Marketing your law firm is a multi-prong endeavor, perhaps more so now than ever. Listing your law firm in an online lawyer directory is only one of those prongs, yet it's an essential tool. Showing up in such a directory will highlight your firm, helping it not blend in with all the others.

Many people mistakenly think that online lawyer directories resemble online yellow pages. While they may have started as such, they are no longer. Instead, they have evolved into lead-generating channels that boost your online reputation and help increase your online search result ranking. If you don't know much about these directories or how to get started, now is the time to get on board and leverage this tool for your firm.

What is an Online Lawyer Directory?

An online lawyer directory is a website that indexes various lawyers and law firms, making them easily accessible to someone searching for legal help. Directories make it easier for your law firm to be discovered by potential clients. Additionally, they can provide lead generation, a platform for online reviews, SEO, and other marketing opportunities.

How Lawyer Directories Improve SEO

Most of the time, if someone is searching for a lawyer, they want one within their geographical location. As such, you want your law firm to rank high in local search results so the people that would realistically use your services can find you easily. Many lawyer directories have high authority when it comes to page ranking. If you list your law firm with them, you are more likely to show up in local search results courtesy of their directory.

Not only that, but law firm directories also work as backlinks as they funnel online traffic to your website. Backlinks are essential to SEO as they can improve your law firm's online reputation and increase the credibility of your website. Both of these factors serve to enhance your search ranking even more. 

Are All Directories Created Equal?

Take note that not all directories are created equal. You want to be sure that you pick and choose the best ones for your firm. Stick with law firm directories that:

• Have high traffic

• Are trusted and reputable

• Offer features and value to attract clients, including reviews or optional Q&A for attorneys to complete

• Allow you to add additional content on your profile as many details are helpful to potential clients

Recommended Directories

You want to list your law firm in directories that help get your name out in front of clients who need your help. Recommended directory listings to ensure that your law firm is connected to the best sources of possible business include:

• Super Lawyers: Large website with brand equity driving traffic

• Martindale-Hubbell: Existing reputation within the legal community and high traffic site

• Avvo: Highly trafficked and offers lawyer reviews

• Nolo: Lets you publish articles on your firm's profile, resulting in many potential leads

• FindLaw: Hosts online legal Q&A forums and provides consumers with free legal guides and articles

• Lawyers.com: Easy to remember name with free legal information for consumers

• Lawyer.com: A global directory serving all major legal markets worldwide that provides several key features for connecting lawyers with potential clients

• HG.org: Has high authority with over 1,200,000 unique monthly visitors and allows lawyers to build a specialized listing to reach a specific target client base

• Justia: At more than ten million visits every month, it's the highest-trafficked legal website within the U.S., and lawyer listings also appear on the Legal Information Institute (Cornell) website

Directories are One Tool 

Remember that online lawyer directories are only a single tool in your toolbox. They serve an important purpose and can be highly effective. Still, they must be used in conjunction with other tools for your marketing plan to be successful. To help ensure that you're constantly marketing your law firm, don't forget to equally focus on your other marketing channels, including: 

• Ads

• Blogs

• Email newsletters

• Backlinks

• Law Firm Websites

• Podcasts

If you want your law firm to earn better search engine rankings and appear in directories, now is the time to get your law firm listed and to verify important details like location and phone number. As part of a comprehensive marketing plan, directories help potential clients find you.