An in-house counsel at a mid-sized tech firm with operations in Europe receives an urgent question from a vendor regarding Europe’s data protection laws. She needs clarity fast, so she asks Google's Gemini chatbot for the “latest updates on GDPR data transfers.” She scans an AI summary summarizing information from three law firms that have published blog posts on the subject. The lawyer clicks on one of the links and finds the answer. Other law firms that published on the subject? Invisible to her—and to the thousands of other lawyers searching for similar guidance. Welcome to the emerging, opaque, and competitive landscape of search.
The new reality prompting new questions
Just over a year ago, the same search query on Google in our example would have simply generated a long list of blue links. Those search results—all for the world to see—were based on a complex algorithm that sifted through click-through rates, backlink profiles, loading speed, and freshness of content to return the most relevant results. Today's reality is starkly different. AI-powered search offers personalized, synthesized answers with far less transparency about who gets seen. The shift is prompting marketers to reassess how clients, prospects, and talent see and interact with their firms online. It’s also raising a new set of questions:- Where, if at all, do we show up in AI summaries?
- Where do we want to show up? And where do we absolutely need to show up?
- What can we do to encourage searchers to click on our site and not simply rely on the summary?
- What do AI chatbots value?
- How do we encourage more direct relationships with clients and prospects interested in our services?
An accelerating transition
The transition away from traditional search picked up pace last year when Google introduced “AI Overviews” that appear at the top of a typical search query. In May, Google accelerated the transition, introducing what it calls “AI Mode,” which allows users to bypass the traditional search engine results altogether for a Q&A session with its Gemini chatbot. While traditional search remains the default, the AI Overviews feature is making people use Google more. The company’s head of search reported a 10% increase in the frequency of people conducting those types of searches. Some speculate that it may be a matter of months before Google makes AI Mode its default search method. One consequence of this shift is less transparency into what end-users actually see. With traditional search, marketers can track success through metrics like keyword rankings, organic traffic, and click-through rates. However, with a chatbot synthesizing information from various sources in a personalized manner, tracking success has become more challenging.Rethinking online visibility
Traffic to sites from Google searches, for example, could drop significantly. When Google’s AI Overviews provides an answer directly to a user with a list of web links, will the summary cause searchers not to click on a link? Justifiably, some fear it will, cutting off both traffic and brand exposure, depriving law firms of vital information to track marketing success. That means law firms have to rethink online visibility. High keyword ranking will soon be a goal of the past. The new digital beachfront property online is a citation in an AI-generated answer. While authoritative and credible content is still the coin of the realm, law firms will have to find new ways to account for it. The more often a firm’s name shows up in AI-generated queries, the more confidence it’s likely to generate among potential clients. Conversely, if a law firm fails to appear in an AI answer on, say, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower protections, it could raise questions about the firm’s authority in the area.From SEO to AEO
In the months and years ahead, Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, will increasingly give way to AEO, Answer Engine Optimization. The latter focuses on helping AI-powered search engines understand and cite your content in their direct answers. AI prioritizes understanding searcher intent over keyword matching. Law firms must anticipate the specific questions clients ask about their practice areas and create comprehensive content that addresses not just the primary question, but likely follow-ups too. Google's Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trustworthiness (EEAT) guidelines become even more critical with AI. These systems prioritize credible sources, making it essential for law firms to publish content from recognized leaders with strong credentials and market visibility.How can law firms prepare?
How soon law firms will begin to see dramatic consequences from the transition of traditional search to AI Q&As is unclear. Google’s decision to make its AI Mode the default search setting may, for example, depend on how quickly it can build a plan to monetize it. But the direction is clear. Here’s how to prepare:- Map your territories. Identify the specific questions and scenarios where you want to be the cited authority. Build comprehensive content that addresses these queries with the depth AI models value, organizing information thematically to anticipate related questions.
- Audit for AI readability. Review your existing content for clarity, structure, and cohesiveness. Ensure AI can easily extract and summarize your key points by using clear headings, short paragraphs, and structured formats
- Promote third-party credibility. AI systems prioritize authoritative sources. Invest in building your firm's credibility through industry awards, speaking engagements, published articles, media coverage, and expert commentary that establishes lawyers as recognized authorities.
- Explore new channels and formats to connect directly with audiences. As organic search traffic potentially declines, develop alternative ways to connect with your audience. Consider newsletters, webinars, podcasts, or other channels that build direct relationships independent of search algorithms.
- Emphasize content driven by original insights and human judgment. While technology and algorithms are constantly evolving, one thing remains constant: good content rises to the top. One of the best ways law firms can distinguish their content from competitors—and to make it resistant to easy summarization by AI—is to produce original insights with fresh data and human judgment. It’s not enough to simply recite facts of a decision or summarize new regulations. AI can do that. Human judgment and original insights—that’s the gold that law firms must mine.
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