Law Firm Marketing Statistics: 133 Legal Marketing Statistics to Know

The legal industry is experiencing a significant shift in marketing strategies, with AI causing a growing focus on digital channels.

In 2022, digital marketing accounted for a considerable portion of law firm marketing budgets, demonstrating the importance of using digital tactics to bring in more potential clients. 

With 94% of law firms having a website and 90% maintaining a blog, it is clear that SEO and content marketing still play a crucial role in the marketing efforts of these firms. 

The global legal services market is projected to reach an impressive $1.02 trillion by 2026, indicating substantial growth opportunities for law firms.

Moreover, in 2022, 41% of law firms increased their marketing budgets compared to the previous year, highlighting the industry’s recognition of the value digital marketing has.

In this article, we will look at some key legal marketing statistics ranging from social media to video marketing that impact the legal space.

General Legal Marketing Statistics 

1. In 2021, digital marketing accounted for 39% of law firm marketing budgets. 2

2. 94% of law firms have a website, and 90% have a blog. 2

3. The global legal services market is projected to reach $1.02 trillion by 2026, growing at a 

4. CAGR of 4.8% from 2021 to 2026. 1

5.  Law firms spend an average of 2.5% of their gross revenue on marketing. 2

6. 58% of law firms have a formalized marketing budget. 2

7. In 2021, 41% of law firms increased their marketing budgets compared to the previous year. 2

8. The average conversion rate for law firm websites in 2021 was 6.98%. 3

9. 80% of law firms believe that online reviews and ratings are important for their reputation. 2

10. In 2021, law firms spent an average of $13,900 per month on digital marketing services. 2

11. The average bounce rate for law firm websites in 2021 was 55.5%. 6

12. The average time spent on a law firm website in 2021 was 2 minutes and 17 seconds. 6

13. 64% of law firms have received new clients through their website. 2

14. 87% of law firms believe that their website design is effective in representing their brand. 2

15. 84% of law firms believe that their website’s user experience is satisfactory. 2

16. 71% of law firms use online directories to promote their services. 2

17. 79% of law firms believe that their online reputation management efforts are effective. 2

18. 81% of law firms believe that their online directory listings have increased their website traffic. 2

19. 62% of law firms have received new clients through their online directory listings. 2

20. The average cost-per-lead for law firm online directory listings in 2021 was $45. 2

21. 81% of law firms believe that their website design has improved their search engine rankings. 2

22. 88% of law firms believe that their website design has increased website traffic. 2

23. 70% of law firms have received new clients through their website design. 2

24. 84% of law firms believe that their website’s user experience has generated leads. 2

25. 78% of law firms believe that their website’s user experience has increased website traffic. 2

26. 76% of law firms have received new clients through their website’s user experience. 2

27. The average bounce rate for law firm websites in 2021 was 57.3%. 6

28. 84% of law firms believe that their online directory listings have generated leads. 2

29. 79% of law firms believe that their online directory listings have increased website traffic. 2

