April 21, 2025 • 13 mins
Reputation management is a lawyer's most valuable asset in today's digital world, where 80% of potential clients check online reviews and what they see on the first page of Google becomes your business card.
Taking control of your online presence means creating a consistent, strong brand that builds trust with prospective clients while positioning yourself as a legal authority.
• Past clients are your strongest ambassadors through genuine testimonials and case studies
• Active engagement on LinkedIn, Martindale-Hubbell, and Avvo shows ongoing commitment
• Thought leadership through articles, podcasts and speaking positions you as the go-to expert
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Reputation Management for Lawyers Some simple
strategies that work.
Welcome to Legal Marketing 101.
I'm Toby Rosen.
Your reputation.
A lot of the time, it's yourmost valuable asset as a lawyer.
But in today's digital world,one bad review, a misleading
article about you all of thesethings can do serious, serious
(00:27):
damage.
So how can we take control ofour online presence and build a
rock solid reputation?
Today we are going to dive intosome of the easiest proactive
reputation management strategiesand things like how to handle
negative reviews professionally,how to actually build a
reputation that attracts highvalue clients and you need to
(00:50):
listen up, because 80% of yourpotential clients are checking
online reviews before hiring you.
That is just a fact today andthe referrals and word of mouth
stuff all of this is alsohappening in digital spaces
today.
So having a strong onlinereputation is not just something
we can ignore.
It is really the foundation ofwhat we are doing today.
So what we really need to talkabout is the foundation of that
(01:11):
strong legal reputation, becausewhen potential clients search
your name online and trust me,they will search you, whether
they came through a referral ornot what they see on the first
page of Google essentiallybecomes your online business
card.
We've talked about this beforein relation to Google my
Business.
It is that critical firstimpression.
Think about the last time youGoogled someone.
Did the results that you sawinspire confidence or did it
(01:35):
leave you questioning theircredibility and clicking through
to something else?
Your online presence sets thetone.
It sets the narrative, so it isincredibly essential that we
control it proactively Now.
Controlling the narrative so itis incredibly essential that we
control it proactively Now.
Controlling the narrativedoesn't mean we're trying to
manipulate every little thing onthe internet.
That's obviously impossible.
Instead, it's really aboutcreating a consistent, strong
(01:57):
and trustworthy brand.
Imagine that our firm's websitesays we're innovative and
client-focused, but we haven'tupdated our LinkedIn profile in
four years or something.
Or worse, it contradicts ourmessaging by showing people
commenting and saying we don'tcare about them.
Those inconsistencies mightseem a little bit minor and
maybe someone won't see them,but to prospective clients, if
(02:19):
they do see them, they are bigred flagsency in branding across
your website, your onlinedirectories, your social media.
All of this helps build trustand it makes you memorable.
But what exactly shapes yourreputation as a lawyer online?
Let's focus on these few keyelements.
First is our past clients.
These are our strongestambassadors.
(02:41):
Genuine testimonials andwell-crafted case studies speak
volumes, way louder than anyself-promotion we can possibly
do A client that's saying wehandled their complex case with
empathy and expertise.
This resonates way morepowerfully than we just saying
that you know.
We're declaring that we'reexperienced and we have, you
know, so many cases.
(03:02):
Those reviews are much morepowerful.
And second, we need to be activeon the professional platforms.
This is LinkedIn, martindale,hubble, avvo.
These show potential clientsthat we're engaged and we're
respected in the field, beyondwhat we're doing offline
Participating in the discussionson these platforms, sharing
thoughtful commentary, updatingour achievements.
(03:22):
This is not just marketingfluff.
It's proof of our ongoingcommitment and presence in the
industry, online and offline.
And finally, thought leadership.
This is a little bit of anebulous term.
You guys have all heard it, butit can really elevate your
reputation from good toexceptional.
It's the extension of thatactive engagement on the
professional platforms.
So, whether this is donethrough publishing insightful
(03:44):
guest articles, appearing onpodcasts, speaking at
conferences, this doesn't justposition you as knowledgeable,
it positions you as the go-toexpert in your practice area.
