New Zealand's legal firms earn strong ratings but stay largely invisible in search, with more than half in decline this quarter.
Across 321 New Zealand legal practices assessed this quarter, the cohort holds a solid median rating of 4.7 stars yet posts a median digital score of just 45.1. Only 5 per cent reach Accomplished tier, while search visibility and website performance remain widespread weak spots.
High ratings, thin review counts undermine reputation
The cohort earns a healthy median rating of 4.7 stars, but the median firm holds just 18 reviews, and around 25.8 per cent show a reputation paradox where sentiment outpaces volume. Top-quartile firms carry roughly 45 reviews, meaning the gap between the leaders and the median is substantial. Strong ratings on a shallow base of feedback offer limited reassurance to prospective clients.
Roughly half the cohort is invisible in search
An estimated 70.3 per cent of firms sit in the low-traffic band, and about 51.6 per cent register as effectively invisible in search, based on third-party approximations. The median domain authority of 10 points to limited backlink profiles and weak organic footing. For a referral-driven profession, this leaves most practices dependent on channels beyond search.
Decliners outnumber growers as 24 firms collapse
Some 55.9 per cent of firms are in decline against 42.0 per cent growing, tilting the cohort's momentum downward this quarter. Twenty-four practices recorded a collapse in their trajectory, a notable concentration of setbacks. The divergence suggests a widening split between firms consolidating gains and those losing ground.
Half of firms sit in the digital bottom band
Around 51.1 per cent of the cohort falls into the bottom digital band, and 24.6 per cent are Off the radar entirely. With WordPress leading platforms and a sizeable share showing other or no detected CMS, many sites lack the technical foundations for conversion. Weak websites blunt the value of otherwise strong ratings.
| Region | Businesses | Median RADAR | Accomplished | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 1 | 57 | — | |
| CAN | 28 | 50.4 | 1 | |
| BOP | 20 | 48.9 | 1 | |
| AUK | 124 | 45 | 3 | |
| OTA | 7 | 42.4 | 1 | |
| WGN | 39 | 40.5 | 2 | |
| WKO | 17 | 39.9 | 2 |
Smaller cohorts shown for indication only.
Share of the cohort with each tool detected (BuiltWith). Businesses may run more than one.
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