Reputation Management for Lawyers: Strategies to Stay Ahead

Your reputation is your most valuable asset as a lawyer. It determines the respect you receive, the opportunities that come your way, and ultimately, your success. Your reputation isn’t just built in the courtroom- it's also shaped online, where over 90% of clients read reviews before choosing a lawyer. And with 78% of people trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, one negative comment can cost you more than just a case, it can cost you your credibility and image.

You need a strong reputation that can attract new clients and foster trust, and that's gained through tactical reputation management. Reputation management for lawyers isn’t about hiding the bad; it allows you to highlight the good and address the rest strategically. Therefore, proactive law firm reputation management is crucial. This often-underestimated aspect of digital marketing is just as essential as legal search engine optimization or lawyer pay-per-click advertising to ensure your success.

By the end of this guide, you'll be well-equipped with the strategies you need to create and protect a reputation that sets you apart from the competition.

What Is Law Firm Online Reputation Management?

Reputation management for attorneys is the process of monitoring, influencing, and improving how your law firm is perceived online. It's the systematic process of building trust through reviews and ratings while protecting your firm's image across the internet.

The benefits? Boosting SEO value, improving local search rankings, increasing conversion rates, and saving time with tools that consolidate reviews, to name a few. While reviews and ratings don’t directly guarantee featured snippets, a strong online presence can improve the reputation lawyers have on Google, making it more likely to be selected when you rank well for relevant queries.

Take our client William F. Kendig, for instance. We encouraged satisfied clients to leave detailed reviews on his Martindale profile, helping maintain his impressive 4.8 rating. Positive reviews were strategically highlighted across multiple platforms, and Kendig’s profile was fully optimized with updated practice areas, case wins, educational background, and professional certifications. We also regularly updated his profile with recent accolades, awards, and media mentions to build credibility and showcase his accomplishments.

Google as Your Investigative Resource

Before managing your reputation, you need to see what clients see. Start your reputation management for lawyers by Googling your law firm and attorneys’ names in incognito mode (CTRL+Shift+N on Windows or Command+Shift+N on Mac). This prevents Google from showing personalized results based on your firm connection.

You can try searching "ABC Law Atlanta reviews" or "John Doe attorney ratings." These searches reveal your Google Business Profile, review sites, and any mentions across the web. For example, searching "XYZ Criminal Defense NYC" might show their 4.8-star Google rating, Avvo profile, and recent media mention. This gives your law firm a clear picture of your digital footprint.

We have already mentioned Google Business Profile (GBP) above and its importance can not be overstated. With 87% of potential clients trusting Google reviews, your profile needs to be claimed, complete, and consistently monitored.

Of course, reputation management doesn’t stop at your GBP; you should also maintain accurate, matching information across directories, such as Avvo, Lawyers.com, and FindLaw. While setting up, watch for negative reviews; even unclaimed profiles can host client feedback. Remember: inconsistent business information across platforms can damage your reputation and confuse prospects.

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Leverage Social Media

Social media is one of the best channels to amplify your reputation while connecting directly with potential clients. The key? Choose one platform where your ideal clients already gather, and master it. For business clients, LinkedIn might be the best bet to showcase your expertise. For personal injury? TikTok's storytelling potential may work in your favor.

Publish helpful content to engage prospective clients based on what they are looking for. Additionally, get featured on trusted blogs, podcasts, and news outlets to expand your reach and credibility. Consistency and value are key to growing your audience and strengthening your reputation.

Strengthen Your Online Presence

When someone searches your firm's name, your own content should dominate the first page of results. Start by owning your website and branded content to control your narrative. Ensure your website is updated with accurate information and resources that demonstrate your knowledge.

Furthermore, optimize your SEO to push positive content above negative mentions. Focus on long-form content that answers common client questions, earns backlinks from reputable legal sources, and establishes your attorneys as subject matter experts. This builds a protective layer of positive content that defines your firm's online narrative.