Clients feel reassured hiringsomeone who's recognized by
their peers as an authorityBecause, remember, reputation is
not static.
It is always evolving with everyword you say, every move you
(04:04):
make.
A strong foundation is builtbrick by brick, with consistency
, credibility and proactivestorytelling at the core.
Take a quick audit today.
Google your firm.
Does it align with theprofessional that you want to be
perceived as?
And if not, now's the perfecttime to start taking control of
that narrative.
And here's the thing when itcomes to reputation management,
(04:26):
playing defense after somethingnegative surfaces online, it's
just not enough.
We have to stay ahead of thegame.
That means being proactive,consistently highlighting our
strengths and actively workingto shape our online narrative.
And the first thing is, first,positive client reviews.
We all know this.
We all know that happy clientsoften stay quiet, while unhappy
(04:46):
ones rarely hesitate to voicetheir frustrations.
Your job is to gently encouragethe satisfied clients to speak
up, but there's a right and awrong way to do this.
You certainly don't want topressure anyone or, worse,
breach any of the ethicalboundaries.
Now, we've talked about thisbefore, but the trick here is to
make requesting reviews part ofyour natural case closing
(05:07):
process A simple email or a textafter a case wraps up saying
something like if you felt thatour team or that I did great
work.
Sharing our experience on thislink could mean a lot to us, and
it could help others findquality legal help.
It's perfectly appropriate tosay something like this, and you
can even automate this withtools like Lawmatics, active
Campaigns or even somethingsimple like a to-do list app or
(05:30):
a calendar app.
This makes it much easier tosend gentle, ethical reminders.
That'll save you time and keepyour approach consistent, and
where these reviews appearmatters almost as much as having
them at all.
Google business profiles, avvo,lawyerscom, facebook all of
these and a huge list of othersare crucial sites because
they're frequently visited byprospective clients.
(05:50):
By strategically placing ourreviews across these platforms,
we're effectively spreading ourpositive reputation further and
wider and making sure thatpotential clients find these
glowing endorsements no matterwhere they look.
Next up, we need to talk aboutowning your online presence,
because you probably noticethose Google business profile
boxes when you search forservices online.
(06:11):
Claiming and fully optimizingyour profile is a must-do.
It dramatically increases yourvisibility and credibility and,
frankly, if you're listening tothe podcast and you haven't
claimed your Google my Businessprofile, you haven't listened to
our episodes on local SEO.
You need to stop and go backand do that, because if you're
trying to manage your reputationwithout managing your Google my
(06:32):
Business, oh buddy, you're introuble.
But at the same time, we don'twant to overlook Avvo, justia
Martindale, all of these otherLexus-related sites, these other
directories that are specificto the legal industry.
These platforms rank reallyhighly in searches, and so not
only does keeping them updatedwith our current practice areas
awards, publications, speakingengagements all of this is great
(06:55):
for our online credibility, butit's also sending signals back
to Google.
So this is great across theboard.
But finally, let's talk socialproof.
One of the most persuasive waysto showcase your expertise is
through video testimonials fromyour clients Short clips, that's
all we need when the clientsare sharing real experiences,
real emotions and real outcomes.
(07:16):
These instantly resonate andfeel far more authentic than
written reviews, because theuser can verify them.
Think about it Would you trusta lawyer more if you saw a real
client on video passionatelyspeaking about how their life
improved after working with thelawyer?
Or would you trust them more ifit was just a few lines from a
client with two letters insteadof their actual name?
(07:38):
On top of this, activelyseeking media mentions,
investing in PR all of this addsto that credibility.
So when we're talking about thenarrative of who you are being
quoted as an expert in reputablepublications, appearing on
podcasts, speaking atprestigious events, all of this
positions you very firmly as aleader if not the leader in your
(07:59):
field.
The bottom line is that beingproactive here is key If you are
trying to manage yourreputation because someone has
already damaged it.
We're in trouble Regularlyprompting our happy clients to
review us, staying in control ofour online presence all of
these things are critical whenit comes to actually leveraging
this position into the onlinereputation.
