Earning and retaining clients can be challenging for law firms. A popular method is through directories. Listing on LawInfo is a popular way attorneys build backlinks and generate new traffic. There are several factors to consider to determine if listing on a directory like LawInfo is suitable for your firm.
What Are Directory Listings?
Online legal directories provide potential law firm clients with extensive lists of firms and attorneys. They exist to help consumers find and contact the right lawyer for their needs. Most online legal directories provide basic contact information like name, address, phone number, and practice area specialties. Some directories also provide backlinks to law firm websites.
If you want to build your online presence and expand website traffic, a legal directory could help. The primary advantage of these directories is the possibility that your website will appear more often on search results. This is especially true if you have an entry on a high-ranking directory. You also have the option of participating in multiple directories.
When used correctly, it’s possible illegal directory listing could make a significant difference in the amount of traffic your website gets every month. To determine if it is worth the cost, you need to evaluate the directory thoroughly. While legal directories can increase your chances of performing high in Google search results, the cost and lack of backlinks may not be worth the investment.
What Is LawInfo?
LawInfo is a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters. It has over 180,000 ranked keywords and significant domain and page authority. A number of search engines link to LawInfo, which makes it a potentially valuable resource for lawyers.
In order to make it easy for users to search and obtain information on its website, LawInfo categorizes attorneys based on provided practice areas. Consumers can access the information they need to make decisions regarding choosing an attorney.
LawInfo offers a yearly paid contract with no renewal option. The listing is removed immediately upon expiration. Standard and premium services are available, starting at $40 a month. It’s one of the most expensive legal directories.
It is important to note that law info provides no-follow backlinks and custom links. Both of those factors can negatively affect the value of the backlinks to websites. No-follow backlinks tell Google’s crawlers not to visit or count those links. While LawInfo directs potential clients to your website, they use a custom link. This means visitors are not getting to your site through your exact web address.
Is Listing on LawInfo Worth the Money?
Determining if listing on LawInfo is worth the investment for your firm depends on your marketing goals and budget. Keep in mind that you also want to evaluate the quality of the law firm citations the directory provides. It is considerably more valuable to list your firm on a directory that offers do-follow links instead of no-follow links. Better value may be found on directories that provide explicit, followed links within listings.
If, however, LawInfo ranks highly in your area on search engines, it could be worth the cost. Considering that LawInfo is one of the more expensive legal directories, you may not get a return on your initial investment.
To get an idea of whether LawInfo ranks well in your area, choose a common keyword, one that you track for your own website, and search it through Google. If LawInfo appears at the top of the search engine page results, you can assume the directory performs well. This is important because few potential clients use directories directly. Instead, it is more likely they would type their search into Google and look at the first few results to find answers.
There are a number of other legal directories with similar domain authority to LawInfo that cost less or are free. Examples include the following:
Depending on your firm and marketing strategy, it could also be the case the directory listing provides no real SEO value for your website. If you are unsure which option is best for your firm, consider consulting SEO experts.
How to Get Listed on LawInfo
To obtain a listing on LawInfo, you have to go through their Lead Counsel Application. LawInfo’s Lead Counsel Verification process is in place to connect individuals and businesses with the best possible legal representation based on their needs. Attorneys who receive the Lead Counsel badge are considered experienced, licensed, in good standing, and have a clean disciplinary record.
You will supply contact information about yourself and your law firm and information to verify your credentials. Once the application is received, the Lead Counsel Review and Support Team will review it and determine if you are eligible. If your application is approved, you will submit payment, and your listing will stay active for at least one year.
Many Lead Counsel Verified attorneys hold positions in legal organizations and occupy positions on professional boards. Some have also won arads, authored articles and works, and played essential roles in their communities. Lead Counsel Verified attorneys are reviewed annually to ensure they continue to meet the requirements.
According to LawInfo, attorneys who apply for a Lead Counsel badge must commit to a specific set of service standards, including the following:
- Charging reasonable legal fees
- Communicate with clients promptly
- Complying with the Rules for Professional Conduct
- Discussing strategies and objectives for successful representation
- Explaining in advance how costs are calculated and billed
- Explaining rights and legal obligations thoroughly
- Informing clients of case proceedings
- Maintaining high ethical standards
- Remaining in good standing with applicable bar associations
- Representing clients diligently and competently
- Staying current in the practice areas in which they are verified
- Treating clients with courtesy and respect
Digital Marketing: Next Steps
To decide if listing on LawInfo is a proactive decision for your law firm, you need to evaluate the circumstances. With LawInfo being one of the more expensive directories, you will want to ensure LawInfo ranks highly on Google for your area and determine if the cost fits your marketing and SEO budget.
Annette Choti graduated from law school 20 years ago, and is now the CEO & Owner of Law Quill, a legal digital marketing agency focused on small and solo law firms. Law Quill is the only legal digital marketing agency that provides unique, SEO-optimized content, pre-packaged content, and courses for lawyers to learn SEO themselves through Law Quill Academy. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so different from the legal field if we are all being honest. Annette can be found on LinkedIn or at annette@lawquill.com.
