Reaching for the Google stars

When Shira Kalfa set up her boutique business law firm in 2018, Google was a key part of her strategy to attract clients.

She invested in an SEO-optimized website and bought Google AdWords. And with the successful conclusion of every new file, she invited the client to leave a Google review. Those efforts quickly paid off.

“Within about six months, we were organically the first result if you Googled ‘corporate lawyer Toronto,’” Kalfa says.

Today, she’s turning away new clients, unless they’re referrals. However, her law clerk still adds a line soliciting a review at the end of every wrap-up email because Google ratings enhance the firm’s online presence.

“It lends legitimacy,” Kalfa says. “It also speaks to the quality of our work.”

Reasons to get rated

Google reviews provide a go-to source of intel on all kinds of products and services, including legal services. Chances are, prospective clients will check you out online before they pick up the phone or email you.

That’s especially true for individuals facing a divorce, a criminal charge or other significant life events. However, as Kalfa’s experience illustrates, reviews can benefit any legal practice.

More reviews — especially good ones — also boost your search engine performance, driving more traffic to your website.

“If you don’t have reviews in place, it really leaves room for your competitors that do,” says Brianne Gillham, managing director of Western Canada for the marketing agency Skunkworks.

Moreover, disgruntled clients are more likely to share their experience than satisfied clients. That means if you’re not proactively encouraging satisfied clients to leave a review, a few one- or two-star reviews will have a disproportionate impact.

More than a marketing tool

Google reviews helped Gerrit Theule showcase the distinctive approach of Wolseley Law, a general-practice Winnipeg firm that emphasizes friendly, community-centred services and flat-rate fees.

Just as importantly, those reviews help identify what to replicate and what to change.

“We actively attempt to be very client-focused and very client-friendly,” Theule says.

“If we’re falling down somewhere, we need to know.”

When the reviews are glowing — as almost all of them are — circulating them internally allows Theule to recognize work well done, especially if the client has named specific team members.

The art of the ask

Opening up your firm to ratings is as simple as logging into your Google account, setting up a business profile and verifying your business. Then, when you send a thank-you email to a client at the successful conclusion of a legal matter, add a note at the bottom encouraging them to provide a review.

You can include a Google-generated link to the review form or provide a link to a private page on your website that provides instructions and tips.  

If privacy is important, clients can change their Google profile so that only their initials appear. However, in sensitive cases, such as a sexual harassment suit, asking for a review may not be appropriate.

“Tread carefully and mindfully,” Gillham advises.

She also recommends a team effort.

“This is part of your firm marketing strategy, not necessarily your personal practice marketing strategy,” she says.

The key is consistently accumulating reviews rather than raising red flags by soliciting a flurry over a few weeks.

Responding to bad reviews

Acknowledging good reviews can further boost your Google rankings. But how do you handle a bad review, warranted or not?

Gillham says to reply promptly and professionally. When you do, keep two audiences in mind: your unhappy client and prospective clients who may read the review. Include just enough key facts to contextualize the case for readers without breaching confidentiality, and provide an email address or phone number for a person at your firm to continue the conversation offline.

A respectful and honest discussion can often lead clients to revise or remove their negative reviews.

“People will be keyboard warriors,” Gillham says.

“But when given the opportunity to actually talk to someone, whether face-to-face or over the phone, calmer heads will often prevail.”

The secret to five-star ratings

Your clients probably don’t have the legal savvy to evaluate your contract-drafting skills or your knowledge of substantive law. However, they will undoubtedly have opinions on the experience your firm provided. So make sure it’s a good one.

“I think that the secret sauce is in the customer service,” says Kalfa.

“It’s in all of those soft touch points: the communication, the prompt communication … speaking plain language with your client, being there to support them in their needs.”

If you deal with more sensitive cases, how you handle your client’s emotions will have a significant impact. Meanwhile, clearly explaining processes and potential outcomes up front can avoid complaints down the road.

“Part of what I think leads to positive feedback is the management of expectations,” says Theule.

“If we’ve not managed their expectations around their matter, part of that’s on us.”

The final verdict

There are many ways to attract clients, from billboards and newspaper ads to word-of-mouth referrals. For most law firms, good online ratings serve as a secondary marketing tool that enhances other strategies, demonstrating you’re keeping up with the times and providing social proof that you can meet client needs.

“If firms don’t have a Google review strategy, they’re really missing out on an opportunity to build trust and credibility,” says Gillham.