AVVO Review: Is AVVO Worth It?

Want to know more about the advantages of having an Avvo profile? You’ve probably heard about this lawyer directory. Avvo has quickly grown as a popular option for lawyers looking to improve their search engine rankings—but why is search engine optimization for lawyers important?

It’s simple. Google is usually the first place that people turn to when looking for advice, and when your potential clients are looking for the best lawyers in your area, they’ll start their search online. Effective online marketing can easily help you get more clients and improve your reputation as a lawyer.

It is important to note that links from Avvo to your website are tagged with the “nofollow” attribute. This means that Avvo is requesting that search engines do not follow their link to your website.

The result is that links from Avvo may not be taken into consideration by Google.

But, there is more to it!

With the ability to add your name, address, and phone number (NAP), an accurate Avvo listing can help increase with Google Map optimization.

If you’re interested in optimizing your Google Maps listing, check out the free Google Maps Cheat Sheet for you.

If you are ready to boost your local online marketing efforts and learn more about Avvo’s role in that, today, we’ll explore what Avvo is, how important the Avvo rating is, whether you should pay for premium or advertising, and much more.

Let’s dive in.

What Is AVVO?

Avvo is an online directory that rates lawyers. They’re one of the biggest websites in the world and, therefore, a great source of new business.

People in need of legal advice in your practice area can post their questions on Avvo’s forum. Answering these questions is a fantastic opportunity for you to provide value and draw attention to your profile. Needless to say, helpful advice can start relationships with new clients.

However, it’s also not rare to hear about lawyers hating Avvo. So, what’s the problem? Some lawyers dislike the fact that Avvo creates profiles without asking. More than 95% of licensed lawyers in the United States have a profile on Avvo, and it was created by pulling information straight from public records.

Not all the information on the public record is flattering, however. If a lawyer has been subjected to disciplinary action, they may not want to feature that on their profile. The only way to appeal the content on your profile is to join Avvo. That can make any lawyer feel like they lack control over their online presence—but think about it this way. Instead of fighting Avvo, you can use this excellent traffic source for law firms to your advantage.

By now, you’ll be wondering how much Avvo advertising costs per month. You may have heard that you don’t have to pay anything to claim your Avvo profile, but is that true? Let’s find out.

Is AVVO Really Free?

Yes, a basic Avvo listing is free. You can claim your profile and start making all the necessary modifications at any time. Once you are a member, clients can leave reviews on your Avvo profile, and you can participate in answering people’s questions on legal matters.

In addition to that, you can create legal guides. These are a great way to establish yourself as an authority in legal matters. Beyond that, handing out guides for free is a great online marketing strategy for lawyers to attract new clients in their practice areas.

Paid options are also available. These alternatives are good to promote your Avvo profile and make it more visible. The best part is that Avvo Pro enables you to feature a link to your law firm’s blog on the profile. Remember—handing out any free legal advice is worth the effort as it generates new leads.

Listing opinion posts from your blog is also a great way to boost your Avvo rating—but why would you want to do that?

How Important Is Your AVVO Rating?

By filling out your profile, you can increase your ratings on Avvo to leave a better impression on people finding you through an online search engine.

However, the Avvo rating has greater value to certain legal practice areas, such as personal injury or family law. That’s because while people turn to an Internet search engine when looking for quick answers to legal matters, few businesses do the same. It’s more difficult for business lawyers to get new leads from Avvo.

Nevertheless, every law firm can benefit from featuring a high Avvo rating on its website. It increases trust.

What’s the bottom line, then? Can the Avvo profile be valuable to lawyers or not?

Is AVVO Worth It?

One thing’s for sure—you should at least grab your free Avvo listing. If you’re a licensed legal practitioner, your profile most likely exists on Avvo, whether you like it or not. It makes sense to fill out your Avvo page and make sure everything’s accurate.

Can you really afford not to? When people come across your profile on Avvo, you want them to get the best impression of you as a lawyer. It’s even better if you include reviews and recommendations on your Avvo profile. Social proof is a major factor that influences people’s decision-making.

At this point, you’re probably wondering if your law firm could further benefit by paying for Avvo premium. After all, the service starts at $49 per month. While that’s relatively affordable compared to many listing sites for lawyers, no one wants to incur unnecessary expenses.

Should I Pay For A Premium AVVO Listing?

We wish we could give you a clear answer to that, but, unfortunately, it isn’t that black and white. Avvo Pro enables you to remove any unwanted ads from your profile, and as mentioned before, boosts your visibility. That can very well generate new leads from Avvo but won’t guarantee it. If you have the budget to give Avvo Pro a try, we’d say it’s worth it, but it’s certainly not a necessity.

If you decide to advertise on Avvo, which is not the same as going premium, utilize a call tracking number, such as Call Rail or Call Tracking Metrics. Avvo advertising can potentially generate lots of new leads, but it’s crucial to determine the number and quality of those leads.

The pricing for advertising on Avvo starts at $100 per month—double the price of Avvo Premium— so you better make sure you’re getting that investment back.

AVVO: Good For Search Engine Optimization For Lawyers?

To sum it up, we can say that Avvo offers an excellent opportunity to make your law firm more visible. Building up a profile on Avvo can be beneficial for lawyers in all practice areas.

You can offer free legal advice to generate new leads and build up an accurate Avvo profile to help present yourself as trustworthy and competent. What could be better?

In our book, the best thing about Avvo is that claiming your profile is completely free. You can then decide to opt for Avvo premium or advertising from there. The worst that could happen is that you get even more business for your law firm!