How to Leverage Q&A Platforms like Quora

When you’re a lawyer, answers are your currency. People come to you seeking expert insight into topics that mean the world to them. Your expertise can help them reach a goal or avoid serious trouble.

This dynamic turns online question-and-answer forums like Quora into powerful marketing tools for lawyers.

Quora is arguably the most popular question-and-answer website in the world. According to Quora for Business, it publishes user-contributed content on more than 300,000 unique topics, from consumer technology to business law. 

Why Use Quora for Lawyer Marketing?

Quora is an excellent place to connect with people with legal issues who may or may not know they need a lawyer. These individuals are usually higher in your marketing funnel — a client’s journey from becoming aware of an issue to hiring you as their attorney. Here’s why they’re worth targeting.

Warm Leads

When you publish a blog post or other types of content marketing, you have to wait for potential clients to search for that topic. Keyword research helps you identify the right topics, but it’s still educated guesswork.

On Quora, you find direct questions from interested parties. Users are actively seeking legal answers, and you have an automatic advantage as a licensed attorney.

User-generated Content Ideas

Suppose you’re a personal injury lawyer with extensive experience representing car accident victims. A Quora search for the phrase “car accident injury” reveals dozens of questions, from “How can I find an attorney for a car accident injury?” to “What are the major effects of car accidents?”.

It’s a direct line to people who need your services — and a great way to learn what search terms to target.

Extensive Reach

Quora advertises 300 million monthly users, many of whom are repeat visitors. SimilarWeb calculated 720.5 million total visits in January of 2023. Many users need legal help but haven’t searched for a lawyer yet.

Paid Ad Opportunities

Quora has a pay-per-click ad program, similar to Facebook Ads. Like on Facebook, you can customize your Quora Ads campaigns based on your budget, business goals, and target audience.

Quora gives you multiple ways of choosing who will see your ads. For example, you can place ads alongside specific questions or topics or schedule placement based on user behavior.

Quora’s data says advertisers have seen up to four times more conversions on Quora than on other platforms. Plus, more than 42% of Quora users have monthly household incomes above $85,000.

Are There Downsides To Marketing on Quora?

The primary downside to Quora marketing is the lack of backlinks. 

To discourage excessive user promotion, Quora doesn’t support linking. The only way to add a link on Quora is to draft your answer or profile in another location, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word, adding your links in that format. 

When you copy the text to Quora, the hyperlink will remain — but it will be what search engine optimization (SEO) professionals call a “nofollow” link.

According to Search Engine Journal, all user links on Quora are unfollowable, which means Google doesn’t count them toward your backlink count. 

A backlink is a link to your website from a third-party site. Backlinks from reputable sources boost your SEO and help you rank more highly.

You can’t get backlinks on Quora, but you may add a nofollow link to help readers find you. Don’t overdo it, though — too many and Quora may ban you. Instead, boost your reputation by giving top-quality answers.

Tips for Lawyers Using Quora

The best way to promote yourself on Quora is to share your credentials and demonstrate your knowledge with high-quality answers. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Build a Robust Profile

Before you answer your first question, build a professional profile. Include:

• Your name. Write it as it appears on your firm’s website so that users can Google you easily.
• A professional photo. This should clearly show your face and not have a distracting background. If possible, use the same headshot people will see on your website.
• Profile credentials. In 60 characters or less, describe what qualifies you to answer legal questions. Start with “Lawyer” or “Attorney,” then use the rest of the space to fill in details about your practice type, as in “Attorney, partner in Texas personal injury firm.” Avoid using your firm name here, as Quora is notorious for ejecting blatant marketing attempts.
• Description. You have more space in this optional field but don’t overdo it. Expand a bit more on your qualifications, adding any awards or credentials.
• Employment credential. This is where you can list your firm name and job title. 
• Education credential. Make sure you list your juris doctor here. It gives credibility to your answers in an environment where anyone can respond to any question. Feel free to add other degrees if they’re relevant.
• Location credential. This field is essential for attorneys since potential clients will want to know if you practice in their state.

This is where most of your direct self-promotion will happen on Quora, so make it count.

2. Search for Relevant Topics and Questions

Use the search bar at the top of every Quora page to find questions you’re qualified to answer. Type in a phrase your potential clients might search for, such as “Drug possession defenses” or “Texas divorce law.” Click on possible topics in the drop-down box.

For example, if you enter “personal injury law,” you’ll see an option labeled “Topic: Law, Lawyer, Personal Injury.”

Click on a topic related to your practice area and start browsing. Then, scroll through the Read page to see what questions and answers are popular.

Switch to the Answer tab. Then, identify the question types that are most common and most recently followed. These insights will help you decide which questions to answer in the future. 

You can also use question popularity to guide your overall content marketing strategy. For example, at the time of this writing, one of Quora’s most popular divorce questions is  “What do you do when your spouse wants a divorce, and you don’t?”.

This question has more than 150 answers already — but suppose you write a blog post about that topic. You know it’s a topic of curiosity, and not everyone who needs the answer is on Quora.

3. Choose Your First Question

Read through the Answer tab again, looking for a question that fits into a popular category but doesn’t have many answers. Naturally, it should be a question you’re exceptionally qualified to answer.

Read the existing answers. Could you contribute a meaningful insight that no one else has made? For example, suppose you’re a car accident attorney answering a question about car accident injuries, and every other respondent has mentioned determining fault.

If you work in a no-fault state, your potential clients don’t have their answer yet. Now is the perfect time for you to chime in and address their needs. If possible, mention the state or region where you practice to catch their eye.

4. Write an Informative, Jargon-free Answer

Avoiding legal jargon is always essential in content marketing. It’s crucial on sites like Quora when you know you’re speaking to a general audience. Don’t impress people with your vocabulary — impress them with your ability to make things clear, even to someone without legal experience.

Most importantly, avoid giving any legal advice. Instead, educate the reader by explaining the relevant law and, if appropriate, suggesting a few options.

For example, if you’re answering a question about what to do after a criminal arrest, explain the typical arrest procedure and the defendant’s rights. You can discuss finding a lawyer or having one appointed but don’t offer to represent them. 

If they’re interested in representation, they can check out your Quora profile.

5. Select a Credential To Share

When you answer a question on Quora, you can highlight a specific credential, such as your employment or education. This will usually be your professional position unless you have a highly relevant and recent certification.

6. Continue To Provide Quality Answers

According to Search Engine Journal, Quora ranks answers based mainly on upvotes and downvotes. The more you help people with quality responses, the more they will upvote you. Posts with more votes rank higher, so users see them first when reading through answers.

You can also gain attention by earning followers. For example, if a Quora user reads your answer and appreciates your contribution, they can add you to the list of writers they follow. 

It can take time to gain a reputation on Quora, but you build valuable connections in the meantime.

Adding Quora to Your Attorney Marketing Strategy

Lawyer marketing is about reaching the people who need you and showing them you’re a great fit. Quora checks off both boxes -but it’s not the end of the story.

If someone finds you online and wants to know more, they’ll usually visit your website. You want that website to earn their trust and help them take the next step.

Martindale-Avvo can help. We offer a variety of lawyer marketing services, from online presence reviews to SEO, so you close more leads. Learn more today, and start making the most of your marketing.