Local citations provide important details about your law firm for potential clients and search engines. Having accurate information on citation sites is an important part of local SEO. Getting set up on these local citation sources for lawyers may help your target clients find you.
There are many directories out there, but your firm should at least be on each of the directories below. We looked at some of the best citation sources on the internet for lawyers and found 15 of the top sites for law firms.
We didn't limit ourselves to lawyer directories alone. You'll also find directories and citation sources that are important regardless of industry.
1. Google Business Profile (Formerly Google My Business)
Your law firm’s Google Business Profile is extremely valuable. When someone Googles your name or your firm's name, your firm's profile should be one of the first things that show up.
With good local SEO, you can also appear when someone searches for a keyword like lawyer near me.
Your Google Business Profile can appear when someone does a local search. It may appear in either a Google Maps feature or in a side panel in the search results. This shows potential clients key details like your hours, ratings, phone number, and location.
If there's one citation you should spend time updating, it's your Google Business Profile. It can appear any time someone in your service area does a local search for lawyers. That means there are massive upsides to optimizing it.
Reviews from clients, information on your services, photos, and even posts on the platform can help boost your online presence.
2. Apple Maps
If you're an Android user, you might forget about Apple Maps. But it's estimated that at least 68 million people use this service every single month. You're missing out on a lot of potential traffic if you omit this from your law firm directory listing plan.
To add your law firm to Apple Maps, follow these steps:
- Open the Apple Business Register
- Type in your firm name
- Click "add a missing place" if you don't see your firm listed
- Sign in with an Apple ID and agree to the terms of use
- Add business details
- Wait for verification, which can take a few days
As with the other citations here, update your business info on Apple Maps if you change locations or phone numbers.
3. Yelp
Every month, over 178 million people visit Yelp. When someone Googles a business name plus "reviews," your Google Business Profile and Yelp can both appear in the results.
Yelp isn't specific to the legal industry, but this benefit makes having an updated and accurate business listing there worth it.
Getting started with a Yelp business listing is simple. You can get started by following this link.
4. Bing Places
Bing doesn't get as much use as Google, but that doesn't mean it's not an important citation source. It doesn't take much time to establish a presence here, and it opens you up to more visibility.
Since it only takes three steps to get your business listed on Bing Places, it's worth the effort. There's a good chance Bing already has your business listed, but the info tied to your profile may be empty or inaccurate.
5. Better Business Bureau
Most people know the Better Business Bureau as a place to submit complaints when you have an issue with a company. People also use the BBB to find companies, so this should be on your list of directories.
Having a profile on the BBB can help your law firm stand out and appear in search results.
6. Facebook
Facebook is a good tool for social media marketing for any law firm owner, but it's also a directory. This is another place where people might leave reviews about your legal services. That makes it an important part of building a positive online reputation.
Get started by creating a Facebook business page for your law firm. Then you can add contact details and other information.
7. YellowPages
While you might not use a physical Yellow Pages anymore, the digital version is still vital. Their website and app could bring you additional traffic and awareness your way.
Claim your listing to set up your law firm profile.
8. U.S. News Lawyer Directory
Once you set up all the generic business directories, don't neglect the opportunity to appear in major legal listings. U.S. News has over 1.8 million attorneys listed and allows users to search for someone based on their legal issue.
Note that you can purchase a monthly premium profile, which starts at $30 a month. The premium profile gives you more visibility, preferred placement, and a biography.
9. FindLaw
FindLaw is more than just a directory of attorneys accepting new clients and cases. It's also a database of information about various legal issues.
FindLaw is also connected to other directories like Abogado, LawInfo, and SuperLawyers. That means claiming a listing here could take care of those directories, too.
When you set up your law firm profile, you can enable star ratings and client reviews. This is another way to get more eyes on your law firm and showcase past clients' positive experiences.
10. Avvo
According to Avvo, they already include up to 97% of America's lawyers on their site. Avvo gets this information by scraping data from publicly available sources. This data may not always be correct or up-to-date, though.
That's what makes claiming your profile on this platform so important. When you claim it, you gain more control over the citation data.
11. Justia
Justia is another lawyer-focused directory broken down by practice areas. It's a good idea to set up a basic profile on Justia to confirm important details about your firm.
12. Super Lawyers
Super Lawyers provides recognition annually in two categories: Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. They also have a listing of lawyers across the United States. While the Super Lawyers or Rising Stars distinctions can help your profile stand out, they aren't required.
Potential clients can look for lawyers based on location or practice areas. Use your best judgment in deciding whether or not to apply for lawyer awards that may enhance your profile on Super Lawyers.
13. NOLO
You'll find a lot of legal-related content on NOLO that's very similar to FindLaw. But legal content is only part of this site's business model.
You can also create a lawyer listing on this platform. People searching for a lawyer can start by narrowing down by location or by practice area.
14. Martindale-Hubbell
Like many of the other legal directories, Martindale-Hubbell makes it easy to share your law firm's basic information. This company has been evaluating lawyers since 1868.
Unlike Avvo, where lawyer details are scraped and added to the database, not every licensed attorney automatically gets a listing on Martindale-Hubbell. You must submit a request to get or enhance your listing on the site.
15. Primary Data Aggregators: Neustar Localeze, Foursquare, and Data Axle
Beyond general business directories and lawyer directories, there are data aggregators.
The primary data aggregators for local businesses are:
- Neustar Localeze
- Foursquare
- Data Axle
These organizations are in a class of their own. Data aggregators compile details on local businesses. They then validate that the information is correct. Then they take the data and make it available to publishers.
Data from these organizations can produce things like utility records, phone directories, and more.
What's really important for your law firm is that search engines such as Google or Bing also use these data. They check their own data against that from aggregators to deliver search results.
Improve Your Law Firm Visibility with Directories
The directories listed here are only a jumping-off point when it comes to local citations for lawyers. There are many more citation opportunities out there for your business.
Much of the work to get listed on directories happens once. They only require updates if and when you change details about your law firm. But other directories need monitoring if they allow people to update your listing.
The more directories you're listed on, the harder it can be to ensure that each one has accurate information about your firm. It can also be difficult to strike a balance of being listed in enough places without being overwhelmed by options.
A law firm marketing expert can help you with that decision. They can also monitor your directory listings for changes. If you need help getting started or improving your lawyer directory listings, contact Rankings.io today.