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Learn How to Deal with Reviews

Once you have conducted your initial online reputation management research, you will have a much better understanding of the public perception of your law firm. The next step is learning how to respond to both negative and positive reviews.

Positive Reviews Approach

When clients leave positive feedback, respond promptly and personally. A thoughtful response not only shows appreciation but also reinforces your firm's commitment to client service – especially since 88% of clients are more likely to use a business that responds to reviews. So:

• Say "Thank you"
• Drop the name of your law firm in your response
• Engage in some mild self-promotion

Remember, other potential clients will see these reviews and your responses. If you post the same generic reply to every client, your law firm may come off as impersonal.

Instead of a generic "Thanks for choosing our law firm," try something like: "Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, James. The team at Smith Family Law is grateful for your trust in handling your divorce case. We're committed to providing compassionate guidance to all our clients during difficult times."

Negative Reviews Approach

There will always be negative reviews, and you can't ignore them. You need to handle them carefully, in a way that doesn’t hurt your firm while resolving the client's issue. In fact, 71% of customers will update their negative reviews when businesses respond appropriately.

When responding to negative reviews, we suggest that you:

• Empathize
• Promote
• Move the conversation offline
• Keep it professional

So the conversation could go like this:

“We’re sorry to hear about your experience, [Client Name]. At [Your Law Firm’s Name], we strive to provide exceptional service, and we’d like to address your concerns directly. Please contact our office at (000) 123-4567 so we can address your experience directly and find a solution that works for you.

If the disgruntled reviewer never contacts your firm or leaves a malicious reply, do not pursue the matter further. The exception is if they make libelous statements intended to damage your online reputation. In this scenario, file a grievance with the review platform.

Collect More Reviews for Attorney Reputation Management

Reviews directly impact how prospective clients perceive and choose their legal representation. A steady stream of positive reviews not only strengthens your online presence but also helps potential clients make informed decisions about your services.

Request Reviews in Time

Timing is everything when asking for reviews. Avoid requesting feedback during potentially tense moments, like fee discussions or billing conversations. Instead, wait until you've successfully resolved your client's legal matter – this is when they're most likely to share their positive experience.

Remember that in-person requests tend to yield better results, though digital requests work well if that's been your primary mode of communication with the client.

Assess Client Satisfaction

When preparing to ask for a review, gauge the client's contentment. You can ask something like, "Are you satisfied with the services that our law firm has provided?" Their answer will reveal whether you should request a review — and possibly areas in your practice that you can improve upon.

However, a client's satisfaction levels can be much less clear when providing general legal services such as document preparation. While you definitely do not want to request online reviews from disgruntled clients, you may not want to solicit them from clients who are "lukewarm" towards your law firm.

Use Email to Request Reviews

Email review requests combine convenience with immediate action. By including direct links to your review platforms, you make it easy for satisfied clients to share their experiences while their positive impressions are fresh.

The simpler you make the review process, the more likely clients will take the time to share their feedback, strengthening your online reputation.

Make a Proper Fill-In Form

A well-designed review form on your website helps collect valuable client feedback. Keep the form straightforward but comprehensive enough to capture meaningful testimonials.

Include fields for:

• Identifying client information
• The type of services rendered
• The results
• What the client liked about your law firm

Most fields should remain optional, giving clients flexibility in how much detail they wish to share.

Simplify the Review Process

A streamlined review process shows respect for your clients' time while maximizing feedback collection. Your review form should be easily accessible and quick to complete – no more than two to three minutes from start to finish.

This efficiency not only demonstrates professionalism but also increases the likelihood of clients following through with their reviews, ultimately strengthening your digital presence.

Avoid Falsified Testimonials

When engaging in online reputation management, some businesses elect to create fictitious reviews to bolster their brand images. Not only is this approach immoral, but it can absolutely ruin your law firm's credibility for the foreseeable future. As if that were not bad enough, Google and other search engines have taken a hard stance against falsifying testimonials.

