Is Avvo a Go or a No?

What is Avvo?

If you’re an attorney, you’ve probably heard of Avvo, along with SuperLawyers, Nolo, or Justia. All of these companies are attorney directories. Just like you go to Yelp to make a decision about which restaurant to choose or Google reviews to choose which business to trust with the service you need to be performed, Avvo is a directory for individuals searching for legal services. Avvo allows people to search for attorneys based on their location and legal issues. Users can browse through a list of attorneys that match their search criteria and view their profiles to learn more about them, making it easier for them to find an attorney that specializes in the type of legal battle they are facing. Facing a legal matter is no small issue and the attorney you choose to represent you can make or break your case.

How Avvo Works

Attorneys set up their profile on Avvo and their clients are able to leave reviews on their Attorney’s profile based upon their own experiences. Additionally, peers can endorse their fellow attorney’s skillset. Avvo’s ranking system is set up in a way that gives its users a comprehensive overview of the attorneys listed on their site.

Avvo is a directory for attorneys, but that’s not all Avvo is. In addition to functioning as a directory and review service for attorneys, Avvo also sells advertising placements to legal professionals, similar to any other directory platform. This means that attorneys can pay to have their profiles featured more prominently on the platform, making them more visible to potential clients, which in turn should result in more leads for the sponsored attorneys. Keyword “should,” but that doesn’t mean your sponsored post will necessarily lead to more clients.

The Pros and Cons of Avvo Advertising

If you’re debating whether or not claiming an advertising space on Avvo is worth the money, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of the directory service from a holistic point of view. Let’s explore the pros and cons of the legal directory service:

Pros

• Targeted Audience: Avvo’s user base consists of people who are specifically looking for legal help. Advertising on Avvo allows you to target this audience directly.
• Cost-Effective: Compared to other forms of advertising, Avvo can be relatively cost-effective. Avoo has three different pricing tiers, the starter (which is free and has no advertising), the base (pricing will depend upon your needs and includes advertising), or the base plus (pricing will depend upon your law firm’s need, but you get increased visibility on across Martindale, Nolo, Lawyers.com as well).
• Increased Visibility: Advertising on Avvo can help increase your visibility on the platform. Your ad will appear at the top of search results pages making it more likely that potential clients will see your name and click through to your profile.

Cons

• Competition: Because Avvo is a popular platform for attorneys to advertise, competition for advertising spots is higher. 
• Limited Ad Formats: Avvo has a limited number of ad formats, which may not be as flexible or customizable as other advertising platforms. This can limit your ability to create ads that are tailored to your specific needs and goals.
• Limited Reach: While Avvo has a large user base of individuals searching for legal services, however, it still doesn’t have the same reach as other advertising platforms like Google or Facebook. 
• Reputation: Avvo has been criticized in the past for the accuracy and reliability of its ratings and reviews. This can impact the reputation of the platform and potentially affect the credibility of attorneys who advertise on it.
• Lead Quality: More visibility doesn’t necessarily mean high-quality leads or clients. In fact, you don’t have any of the measures other platforms have to refine your targeting for your ideal audience.

Closing thoughts: Is Avvo Worth it?

In our opinion paid marketing on Avvo isn’t worth it, but having a free profile is. We encourage all of the attorneys at our own firms, as well as our clients, to have their attorney profiles set up and up to date on as many attorney directories as possible, but we don’t think paying for advertising space on attorney directory sites is the best use of an advertising budget. Simply, because we haven’t seen quality leads or many leads at all come from this. Where we do see quality leads coming from is paid advertisements on Google, Facebook, and through our organic SEO efforts. Attracting quality leads for divorce and family law firms requires a unique strategy and targeted approach. Cardinal Concepts has been doing this for our own law firms and clients for years. Our goal is to help law firms grow their practices, not drain their bank accounts. If you’re looking for a digital advertising strategy that’ll help your law firm acquire the type of clients you’re looking for, contact us today!