Business Strategy & Development, Digital Marketing, SEO
Written By: Klara Morgan
Diversifying Your Law Firm’s Review Footprint in the Age of AI
In today’s AI-influenced search landscape, reputation management for law firms has evolved far beyond simply asking clients to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile, though that remains critical. It’s also about strategically expanding your search visibility, building credibility across multiple platforms, and creating a resilient online presence that fosters both human trust and machine understanding.
Whether you’re a law firm partner frustrated by inconsistent leads or an in-house marketing manager dealing with inconsistent rankings, one truth is clear: your digital reputation actively shapes how potential clients find, assess, and choose your firm. And increasingly, prospects may not click through to your website before forming an opinion.
Law Firm Reputation Management Is Evolving, Fast
The rise of Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs), along with other generative search tools, means that searchers can now see summaries of your firm’s reputation directly in the search results. These overviews often draw from multiple sources, including reviews, legal directories, press mentions, social media, and more. In this environment, relying on a single platform, like Google Business Profile, is no longer enough.
A diversified footprint ensures your law firm’s name appears across the channels that matter most. It also reinforces your authority in the eyes of search engines, helping you show up in more relevant queries, knowledge panels, and AI-generated answers.
Why Diversification Matters Now
When your reviews and brand mentions are concentrated in just one place, you’re vulnerable to algorithm shifts, interface changes, and platform policy updates. What happens if your Google listing is suspended, or if reviews stop showing in local results? Without a presence elsewhere, your credibility can evaporate overnight.
Distributing your firm’s reputation across multiple trusted sources protects your visibility. It also signals topical authority to Google’s ranking systems and the AI tools that increasingly mediate how potential clients discover and evaluate you. A broader footprint means more places where your expertise can be validated.
Where Reviews and Mentions Matter Most
Your law firm’s review strategy should go beyond the basics. Yes, Google Business Profile is still paramount, especially for local SEO. A deficit of reviews compared to local competitors can have a significant impact on your local and map visibility.
But today’s digital client journey is multi-platform, and you need to meet potential clients wherever they choose to evaluate legal services. Even on your GBP itself, additional reviews from sites ranging from Facebook to Justia and even TrustIndex.com may be shown.
Legal-specific directories, such as Avvo, Justia, Martindale-Hubbell, and Lawyers.com, add another layer of credibility. These platforms often rank well in legal search queries and are recognized as authoritative sources by AI-driven search systems.
Third-party consumer sites, such as Yelp, Facebook, the Better Business Bureau, and, yes, even Reddit, can also play a role. Some show up in branded search results – searches for the name of your firm or attorneys at your firm. Others contribute to how users perceive your firm when searching beyond your website.
Don’t overlook the importance of brand mentions outside of review platforms entirely. Citations in bar association publications, guest podcasts, legal blogs, and local news outlets can improve visibility and reinforce your firm’s relevance in both traditional and AI-powered results.
What to Say—and How to Respond to Reviews
Collecting reviews is only part of the equation. Make no mistake, responding to every review, especially on your Google Business Profile, can impact your visibility. But how your firm responds to matters just as much, long-term. Responding in a reasonable period of time (within a business day), consistently, with professionalism, empathy, and clarity shows prospective clients that your team is engaged and service-oriented.
Tone and discretion are especially critical for law firms. You need to maintain client confidentiality, avoid triggering bar compliance issues, and still demonstrate responsiveness.
My Law Firm Got a Devastating Negative Review. What Now?
Now more than ever, it’s critical to respond to every review, whether positive or negative. Your engagement with these reviews can impact your local SEO, visibility in map packs, your local search ads (LSA) campaigns, and PPC campaigns.
It is equally important to ensure your response is measured and empathetic, where appropriate.
Remember, you are not only responding to the reviewer, but also to the thousands of prospective clients who are likely to read your responses.
- Stay Calm: Take a moment before composing your response to ensure you can respond without reacting emotionally. Was the Reviewer a Client? If the review came from someone that was never interacted with your firm, you should appeal the review before responding.
- Respond Publicly and Professionally: If the review came from a client or prospect, acknowledge the review publicly. Show a sincere willingness to resolve the issue. This demonstrates to others that you value client feedback and are committed to resolving disputes. Keep your response brief and avoid getting into specifics and, obviously, never discuss case details.
- Take It Offline: Invite the reviewer to discuss the issue privately, either via phone or email, to resolve the matter more thoroughly.
- Request an Edit: If you’re able to successfully address the reviewer’s issue offline and convert them into a satisfied client, ask them to remove (or possibly edit) the review.
- Encourage Positive Reviews: If the negative review remains, work to offset it by encouraging satisfied clients to leave positive reviews. A few negative reviews among many positive ones are expected for every business. But gaining newer, positive reviews diminishes the prominence of the negative review.
More Than SEO: Leveraging Reviews Across Channels
Online reviews aren’t just for Google rankings. They can be repurposed as testimonials on your website, featured in email campaigns, shared on social media, and used in retargeting ads. A thoughtful review strategy contributes to your entire marketing funnel, from initial awareness to social proof to final conversion.
When you treat reviews as content, not just ratings, you create assets that build trust at every stage of the client journey.
Review Management the Postali Way
At Postali, we take a proactive, strategic approach to reputation management for law firms. We don’t just help you get more reviews. We help you build the kind of presence that search engines reward and potential clients trust.
Your law firm’s success is our benchmark. We don’t just talk about results—we deliver them. Our strategies are built on proven methods that consistently drive measurable growth for our clients. From increased lead generation to improved case acquisition, our track record demonstrates the tangible impact we make for law firms nationwide.
You deserve a partner who keeps you informed and engaged every step of the way. With Postali, you’ll experience proactive, transparent communication from a dedicated team that’s always accessible. We prioritize clarity, responsiveness, and collaboration, so you’re never left in the dark about your marketing performance or next steps.
Reputation Resilience Requires Reach
Your firm’s reputation shouldn’t live on just one platform. It should be visible, credible, and actively managed across the entire digital ecosystem your clients trust. In an AI-first world, reputation management for law firms means building resilience through reach.
If your current approach to reviews feels reactive or limited, Postali can help. We’ll build and manage a smarter reputation strategy that reflects your excellence—everywhere it counts.