Should I Increase My Avvo Score?
If you've been practicing law within the last ten years, you've likely heard of Avvo. It's a directory that auto-generates legal profiles based on publicly available information, and many clients use it to find the right legal professionals for their cases.
However, you may not know that you have a major role to play in where your profile ranks on Avvo, and that Avvo can make or break your practice depending on that ranking.
In this legal blog, we'll go over the ways your Avvo score affects your practice, and how you can use simple techniques to boost your score and gain more clients.
The Benefits of Raising Your Avvo Score
Higher Search Rankings
In the online world, your search ranking is king. When potential clients search for a lawyer to handle their case, they'll typically try Google first, and they'll only bother to read through the first page of search results.
Since Avvo is the top fourth visited US site for legal matters, its directory ranks high on the first page, and its highest scored profiles are the first thing potential clients see. This makes it easier to reach new clients with Avvo than you will with a legal blog or any other legal content.
Credibility and Social Proof
While an Avvo score isn't an official rating from a licensed bureau, many potential clients think of it as one. In fact, a large number of clients will make their decision based solely on a lawyer's Avvo score. Raising this score is a simple process, and it makes your service stand out as an authority among lower-ranking profiles.
Free or Low-Cost Marketing
Your Avvo profile is generated whether you like it or not. If you don't optimize it, it just sort of exists. However, spending a few moments optimizing your legal profile allows it to essentially work as free marketing. The site also offers legal professionals a paid option that allows you to incorporate your contact information and other high-value information directly into your profile. This is far cheaper than a marketing campaign, and it helps your business dramatically.
How to Increase Your Avvo Score
Increasing your Avvo score is an easy process, and considering many legal professionals don't bother to do so, you don't have to put much effort into making your profile stand out. Here are some quick tips that will raise your score and generate new clients.
Claim Your Avvo Profile
Your Avvo profile is automatically generated, but it doesn't hold much weight if you don't claim it. To do so, simply Google your name and the word “attorney”, find your Avvo profile, create a login, and choose to claim the profile.
Once you've done this, you can make changes and add new information.
Modify Your Profile
Avvo doesn't automatically generate everything. Once you've claimed your profile, take the time to create an “About” section, list your accomplishments and contributions, and use their pie-chart tool to create a visual aid demonstrating your field of expertise. This shouldn't take more than an hour, and it will increase your ranking dramatically. The process is very similar to setting up a Facebook profile for the first time.
Make Small Tweaks
After 48 hours have passed, check your score. If there's room for improvement, take some time to add more accomplishments or engage in the Q+A section of the site. The higher your score, the more you'll get out of your Avvo profile.
Start Today
The longer you wait to improve your Avvo score, the more potential clients you lose. It's important to set aside an hour or so and begin implementing these tips right away to maximize your firm's success.
To further market your firm and generate more clients, contact us at LegalVerb.com. We'll provide you with an experience legal blog writer to create a client-generating law firm blog that passively generates clients for your firm. Contact us, today!