30. The average click-through rate (CTR) for law firm online directory listings in 2021 was 5.82%. 12

31. In 2021, 0-5% of law firms’ total budget was allocated to legal marketing. 2

32. New casework increased by 24% in March 2022. 4

33. The legal industry is projected to recover and reach $789 billion globally in 2022. 4

34. San Francisco is a top city for lawyers with high salaries and job growth. 4

35. The employment of lawyers is expected to grow by 10% in the US. 4

36. Approximately 1,116,967 lawyers are practicing in the US, making up 0.36% of the population. 4

37. Law firms allocate 49% of their budget to marketing. 8

38. The average marketing budget for top US law firms is $2.4 million. 8

39. The median annual wage for lawyers is approximately $130,000. 9

40. Top US law firms generated over $127 billion in revenue in 2021. 9

41. The legal industry in the US is worth $365 billion. 9

42. Understanding legal consumer behavior is crucial, with 38% of consumers searching for legal assistance online. 6

43. The total revenue of the top 100 law firms in the United States reached approximately $127.5 billion in 2021. 12

44. In the legal industry, 65% of firms allocate most of their marketing budget to online channels. 6

45. Only about 38% of legal consumers search for legal assistance online. 6

46. The US legal industry is projected to recover and reach $789 billion globally in 2022. 4

47. The average conversion rate for inbound calls and form submissions in the legal sector is 2.6%. 7

48. Law firms allocate 83% of their marketing budget to hiring external marketing firms. 9

49. The legal industry in the US is worth $365 billion and is projected to grow at a rate of 3%. 9

50. The median annual wage for lawyers in the US is approximately $130,000. 9

51. The top US law firms generated over $127 billion in revenue in 2021. 9

52. Law firms allocate 49% of their budget to marketing. 9

53. The industry is projected to grow at a rate of 3%. 9

54. The US legal industry consists of approximately 450,000 law firms and 1.3 million lawyers. 9

55. Technology adoption is crucial for law firm growth, with the legal tech market expected to reach $16 billion by 2027. 9

56. Law firms allocate 49% of their budget to marketing. 10

Legal Social Marketing Statistics

57. 79% of law firms believe that social media marketing is effective for their business. 2

58. LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform for law firms, with 94% of firms using it. 2

59. 82% of law firms have a presence on Facebook. 2

60. 65% of law firms have generated leads through social media marketing. 2

61. 67% of law firms have a dedicated person or team responsible for managing their social media 

marketing. 2

62. 69% of law firms use social media for client acquisition. 2

63. The average engagement rate for law firm Facebook posts in 2021 was 0.21%. 8

64. 72% of law firms have a presence on Twitter. 2

65. The average engagement rate for law firm tweets in 2021 was 0.04%. 8

66. 84% of law firms believe that their social media marketing efforts have increased their brand 

visibility. 2

67. 77% of law firms believe that their social media marketing efforts have improved client engagement. 2

68. 62% of law firms have a presence on Instagram. 2

69. The average engagement rate for law firm Instagram posts in 2021 was 1.22%. 8

70. 70% of law firms have received new clients through their social media marketing efforts. 2

71. 83% of law firms believe that their social media marketing efforts have generated leads. 2

72. 86% of law firms believe that their social media marketing efforts have increased website traffic. 2

73. The average engagement rate for law firm LinkedIn posts in 2021 was 0.25%. 8

74. 80% of law firms have received new clients through their social media marketing efforts. 2

75. Social media marketing is vital for law firms, with 81% of firms using social media platforms. 6

76. Approximately 35% of law firms acquire new clients through social media channels. 6

77. Social media marketing is vital for law firms, with 81% of firms using platforms like LinkedIn, 

Facebook, and Twitter. 6

78. Approximately 35% of law firms acquire new clients through social media channels. 6

SEO Legal Marketing Statistics

79. 76% of law firms use search engine optimization (SEO) as part of their digital marketing strategy. 2

80. 81% of law firms track their website’s organic search rankings. 2

81. 92% of law firms believe that their website is mobile-friendly. 2

82. The average page load time for law firm websites in 2021 was 3.9 seconds. 9

83. Organic search has a conversion rate of 4.2% in the legal sector. 7

84. 82% of law firms believe that their content marketing efforts have improved their search engine rankings. 2

85. 77% of law firms believe that their online directory listings have improved their search engine 

rankings. 2

86. SEO implementation can result in a 21% increase in organic traffic for law firm websites. 5

87. SEO is recognized as the most effective marketing channel in terms of ROI for law firms. 9

88. SEO has a three-year ROI of 526% in the legal industry, with an average cost of $150,000. 8

89. Law firms spend an average of $150,000 on SEO. 9

90. Law firms that implement SEO can experience a 21% increase in organic traffic. 9

Paid Legal Marketing Statistics

91. The average cost-per-click (CPC) for law firm paid ads on Google Ads in 2021 was $6.75. 3

92. 72% of law firms use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to promote their services. 2

93. The average cost-per-lead for law firm PPC campaigns in 2021 was $64. 2

94. The average click-through rate (CTR) for law firm paid search ads in 2021 was 3.17%. 5

95. The average cost-per-action (CPA) for law firm PPC campaigns in 2021 was $77. 2

96. 79% of law firms believe that their pay-per-click (PPC) advertising efforts have generated leads. 2

97. 83% of law firms believe that their pay-per-click (PPC) advertising efforts have increased their website traffic. 2

98. 71% of law firms have received new clients through their pay-per-click (PPC) advertising efforts. 2

