Even More FindLaw Link Spam
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March 24, 2014
It’s amazing this site is still alive and kicking. Just how many link scandals can FindLaw live through?
There’s a post today from LawDeeDa exposing FindLaw’s bot spamming of their directory. Now, I’ve never heard of LawDeeDa or founder Brint Crockett before, but I do have quite a history with legal directories and the spam game played by FindLaw. Brint’s done some very good sleuthing exposing just how brazen FindLaw’s linkbuilding program has become.
In Summary: LawDeeDa found their attorney profiles were being hacked by a single IP address in India – according to Brint, “every single falsified attorney profile whose identity I could confirm had the same law firm marketing agency: Findlaw.” Brint goes on to detail an email correspondence between himself and FindLaw – most interesting the flagrant admission from FindLaw about their linkbuilding spam not only on LawDeeDa, but other sites as well:
“These directory profiles were added on behalf of FindLaw customers in accordance with the LawDeeDa.com Terms and Conditions of Use, “17. User Posted Content & Other Interactive Services or Areas.” Based on your concerns we have removed LawDeeDa.com from the list of directories we’ll send submissions to as of 5:00 PM on March 5.” – Mark Kalthoff of FindLaw
Welcome to the fray Brint. I’ll buy buy you a beer.
If your law firm is listed below, know that at least according to LawDeeDa, FindLaw is working hard on your behalf spamming the search engines. May I suggest a review of the FindLaw Jailbreak Guide?
Caught Up in FindLaw Spambot
- Adam J Schwartz, Attorney at Law
- Anderlini & McSweeney LLP
- Angela Scarlato & Associates
- Arthur David Malkin, Attorney at Law.
- Assalone & Associates
- Attorney Ronald Polan
- Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler
- Barbara L. Jouette, Attorney, P.C.
- Barry Seidel & Associates, Attorneys at Law
- Bills & Smith, LLP
- Binder & Binder
- Binder & Binder
- Bohbot & Riles, LLP Attorneys at Law
- Brian McCaffrey Attorney at Law
- Bryan P. Keenan & Associates, PC
- Bryant Whitten, LLP
- Bull & Davies, P.C.
- Butler Daniel & Associates, P.L.L.C.
- Carolann Aschoff PC
- Caroselli Beachler McTiernan & Conboy, L.L.C.
- Christina A. Marino
- Christopher A. Wellborn, P.A.
- Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C.
- Ciesla & Ciesla, P.C.
- Clark, Love & Hutson
- Dallas W. Hartman P.C. Attorneys at Law
- David Coffin PLLC
- David Holmes, Bankruptcy Law
- David Low, P.A.
- David Yeremian & Associates
- Denlow & Henry
- Disability Rights Law Center – Alex Boudov, Attorney at Law
- Dorazio Law Office
- Dozier Law Firm
- Edgar Law Firm LLC
- Edward R. La Rue
- Eglet Wall Christiansen
- Ellis Law, P.C.
- Finkelstein & Goldman PC
- Foglia & Associates, P.C.
- Fox & Fox, S.C.
- Gigliotti & Gigliotti
- Ginsburg & Redmond, P.C.
- Godoy Olivieri, Ltd
- Goldstein & Sutor, PLLC
- Gori Julian & Associates, P.C.
- Graham & Associates Law Offices, LLC
- Gregory C. Starkey & Associates
- Hadas Law Group, LLC
- Hallauer Law Firm
- Harwell, Brown & Harwell, P.C.
- Higgins, Roberts & Suprunowicz, P.C.
- Hill Macdonald LLC
- Horak & Boyd, PLLC
- Irom, Wittels, Freund, Berne & Serra
- J. Kelly Kennedy, Attorney/CPA
- Jacobs & Dodds
- Jacobs & Jacobs LLC
- Jameson Babbitt Stites & Lombard PLLC
- John C. Jones, Attorney at Law
- John D. Smith Co., L.P.A.
- John E. Fitzgerald, Attorney at Law
- Johnston Law Group, PC
- Jonas Price, LLC
- Jonathan Feldman, Attorney at Law
- Judge John E. Turner (Ret.)
- Kaplan & Seifter
- Kathryn T. Joseph & Associates, Inc.
- Kathryn Williams, P.A.
- Kaufman, Payton & Chapa
- Keis George LLP
- Kelton & Teichner
- Kenneth F. Bromet, Attorney at Law
- Kevin Qualls Family Law
- Knight Law Firm
- Knight Law Firm
- Laura Dale & Associates P.C.
- Law Advocate Group, LLP
- Law Office of Daniel W. Dunbar
- Law Office of Esperanza Cervantes Anderson
- Law Office of Henry B. LaTorraca
- Law Office of Jennifer Zorrilla
- Law Office of Michael D. Weinstock, P.A.
- Law Office of Michael E. Pitts
- Law Office of Nicholas M. Moccia, P.C.
- Law Office of Rebecca Garren Parker
- Law Office of Robert Braverman, LLC
- Law Office of Robert L. Cullen, LLC
- Law Office of Roberta L. Edwards, P.A.
- Law Office of Sivertson and Barrette
- Law Office of Thomas A. Johnson
- Law Office of Thomas P. Sinton, P.A.
- Law Offices of Clayton R Dickenson
- Law Offices of Dan Allan & Associates
- Law Offices of Dischell, Bartle & Dooley, PC.