(08:19):
We need to attract high valueclients, but let's face it, no
matter how dedicated or carefulwe are, negative reviews, online
attacks they're going to happen.
It might be an unhappy client,maybe a misunderstanding, even
someone we've never worked withthat's just leaving misleading
comments.
When this happens, the instinctfor most of you guys seems to
(08:41):
be to just panic or fire off aheated response or get litigious
.
But the best thing we canreally do here is to take a deep
breath and respondstrategically.
So the first step when facing anegative review is to assess
calmly and objectively Is thisactually genuine feedback from
an unhappy client or is itsomething unfair or malicious?
(09:01):
If it's a legitimate concern.
Responding professionally,promptly and politely goes a
really long way.
Clients appreciate transparency, so acknowledge the issue
respectfully without violatingconfidentiality.
Something like we appreciateyour feedback and would welcome
the chance to discuss thisprivately to resolve your
concerns.
This shows that we're attentive, professional and we can handle
(09:24):
things, even if there's alittle bit of criticism.
But we don't always have torespond.
Now, I've said in other podcastepisodes that we should always
respond, but sometimes there isa reason not to.
Sometimes ignoring a clearlyunfounded or insane complaint is
actually better.
Responding can unintentionallyamplify a minor issue and that
(09:44):
can turn it into a largercontroversy.
So trust your instincts.
If it's obviously fake orabusive, start by flagging it
with the platform.
That's usually the best move,and when negative content
surfaces, one of the mosteffective strategies is to bury
it with positivity.
This doesn't mean that weshould pretend the criticism
doesn't exist, but instead weoutweigh it by consistently
(10:06):
generating and showcasingpositive reviews, pushing more
client success stories and moreof that valuable content.
When prospective clients Googleus and see the overwhelmingly
positive results that one or twonegative reviews there, they're
going to lose their impactpretty quickly.
And what about reputationmanagement services?
Can they be useful, sure, butreally only in severe cases,
(10:29):
especially if this damagingcontent stubbornly dominates our
search results and that's morethan just on our Google by
business profile.
But be cautious.
A lot of the providers in thisindustry make big promises and
deliver minimal results.
Use them sparingly, only aftervetting their credibility and,
if you can, their past successes.
And really I know this is notthe way you guys like to go
(10:52):
about things.
But legal recourse in thissituation should be your last
resort, but it is an option whenfacing serious, demonstrably
false or defamatory reviews.
Sending a carefully craftedcease and desist or formally
reporting the content to theplatform may resolve the
situation, but if it escalates,further legal action could be
necessary.
(11:12):
But approach this reallycautiously.
Obviously, you guys know this.
Lawsuits can amplify publicity,drawing even more attention to
the negative review, and wedon't want to Barbra Streisand
ourselves Overall.
The key with negativereputation stuff is just to stay
calm, respond thoughtfully andfocus on the positive content.
By having a really clearstrategy for this in place,
(11:33):
you'll be well prepared andyou'll be able to keep your head
clear when, inevitably, anegative review does pop up.
So before we go, I asked ChatGPTto summarize this episode and
give me a couple of keytakeaways and a call to action
that I can share with you, soI'm just going to go through
those really quickly.
First is be proactive.
I love this.
We want to manage ourreputation before the crisis
(11:55):
hits.
If we can boost our profilewith tons of positive reviews, a
few negative ones aren't goingto be a big deal.
Number two is to encourage andhighlight the positive client
experiences.
This is simple and really allof today's episode is simple.
We just need to do the obviousthing.
Occam's razor Number three ishandle negativity with
professionalism and strategy.
(12:16):
Now I will say you lawyers arepretty good at this.
Your poker faces are prettystrong most of the time, but the
key here is to be consistentand make sure we have a strategy
for dealing with the negativity.
Finally, what you can do today.
Our call to action First, takea look at your Google search
results today.
Ask your SEO person to send youa report.
Google it yourself, whatever'sthe easiest.
(12:37):
What's actually showing up?
Is there anything you don'twant to see there?
