The Short Answer
Reviews are one of the strongest prominence signals in local SEO, directly affecting Google Maps 3-pack ranking and giving prospective clients the social proof they're actively looking for before choosing a lawyer. A firm with 5 recent, detailed reviews will consistently outperform an otherwise-similar firm with none or with reviews that are years old.
Quality and Recency Matter as Much as Quantity
A steady, ongoing stream of recent reviews signals an active, currently-trusted practice far more than a large batch of reviews from years ago followed by silence.
Detailed reviews mentioning specific practice areas or outcomes (without violating client confidentiality) also help relevance signals, since they reinforce which specific services your firm is known for.
Building an Ethical, Consistent Review Process
The most effective approach is a simple, consistent process: ask satisfied clients for a review at the natural close of their matter, make it as easy as possible with a direct link, and never offer any incentive in exchange for a review, which violates both Google's policies and Law Society of British Columbia advertising rules. See optimizing your Google Business Profile for where these reviews live.
What to Read Next
None of this happens in a vacuum for a Vancouver law firm. Related questions worth reading next include What's the Difference Between Local SEO and National SEO for a Vancouver Law Firm?, What Does a Technical SEO Audit for a Vancouver Law Firm Actually Check?, and What Keywords Should a Vancouver Law Firm Target for SEO?, along with How Often Should a Vancouver Law Firm Blog for SEO? and How Do Vancouver Law Firms Build Backlinks Ethically?. Firms further along usually move on to Do Legal Directories Still Help SEO for Vancouver Firms? and What Should a Firm Look for When Hiring a Vancouver SEO Agency?. See the full Vancouver growth system, or go straight to AI Website Design for Vancouver Law Firms and AI SEO for Vancouver Law Firms for the two core services behind all of it.