April 28, 2025
Are Legal Directories a Smart Investment or Wasted Spend?
Does your firm buy premium profiles and listings on some, or all, of the top legal directories? If so, why’d you do it? What purpose…
Read More →Does your firm buy premium profiles and listings on some, or all, of the top legal directories?
If so, why’d you do it? What purpose did you intend them to serve?
-Were you hoping for lead generation?
-Looking to buy an authoritative backlink?
-Trying to improve visibility for non-branded searches?
-Attempting to convert more branded and referral traffic?
If you’re unsure how they played into your overall marketing strategy, here’s some questions to help get clarity on that before you renew, or buy more…
1. If I’m trying to enhance results for branded searches, does the directory appear in the results?
Meaning, if I search “my name + lawyer/attorney/firm,” does the directory rank prominently on the search results?
2. If I’m trying to gain visibility for search terms that I’ve been unable to capture organically, does the listing show up in the results? Said differently, if your SEO efforts aren’t helping you show up for phrases like “practice area + lawyer + geo”, does the directory offer an opportunity for you to ‘rent’ its prominent placement so you can capture valuable real estate on the SERPs?
3. If I don’t purchase the ‘enhanced’ or ‘premium’ profiles, will the directory showcase competitors directly on the profile? In other words, sometimes, you gotta pay the piper. And in most instances, the juice is worth the squeeze here. Block them from prompting themselves on your profiles (read: upgrade to enhanced and premium versions when it makes sense).
4. If I purchase a guaranteed placement listing, how many other firms will be highlighted? What’s the cap on inventory? Are you 1 of 5, 1 of 10, or 1 of 50? Is inventory unlimited, capped, rotated, etc.? You want to know exactly when, where, and how often your listing will be shown.
5. Ask for the historical performance of the listing. You’ll want to know the projected average monthly views, impressions, clicks, etc., but most importantly, how many people convert – i.e. contact the firm via call, form-fill, chat, or text. This is more applicable to directory listings (not profiles). Legal directories can be a smart investment, when they serve a clear purpose. If not, they’re just another line on the marketing budget.
If you’re unsure how directory profiles and listings fit into your strategy, and whether they’re pulling their weight, send over your questions. We’re happy to review, offer perspective, and share our thoughts to help you make sound decisions.
