Scott,

In answer to your question - searches are done via the parish or county clerk's records.  Be that online or in house.   Every parish in Louisiana is different - some go back only to the 70s, some have all their records online.  Some parishes don't even keep books in their office now - all records are online.  A subscription is required to access these records in Louisiana.

I can't speak to how things are done in Arkansas.   Your best bet may be to find abstractors who are looking for an examiner to work with.

Examiners examine the abstract they've obtained by hiring abstractors. In Louisiana an attorney examines title.  They work in conjunction with abstractors who provide the product.

During Covid, my abstracting work did not slow down (after, say July 2020) as most parishes have complete records online.