- Law Offices of Max Benkel, P.C.
- Law Offices of Richard Koch
- Law Offices of Roger Ghai
- Law Offices of Steven I. Kastner
- Law Offices of Wilson A. LaFaurie
- Lawrence G. Townsend, Intellectual Property Lawyer
- Lawson & Reid, LLC
- Leonard M. Caputo, P.C. Attorneys at Law
- Lisette M. Spencer, Attorney At Law
- Logan & Logan Attorneys at Law
- Manfred Sternberg & Associates, PC
- Marcus A. Rosin, P.C.
- Marrone Law Firm LLC
- Martin LLC
- Mary V. Carrigan, Attorney at Law
- Matt Karzen LLC
- McKinney Law Office
- Megan M. Collins, Attorney at Law
- Melvin Law Firm
- Michael P. Fleming & Associates, P.C.
- Mission Law Group
- Nacht, Roumel, Salvatore, Blanchard & Walker, P.C.
- Neal Ashmore Family Law Group
- Nickless, Phillips & O’Connor
- Odom Law Firm
- Oliva & Associates, ALC
- Parvey & Frankel Attorneys, P.A.
- Perrotta, Fraser & Forrester, LLC
- Perry & Young, P.A.
- Polidori Franklin & Monahan LLC.
- Posey, Moye & Cartledge, LLP
- Prater & Ridley Attorneys At Law
- Pray Law Firm
- Prestidge Law Firm, P.C.
- QDRO Law Center
- Rhine Martin Law Firm, P.C.
- Richards & Richards Attorneys at Law
- Robert D. DiDio & Associates
- Robertson Law Firm
- Rogers, Hofrichter & Karrh, LLC
- Ronald W. Ramirez Attorney At Law
- Rosenstein Law Group
- Schwartz Law Firm
- Shamy, Shipers & Lonski PC
- Shelly Law Offices, LLC
- Sherick & Bleier P.L.L.C.
- Sherman
- Shollenberger & Januzzi, LLP
- Shuler Law Firm, LLC.
- Sikov & Love P.A.
- Skinner Law Firm L.L.C.
- Spinella, Owings & Shaia, P.C.
- Stolar & Associates, A Professional Law Corporation
- The Cagle Law Firm
- The Colleran Firm
- The Epstein Law Firm, P.A.
- The Gregory Law Firm
- The Kehl Law Firm, P.C.
- The Law Firm of Janice M. Greening, LLC
- The Law Office of Bryan R. Snyder, APC
- The Law Office of Bryce D Neier, PLLC
- The Law Office of Corey I. Cohen
- The Law Office of Troy Kiefer
- The law offices of charles bonfante III & associates
- The Law Offices of Heather J. Darling
- The Law Offices of John S. Eliasik
- The Law Offices of Judith A. Wayne & Associates
- The Law Offices of Mark J. Werksman
- The Law Offices of Mark Kelley Schwartz, P.C.
- The law offices of Vincent J. Scotto III
- The Oncale Firm
- The Reyna Law Firm, P.C.
- The Wilson Firm
- The Wright Law Firm
- Theresa Hofmeister, Attorney at Law
- Thomas R. Lefly
- Thompson & Evangelo, P.A.
- Toppenberg & Burke, P.C.
- Wade & Lowe, A Professional Corporation
- Wallace & Wallace LLP
- Warner Law Offices PLLC
- Wesley, McGrail & Wesley
- Whitlock Canter LLC
- Wick & Trautwein, LLC
- William E. Cassara, PC
- William G. Yarborough Attorney at Law
- Wilson-Goodman Law Group
- Zimmerman, Lieberman, Tamulonis & Hobbs
(gasp) – still scrolling? that was a long list wasn’t it?
I have seen FindLaw do really questionable things with linking before, but it’s never lead to a list of their paying clients being published as a spambot summary.
It will be interesting to see if this is something that everyone pays attention to, or if it’s just limited to the 230+ law firms who got burnt…..this time….
I think one of the issues is that their clients don’t know and if they did know, they wouldn’t understand what is going on. I believe this is slowly changing over time – to the point where only the very least informed clients remain with FindLaw.
That’s the challenge. Finding a way to explain this to people who are trusting FindLaw with their marketing budget. They ARE indeed the least informed customers, but I think that means they need help more than anyone else.
I am working on an article and a video that should help make this information more consumable… I’ll follow up with you privately once it’s done and if you want to post it you certainly can.
Over the last 6 years, we’ve noticed a remarkable change in legal’s understanding of the web and search. Interestingly, I’ve seen lawyers doing this kind of thing without the assistance of a web vendor. In fact, we’ve even had lawyers come to us asking to “push the envelope” despite being thoroughly informed of the risks…
As long as the marketing manager or SEO responsible for the attorney’s online presence is up front and honest that there are two routes to choose – no harm no foul. If the marketing director / SEO / whomever sells the attorney on SEO, doesn’t explain the pros and cons of both strategies and employs only a black-hat strategy, then I can see that that’s an issue.
In this case, I think FindLaw clients probably don’t know that this is going on… but in other circumstances this is just part of doing good SEO and getting the rankings that will bring traffic.
I am one of the lawyers on this list do you any recommendations concerning what action I can take?
Regards and thank you
You starting point is to look at you Google Analytics . . . let the data guide your actions. (And if you don’t have GA on your site, you might ask why . . . )