How Directory Placements Can Help Build Your Practice
When you’re spending money to maximize your visibility and generate leads for your law practice online, it’s all about return on investment (ROI). You want an affordable tool that will generate relevant leads—i.e., people who will contact your firm—so that you have the opportunity to establish trust and convert those leads to clients. Studies show that online directories are the go-to resource for many individuals who need legal representation. A study by Thomson Reuters found that approximately one of every three consumers looking for an attorney started their online search in a directory, and nearly one in four who went to those directories started evaluating potential firms within a day.
Some Basic Things to Understand about Legal Directories
A legal directory is essentially a repository or database of attorneys and law firms, typically sortable by geographic location, as well as type of practice. Legal directories have been around for many years, but their online availability makes it much easier for potential clients to find and use them. Some directories are free, and others are available for a one-time or periodic fee.
As a general rule, free directories are basic and allow you to provide prospective clients with minimal information. Paid directories allow you to provide far more information, thereby more effectively distinguishing yourself from the competition. Details you might be able to provide in paid-for listings include the following:
- Honors and awards
- Case results
- Testimonials
- Publications
- Pro bono activities
- Languages spoken
How Can Placement in an Online Legal Directory Help Market Your Practice?
Online legal directory listings can pay a number of dividends when marketing your practice:
- Increased credibility—Online directory listings carry a certain credence, even if you’re paying to be there. There’s a public perception that, by virtue of your listing in the directory, you’ve acquired a certain level of success and demonstrated a significant degree of skill, knowledge, and expertise. That creates the initial level of trust that can lead a prospective client to contact you.
- Demonstration of your knowledge and expertise—With the right listings, you can include honors and awards, evidence of past successes, and even links to informative articles you’ve written.
- Increased online visibility—Legal directories typically perform very well with Google and other search engines, often appearing on the first page of results in Google. If you are listed, you’ll increase the likelihood that a prospective client will find you.
- Increased traffic to your website—One of the most effective tools offered with most directory listings is a backlink to your firm’s website. The more backlinks you have from respected online legal directories, the better your website should perform in searches overall.
- Improved chances of getting referrals—Other law firms use online legal directories, too. In fact, if that’s a key way of building your client base, you can tailor your directory listings to catch the eyes of other attorneys and law firms.
Let GetLegal Help You Build Your Practice with Online Directory Listings
At GetLegal, we have worked closely with lawyers and law firms nationwide for more than 20 years, providing guidance and start-of-the-art products to help maximize ROI on online marketing. We provide a number of online directory products tailored to meet your specific needs and budget. We also offer an extensive selection of tools and strategies to help you build and market a practice online, including website development (with custom content), search engine optimization, reputation management, and social media marketing. Let us work with you to create and implement a unique and effective strategy to make your practice more robust. To learn more, go to GetLegalPracticeBuilder.com or call 1-817-359-7077.
