How to Simplify the Client Review Request Process to Improve Your Law Firm’s Reputation and Boost Your SEO Performance

Asking for clients to write online reviews for your law firm can be awkward and cumbersome, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips for simplifying the client review request process to boost your visibility and improve your firm’s online reputation.
October 7, 2024

As an attorney in solo practice or a member of a small- to mid-sized law firm, securing a favorable outcome for a client is a gratifying experience. A satisfied client can move on with their life, feeling lighter and more settled after you have helped them resolve their legal matter. While you may receive a heartfelt thank you from the client, your focus may already have moved on to focusing on serving your other clients. However, it’s important to recognize that a satisfied client can be a tremendous asset to your law practice; if they decide to write a favorable review of your law firm, this comment can go a long way in boosting your law practice’s online reputation and search engine optimization (SEO) performance. In other words, channeling client reviews in a strategic way can be an integral aspect of your digital marketing for law firms strategy and maximize your chances of engaging more clients in your community.

Even if your law firm recognizes the power of client reviews and online reputation management, you may struggle with the inherently awkward process of asking your clients to write reviews. It may never feel like the right time to ask your client to take the time to write an online review, which may prevent you from making this request as often as you would like. If you’re ready to simplify the client review request process so that your law firm can accumulate more reviews to boost your visibility and cultivate trust in the eyes of both search engines and potential clients, here are a few tips to get you started.

Why Law Firm Reputation Management Matters

Attorneys and legal professionals working at a small law firm understandably devote the majority of their time to serving their clients. Taking time away from working on your clients’ cases to focus on a content marketing strategy for law firms can feel like a low priority. However, implementing a results-driven digital marketing strategy is critical to ensuring that potential clients in your area searching for legal services come across your website or social media posts when they look at the search results pages. If your law firm has a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate website full of keyword-rich and relevant content, you can rest assured that you have already taken steps to implement SEO for attorneys best practices and improve your chances of appearing near the top of the search results pages. In other words, the search engine algorithm (Google, in most cases) will use a searcher’s query and current location to provide the most relevant results that match the search terms as closely as possible. The more your website is optimized to appeal to common client questions, topics, and concerns, the more visible your website will be to the algorithm, which can boost your ranking in the search results pages. To climb even higher among the search results, it’s critical that you incorporate reputation management into your overall digital marketing strategy. Search engines use client reviews to evaluate a company’s authority and trustworthiness, so gathering at least a few reviews from clients is a critical step to boost your online visibility.

Are No Reviews Better Than a Negative Client Review?

As a business, the last thing you want is to receive a negative review from an unsatisfied customer. It’s natural to worry that their complaints will deter others from enlisting your services. In your fear of obtaining a negative review, your law firm may decide that it’s better to have no reviews than to take this reputational risk. However, search engines work much differently than many of us assume. Search engine algorithms like Google tend to be skeptical of businesses that have no reviews, as this may indicate that the company is not legitimate. On the opposite end of the spectrum, businesses with perfect reviews are also scrutinized by search engine algorithms—perhaps these overly glowing reviews are manufactured, false, or otherwise misleading. The law firms that perform the most favorably in the eyes of search engines are those that have accumulated several reviews, even if they include a few less-than-stellar ratings. In fact, you can approach a negative review as an opportunity to show potential clients that you are a caring legal professional who is genuinely interested in providing excellent service to every client you serve. When you comment on the unfavorable review that a former client wrote, your respectful tone and thoughtful words can inspire potential clients to work with your law firm because they view you as a caring firm that prioritizes the client experience.

Tips for Effective Reputation Management for Lawyers

Now that you have a better understanding of how harnessing the power of client reviews can be the cornerstone of an effective digital marketing strategy, how can you streamline the client review request process to make it less burdensome for both you and your clients? The first step is to recognize that client reviews are not just about how you helped the individual client achieve their desired outcome but how your law firm can continue to improve your services to serve the needs of others who walk through your door. Here are some steps your law firm can take to streamline this process and inspire more of your clients to take the time to leave you a favorable online review.

Look For Natural Opportunities to Make the Request

There are opportune moments that may arise organically where it makes sense to ask a satisfied client to write a review. For example, if you share positive news with a client about helping them secure a favorable outcome, you can dovetail this celebration into your request. As you conclude your conversation, you can say something like, “I’m so happy that we were able to achieve this outcome together. As we wrap up your case, I would appreciate you sharing your experience so that we can continue to provide high-quality services to those we work with in the future. Would you mind writing a review? It only takes a few minutes of your time, but it has a significant impact on ensuring that others can access the client-centered legal services they deserve in their time of need.” While the first few situations may feel somewhat stilted, the request will become easier and more natural with time.

Convenience is Key

When a client is asked to write a review, they may want to wait to do so at a more convenient time. However, without a follow-up email or text prompting them to write a review, this task will likely be forgotten. Your law firm can explore some easy and cost-effective tools that automate the client review request process. For instance, they can be set to send a friendly text or email reminder with a link that takes the user directly to the review website or that takes their comment and posts it directly to the website. Enlisting the help of a seasoned legal marketing professional is the best way to ensure that your law firm puts together the most effective content marketing strategy.

Your law firm deserves effective, results-driven content marketing services that are tailored to address your firm’s specific needs. If you’re ready to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level, give LegalRev a call today at (800) 893-2590 to get started with an experienced legal marketing strategist.

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