And number two and I've saidthis many times start asking
your satisfied clients forethical, professional reviews
today.
Don't just do it this week, doit today.
Ask at least somebody beforethey leave the office today.
That's it for Legal Marketing101.
(12:59):
Check out RosenAdvertisingcomfor more Thanks.
Reputation Management for Lawyers Some simple
strategies that work.
Welcome to Legal Marketing 101.
I'm Toby Rosen.
Your reputation.
A lot of the time, it's yourmost valuable asset as a lawyer.
But in today's digital world,one bad review, a misleading
article about you all of thesethings can do serious, serious
(00:27):
damage.
So how can we take control ofour online presence and build a
rock solid reputation?
Today we are going to dive intosome of the easiest proactive
reputation management strategiesand things like how to handle
negative reviews professionally,how to actually build a
reputation that attracts highvalue clients and you need to
(00:50):
listen up, because 80% of yourpotential clients are checking
online reviews before hiring you.
That is just a fact today andthe referrals and word of mouth
stuff all of this is alsohappening in digital spaces
today.
So having a strong onlinereputation is not just something
we can ignore.
It is really the foundation ofwhat we are doing today.
So what we really need to talkabout is the foundation of that
(01:11):
strong legal reputation, becausewhen potential clients search
your name online and trust me,they will search you, whether
they came through a referral ornot what they see on the first
page of Google essentiallybecomes your online business
card.
We've talked about this beforein relation to Google my
Business.
It is that critical firstimpression.
Think about the last time youGoogled someone.
Did the results that you sawinspire confidence or did it
(01:35):
leave you questioning theircredibility and clicking through
to something else?
Your online presence sets thetone.
It sets the narrative, so it isincredibly essential that we
control it proactively Now.
Controlling the narrative so itis incredibly essential that we
control it proactively Now.
Controlling the narrativedoesn't mean we're trying to
manipulate every little thing onthe internet.
That's obviously impossible.
Instead, it's really aboutcreating a consistent, strong
(01:57):
and trustworthy brand.
Imagine that our firm's websitesays we're innovative and
client-focused, but we haven'tupdated our LinkedIn profile in
four years or something.
Or worse, it contradicts ourmessaging by showing people
commenting and saying we don'tcare about them.
Those inconsistencies mightseem a little bit minor and
maybe someone won't see them,but to prospective clients, if
(02:19):
they do see them, they are bigred flagsency in branding across
your website, your onlinedirectories, your social media.
All of this helps build trustand it makes you memorable.
But what exactly shapes yourreputation as a lawyer online?
Let's focus on these few keyelements.
First is our past clients.
These are our strongestambassadors.
(02:41):
Genuine testimonials andwell-crafted case studies speak
volumes, way louder than anyself-promotion we can possibly
do A client that's saying wehandled their complex case with
empathy and expertise.
This resonates way morepowerfully than we just saying
that you know.
We're declaring that we'reexperienced and we have, you
know, so many cases.
(03:02):
Those reviews are much morepowerful.
And second, we need to be activeon the professional platforms.
This is LinkedIn, martindale,hubble, avvo.
These show potential clientsthat we're engaged and we're
respected in the field, beyondwhat we're doing offline
Participating in the discussionson these platforms, sharing
thoughtful commentary, updatingour achievements.
(03:22):
This is not just marketingfluff.
It's proof of our ongoingcommitment and presence in the
industry, online and offline.
And finally, thought leadership.
This is a little bit of anebulous term.
You guys have all heard it, butit can really elevate your
reputation from good toexceptional.
It's the extension of thatactive engagement on the
professional platforms.
So, whether this is donethrough publishing insightful
(03:44):
guest articles, appearing onpodcasts, speaking at
conferences, this doesn't justposition you as knowledgeable,
it positions you as the go-toexpert in your practice area.
Clients feel reassured hiringsomeone who's recognized by
their peers as an authorityBecause, remember, reputation is
not static.
It is always evolving with everyword you say, every move you
(04:04):
make.
A strong foundation is builtbrick by brick, with consistency
, credibility and proactivestorytelling at the core.
