People keep trying to convince me that I need to be online because that's where my clients are.
I'm not buying it.
No one really uses the internet to research their legal issues, ask legal questions and find lawyers.
And even if they were, these people don't have money to pay me for my services anyway. After all, they're asking questions and looking for lawyers on the internet.
I've had a website up for over 15 years. My nephew built it for me on Dreamweaver.
I've got all sorts of "legal images" up there so people know what I do.
And I ask every person who calls or emails me how they find me. And not one of them has said that they filled out the contact form on my site.
Not one.
Fortunately, my nephew did it for free and I pay for the cheapest Godaddy hosting account there is.
Besides, I haven't heard one lawyer tell me that she ever got a case from the internet. And I know a lot of lawyers. And I know that they would tell me what is and isn't working for them to get new business. Most lawyers are very open about what works best for them for client development.
Also, I don't practice criminal defense, personal injury, bankruptcy, etc. My clients don't use the web like this. They are much more sophisticated.
My clients come to me because they talk to family, friends and other people they trust about my services. And when they get my name, they never look me up online.
They don't care what other people write about me online either. They don't believe what my clients and other lawyers post about me.
No one REALLY uses online rating and review sites either. And certainly not when it comes to looking for lawyers.
Everyone knows that everything online is BS anyway.
And all of this social networking nonsense is a complete waste of time.
I signed-up for all of them. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, you name it, I signed-up for it.
I would post several times per day that I offer free consultations. I even included my phone number.
You know how many clients that got me?
Zero.
Complete waste of time.
And don't get me started about SEO. I created a page on my site for every keyword I could think of.
I started a blog and paid some kid to write posts for me every single day.
I bought up over 400 domains with keywords that I would use to find lawyers like me online.
I even linked them all together.
I bought this software that posts articles and comments all over the web. I was everywhere.
Nothing. Not one new client telling me that they found me on Google.
Obviously, no one is using the internet to find lawyers.
I tried that pay-per-click advertising too.
I opened my own account and launched my own campaigns.
Cost me an arm and a leg. Oh, I got a lot of clicks, but they were all fake.
That Google is the biggest scam of all-time.
But lawyers like me aren't buying it anymore.
Lawyers like me are smart enough to know that no one really uses the internet to find lawyers.
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 […]
I guess we can all call it a day then.
I can't tell if this is satirical or not...I'm assuming based on what you do that it is.
I have been accused of having a very dry sense of humor...
Exactly...
I guess we can all call it a day then.