When was the last time you read your attorney bio page?

Hi, I’m Chip LaFleur!

As the founder and president of LaFleur Marketing, I wear many hats: strategist, collaborator, change agent, and lifelong learner. With more than a decade of experience optimizing omnichannel engagement and building high-performing teams, I bring a solution-oriented mindset to every project. I thrive on finding win-win outcomes, streamlining touchpoints, and aligning stakeholders around a shared vision of success.

My core competencies include thought leadership, scalable strategy development, and results-based storytelling. I believe in data-driven decision-making, empowering internal talent, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

When I’m not ideating or activating best practices, I enjoy engaging with the community, mentoring rising professionals, and spending quality time with my family.

This bio is absolute garbage, right?

Most attorney bios aren’t just outdated, they’re misaligned. They’re written for peers instead of prospects, packed with prestige signals no real client is actually looking for. Disconnected from what Google, or any generative engine, needs to validate your authority.

And that’s a problem. Bios show up in the moments that matter: first clicks and referral checks. But instead of providing clarity, they often fall flat. A generic, sterile bio is a missed opportunity to build trust, convey expertise, and differentiate your practice.

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What are people looking for in a lawyer bio?

Rather than speculating about the factors that consumers consider when choosing a lawyer, let’s look at the data. According to Martindale-Avvo’s 2024 legal consumer survey, more than 92% of people research lawyers and law firm—even if they received a referral. And once they look at your online presence, their top five considerations are:

• Online reviews and testimonials
• Pricing and fees
• Attorney or firm responsiveness
• Reputation amongst lawyers and the community
• Past outcomes and results

Your resume (years of experience, education, etc.) is further down the list. Your awards are barely considered at all.

However, you have to consider all the people who might be visiting your bio. Your primary audience is prospective clients. They want to know you see them, understand their problem, and have the skill to solve it. But you also need to speak to others: referring attorneys, opposing counsel, judges, and yes, platforms and AI models.

Each group looks for something different:

• Clients scan for clarity, empathy, and relevance.
• Colleagues and professionals assess experience, authority, and niche focus.
• Platforms (search engines, generative models) evaluate your credibility, consistency, and technical footprint.

A good bio hits all three.

Anatomy of a bio that works for people, platforms, and professionals

Bios play an underrated role in building authority on multiple fronts. For search engines, they’re a key surface for EEAT signals and entity recognition. For prospective clients, they’re often the first test of your communication style. And for peers, judges, or opposing counsel, they’re a quick window into your standing and focus.

Your bio is the handshake before the handshake. And today, that introduction has to do more than impress. It has to connect, clarify, and convert, often in a matter of seconds.

Reaching legal consumers

Your attorney bio page’s primary audience is prospective clients. They want to know you see them, understand their problem, and have thour bio isn’t just a digital business card. It’s a credibility signal, a conversion tool, and a key player in your digital strategy. For small law firms, bios offer a rare opportunity to personalize your site, humanize your practice, and differentiate from templated competitors. Unlike blog posts or FAQs, bios introduce the person behind the brand. They’re where professionalism meets empathy.

A compelling bio answers questions clients won’t ask aloud:

• Do your firm and personal brands inspire confidence?
• Will you take my case seriously?
• Can I picture myself working with you?
• Do you understand what I’m going through?
• Can you explain things in a way I’ll understand?

When your bio anticipates these concerns, it doesn’t just inform, it reassures. If the page is weak, it undermines you.

RELATED: How law firms win in the age of legal consumerism and AI

Demonstrating authority to professionals

Bios also serve as signals for:

• Referral sources who need to verify they’re sending someone to a credible peer.
• Opposing counsel who want to assess experience or get a feel for your litigation style.
• Judges and adjusters who quickly scan for background and tone.
• Journalists looking for qualified voices.

These audiences care about clarity, consistency, and competence. They’re not reading for empathy. They’re looking for your bona fides, credibility markers (bar memberships, notable cases, publications), and evidence of your standing in the legal community. A bio that communicates your legal focus, case complexity, and professional affiliations helps establish that positioning.

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Schema, structured data, and the technical lift

Think of schema as Cliff Notes for your bio—it tells Google and other systems exactly what’s on the page. Done right, it helps your profile surface in relevant searches and allows AI models to cite you more accurately.

Start with the basics:

• Person schema: Includes name, role, and contact info
• Organization: Ties you to your firm’s structure
• LegalService: Clarifies your offerings
• knowsAbout and hasCredential: Add nuance around expertise

This isn’t just about technical polish, it’s strategic positioning. Structured data gives you a competitive edge without adding fluff. It’s how small firms outrank massive directories and establish domain authority in crowded markets.

When combined with a bio that’s regularly updated, internally linked, and aligned with your firm’s voice, this backend detail becomes a front-end advantage.

Culture, consistency, and the editorial layer

One weak bio makes everyone look bad. That’s why consistency matters.

Strong firms standardize tone, structure, and review cycles:

• Assign an editor or team that’s accountable for bio maintenance
• Create a template to ensure consistency
  Review and revise bios at least twice a year

This isn’t about homogeneity. It’s about harmony. Clients should feel like every attorney is part of the same professional ecosystem and share common values.

Search and Generative Engine Optimization: Why authority matters more than ever

Bios matter in the modern SEO/GEO landscape because platforms like Google and ChatGPT pull from biographical and entity-level signals to determine expertise. Your bio is one of the few places you control that clearly signals who is behind the content. And that matters for two reasons:

1. Trust and attribution: Search engines and AI models need trustworthy sources. If your name and role are clearly connected to high-quality, specific content, that’s a stronger attribution signal.
2. Entity recognition: Google and other systems map people, organizations, and practice areas together. A strong bio helps reinforce those connections across your site—and beyond.

But bios don’t stand alone. They’re part of a broader authority-building strategy. If your name appears on valuable blog posts, is connected to relevant practice area pages, and linked from trustworthy external sources (like bar associations or thought leadership platforms), the bio amplifies that web of trust.

EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) isn’t just a checklist—it’s a composite score of how consistently and credibly your site positions your expertise. So yes, structure your bio for visibility. But also think beyond it. It’s a critical page—but not the only one—that shapes how engines and humans perceive your authority.

RELATED: Generative search optimization in 2025: What the data says (and what smart brands are doing about it

LaFleur: Ready to elevate your firm’s first impression?

Take ten minutes. Read your own bio. Read it like someone who’s skeptical, scared, or shopping around. Does it build trust? Reflect your values? Point to real outcomes?

If you’re rethinking your bio, make sure you’re balancing your clients’ needs with those of the algorithms and other professionals. It’s a tricky balance, but strong bios almost always deliver.

And if you need help, LaFleur’s website and marketing strategy services are built for small, growing firms. From content audits to full-site redesigns, we can align your digital presence with your business goals—starting with the words that actually convert.

Let’s build a site that earns trust, drives leads, and reflects who you are.