99. The average cost-per-click (CPC) for law firm PPC campaigns on Google Ads in 2021 was $5.88. 10

Legal Email Marketing Statistics 

100. 90% of law firms believe that email marketing is an effective strategy for nurturing client relationships. 2

101. The average open rate for law firm email marketing campaigns in 2021 was 21.33%. 4

102. 63% of law firms have generated leads through email marketing. 2

103. The average open rate for law firm email newsletters in 2021 was 21.33%. 4

78% of law firms believe that their email marketing campaigns are effective in nurturing client relationships. 2

104. 85% of law firms believe that their email marketing campaigns have generated leads. 2

105. 79% of law firms believe that their email marketing campaigns have increased website traffic. 2

106. The average click-through rate (CTR) for law firm email marketing campaigns in 2021 was 2.1%. 4

107. 76% of law firms have received new clients through their email marketing campaigns. 2

108. Email is considered effective for reaching unconverted leads in the legal industry. 5

109. Email marketing has the highest conversion rate in the legal sector at 4.5%. 7

110. Approximately 25% of legal consumers prefer initial outreach through emails. 6

111. 60% of law firms do not respond to emails from potential clients. 6

Law Firm Content Marketing Statistics 

112. 87% of law firms believe that content marketing is an effective strategy for generating leads. 2

113. 72% of law firms have a blog on their website. 2

114. The average word count of a law firm blog post in 2021 was 1,050 words. 7

115. 78% of law firms publish content on their blog at least once a month. 2

116. 89% of law firms believe that their content marketing efforts have increased their website traffic. 2

117. 75% of law firms believe that their content marketing efforts have generated leads. 2

118. The average time spent on a law firm blog post in 2021 was 3 minutes and 35 seconds. 9

119. 85% of law firms believe that their blog content has established them as thought leaders in their practice areas. 2

120. 73% of law firms have received new clients through their blog content. 2

121. 77% of law firms believe that their content marketing efforts have generated leads. 2

122. 82% of law firms believe that their content marketing efforts have increased website traffic. 2

123. 76% of law firms have received new clients through their content marketing efforts. 2

Law Firm Video Marketing Statistics

124. 85% of law firms use video marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy. 2

125. 68% of law firms believe that their video marketing efforts have improved their brand visibility. 2

126. 81% of law firms have received new clients through their video marketing efforts. 2

127. 66% of law firms believe that their video marketing efforts have increased client engagement. 2

128. The average length of a law firm marketing video in 2021 was 2 minutes and 42 seconds. 2

129. 78% of law firms believe that their video marketing efforts have generated leads. 2

130. 82% of law firms believe that their video marketing efforts have increased website traffic. 2

131. The average view-through rate (VTR) for law firm video marketing campaigns in 2021 was 25.3%. 11

132. 77% of law firms have received new clients through their video marketing efforts. 2

133. The average cost-per-view (CPV) for law firm video marketing campaigns in 2021 was $0.04. 11

How These Legal Marketing Statistics Can Help

Hopefully by now these legal marketing statistics have shown you the value a digital marketing strategy can bring to a law firm. 

There’s no better time to get started than now. The digital marketing space for lawyers is only going to get more chaotic with the rise of AI and Google even releasing their search generative experience (SGE) which integrates AI with the SERPs.

Before the rise of digital marketing, traditional legal marketing was focused almost entirely on brand awareness and word of mouth. Now digital marketing has allowed law firms to continue to build awareness while driving direct leads through paid advertising and SEO. 

If you’re not involving your law firm in at least one of these digital strategies, you’ll be missing out on a ton of potential revenue. 

Wrapping Up On These Legal Marketing Statistics

As the legal industry continues to evolve, law firms must embrace these digital marketing strategies to stay competitive, diversify their lead acquisition channels, and boost brand awareness. 

With more lawyers moving from traditional marketing to digital marketing, law firms can leverage website design, UX, social media, email, SEO, PPC, and content marketing to build brand awareness, acquire leads, and drive more qualified traffic to their websites.

By understanding consumer behavior on digital platforms (search and social) and adapting to changing marketing trends, law firms have never had a better chance than now to establish themselves as thought leaders. 

Not to mention the ability to drive qualified website traffic and leads through local SEO.

With the legal industry projected to grow, it is crucial for law firms to get ahead of the curve with a digital marketing strategy.