Evolving Search and Its Impact on Law Firms

For years, law firm marketing has been shaped by traditional search behavior, with Google serving as the primary gateway for potential clients seeking legal services. When someone needed a lawyer, they’d typically turn to Google, type in their query, and click on one of the top results. This predictable pattern formed the backbone of digital marketing strategies for legal professionals.

But things are changing. The last couple of years have been interesting for search, with the emergence of AI large language models (LLMs) fundamentally shifting how people find information online. As I mentioned in a recent discussion about these changes, “People no longer mostly just go to Google for their information. Now, people are using various tools to find information – people are using ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and a whole slew of other tools.”

This shift isn’t just another marketing trend – it represents a significant transformation in how potential clients discover, research, and ultimately select legal services. Law firms must start adapting to this new distributed search environment to maintain visibility and a competitive advantage in an increasingly fragmented digital space.

The Changing Search Ecosystem

The End of Google’s Search Monopoly?

Google has dominated the search market for nearly two decades. Recent data shows that Google still commands about 90% of the global search market share. However, while Google remains dominant, we’re seeing the first signs of meaningful fragmentation.

I’ve noticed this shift in my own behavior and especially with my children – they don’t go to Google as much as kids might have a few years ago. Now, children are going to ChatGPT to get information. This isn’t to say that nobody uses Google anymore – that would be ridiculous – but there’s definitely been a shift in behavior.

The truth is, even before AI search tools emerged, we were already using different platforms for different types of searches:

– Product searches often started on Amazon

– Video content searches happened on YouTube

– Searches for more ‘human’ and personable information happened on TikTok

Now, with AI-powered search tools gaining traction, we’re seeing another layer of fragmentation, particularly for informational queries.

The Rise of AI-Powered Search

Several key platforms have emerged in the AI search space:

• ChatGPT: OpenAI’s conversational AI that can answer questions and generate content
• Claude: Anthropic’s AI assistant known for nuance and thoughtful responses
• Perplexity: An AI search engine that cites sources and provides comprehensive answers
• Gemini: Google’s AI model that powers their AI Overview feature
• Bing AI (Copilot): Microsoft’s integration of Copilot into their search experience

What makes these tools different from traditional search engines? Instead of presenting a list of links, they generate direct, conversational answers to questions. For legal topics, they might explain legal concepts, outline procedural steps, or summarize relevant statutes – all without requiring the user to click through to different websites.

For example, someone might ask an AI tool: “What should I do after a car accident in Texas?” or “How does child custody work in California?” and receive a comprehensive answer within seconds. The AI might explain the legal processes, common issues, and even suggest when it’s appropriate to contact an attorney.

It’s important to note that while these AI tools are impressive, they can sometimes provide incorrect information with high confidence (known as “hallucinating”). This is particularly concerning with legal information, where accuracy is paramount. But the technology is improving rapidly, and to be quite honest, the convenience factor means people will continue using these tools regardless.

Demographic Shifts in Search Behavior

The adoption of AI search tools shows a clear generational divide. Recent research from Statista and Salesforce indicates that younger demographics are embracing these new search methods at significantly higher rates:

• Over 50% of online searchers aged 18-34 used AI-powered services for shopping research in 2024
• Only 9% of those 55+ used AI for similar shopping purposes
• 70% of Gen Z report using generative AI technology
• More than half of Gen Z trust AI to help them make informed decisions

For law firms, this generational divide has profound implications. If your target clients skew younger, you need to be thinking about visibility on these platforms now.

Even if your current client base tends to be older, remember that these younger users represent your future client pool. As I have been saying recently, it will be normal for this group of children growing up now and young adults to use AI, just as it was normal for my generation to start using search engines.

Why Law Firms Should Care

The Competitive Nature of Legal Search

Legal search has always been incredibly competitive. Personal injury, family law, criminal defense – these practice areas have some of the highest cost-per-click rates in digital advertising. Competition for organic visibility is equally fierce.

What’s changing now is the complexity of the competitive landscape. Instead of focusing solely on Google rankings, law firms now need to consider visibility across multiple platforms. That poses both challenges and opportunities.

Recent data from a study by Good2bSocial highlights this shift:

• Law firms experienced an 8% decrease in organic search traffic during the first three quarters of 2024
• Simultaneously, traffic from AI sources surged by an astounding 592.90%

What does this mean? If you’re only focusing on traditional SEO and ignoring these emerging search platforms, you’re potentially missing out on significant traffic and leads.

Client Journey Changes

The way potential clients research legal issues is evolving. In the past, the journey might look something like:

1. Person has a legal issue

2. They search on Google

3. They visit several law firm websites

4. They contact one or more firms for a consultation

Now, that journey might include multiple touchpoints across different platforms:

1. Person has a legal issue

2. They ask an AI assistant for basic information about their situation

3. They follow up with more specific questions

4. The AI eventually suggests consulting an attorney and may provide recommendations

5. They click on links to the recommended firms in the AI chat, they search for specific attorneys mentioned, or they search to verify information

6. They contact a firm for consultation

This extended research phase means potential clients may be much more informed (or think they are) before ever reaching out to your firm. They may have specific questions about their case, expectations about processes, or understanding of likely outcomes – all shaped by their interactions with AI tools.

