This is a question I get all the time, and I always have the same one-word answer: More. You can never have enough, because some other lawyer will either have more than you, or overtake you in how many you have and steal your thunder. Reviews matter, and the competition for the most is fierce!

Reviews Provide Leads with Social Proof

Consumers are looking at reviews more and more when shopping for anything, including legal services. In comparing search results, they tend to pick the firms that have the most reviews, and the highest overall rating. When someone types in “personal injury attorneys near me,” you want to show up in that coveted “3-pack” of sites. But even if you do, will they see you as the most reviewed with the highest rating?

It’s all about “social proofs.” People looking for lawyers want to see what experiences others have had. You may have a score of 4.8 out of 5, but if only 5 people think so, you may lose out to someone who has 50 people that think you are worth that score.

But what if you’re the guy that has the 50 reviews, and the one with 5 ups his/her game and manages to get 75 of them or 100? They will speed ahead of you in social proof, which is why you always want more reviews.

Reviews Help You Get to Page One of Google

Yep. Believe it or not, there is SEO and “Google Juice” to having reviews and engaging with those that review you. This “social proof” is not only good for prospective clients, but it also shows Google that your customers see you as a trusted source of information and services. Plus, if what people say in their reviews has lots of keywords, that can help you in search results!

This is also why it is important that you respond to every review. If it is a good review, say thank you and show your appreciation. If it is a bad one, then respond politely and engage and try to resolve the problem that client had. Responses to bad reviews that are not argumentative and confrontational (i.e. trying to show that the person was wrong), but try to resolve problems also cast you in a good light to those potential clients looking at the reviews.

The More Good Reviews You Have, the Less the Bad Reviews Will Hurt

It’s all a matter of averages. If you have 10 5-star reviews and get 1 1-star review, your score will go from 5.0 to 4.6. But if you have 75 5-star reviews and then get a 1-star review, your score will go from 5.0 to 4.95. At some point, bad reviews can’t really hurt you, and can actually help you.

Yes, that’s right; a 1-star review can help you. When people see nothing but 5-star reviews, they become skeptical. They think to themselves, no one is that perfect. He/She must be buying reviews. Lots of these are fake! When there are some bad reviews in with the good, it makes the good ones more believable. Also, people are smart enough to see the bad reviews that result from a client not getting what he wants or having unreal expectations.

Get More Reviews!

So as you can see, no matter how many reviews you have, it is never enough. You will always need more. Adding a constant stream of new, 5-star reviews will help the phones in your law practice keep ringing. As soon as you finish reading this article, block out some time on your calendar to figure out ways you can get more reviews, and even devise ways to systematize and automate the process!

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But if you are feeling like you can’t do it all yourself because you have a million things to do, and they’re all important, and you have to get off that hamster wheel, then just give me a call at 856-345-9699 for a free, no obligation consult to see if I can help.

Related Topics

• • How Should an Attorney Handle Negative Online Reviews?