You have many people to thank.
So many constituencies are searching for law firms — for so many reasons. Think Elon Musk, associates, potential lateral partners, and of course clients and potential clients. They all want to know, so — they search. And this is only one reason I love Google Trends.
Google Trends tracks and ranks all the searches on Google. The MAD Clientist jumped in to find the most searched for law firms of 2022. Here is who lands at the top spots:
In the 30 largest firms:
Sidley managed to pull away from the pack with a big spike in searches from mid-June to Labor Day. Morgan Lewis comes 2nd in searches with a strong and relatively consistent performance. Latham & Watkins is number 3 in searches — a significant improvement over last year. Jones Day, at number 4, gained strength over the year and spiked between mid-August and Thanksgiving. Skadden garnered the number 5 spot with a strong, steady performance throughout 2022.
Firms Most Searched for in the Am Law 31 to 100
Cravath started the year with a surge and is one of the few firms to end 2022 with a surge. Wilson Sonsini enjoyed strength throughout the year. WilmerHale was strongest in the middle 6 months of the year. Nelson Mullins saw a series of surges in the first half of 2022 with fewer peaks towards the end of the year. MOFO was consistent but showed more strength in the first half of the year.
Most Searched for Law Firms in the Am Law 2nd 100
Boston-based Foley Hoag attracted 6 big surges driving their performance. Finnegan enjoyed 5 surges spread throughout the year to drive their performance. Shook Hardy & Bacon registered 4 slightly smaller surges. Carlton Fields surged at the beginning and end of the year.
About the Surges
Almost all higher performing law firms showed surges in searches driving them to the top. The number of searches you attract can be, and is, volatile. But it doesn’t have to be that way — consistency attracts more searches, higher rankings, more engagement, and more business.
Law firms can covert surges to consistently high performance. Most law firms use a “one and done” strategy for posting content, news, and other firm activity. The episodic posting drives the surges. We recommend the following to create a consistently high level of searches:
- Start with a typical piece of content
- Breakdown your news down into multiple discrete pieces — ideally 5 to 7
- Post these mini pieces multiple times over 7 to 30 days
- Include a link back to the original post
- Post on:
- YouTube
- Podcast platforms
- Encourage everyone in the firm to view, like, share, and comment where appropriate
- Test and improve SEO consistently
We expect the firms who map out and leverage both digital and analog ecosystems will silently gain mindshare and market share. They will also attract more inbound leads from new and existing clients. Clients are growing tired of pitches and view thought leadership as a breath of fresh air. Top legal decision makers want to stay abreast of their firm’s activities — especially if they learn about their strategies and how they are working to stay on the leading edge.
In short, clients are substantially more interested in what their law firms are doing and saying than law firms think. Leverage this while the playing field is still wide open.
Congratulations to the most searched for law firms of 2022. Each of their sites is worth a look to see what they have to say — and what they do.
Best in the market ahead.
MBR
The Mad Clientist
