Google Reviews for Lawyers: 2024 Guide to Boosting Your Law Firm Online

• Did your last potential client choose a competitor after reading their 50+ 4.5-star Google reviews?
• Are you losing $10,000+ in monthly revenue because your firm has only three client reviews from 2022?
• When a prospect searches "best lawyer near me," does your firm appear on page 3 of the results?

Your Google review profile is your law firm's digital lifeline. Neglecting reviews is equivalent to turning away clients at your door.

This guide will help you reach the top of local search results, outshining competitors and turning browsers into paying clients.

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Why Google Reviews Matter for Your Law Firm

Google Reviews prove that your law firm is legitimate, operational, and- when positive- reliable and trustworthy.

• Builds Credibility: Google reviews leverage social proof to build trust and credibility. Social proof is a psychological phenomenon in which people follow the actions of others, assuming those actions reflect correct behavior. Potential clients who see numerous positive reviews in law firms are more likely to trust your services.
• Influences Decision-Making: Reviews significantly influence potential clients' decision-making. Studies show that 99% of people read online reviews before choosing a local business, including law firms. Moreover, 91% of consumers say positive reviews make them more likely to use a business. For law firms specifically, 81% of people seeking legal services use online reviews as part of their selection process.
• Increases Click-Through Rates: Positive reviews and high star ratings appear prominently in Google search results and Google Maps listings. This visual cue of stars and review counts attracts users' attention, making them 35% more likely to click on your firm's listing over others.
• Provides Social Proof: The star rating system offers a quick visual cue of your firm's overall performance, while detailed reviews provide specific insights into client experiences. This combination of social proof in the form of quantitative (star ratings) and qualitative (written feedback) information helps potential clients form a comprehensive view of your services.

How Reviews for Lawyers Impact Your Law Firm’s SEO

For any lawyer's local SEO strategy, ranking prominently in Google's Local Pack—the top three business listings displayed in Google search results—is a top priority. Where you show up in those search results matters a great deal; 42% of website traffic goes to the businesses featured in Google's map pack when it appears. So, the more your firm appears as an option for potential clients searching in your area, the better.

This means law firms that secure a spot in the Local Pack enjoy a much higher success rate than their competitors on the first page of regular search results. Google's algorithm for map rankings considers three main factors: relevance, prominence, and distance. And a significant part of the prominence factor is tied to the volume and recency of your reviews.

All else being equal, firms with more reviews are more prominent and outrank competitors with fewer reviews. Google also prioritizes firms that maintain a steady stream of new reviews over those with a large but stagnant review backlog. Getting each client to leave a review is crucial, as this consistent pipeline of fresh feedback demonstrates to Google that you are actively working on cases and providing a great client experience.

Positive reviews create a virtuous cycle, indicating to Google and prospective clients that your firm is popular, reliable, and deserves top billing.

This, in turn, attracts clients and generates more Google reviews. The data proves it: 5-star ratings boost clicks from Google's Local Pack by 25%. Moreover, 56% of consumers clearly prefer businesses that have garnered positive reviews.

How Many Google Lawyer Reviews Your Law Firm Needs

The number of Google reviews you need depends on your law firm's SEO goals and local competition. To determine a competitive review target for your firm, follow this simple process:

1. Search for your primary keyword (e.g., "personal injury lawyer Boston" or "estate planning attorney Chicago").
2. Identify the top 3 competitors in Google's map results on page 1. Note their names, number of reviews, and average ratings.
3. Calculate the average number of reviews among these top 3 competitors and identify the highest average rating.

Compare your firm's current metrics to these findings. Aim to match or exceed the average number of reviews and the highest rating you identified. This approach will help position your law firm competitively in local search results.

Here's a hypothetical scenario where your top 3 competitors in the local legal market have the following Google review statistics:

Based on this data, your law firm should aim for 

• An average rating of 4.9 
• A total of 195 reviews

So, if your firm currently has 50 reviews, you’ll need to collect 145 more to reach this competitive benchmark. Remember, this is a starting point. Continuously monitor and adjust your strategy as the competitive landscape evolves.

Insider advice: Collecting Google reviews should be an ongoing, natural process. Don't rush to get many reviews at once and then stop. If you suddenly receive many reviews, especially if you currently have only a few, Google might view this as suspicious behavior. Aim for a steady, gradual increase in reviews over time to maintain authenticity

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How to Get More Google Attorney Reviews

Boosting your law firm's online reputation doesn't have to be a challenge, even for smaller practices. With the right strategies, you can compete effectively against larger firms in the digital space.

— Integrate Reviews Into the Client Journey

Make review requests a standard part of your closing procedures at the end of each case. Provide past clients with a direct link to your law firm Google Business Profile or other review platform and a personalized message thanking them for their business and inviting them to share their experiences. You can even offer a small incentive, like a discount on future services, to encourage participation. Ideally, you want to make this process as easy as possible.

