FindLaw Basics

FindLaw is typically regarded as one of the most authoritative directories online for attorneys. Its Domain Authority score is an excellent 91, and its directory ranks very highly for almost all attorney-related search queries. For the purposes of this article, we will be discussing only FindLaw’s directory, not the other services it offers.

How Can an Attorney Make the Most of His FindLaw Profile?

Since the FindLaw Directory ranks so highly for so many searches, having a presence in the directory can be a great asset and as well as a tremendous leg up on your competition. Quit trying to outrank the directories, and instead focus on improving your presence on the directories themselves.

To Make the Most Out of a FindLaw Profile:

  • Check for any preexisting profiles that you can claim before creating a new profile. Even if you’ve never created a FindLaw directory listing for yourself, you may be surprised by what’s out there, and you want to avoid duplicates at all costs!
  • Assure that your N.A.P. information (name, address, and phone number) is accurate and displayed in a manner consistent with your other directory listings.
  • Fill out as much of the profile as you’re able to. Be sure to add your firm’s logo. Don’t forget to add your hours, whether you offer free consultations, and if you accept credit cards…just to name a few! You should be as detailed as possible in the information you add to your profile, and especially DON’T SKIMP ON THE “ABOUT THE FIRM” SECTION! This is true everywhere—not just on FindLaw—but it seems many attorneys don’t put enough effort into this crucial section. The “about” section of your profile is a great opportunity to sell your firm to the visitor in your own words. What sets you apart from your competitors? What drives you, personally, to help people the way that you do? These are great selling points that you miss out on if you have an incomplete profile.
  • After your firm’s profile is up to snuff, you can claim or add profiles for individual attorneys as well, and affiliate them with the main firm profile. All the principles of getting the most out of the firm profile apply to individual attorney’s profiles as well. Leave no stone unturned when completing your profile.
  • Finally, be sure you both publish and also verify your accounts once you’re done. In FindLaw jargon, “publishing” the profiles authorizes them to be listed in the directory (pending a day or two of review), while “verifying” tells FindLaw that you’re standing by the veracity of all the information listed. FindLaw is more likely to display verified accounts than unverified accounts; it’s important to remember to both publish and verify after setting up or making changes to any profile.

Should Attorneys Sign Up With FindLaw? Are Premium Accounts Worth It?

Attorneys should absolutely claim and improve their profile on FindLaw. Most lawyers’ websites aren’t going to outrank FindLaw for the searches that they both rank for, and for that reason it’s extremely important to make the most of your profile on the FindLaw directory. If you can’t rank number one, the next best thing is getting listed on the directory site that does rank number one.

However, there is less certainty when it comes to deciding whether to pay for a premium listing or not. Whether it’s worth the cost for you is influenced by two main factors:

  • FindLaw’s paid listing service is expensive. Compared to a lot of other paid directory listings (individual quotes vary, but around $100 a month for a multi-year commitment is fairly typical) the price at FindLaw is steep. However, having a paid profile is a near-imperative if you want to show up at the top of FindLaw’s listings for a particular practice area or geographical region.
  • Paying won’t do any good if you don’t bolster your profile. When determining if paying for a FindLaw listing is worth the cost, you need to take a look at how complete your profile is, how good the pictures and “About Us” section are, and how much time you’ve put into taking advantage of every field. This is an important factor to consider because paying for visibility isn’t going to be worth it if you aren’t willing to put together a presentable profile.

What Makes the FindLaw Directory So Beneficial?

Every member of our SEO team has personal experience working with the FindLaw directory, and we’ve all seen many attorneys benefit from having excellent profiles on such a visible and trusted directory.

The clients that we’ve seen get the best results from FindLaw have complete profiles: profiles you can tell have had effort put into them. It’s not enough to just claim the profile for the sake of verifying the NAP information; that is, of course, a vitally important step, but it’s also only the first step.

Referral traffic—particularly referral traffic from FindLaw and the other major legal directories—can be an excellent source of traffic as well a portal to getting more clients. Think of it this way: a referral visitor to your website already liked what she saw on FindLaw enough to come to your main site. She has already vetted potential attorneys and is interested enough in your profile that she wants to see more on your website. Because of this, you should be doing everything you can to capture and convert those visitors. If you’re interested in learning more about tracking traffic and leads, read my article, “Implement These Three Simple and Effective Lead-Tracking Steps Today.”

This referral traffic pattern is reflected in on-site engagement metrics from referral visitors. Compared to visitors from other sources, referrals tend to look at more pages per visit and tend to linger on your site for longer durations. Your FindLaw profile can be a great source of this “sticky” traffic, but you need to make sure that your site is positioned to push those visitors over the edge and contact you to take full advantage of the opportunity that FindLaw provides. If potential clients have taken the time to visit your site, only to find an outdated, hard-to-use website, you’re sure to lose them. To learn more about what design elements impress potential clients (and those that scare them away), be sure to read our article on user-focused website design.

It’s Your Turn to Weigh in!

This conversation is far from over. We want to hear what you have to say about FindLaw. Do you have experience with their directory? Did you pay for your listing? If so, let us know by commenting below.

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