in the gathering of information on legal service
providers. In fact, a Yahoo! study conducted in
April 2008 confrms that 62% of clients use the
Internet prior to selecting a lawyer or attorney.
Clients spend an average of 8 hours performing
online research to get details about their legal
situation and options, and 80% choose their
attorney within one week, often out of the
need for immediacy.
Search engines play an important role in the
attorney-selection process.
Search engines are particularly valuable for this
sort of research, as they enable people to fnd
information quickly. Clients are equally as likely
to use a search engine in the research process
(36%) as they are to use the phone book—
representing a shift in the way clients had
previously accessed information on attorneys.
People using a search engine are highly likely
to enter the type of attorney they are seeking,
which presents a major opportunity for attorneys
of a particular specialty to market their services
to potential clients.
Websites can improve clients’ perceptions and
drive business connections.
Business-focused websites present a unique
opportunity to educate clients on service offerings—
and infuence their opinions. Attorneys who have
websites improve their clients’ perceptions and
trust in their services.
Impact a Website Had on Clients:
Improved my perception of the attorney 40%
Increased my trust in the attorney 23%
Answered all of my questions, fully informative 20%
Sealed my decision—I chose the attorney after seeing their site 20%
Was an unappealing site, so I decided against the attorney 10%
Didn’t have a site, so I decided against the attorney 10%
Attorney-related searches cover a variety
of specialties.
The majority of clients searching for attorneys are
interested in someone who specializes in estate
and probate, marital related issues, and accidents.
For most searchers, it’s their frst time looking
for a legal professional, and they have a limited
knowledge of the legal landscape.
Top 10 Specialties Searched For
Estate and Probate 25%
Child Support/Custody 13%
Auto-Related Accidents 12%
Marriage and Divorce 12%
Real Estate 11%
Bankruptcy 8%
Personal Injury 8%
Business Law 7%
Criminal Law 7%
Traffc Violations 6%
Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc.
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