Take a quick audit today.
Google your firm.
Does it align with theprofessional that you want to be
perceived as?
And if not, now's the perfecttime to start taking control of
that narrative.
And here's the thing when itcomes to reputation management,
(04:26):
playing defense after somethingnegative surfaces online, it's
just not enough.
We have to stay ahead of thegame.
That means being proactive,consistently highlighting our
strengths and actively workingto shape our online narrative.
And the first thing is, first,positive client reviews.
We all know this.
We all know that happy clientsoften stay quiet, while unhappy
(04:46):
ones rarely hesitate to voicetheir frustrations.
Your job is to gently encouragethe satisfied clients to speak
up, but there's a right and awrong way to do this.
You certainly don't want topressure anyone or, worse,
breach any of the ethicalboundaries.
Now, we've talked about thisbefore, but the trick here is to
make requesting reviews part ofyour natural case closing
(05:07):
process A simple email or a textafter a case wraps up saying
something like if you felt thatour team or that I did great
work.
Sharing our experience on thislink could mean a lot to us, and
it could help others findquality legal help.
It's perfectly appropriate tosay something like this, and you
can even automate this withtools like Lawmatics, active
Campaigns or even somethingsimple like a to-do list app or
(05:30):
a calendar app.
This makes it much easier tosend gentle, ethical reminders.
That'll save you time and keepyour approach consistent, and
where these reviews appearmatters almost as much as having
them at all.
Google business profiles, avvo,lawyerscom, facebook all of
these and a huge list of othersare crucial sites because
they're frequently visited byprospective clients.
(05:50):
By strategically placing ourreviews across these platforms,
we're effectively spreading ourpositive reputation further and
wider and making sure thatpotential clients find these
glowing endorsements no matterwhere they look.
Next up, we need to talk aboutowning your online presence,
because you probably noticethose Google business profile
boxes when you search forservices online.
(06:11):
Claiming and fully optimizingyour profile is a must-do.
It dramatically increases yourvisibility and credibility and,
frankly, if you're listening tothe podcast and you haven't
claimed your Google my Businessprofile, you haven't listened to
our episodes on local SEO.
You need to stop and go backand do that, because if you're
trying to manage your reputationwithout managing your Google my
(06:32):
Business, oh buddy, you're introuble.
But at the same time, we don'twant to overlook Avvo, justia
Martindale, all of these otherLexus-related sites, these other
directories that are specificto the legal industry.
These platforms rank reallyhighly in searches, and so not
only does keeping them updatedwith our current practice areas
awards, publications, speakingengagements all of this is great
(06:55):
for our online credibility, butit's also sending signals back
to Google.
So this is great across theboard.
But finally, let's talk socialproof.
One of the most persuasive waysto showcase your expertise is
through video testimonials fromyour clients Short clips, that's
all we need when the clientsare sharing real experiences,
real emotions and real outcomes.
(07:16):
These instantly resonate andfeel far more authentic than
written reviews, because theuser can verify them.
Think about it Would you trusta lawyer more if you saw a real
client on video passionatelyspeaking about how their life
improved after working with thelawyer?
Or would you trust them more ifit was just a few lines from a
client with two letters insteadof their actual name?
(07:38):
On top of this, activelyseeking media mentions,
investing in PR all of this addsto that credibility.
So when we're talking about thenarrative of who you are being
quoted as an expert in reputablepublications, appearing on
podcasts, speaking atprestigious events, all of this
positions you very firmly as aleader if not the leader in your
(07:59):
field.
The bottom line is that beingproactive here is key If you are
trying to manage yourreputation because someone has
already damaged it.
We're in trouble Regularlyprompting our happy clients to
review us, staying in control ofour online presence all of
these things are critical whenit comes to actually leveraging
this position into the onlinereputation.
(08:19):
We need to attract high valueclients, but let's face it, no
matter how dedicated or carefulwe are, negative reviews, online
attacks they're going to happen.
It might be an unhappy client,maybe a misunderstanding, even
someone we've never worked withthat's just leaving misleading
comments.
