Legal Directories: Which Ones Are Worth a Law Firm's Time

Legal directories are websites that list lawyers by location and practice area so people can find and compare them. Some are run by bar associations, some by publishers, and some by companies whose business is selling premium placement to firms. For a law firm they do three jobs at once: they can send potential clients directly, they help local search by confirming the firm's name, address and phone number, and they give the firm another place to collect reviews.

Not every directory does all three, and some do none of them well. This guide covers how to tell the difference.

What a directory listing actually does

• Direct enquiries. People searching for a lawyer sometimes land on a directory page before they reach any firm's website. A good profile on a directory that ranks for the searches you care about can bring those people to you.
• Local search signals. Search engines cross-check a business's name, address and phone number across the web. Consistent listings on reputable directories support the firm's local rankings. The guide to law firm local SEO explains how these citations fit with everything else.
• Reviews and trust. Many directories carry client reviews and peer ratings. A strong profile reassures someone who is comparing firms, and it adds to the picture a prospective client builds before calling.
• Links. A profile usually links to the firm's website. Many of these links do not pass much ranking value on their own, but they still help people and search engines find the site.

The main types of legal directory

General lawyer directories such as Avvo, Justia, FindLaw, Lawyers.com and Martindale-Hubbell list attorneys across the country and across practice areas. They tend to rank well for broad searches, which is why they show up so often on the first page of results.

Peer rating and recognition services such as Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers select attorneys through their own review processes. Their value is mostly credibility rather than traffic, and the selection criteria are theirs, not yours.

Bar association and lawyer referral directories are run by state and local bars. They carry weight because of who runs them, and some operate referral services with their own rules for joining.

General business directories such as Yelp and the Better Business Bureau are not legal specific, but people do use them to check a firm, and they count as citations for local search.

Google Business Profile is not a directory in the usual sense, but it does more for local visibility than any of them. If it is not set up and maintained, start there. The guide to Google Business Profile for lawyers covers it step by step.

How to tell whether a directory is worth paying for

Most directories offer a free basic profile and charge for better placement, extra practice areas or enhanced profiles. Before paying, check these things:

1. Does it rank where your clients search? Search the phrases a client would use, such as a case type plus your city, and see whether the directory appears on the first page. If it does not, a paid listing there buys very little traffic.
2. Who else is on the page? Look at the profiles already shown for your market. If the paid spots are full of large firms with long review histories, consider whether you can compete there.
3. What exactly are you paying for? Ask whether you are paying for placement, for a set number of enquiries or for something else, and how enquiries are delivered and counted.
4. Can you measure it? If the directory cannot be tracked to enquiries and signed cases, you will never know whether it paid for itself.

Setting up a profile that works

• Claim it. Some directories create profiles for every licensed attorney from public records. Claim yours so the details are correct and you control what is shown.
• Keep the details identical. Use exactly the same firm name, address and phone number everywhere. Small differences weaken the local search signal.
• Fill in every section. Practice areas, a clear description written for clients, a professional photo, languages spoken, education and bar admissions.
• Ask for reviews. Reviews on directories count with the people reading them. The guide to law firm reputation management covers how to ask without breaking the rules.
• Answer questions where the directory allows it. Some directories let lawyers answer public legal questions. Thoughtful answers build visibility, but keep them general and avoid creating an attorney-client relationship.

The rules still apply

A directory profile is lawyer advertising. Everything on it must be truthful and not misleading under rules based on ABA Model Rule 7.1, and paying for a listing has to fit within the advertising and referral limits in Rule 7.2. Paying the reasonable cost of an advertisement is generally allowed. Paying a directory for recommending you, or a share of fees for cases it sends, can cross the line. Descriptions of yourself as a specialist and displays of awards or ratings also carry conditions in many states. The guides to lawyer advertising and attorney referral fees go into more detail, and your state bar's rules are the final word.

Measuring what directories bring in

Directories are easy to sign up for and hard to judge, so measure them like any other channel. Use a tracked phone number or tagged website links on each paid profile, record the source of every enquiry at intake and follow it through to a signed case. Compare the cost of each paid directory against the signed cases it produced, not the profile views it reports. The guide to law firm KPIs explains which numbers matter.

Free profiles need less scrutiny, but they still need upkeep. An out of date phone number on a forgotten listing costs enquiries quietly.

Where directories fit in a marketing plan

For most injury firms, directories are a supporting channel rather than the main one. They help local search, add credibility and pick up some enquiries, while search, paid ads, referrals and the firm's own website do most of the work. The legal marketing guide shows how the channels fit together, and the law firm marketing plan guide covers how to budget across them.

The short version

Claim and complete your free profiles on the major legal directories, keep your details identical everywhere and collect reviews. Pay for premium placement only where the directory ranks for the searches your clients actually make, and only if you can track the enquiries and signed cases it produces. Keep every profile within your state's advertising rules.