People want to know that they are working with someone that they can trust to handle their legal situation. That is why so many people rely on word of mouth referrals from other people they trust.
Trust is complex. It requires competence. It requires a reputation for good work. It requires a reputation for excellent service. It requires investment in relationships.
While this may seem fairly elementary, many lawyers fail at investing in trust-building.
What works for lawyer advertising?
Different advertising methods will work for different lawyers, in different practice areas, in different locations.
I have yet to come across an advertising strategy or medium that works for all lawyers all of the time.
Advertising, in its very nature, is speculative. The key is to measure advertising activities to understand what mediums, ads, etc, are actually working.
Generally speaking, ads that focus on how lawyers assist their clients and distinguish them from their competitors are more effective than those that focus on the attorney and her credentials.
In terms of efficiency, search marketing tends to outperform more traditional interruption-based advertising (i.e. tv, radio, billboards, etc). However, this is not always the case. Again, the key is measurement.
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 […]
According to an October 2024 study by SE Ranking: "The legal niche triggers the highest percentage of AIOs (77.67%). The average number of links matched between the AI Overview resources and the top 20 search results was 6.49 for legal topics. AI Overviews for legal topics most frequently link to NYCourts.gov (114 links), YouTube.com (48 […]
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. […]