Best legal directories (the official 2024 verdict)

Key takeaways:

• Legal directories are tools that can help law firms get valuable leads to their website.
• Attorney directories and profiles can also help with improving rankings by providing backlinks that impress search engines.
• This list of ten is the best legal directories you should be in.
• Choosing the best legal directory does not have to be hard.
• Array Digital offers support to clients as they build out a successful legal directory and marketing plan.

Are legal directories worth it, and do you need to be on them as a lawyer or law firm? Today, we are here to talk about the array of options you have when it comes to legal directories and each of their pros and cons.

There are several legal directories out there, and thinking about your marketing efforts while handling a court case is the last thing on your mind. So, let’s talk about the pros and cons, why it’s important for your firm to appear in legal directories, how they can boost your revenue, and how we can help.

Exploring some of the best lawyer directories for your law firm

No matter your practice area, it’s critical to use law firm directories as a component of your law firm marketing for several reasons. These legal directories are where people go when they need to hire an attorney. More so, they create very important backlinks that help your rankings on Google and other search engines. You need them.

There are quite a few, though. For that reason, we broke them down and determined which ones were best. To rank them, we evaluated the monthly search visitors for each. However, it’s important to keep in mind that numbers are not everything.

Let’s go deeper into the pros and cons of these top law directories before covering why you should be in them.

1. Justia

• About: A legal information website that offers free professional lawyer profiles, Justia is one of the best overall tools to use for law firm marketing support.
• Pros: Justia gets the most hits every month from people looking to hire an attorney, making it a must for those who want to increase their overall visibility online.
• Cons: A good reputation but with limited external reviews makes Justia just one of several options to consider
• Monthly website views: 2M
• Website link: https:www.justia.com/

2. LegalZoom

• About: LegalZoom may seem like the enemy in that it provides consumers with various forms and legal filing strategies, but it also offers referrals and is easily found online.
• Pros: LegalZoom is often a top-ranking website with strong authority in the search engines. That could help boost your site.
• Cons: They do offer some do-it-yourself content that may be difficult to navigate.
• Monthly website views: 1.4M
• Website link: https://www.legalzoom.com/

3. Expertise.com

• About: Expertise.com is a site that reviews top professionals, including lawyers. They score a law firm to help give consumers more confidence in reaching out.
• Pros: A bit more elite and harder to get into, thanks to the hand-picked process, it can help to distinguish your law firm from others.
• Cons: The site is easy to use but not as well known. You can request a review for your law firm, but it may take some time.
• Monthly website visitors: 1.4M
• Website link: https://www.expertise.com

4. Nolo

• About: One of the most notable in name, Nolo is the largest free information resource for legal support online.
• Pros: A good percentage of people who visit the site reach out to a linked attorney, increasing leads.
• Cons: There is ample competition, and while this site does bring name recognition, online authority, and search engine ranking support, it can be hard to get in front of the crowd.
• Monthly website views: 1.2M
• Website link: https://lawyers.nolo.com

5. Avvo Lawyer Director

• About: A big traffic website that offers marketing support and legal directory tools for lawyers, Avvo has grown rapidly in the last few years.
• Pros: Has a good reputation, which can improve your credibility as an attorney.
• Cons: Does not get as much traffic as other sites, but still produces solid leads for many clients.
• Monthly website views: 972K
• Website link: https://www.avvo.com

6. HG.org

• About: HG.org helps people find attorneys based on geographic area, practice area type, or other key features, offering a simple-to-use directory of tools.
• Pros: Allows attorneys to build specialized listings to attract a targeted client base.
• Cons: Harder to use than others and requires some refinement to take full advantage of the features provided.
• Monthly website views: 294K
• Website link: https://www.hg.org

7. Super Lawyers

• About: Super Lawyers is a type of rating system that allows consumers to expect those who are top-rated, called elite attorneys, to perform better for them.
• Pros: Getting into the top 5% can significantly improve your overall lead generation on the site.
• Cons: Just a small portion of attorneys reach the top 5%, making it difficult to compete against other, larger firms in some areas.
• Monthly website views: 110K
• Website link: https://www.superlawyers.com

8. LawLink

• About: LawLink operates as a social network allowing individuals to connect with attorneys in various practice areas.
• Pros: The site offers a good amount of information and support for clients and helps to build credibility for law firms who have a link to it.
• Cons: Not as well known and does not have the traffic or the competition
• Monthly website views: 4.6K
• Website link: https.//lawlink.com

9. Martindale.com

• About: A professional profile-based law firm directory, Martindale.com (Martindale-Hubbell) offers a significant amount of traffic and has quite a large network of linked sites, including lawyers.com and Nolo.com.
• Pros: Significant credibility comes from being on Martindale.com, though the competition can be somewhat challenging.
• Cons: Does not get as much traffic as other sites, but worth the time to invest in by most attorneys.
• Monthly website views: 2.2K
• Website link: https://www.martindale.com

Why are legal directories important?

Law firm search engine optimization (SEO) is something all attorneys must keep in mind. As you think about law firm SEO, then, you have to consider what’s going to make a true difference. The numbers don’t lie.

