Rob Timmermann

How to Improve Your Avvo Rating: 5 Ways Attorneys Can Raise Their Score

Lawyers, above all else, know perception is everything. In a world where a single click can shape reputations and influence decisions, your Avvo score can be the difference between a steady stream of clients and a barren inbox. Continue reading as we discuss a few strategies to increase your Avvo rating. 

A Quick Glance Into Avvo’s Rating System

Think of Avvo like Yelp for attorneys, where good ratings help market your practice. Scores range from “1.0” as the worst, to a perfect “10.0” as the best. 

Here’s how Avvo classifies each score:

  • 10 – 9.0: Superb
  • 8.9 – 8.0: Excellent
  • 7.9 – 7.0: Very Good
  • 6.9 – 6.0: Good
  • 5.9 – 5.0: Average
  • 4.9 – 4.0: Concern
  • 3.9 – 3.0: Caution
  • 2.9 – 2.0: Strong Caution
  • 1.9 – 1.0: Extreme Caution

Now, let’s cover what metrics Avvo evaluates to determine your rating: 

  • Awards: Recognition from reputable legal bodies can bolster your rating, and the more recent your award, the more weight it holds.
  • Legal Associations: Members of legal associations score higher, as Avvo feels this reflects your dedication to the field of law. 
  • Peer Endorsements: Endorsements from fellow attorneys contribute to your rating. Albeit, there is a limit on how much they influence your score. 
  • Publications: Articles you publish are representative of your technical knowledge, and sometimes counted towards your Avvo rating. 
  • Speaking Engagements: Speaking engagements are an easy way to signify your authority in a specific legal area
  • Work Experience: Your past cases, along with the nature of your legal practice, is one of the largest factors in determining your Avvo rating.

5 Ways to Improve Your Avvo Rating

Sure, improving your Avvo rating from “caution” to “good” can make you a more viable choice. But did you know making minor improvements to an already-high score can give you an even bigger leg-up on your competition? Here are five of the most effective ways lawyers can improve their Avvo rating: 

1. Claim Your Profile

To add information to your Avvo profile, you’ll need to claim it as yours on the Avvo website. If you haven’t already done this, follow these steps: 

  • Search for your first and last name on the page dedicated to claiming your profile.
  • Once you’ve found your profile, you’ll need to provide proof of identity to claim it. You can provide a LinkedIn or Facebook profile, email address, or phone number associated with your identity.
  • You will get a message via your chosen confirmation method. Follow the instructions in this message, and your Avvo profile is all set to use!

2. Fill Out Your Profile

When you first claim your profile, it won’t have much information. Filling out your profile has two main benefits: first, it provides potential clients with important information about you, and second, it’s a chance for you to provide information—like associations, past cases, and publications—that can improve your Avvo rating. 

Fill out the following sections of your profile:

  • About: This is a good place to talk about yourself and your practice. This is mainly for the consumer’s eyes, so it’s your chance to represent yourself as a professional who can deliver results for your clients.
  • Contact: Leave a phone number and a link to a website for your practice. If you don’t have a website, then now is a good time to make one. Simply put, you’ll need one if you ever want to appear in local search results for lawyers.
  • Location: Avvo should have your rough location based on the city where you practice law, but you can also add exact office locations.
  • Resume: You should include your resume in your profile, with all of your work experience, education, community recognition, and publications in the field of law.

3. Get Peer Endorsements

Unlike work experience, peer endorsements are part of an Avvo rating that you can acquire instantly.  Ask for references from other lawyers with whom you’ve worked with in the past or who were impressed by your work as opposing counsel on a case. 

Just remember: there’s a limit to how many points you can get from peer endorsements alone. And while you should seek endorsements whenever available, don’t make them your only focus.

4. Advance in Your Career

Become involved in professional associations, publish articles in legal journals, work hard to win awards, and look for speaking engagements where available. These things take time, they aren’t an instant fix for your Avvo profile, but they will add up and pay off in the long run.

5. Focus on What You Can Control

Most importantly, only direct time and resources on what you can actually control. Not satisfied with your current Avvo rating? Don’t cross your fingers and hope your score magically changes. With a little work, you can have your personal website show up before Avvo.com when someone searches for “best attorney in XYZ city.” 

It all starts with investing in the right resources to improve visibility of your brand. And for many law firms, this starts by partnering with a digital marketing agency. 

From Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to building-out your Google My Business (GMB) profile, they know exactly what it takes to improve your online presence. Plus, you spare yourself the frustration of navigating this task alone. 

Here’s what they can do today to boost your online presence:  

  • Revitalize your website’s on-page content, fine-tuning the copy for search engines.
  • Produce articles to position your firm as a trusted authority, both to readers and Google’s algorithms.
  • Help you claim and optimize your GMB page, supplementing it with summaries and imagery linked back to the content they curate for your website.

When done right, these activities go a long way toward helping you show up in the Google Maps 3-pack. 

Now, ready for the best part? 

Google Maps Pack will always show up before Avvo.com when people search for a location tag, like “best lawyer in XYZ city.” 

Invest in Digital Marketing, Improve Your Avvo Rating

Perception is everything in today’s digital world, and you need a marketing partner who understands the legal sector. Enter Timmermann Group. We’re not just “another” agency; we’re here to amplify your online presence, cultivate meaningful client connections, and take your law firm to new heights.

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