Additionally, voice search is becoming increasingly important. People are using voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa to find information, including legal services. These voice queries tend to be more conversational and often include local intent, which is particularly relevant for law firms serving specific geographic areas.

First-Mover Advantage

Law firms that adapt early to these changes have an opportunity to gain significant competitive advantages. While everyone is still trying to figure out exactly how AI search will impact legal marketing, those who are actively experimenting and adapting will be ahead of the curve.

In a time like this, there’s opportunity because it’s a new world. SEO used to follow fairly established patterns – keywords, technical optimization, link building – but now we’re in uncharted territory with new platforms and new rules.

Early adopters can:

• Establish visibility on AI platforms before competition intensifies
• Gain insights into what works through testing and iteration
• Build expertise and processes that will scale as these platforms grow
• Position themselves as forward-thinking, tech-savvy firms (which can be appealing to some clients)

How AI Search Tools Address Legal Questions

Types of Legal Queries Handled by AI

AI tools are particularly good at answering informational queries – questions seeking facts, explanations, or general knowledge. For legal topics, this might include questions like:

• “What is the statute of limitations for personal injury in Florida?”
• “How does divorce mediation work?”
• “What should I bring to a bankruptcy consultation?”

Recent data from Statista shows that 68% of US adults report using AI-powered search engines for exploring new topics, and 62% use them for retrieving specific information or statistics. Only 32% use these tools for finding a specific website, suggesting AI search is primarily used for informational rather than navigational queries.

This pattern is likely similar to how people use these tools for legal information – they’re seeking to understand concepts, processes, or options before deciding which specific law firm to contact, or in some cases whether they even need to contact a law firm at all.

However, AI tools have limitations when addressing complex legal scenarios. They struggle with:

• Keeping up with recent legal changes, and then providing outdated advice
• Evaluating the strength of a particular case, as many LLMs seem overly positive
• Making up facts and statistics, as all LLMs seem to have some amount of hallucinations

These limitations create natural boundaries where AI tools will, or at least should, refer users to legal professionals rather than attempting to provide definitive answers.

The Citation Effect

When AI tools provide information, they increasingly cite sources to support their answers. This “citation effect” has important implications for law firms.

Bing’s Copilot search results include citations, and tools like Perplexity AI prominently feature sources in their responses.

For law firms, being cited by AI tools can drive significant visibility and traffic. If your content is referenced when someone asks about a legal topic in your practice area, you gain:

• Exposure to potential clients
• Implicit endorsement as an authoritative source
• Opportunities for direct traffic when users click through to learn more

To increase the likelihood of being cited:

• Create comprehensive, authoritative content on topics in your practice area
• Structure content clearly with distinct sections addressing common questions
• Use clear headings, concise explanations, and factual information
• Keep content updated to reflect current law
• Build your brand

Direct vs. Referral Traffic

One key question for law firms is: When will AI tools answer questions directly, and when will they refer users to a law firm’s website?

Generally, AI tools are more likely to provide direct answers for:

• Basic legal definitions and concepts
• Procedural information (e.g., “How do I file for bankruptcy?”)
• General explanations of laws and rights

They’re more likely to refer users to law firms for:

– Queries that directly ask for legal services in a specific location

– General legal queries that mention a specific location

This changing dynamic requires new ways of measuring success. Traditional metrics like organic search rankings and click-through rates don’t capture visibility in AI-generated responses. Law firms need to develop new approaches to tracking how often they’re mentioned or recommended by AI tools.

Practical Strategies for Law Firms

Content Optimization for Multiple Platforms

Creating content that performs well across multiple search platforms requires balancing several factors:

1. Quality and depth remain paramount: Google continues to prioritize “content that’s both high-quality and in-depth because it best serves the searcher’s intent.” This means providing comprehensive coverage that satisfies user intent, not just hitting a specific word count.
2. Structure content clearly: Use logical organization with clear headings, subheadings, and concise paragraphs. This helps both traditional search engines and AI tools understand and extract information from your content.
3. Address specific questions: Identify and answer the questions your potential clients are asking. FAQ sections can be particularly valuable, as they align with how people interact with AI tools.
4. Balance depth and clarity: Content should be thorough enough to demonstrate expertise but clear enough for non-lawyers to understand. Avoid excessive legal jargon when targeting potential clients.
5. Consider structured data: While structured data isn’t directly used to train LLMs, and there is a debate regarding how valuable this type of data is for LLMs, it helps search engines understand your content and can influence how information is presented in search results. My prediction is that AI-powered search tools will use structured data in various ways, even if they aren’t currently.

Building Topical Authority

Establishing topical authority is becoming increasingly important as search fragments across platforms. Content that demonstrates genuine expertise is valued by both traditional search engines and AI systems.