When this happens, the instinctfor most of you guys seems to
(08:41):
be to just panic or fire off aheated response or get litigious
.
But the best thing we canreally do here is to take a deep
breath and respondstrategically.
So the first step when facing anegative review is to assess
calmly and objectively Is thisactually genuine feedback from
an unhappy client or is itsomething unfair or malicious?
(09:01):
If it's a legitimate concern.
Responding professionally,promptly and politely goes a
really long way.
Clients appreciate transparency, so acknowledge the issue
respectfully without violatingconfidentiality.
Something like we appreciateyour feedback and would welcome
the chance to discuss thisprivately to resolve your
concerns.
This shows that we're attentive, professional and we can handle
(09:24):
things, even if there's alittle bit of criticism.
But we don't always have torespond.
Now, I've said in other podcastepisodes that we should always
respond, but sometimes there isa reason not to.
Sometimes ignoring a clearlyunfounded or insane complaint is
actually better.
Responding can unintentionallyamplify a minor issue and that
(09:44):
can turn it into a largercontroversy.
So trust your instincts.
If it's obviously fake orabusive, start by flagging it
with the platform.
That's usually the best move,and when negative content
surfaces, one of the mosteffective strategies is to bury
it with positivity.
This doesn't mean that weshould pretend the criticism
doesn't exist, but instead weoutweigh it by consistently
(10:06):
generating and showcasingpositive reviews, pushing more
client success stories and moreof that valuable content.
When prospective clients Googleus and see the overwhelmingly
positive results that one or twonegative reviews there, they're
going to lose their impactpretty quickly.
And what about reputationmanagement services?
Can they be useful, sure, butreally only in severe cases,
(10:29):
especially if this damagingcontent stubbornly dominates our
search results and that's morethan just on our Google by
business profile.
But be cautious.
A lot of the providers in thisindustry make big promises and
deliver minimal results.
Use them sparingly, only aftervetting their credibility and,
if you can, their past successes.
And really I know this is notthe way you guys like to go
(10:52):
about things.
But legal recourse in thissituation should be your last
resort, but it is an option whenfacing serious, demonstrably
false or defamatory reviews.
Sending a carefully craftedcease and desist or formally
reporting the content to theplatform may resolve the
situation, but if it escalates,further legal action could be
necessary.
(11:12):
But approach this reallycautiously.
Obviously, you guys know this.
Lawsuits can amplify publicity,drawing even more attention to
the negative review, and wedon't want to Barbra Streisand
ourselves Overall.
The key with negativereputation stuff is just to stay
calm, respond thoughtfully andfocus on the positive content.
By having a really clearstrategy for this in place,
(11:33):
you'll be well prepared andyou'll be able to keep your head
clear when, inevitably, anegative review does pop up.
So before we go, I asked ChatGPTto summarize this episode and
give me a couple of keytakeaways and a call to action
that I can share with you, soI'm just going to go through
those really quickly.
First is be proactive.
I love this.
We want to manage ourreputation before the crisis
(11:55):
hits.
If we can boost our profilewith tons of positive reviews, a
few negative ones aren't goingto be a big deal.
Number two is to encourage andhighlight the positive client
experiences.
This is simple and really allof today's episode is simple.
We just need to do the obviousthing.
Occam's razor Number three ishandle negativity with
professionalism and strategy.
(12:16):
Now I will say you lawyers arepretty good at this.
Your poker faces are prettystrong most of the time, but the
key here is to be consistentand make sure we have a strategy
for dealing with the negativity.
Finally, what you can do today.
Our call to action First, takea look at your Google search
results today.
Ask your SEO person to send youa report.
Google it yourself, whatever'sthe easiest.
(12:37):
What's actually showing up?
Is there anything you don'twant to see there?
And number two and I've saidthis many times start asking
your satisfied clients forethical, professional reviews
today.
Don't just do it this week, doit today.
Ask at least somebody beforethey leave the office today.
That's it for Legal Marketing101.
(12:59):
Check out RosenAdvertisingcomfor more Thanks.
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