Some sources convert far better than others. Compared with the average across all sources, the likelihood of becoming a signed client is far above average (over 2.5×) for word-of-mouth referrals, well above average (1.7–2.5×) for Local Services Ads, and about average (0.9–1.3×) for search ads. Spend where the odds of a signed client are best.
Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026
Which sources produce signed clients most often
| What is measured | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Word-of-mouth referrals | far above average (over 2.5×) |
| Local Services Ads | well above average (1.7–2.5×) |
| Search ads | about average (0.9–1.3×) |
What does this mean for your firm?
- Treat referrals as the best source and look after the people who send them.
- Local Services Ads sit well above average, and search ads sit about at the average, so run both well and compare their cost per signed client.
- Check paid referral sources and unpaid listings against your own signed clients before you keep paying.
How do you use a likelihood tier?
A tier tells you the direction and the rough size of the gap, not the exact odds. Use it to decide which source deserves a closer look in your own reporting, then count signed clients per source for a few months before changing a budget.
How do I read this table?
Each tier compares the likelihood that an inquiry from one source becomes a signed client with the average across all sources, with all practice areas combined. Closely related sources are combined, and this table is never shown beside another by-source table.
The figures are tiers, so treat each as approximate, plus or minus one step. How the benchmarks are made and protected.
Cite this table
Cite this dataset: Probative Growth (2026). Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026 (v4.0.1) [Data set]. CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23735849. https://probativegrowth.com/research/benchmarks/source-index/
How each figure is made and protected · Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026