So you know you need to acquire links, but you're having a difficult time of coming up with ideas about where to get links. Here's one, check out your State Bar's website. Many State Bars offer members advertising opportunities on their websites. And many of these opportunities include links. Here is an example from the Louisiana State Bar's site:
In this example, technolawyer.com has received a link from the Louisiana State Bar Association. A quick look at our tools reveals that this is a rather impressive link:
In addition to having strong search quality signals above, links from State Bar Association websites are highly relevant and also highly trusted both online and offline. If you decide to pursue links from your State Bar, here are a couple things to keep in mind:
Before you agree to any link relationship, check out the source code of the page where your link will appear. Then, when your link goes live, check back to ensure that it's been coded properly. We see a lot of lawyers that think they're acquiring great new links, only to find that they're "nofollowed" or coded in a way that doesn't provide any search engine benefit.
In general, if you take a "top-down" approach focusing on identifying quality trusted websites that are relevant to your practice, location, or field, you will get a lot more "bang for your link building buck." State Bar Association websites are just one of many types of trusted legal link sources that you should consider.
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 here’s the kicker: instead of keeping users within its ecosystem, […]
When law firms contact us, they usually want to talk: • PPC Ads • SEO Rankings • Lead Generation Very few want to talk: • Brand • Trust & Recognition • 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 you’ve spent any time on LinkedIn, you’ve likely seen posts from law firm SEO experts showing off charts with an “up and to the right” trajectory. These screenshots, often pulled from tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, are meant to signal SEO success. And it’s not just the agencies celebrating—𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 […]
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. […]
When you think of "marketing," what's the first thing that comes to mind? Ads? SEO? Social Media? What about: Helping others?Taking the lead? Rallying around your community? Need an example? Learn from Bart Siniard at Siniard Law Injury Attorneys efforts to help rebuild Mary's Pit BBQ. These efforts aren't about marketing. They're about supporting a […]
So how do you ensure that all those provisos are in place before you make the ad buy?
Hi Jay,
If the primary purpose of the link is for its "search benefit," then yes. Obviously, there are other reasons to consider advertising on these types of sites.
We have also worked to "negotiate" these provisos with sites that don't have a formal program.
BTW, really good, useful post.
Even if search benefit isn't the primary benefit, I think it's still good marketing practice to get as much out of your ad buy as possible, and you shouldn't be shy about asking for link love up front.
Seems like it would be in the best interest of the bar associations to specify that kind of stuff in the rate card, as it could enhance their revenue.