As noted above, you can actively solicit reviews from customers. You can even offer them incentives for leaving your law firm a review. However, these incentives must be reasonable and cannot be contingent on them leaving a positive review.

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Top Tips for Managing Your Attorney Reputation Strategy

If you want to create an effective reputation management strategy for your law firm, we recommend that you:

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

An optimized Google Business Profile will lay the foundation for all other reputation management for law firms. Formerly referred to as "Google My Business," Google Business Profile is a platform designed specifically for local companies in specified industries, including the legal sector.

To optimize your profile:

• Claim and verify your business listing
• Complete all information sections, including practice areas
• Verify your account via phone or email
• Add enticing offers like free consultations
• Remove any duplicate listings
• Begin collecting client reviews to boost visibility

Take our client, experienced Encino Personal Injury Lawyers at Cohen & Marzban, for example: After optimizing their Google Business Profile and implementing a strategic review collection system, their profile visibility increased significantly, leading to a significant uptick in qualified leads.

Use Review Manager

Legal reputation management becomes more efficient with specialized review management software that helps track and respond to client feedback across multiple platforms. Tools like BirdEye, Grade.us, and Reputation.com help track and respond to reviews across multiple platforms while identifying duplicate listings that could harm your visibility.

Monitor Reviews Data

One of the biggest challenges associated with reputation management for attorneys is keeping up with all of your various business listings. While listing your business on a multitude of platforms is critical to maximizing visibility, it is all too easy to overlook some of these listings when monitoring review data.

Track these essential data points:

• Overall star rating trends across platforms
• Review volume and frequency
• Response time to client feedback
• Common praise points and complaints
• Competitor review performance

Furthermore, set up Google Alerts to automatically notify you when new reviews mention your firm, allowing you to quickly address any reputation management issues using appropriate reputation management tools.

Implement PR Strategies

Strategic public relations initiatives significantly enhance your law firm's reputation through increased visibility and credibility building.

Effective PR strategies include:

• Speaking at industry conferences and legal panels
• Contributing expert articles to legal publications
• Issuing press releases about firm achievements and case victories
• Hosting educational webinars or community workshops
• Participating in local charity events or pro bono initiatives
• Developing relationships with media contacts for expert commentary
• Leveraging social media for thought leadership content

Renovate Your Reputation Management Plan

Whether you choose to use reputation management software or partner with a dedicated firm, you will still need a cohesive plan. If you choose the former approach, you will have to create this plan yourself.

Here is a sample reputation management plan to understand what it should look like:

1. Assessment Phase (Month 1)
   • Audit current online presence across all platforms
   • Analyze competitor reputation strategies
   • Identify reputation strengths and vulnerabilities
2. Foundation Building (Months 2-3)
   • Optimize all business listings for consistency
   • Implement a review collection system
   • Develop response templates for different review scenarios
3. Growth Strategy (Months 4-6)
   • Launch targeted PR initiatives
   • Create an authoritative content calendar
   • Establish KPIs for measuring reputation improvement
4. Maintenance & Optimization (Ongoing)
   • Weekly review monitoring and response
   • Monthly performance analysis
   • Quarterly strategy adjustment meetings

If you elect to partner with an experienced reputation management firm, they will create the plan for you. This approach is particularly appealing to many legal professionals because it gives them the freedom to focus on the day-to-day operations of the firm.

Final Thoughts on Online Reputation Management

Looking for the best lawyer reputation management? Grow Law Firm has got you covered. Our legal marketing team appreciates the complexities of your field and is perfectly positioned to guard and enhance your reputation. We help you attract new clients while letting you focus on what you do best.

Don't take on reputation management alone, especially if you're new to digital marketing. Partner with us for effective law firm SEO services. Discover more about our online reputation management services and reach out to Grow Law Firm today.

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