Legal clients have changed. Is your marketing up to date?
Things can change a lot in a year.
For over a decade now, FindLaw has commissioned the U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey, a poll of over 2,000 adults in the U.S. who had a legal need in the past year. It’s a treasure trove of data on how consumers who want to hire a lawyer behave — and a solid indicator of online trends and how they’re changing over time.
The 2024 U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey has a lot of information for solo attorneys and lawyers at small law firms. In this post, we look back on legal consumer behavior from the past year, share the highlights of this year’s survey, and suggest marketing strategies for your firm to connect with potential clients.
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Search engines are more popular than ever
DIY legal clients aren't a lost cause
Search engines are more popular than ever
In 2023, 67% of respondents to the U.S. Consumer Legal Needs survey reported using search engines as an online resource to look for legal representation. In 2024, 97% reported using a search engine to find the attorney they contacted.
Search results don’t just come from nowhere. If you want your practice to rank highly in the Search Engines Results Page (SERP) and AI overviews (AIO) in Google — and those rankings are not the end-all, be-all for digital legal marketing, but they are important — there are several techniques for you to consider, including:
- Search engine optimization (SEO): SEO is the art and science of weaving highly searched terms into natural-sounding, informative copy that appeals to search engines and human readers alike. An optimized website will fare better in search results and offer value to the human readers, who likely found it via a search engine in the first place.
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: PPC is a very cost-effective way of advertising your law firm. It appears at the top of the SERP, above even organic search results, and allows you to narrowly target specific keywords, demographics, and geographic locations. PPC can also complement SEO by adding visibility while SEO is still on the on-ramp to paying off. With PPC, your firm can be seen where it matters and reach the right people at the right time.
How do people choose attorneys?
Learn how to capture consumer interest and position your firm to win new business, with insights from FindLaw's U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey.
Online reviews matter – a lot
As the internet grows ever larger, it’s become harder for consumers to know whom and what to trust. Online reviews have exploded in popularity because they give consumers a firsthand account of what it’s like to visit a restaurant, stay at a hotel, or work with a given attorney.
In 2023, one-third of consumers used online reviews to find an attorney. Of consumers who contacted an attorney and found that attorney online in 2024, 40% cited online reviews as their primary source of information when deciding which attorney to contact. Another 50% said that while they considered other factors as well, reviews played a significant role in their decision.
When it comes to marketing your firm, make asking for a review part of the process of closing out a matter. Research has shown that clients don’t mind being politely asked to leave a review, and many people are happy to offer their opinion. By validating legal clients with your firm’s ratings and reviews, you can take a more active role in building, monitoring, and managing your online reputation.
DIY legal consumers aren’t a lost cause
Every iteration of the U.S. Consumer Legal Needs survey has shown that a handful of legal consumers prefer to conduct their own research and find DIY online resources to address their matters, rather than immediately turning to an attorney. In 2023, 33% of consumers reported paying for templated documents to print and fill out on their own. In 2024, 60% of respondents who searched for DIY products overall said they wanted to find those same templates to complete on their own.
Don’t see these DIY consumers as unattainable — see them as a market your competitors aren’t capturing. Many consumers with a legal need start out trying to address their problem themselves before deciding to hire an attorney. If you provide free or low-cost resources like how-to guides or templates on your website, you can earn a future client’s trust and goodwill while simultaneously demonstrating your legal expertise. Altogether, it puts you in a good position to be hired later on down the line or be the recipient of future referrals.
The way consumers behave online has changed — and so have the best practices in digital legal marketing. FindLaw works with lawyers and lawyers only, so we have our finger on the pulse of what works for law firms. Learn how to catch the attention of legal clients with our legal marketing services.
10+ years of progress: Digital marketing lessons for small law firms and solo attorneys
A white paper for small law firms and solo attorneys who want to stay up to date with how consumers with a legal need think, research, and take action.
Leveraging reviews for law firm success: Build credibility and attract more clients
On October 16 at 1 p.m. CDT, join a panel of FindLaw experts to learn how to use reviews for lasting success and position your firm for growth.
