For years, attorneys have been building their online presence based on search engine optimization. Now, AI searches ignore these hard-won rankings. Tune it to learn how to make your firm visible to AI platforms that clients use to look for legal services. Learn more https://mach10xmarketing.clientcabin.com/app/info
You finally made it! Your law firm fought its way to the first page of local Google rankings. So why are your phones so quiet?
Remember all the efforts you made to optimize your website for SEO? Well, SEO isn't a factor in AI searches. And 72 percent of online searchers use Google's AI overview when it's an option.
This wasn't the AI disruption you bargained for. But it's the one you need to address.
As the online search market changes, firms need to change their marketing along with it, according to a recent article from the National Law Review. Generative AI sites like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews obtain results differently from a standard Google search algorithm. This is a problem, because your potential clients are increasingly turning to AI rather than search engines to find legal services.
Rather than SEO, generative AI looks for indicators of authority, credibility, trust, and corroboration. So law firms that don't have significant numbers of reviews, mentions, citations, or structured data online may remain invisible to AI platform searches, despite high Google rankings. Those Google rankings still matter, but they aren't the only source - and may not remain the main source - of online referrals.
Experts recommend that attorneys take these steps to increase their visibility on AI:
Create content that establishes you as an authority and matches relevance signals. Include pieces that directly answer client questions using plain language. Conversational resource pages, explanatory articles, and FAQs also help AI see you as credible
Grow your outside credibility. Get your firm mentioned in industry associations, directories, and local media. Ask clients to review you on Google and other platforms. AI sees citations and reviews as major trust indicators when making recommendations.
Learn where you are seen. Ask clients how they learned about your service. Continue dedicating time and money to those outlets while focusing more attention on advanced options that aren't mentioned as often.
Make sure your Google Business Profile is accurate and consistent. Discrepancies lead to AI mistrust.
But you just barely figured out SEO. You need to spend your working hours serving your clients, not figuring out the next big thing online. And you can.
A recent iLawyer marketing survey determined that more than 85 percent of online searchers still use Google searches as one way to search for legal services online. That number is dropping, given that it topped 90 percent in 2023. Unsurprisingly, 28 percent responded that they used ChatGPT. So the SEO share is large, but dropping, while generative AI is rising.
If you have more time than money, slowly diversify your site to include content that generative AI platforms will notice. Ask clients for reviews. Learn what kind of content they find helpful. If you have more money than time, consider hiring a digital marketing agency to create and distribute content that gets noticed by AI platforms. A successful strategy involves attracting as many eyes as possible, both physical and digital.
Click on the link in the description to learn more! MACH10X City: Southlake Address: 2600 E Southlake Blvd #120, Southlake, TX 76092 Website: https://mach10xmarketing.com/