For law firms, this means developing comprehensive content strategies that establish expertise across your practice areas:

1. Create content clusters: Develop a network of related content pieces that comprehensively cover topics in your practice area. For example, a family law firm might create clusters around divorce, child custody, adoption, etc.
2. Demonstrate expertise: Include insights that go beyond basic information found elsewhere. Share your perspective on legal trends, case outcomes, or procedural nuances.
3. Maintain consistent messaging: Ensure your expertise is communicated consistently across all platforms – your website, social media, directories, and any other online presence.
4. Update content regularly: Keep information current to reflect changes in laws, procedures, or best practices. This builds credibility and signals to both search engines and AI tools that your content is reliable.
5. Have original insights: As I’ve found in my 15 years of SEO experience, the most important point is having your own opinions about something and being willing to share them, as this is what differentiates true expertise from generic content.

Monitoring and Analytics Evolution

With search changing due to AI, law firms need new approaches to measuring performance:

1. Track AI-sourced traffic: Identify and monitor traffic coming from AI tools. There are many tutorials out there to monitor this traffic in GA4 and setting this up does not take long.
2. Monitor brand mentions: Use tools to track when your firm is mentioned in AI-generated responses based on queries you provide that your audience might be using.
3. Evaluate ROI across platforms: Develop attribution models that account for the multi-platform journey clients may take before contacting your firm.

In the Good2bSocial study mentioned earlier, data from over 70 legal industry companies found a clear need to track both traditional search metrics and new AI-sourced traffic patterns, especially as “budgets tightened in 2024” and “the need to justify marketing spend grew more critical.”

Future-Proofing Your Law Firm’s Digital Presence

Balancing Traditional and Emerging Search Channels

The data clearly indicates the need for a multi-platform approach rather than abandoning traditional search optimization:

• Google still commands around 90% of global search market share
• AI-powered search is growing rapidly but hasn’t displaced traditional search entirely
• Different demographic groups show varying levels of AI adoption

For most law firms, this means maintaining strong visibility on Google while strategically growing their presence on emerging platforms. Consider allocating resources based on:

1. Your target audience: Firms targeting younger clients might allocate more resources to AI platforms, while those serving older demographics might maintain greater focus on traditional search.
2. Practice areas: Some practice areas (like technology law or areas serving younger clients) may see faster adoption of AI search tools.
3. Geographic markets: Urban markets with tech-savvy populations may adopt new search behaviors more quickly than rural areas.

A practical approach is to maintain your current SEO efforts while dedicating a portion of your marketing budget (such as 10-20%) to experimenting with content optimized for AI platforms. This allows you to gain experience without abandoning strategies that are still effective.

Preparing for Voice Search Integration

Voice search represents another critical frontier for law firms, particularly those serving local markets. The convergence of AI and voice interfaces creates new opportunities to reach potential clients through conversational queries.

Voice searches tend to be:

• Longer and more conversational than typed queries
• Often location-specific (“Find a divorce lawyer near me”)
• Frequently phrased as questions (“How much does a will cost in Dallas?”)

To optimize for voice search:

1. Target conversational phrases: Create content that addresses natural language questions.
2. Focus on local SEO: Ensure your Google Business Profile is complete and accurate, as voice searches often have local intent.
3. Create FAQ content: Questions and answers align well with how voice searches are typically phrased.
4. Optimize for featured snippets: Voice assistants often pull information from featured snippets when answering questions.

Ethical Considerations

As law firms adapt to AI-driven search, they must also navigate complex ethical considerations:

1. Managing AI-generated legal information: Law firms should be prepared to correct misconceptions clients may have from AI-generated answers. This might include creating content that specifically addresses common misunderstandings.
2. Disclaimers and limitations: Be clear about when information provided on your website is general in nature and when specific legal advice requires consultation.
3. Professional responsibility: Remember that ethical obligations to provide accurate information and maintain client confidentiality apply across all platforms and technologies.
4. Transparency: Be transparent about how you use AI in your own practice, if applicable, and how it might impact client services.

These considerations are particularly important for legal professionals who have ethical responsibilities to provide accurate information and maintain client confidentiality.

Wrapping Up

Search is undergoing a significant transformation with direct implications for law firm marketing and client acquisition. Google’s search dominance remains strong but is showing early signs of erosion, while AI-powered search tools gain rapid adoption, particularly among younger demographics who represent future clients.

According to a study, law firms experienced decreased organic search traffic in 2024 while seeing dramatic increases in traffic from AI sources. This shift requires legal marketers to adapt their strategies to maintain visibility across a fragmented search ecosystem rather than focusing exclusively on Google rankings.

Content quality, depth, and authority remain critical success factors, but these must now be optimized for multiple platforms with different query patterns and response formats. Voice search also presents additional opportunities and challenges, particularly for firms serving local markets.

The firms that adapt quickly to this new world of search will gain significant competitive advantages. As I’ve seen throughout my years in SEO, periods of change create opportunities for those willing to experiment and adapt while others remain focused solely on what worked in the past.

If you’re interested in developing a comprehensive strategy for your law firm that addresses these changes in the search landscape, I invite you to schedule a personalized SEO strategy session. During this consultation, I’ll analyze your current search performance, identify opportunities across both traditional and emerging search platforms, and develop an action plan tailored to your practice areas and target clients.

As search continues to evolve, partnering with specialists who understand both legal marketing and emerging technologies can provide the expertise you need to stay ahead of your competition.