When you get a listing on a website that gets thousands or even millions of monthly visitors, it directly impacts your website and your law firm. Since most of the legal industry uses this – and people with legal questions trust these sites – you need to be there, too.

However, we also want to bring up an important point here. Do legal directories bring in qualified leads or just traffic to your website? There’s a huge difference.

A saturated market like LegalZoom may not meet your monetary goals or needs. For a one-time fee of $500 on LegalZoom’s website and the low-ticket legal fees it produces, it may not be worth your time or investment.

It’s not a great idea to rely solely on attorney directories for your marketing strategy. However, there are alternative benefits to leveraging them. Let’s take a closer look at those.

Interlinking opportunities

Years ago, Google started de-listing spammy online directories that didn’t offer any credibility or benefit to those looking for help or legal services. However, today, high-quality firm profiles on top-ranked websites matter.

Link building helps Google see the value in your firm and ranks you higher in search results. Your legal directory listing link to your site can drive credibility for your online presence.

SEO

Directory listings often rank high on the search engine results pages. If someone is looking for the best law firm to help them with their family law matter, you want your online presence to be as easy to find as possible if you offer those legal services. When you have your link in a quality online directory, it is easier for prospective clients to discover your profile and connect with you for the legal services they need.

Brand authority

Directories can also create opportunities to build your brand authority. For example, people visiting the site can ask questions. If you create answers to their legal issues or you write legal articles that answer those questions, you build your credibility as an attorney. That helps you rank higher but also helps potential clients see the value of working with you when they click on your directory profile.

Targeted audience

In all of digital marketing, the goal is not just to get traffic to websites. Instead, legal professionals need to get highly qualified traffic to their sites. That means people who need the specific legal services you provide, whether that is personal injury support, divorce help, or something else. Because directories can connect you to people who are looking specifically for the services you offer, that’s going to boost the quality of potential clients coming to your website.

Don’t view a free lawyer directory as just a place for your contact information or details about your legal practice. While it offers those services as well, it is a powerful tool that allows potential clients to learn as much about you as possible, encouraging them not just to visit your law firm’s website or call you but also to get to know your firm and build an opinion about it. That allows for name recognition for years to come.

Why law firms partner with Array Digital

When it comes to building your digital marketing strategy, Array Digital is the go-to team to rely on. We help you with every facet of building your digital marketing strategy, including local search, online reviews, and creating a law firm website that resounds with your practice and your clients.

More so, our experience, expertise, and credibility stand out in a crowded world. We listen to clients and create custom strategies for them. We can help you do the same.

Testimonials:

“Erik and the Array Digital team are top-notch in the digital marketing spaces, particularly for SEO. Their understanding of Google, the algorithms, and the work involved in getting websites ranking on the first page is unparalleled. Thank you, Erik!!” — Andrew Z.

Frequently asked questions about legal directories

How do I choose the right legal directories on which to list my practice?

It is important to seek guidance before signing up on every and any legal directory. They are not all equal, and you want to be sure that the methods being used by the directory are within the guidelines established by the American Bar Association and your state bar.

It is essential to do background research on the legal directory to make sure Google does not see it as spam. You do not want to be associated with spammy sites that direct traffic that is not beneficial in any way to your website.

You also need to look at the site details. The most effective and reputable legal directories should align with your practice areas, target audience, and geographic location. Remember, you need these sites to be more than just a location for you to drop your phone number. They are a direct reflection of your firm!

What information should I include in my directory profile?

For local SEO benefits, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a directory and creating a profile there. You should include:

• Expertise – What areas do you specialize in?
• Experience – How long have you served the area and provided these services?
• Education – Make sure your legal degree is clearly present.
• Accolades – What types of awards or recognitions have you or your law firm received?
• Client testimonials – Much like reviews for any customer, testimonials help people see the difference you are making in the lives of clients.

You do not have to guess which legal directories are best. When you contact our team, we will provide you with guidance based on our experience in various specific practice areas.

What are some best practices for managing and maintaining my directory listings over time?

• Respond to any client reviews when you get them. Even if they are less-than-desirable, these reviews provide valuable insight into how you manage your firm.
• Make sure your information remains up to date. That includes the firm’s name, contact information, address, and phone number.
• Update your profile information whenever there is a change in your firm in any way.
• Stay engaged with your directory communities. Participate in forums, provide insight into discussions, and be as active as you can.
• Treat this as a professional social media tool. That is, make sure you use the site consistently and provide valuable information that helps your law firm stand out from the others.
• Don’t focus just on paying for listings. Instead, offer a professional image that people can appreciate and learn from when they read your data.

Retain clients in a competitive legal landscape

At Array Digital, we take pride in helping our clients to invest in the digital marketing tools that produce results. Legal directories are one sliver of that process. Our marketing strategies, though, can help you build a strong reputation online, creating consistent access to the leads you need.

Let’s talk about it. Contact Array Digital now to discuss how legal directories like these fit into your marketing plan. Call 757-333-3021 now or fill out our contact form to get started.