— Ask for Google Reviews Specifically

It may be tempting to ask clients to provide reviews via email or other channels, but it's vital to direct them specifically to your Google Business Profile. Google's algorithm places the most weight on reviews left directly on its own platform. Directing clients to your Google listing guarantees that those positive testimonials have the greatest impact on your firm's visibility and ability to attract new leads in your area. Plus, you can repurpose those reviews across your website and other marketing channels later.

— Share Your Mission

Emphasize to clients how their reviews make a real difference in helping prospective clients find the right firm. This framing appeals to clients' altruistic instincts and reinforces the importance of their review in furthering your mission to connect people seeking your legal representation. Highlighting a bigger-picture perspective inspires more thoughtful, impactful reviews from satisfied clients.

— Set Goals for Google Attorney Reviews

Set specific goals, like a target number of new reviews per month or quarter, and make this a key performance indicator for which your entire team is accountable. Regularly monitoring your progress identifies opportunities to improve your review generation process and celebrates the wins in building up important social proof for potential clients. And don't forget to respond to reviews - positive or negative - as this demonstrates you value customer feedback, a plus in Google's books.

How to Reply to Google Law Firm Reviews

Promptly thanking clients for reviewing your law firm on Google builds goodwill and cements their positive experience working with your team. Even for negative reviews, a sincere apology and an attempt to address concerns go a long way. It's par the course to receive a bad review once in a while; most businesses do. Often, it's a grouchy client and nothing to do with your services.

Most clients are willing to overlook a few negative Google reviews for lawyers, saying they would consider hiring a law firm despite some critical feedback. It's helpful to view less-than-stellar reviews as opportunities that demonstrate you're engaged, responsive, and committed to resolving issues. When replying, make sure your responses  are personalized and express gratitude.

— Responding to Negative Lawyer Reviews on Google

When facing bad reviews about your business, especially when putting a law firm in review, follow these steps:

1. Respond promptly but not hastily. Take time to process the review and consider your response carefully.
2. Acknowledge the complaint, even if you disagree. Use phrases like "I understand you felt..." or "Thank you for your feedback about our legal services..."
3. Apologize sincerely, even if it's difficult. This shows professionalism and graciousness to potential clients.
4. Suggest taking the discussion offline to avoid public back-and-forth and encourage a more reasoned approach.
5. Offer a specific resolution you're prepared to give, rather than asking the dissatisfied client what they want.

Remember, each thoughtful response can teach valuable lessons about your practice.

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Top 5 Tools for Gathering Google Lawyer Reviews

You don't have to do all the painstaking work yourself. Our five top-rated tools efficiently gather and manage good reviews for lawyers on Google and other platforms, enhancing online reputation and visibility.

1. Birdeye

Birdeye collects and manages reviews from over 200 sites, giving your practice unmatched visibility. With a private Google API, your reviews seamlessly appear in search results, boosting your online presence. Birdeye simplifies reputation management, turning client experiences into a powerful marketing tool. It's user-friendly, effective, and tailored for legal professionals. And it immediately notifies you via email or SMS when you get a new review so you can respond timeously.

2. Kenect

Kenect is a cloud-based tool that boosts businesses' online reputations by using text messages to request Google reviews. According to this SaaS company, this approach works incredibly well, with 35-58% of customers responding—that's 35 times better than email requests, which only get 2% responses. You can reply to reviews directly within the Kinect platform. Or, if you don’t have time, their team of Managed Reputation experts will do it for you.

3. Podium

Podium streamlines review collection through text and email prompts, integrating with over 24 review sites. The platform offers competitive benchmarking, detailed analytics, and a mobile app for on-the-go management. With automated review invitations and seamless integration with various business systems, Podium significantly boosts review volume and helps improve online reputation. The platform claims you can "double your monthly review volume in less than 60 days."

4. Broadly

Broadly also simplifies review collection through automated requests via text and email. The platform offers a centralized dashboard for efficient review management, real-time monitoring, and SEO for lawyers. It integrates with various business tools such as Constant Contact, Zapier, QuickBooks Online Advanced, and Mailchimp. Broadly helps law firms enhance their online presence and customer relationships with customizable templates, detailed analytics, and mobile app support.

5. NiceJob

NiceJob offers unique features for reputation management, including an employee leaderboard for review attribution and a story creation tool for marketing. Its automated review collection system sends reminders to increase response rates. The platform's ability to sync reviews to business websites aids SEO, while multi-platform support allows centralized management. These unique features, combined with detailed analytics and location-specific data, make NiceJob a premiere lawyer reputation management tool.

Final Thoughts: How Google Reviews Can Drive Law Firm Growth

Authentic client feedback enhances your firm's credibility, improves search rankings, and influences potential clients' decision-making processes. Remember, building a solid review profile is an ongoing effort that requires patience and strategy.

To start leveraging the power of Google reviews:

1. Implement a systematic approach to request reviews from satisfied clients
2. Respond professionally to all reviews, both positive and negative
3. Use review insights to improve your services

Take action today: Call Grow Law Firm to manage your reputation, improve your SEO strategy, and streamline the review process. Our lawyer SEO review services and digital marketing strategies deliver strong ROI and excellent customer care. Your future clients are searching—we'll ensure they find a compelling reason to choose your firm!