Are you looking to boost your law firm’s online presence and improve your search engine rankings? If that is the case, you may want to consider claiming your listing on AVVO.  But is AVVO worth the money? Legal directories are not always worth the price for what you get, but it is essential to understand your options so you can make the best decision for your firm. AVVO is a great tool your firm can utilize to gather positive reviews and recommendations that you can leverage with other marketing strategies to boost your leave conversions.

AVVO: An Online Legal Directory

AVVO is an online legal directory. It offers services for lawyers and individuals seeking legal guidance or services. Some of their services include:

• Client reviews
• Disciplinary actions against attorneys
• General knowledge answers
• Lawyer referrals
• Peer attorney referrals

AVVO was founded in 2006 by a former member of the Expedia litigation team. The platform is supported by legal and non-legal communities in the United States. With listings and ratings on an estimated 97% of all licensed attorneys in the United States, AVVO results are searchable on search engines like Google and Bing. When potential clients search your name or law firm, there is a possibility your AVVO profile will be one of the first search results they see.  

How Does AVVO’s Rating System Work? 

If you passed the bar exam, you likely have an AVVO profile–whether you have ever come across it. The legal directory uses a rating system for attorneys who claim their profiles. The more information on a profile, the higher the rating, typically. The rating system is as follows:  

• 10-9.0 = Superb 
• 8.9-8.0 = Excellent 
• 7.9-7.0 = Good 
• 6.9-6.0 = Fair 
• 5.9-5.0 = Average 
• <5.0 = Red Flag 

Ratings are calculated using the same set of standards for all attorneys. The mathematical model was developed based on input from hundreds of lawyers and thousands of consumers across the country. The rating system reflects the type of legal information consumers need when hiring an attorney. 

Calculating and Displaying AVVO Ratings 

Ratings are based on public data sourced by the legal directory. Additional information added by attorneys also factors into their rating. All of the public data comes from sources like state bar association records, regulatory agencies, court records, and other sources on the internet. It is crucial for attorneys to add their information to their profiles because the public data is not always complete. To do that, you must claim your profile or contact AVVO customer service.

There are a number of qualification factors that go into determining a lawyer’s rating. Experiences, professional achievements, and disciplinary sanctions are all included. However, some factors will not impact your AVVO score, such as:

• Answering legal questions on AVVO
• Buying advertising
• Client referrals
• Cross-promoting on your website
• Uploading legal guides

Numerical ratings are given to attorneys who claim their profiles. For lawyers who have not claimed their profile and have no public record of bar association discipline, profiles say, “This attorney is not active on AVVO.” However, if a lawyer has faced disciplinary action, their profile will display “Attention.” This signifies to consumers that they should be aware of an attorney’s history prior to seeking legal help from them.

Can You Change Your AVVO Rating? 

If you have already claimed your profile and are now looking to improve your score, start by filling in any of the blanks on your profile. You can add work experience, dedicated practice areas, and professional achievements. The more information you include, the better the legal directory can score you.

It is important to note that ratings are not changed upon request. Individual attorney ratings cannot be adjusted. All lawyers are responsible for ensuring any information on the legal directory complies with the rules of professional conduct. Inaccurate information or inappropriate communications with prospective clients will result in a lower rating.

While you may not be able to request a rating adjustment, ratings naturally change over time as more information is collected. The rating is automatically recalculated when new information is added to a given profile based on the mathematical model AVVO uses. Ratings may also change when data is collected but not automatically verifiable. Information like that will be marked as “unknown.” The rating is updated once the information has been confirmed or denied.

An attorney’s score may also change as some information is given less weight as time passes. Additionally, there is the possibility that AVVO’s mathematical model could be adjusted, resulting in numerical rating changes. 

Is AVVO Worth the Money?

If you have not yet taken advantage of claiming your AVVO profile, it is time to get started. You will want to grab your free listing, confirm its accuracy, and add any relevant information. As prospective clients come across your profile, you want to give them the best first impression possible. This will encourage them to reach out to you for a consultation. Your profile will benefit even more if you include reviews and recommendations.

AVVO also has a premium listing that you can pay for. If you are uncertain if the expense makes sense for your law firm, take a look at your marketing budget. AVVO Advanced does not guarantee lead generation, and you only have the ability to be seen for as long as you pay to be on their platform. 

In the end, you are paying a substantial amount of money to be on someone else’s platform. If you are truly ready to commit to your digital marketing and growing online, the best possible way to do so is to invest in your own virtual real estate by creating an amazing website, and content that is optimized for SEO. You can then work to promote your content on social media platforms and build backlinks. Ultimately, this investment is permanent – as long as you create and own the content it will be there to draw in new potential clients, unlike AVVO. 

Digital Marketing: Next Steps 

Whether AVVO is worth the money for your law firm depends on whether you only want to claim your free profile or you are looking to pursue a new marketing strategy with one of their premium offerings. Ultimately, building up your free profile is a reliable way to present yourself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy attorney while offering free legal advice and generating new leads.

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.