Law firms
Google Business Profile Support for Solicitors
Many people looking for a solicitor start with a local search, then read reviews and check the office before they call. The firm's Google Business Profile, and sometimes profiles for individual solicitors, shapes that decision. When profiles overlap, are suspended or are controlled by someone who has left, new client enquiries can suffer.
- Firm and practitioner profiles reviewed
- Clear guidance on Google's guidelines
- Help recovering access from departed staff
Independent service. Not affiliated with Google. Outcomes are decided by Google.
Why it matters
Why the profile matters for a law firm
Illustrative. Outcomes are decided by Google.
Legal clients are often dealing with something stressful, such as a house move, a family matter or a dispute. They want reassurance before they make contact. Reviews, accurate opening hours and a recognisable office all help. A profile that is missing, suspended or showing an old address can make a well-established firm look uncertain, and someone searching late in the evening may simply contact the next firm they see.
Law firms also have a particular issue: Google's guidelines treat individual practitioners differently from the firm itself. A solicitor who is public-facing may be eligible for their own profile, and that profile can remain after they move firms. This is useful for some firms and a source of confusion for others, especially where practitioner profiles were created without a plan and now compete with the main firm listing.
Common issues
Business Profile problems law firms can run into
Practitioner and firm overlap
Individual solicitor profiles that share the firm's name, phone number and category can look like duplicates, which may confuse clients and cause Google to merge or restrict listings.
Departed solicitors' profiles
When a solicitor leaves, their practitioner profile may stay live at your address. Google's guidelines allow it to be marked as moved in some cases, depending on the circumstances.
Keywords in the firm name
Adding practice areas or place names to the business name, when they are not part of the real branding, is against Google's guidelines and a common cause of suspension.
Offices that are appointment only
Satellite or meeting-room offices without staff during stated hours may not be eligible for a profile, and listing them can put the firm's other profiles under review.
Getting the setup right
Firm listings, practitioner listings and addresses
A firm with a staffed office that clients can visit can generally have a profile at that address. Google's guidelines also allow public-facing individual practitioners, such as solicitors, to have their own profiles. Where a firm has only one public-facing solicitor, the guidelines suggest a single profile using a format that combines the firm name and the practitioner's name, rather than two separate listings.
Each practitioner profile should use the solicitor's real name, an accurate category and contact details that do not simply duplicate the main firm listing. Virtual offices, serviced addresses used only for post and rooms booked occasionally for meetings are not usually eligible. We can help you decide which profiles should exist and which may be better removed or marked as moved.
Verification and appeals
Evidence that may help a law firm
Evidence should be genuine, current and consistent with your profile. What is relevant depends on the case.
- Photos of permanent office signage and the reception area
- Commercial lease or business rates bill for the office
- Utility bill in the firm's name at the office address
- Firm registration details and trading name records
- Practising details showing the solicitor's name and firm
- Letterhead or engagement letters showing the same name and address
How we help
How we can support your business
- 1
List what exists
We identify the firm's profiles and any practitioner profiles connected to your address, including ones created by former colleagues or left unclaimed.
- 2
Review against the guidelines
We check names, categories and contact details for each profile and explain where Google's guidelines on practitioners and firms may apply to your situation.
- 3
Tidy and recover
Where appropriate, we help you correct details, handle departed solicitors' profiles, request removal of true duplicates and recover owner access to the main listing.
- 4
Support any appeal
If a profile is suspended, we help you gather genuine evidence and prepare a factual appeal through Google's own process. The final decision rests with Google.
FAQs
Questions from solicitors
Should each of our solicitors have their own profile?
It depends. Google's guidelines allow public-facing practitioners to have their own profiles, but they are not required. Some firms prefer one strong firm profile and no practitioner listings, while others find individual profiles useful. The key is that each profile is accurate and does not duplicate the firm's details. We can talk through the options for your firm.
A solicitor has left, but their profile still shows our address. What can we do?
Google's guidelines allow a practitioner who has left a firm to keep a profile, and in some cases the listing can be marked as moved rather than left pointing at your office. The best route depends on who owns the profile and whether the solicitor is still practising. We can help you work out the appropriate next step.
Can we add our practice areas to the business name?
Only if they are genuinely part of your real, consistently used business name, for example on your signage and letterhead. Adding extra words such as practice areas or towns to the profile name is against Google's guidelines and can lead to suspension. Categories, services and the description are the right places for that information.
Do you give legal advice about our firm?
No. We are an independent Google Business Profile consultancy, not a law firm, and we are not Google. We review your profiles against Google's published guidelines, help you correct issues and prepare evidence or appeals. Decisions about your profiles rest with Google.
Free case review
Tell Us What's Happening
Tell us what is happening with your solicitor Business Profile. We will review the details and explain the likely cause and your options.
- 1You send the details
Takes about two minutes. Screenshots can follow later.
- 2We review your case
We look at what has happened and what may have caused it.
- 3We talk you through it
Using your preferred method: phone, WhatsApp or email.
We never ask for your Google password. Your details are only used to respond to your enquiry.
Keep exploring
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Need Help With Your Business Profile?
Tell us what has happened and we will review your case, explain the likely cause and set out the options available to you.