Are you a frustrated attorney building and growing your law firm?

Attorneys building their own firms often struggle to find the balance between practicing law and business development. While managing their current caseload can’t be neglected, they must keep up a constant effort to bring in new matters to ensure that workflow is high enough to keep associates and staff busy and provide income that allows their firm to thrive. The result is often a seesaw in which exhausted, frustrated partners feel like to succeed in one area they are neglecting the other.

Are you struggling to juggle caseloads, networking, and generating new business?

Adding to this challenge are the recent changes in online marketing brought about by the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). Firms that have relied on their websites and digital marketing strategies as an effective source of qualified leads now fear that the channel will become useless, putting overburdened attorneys back to square one in trying to reach their ideal clients. Is search engine optimization (SEO) obsolete in the age of AI? Absolutely not. However, law firms need to have a broader understanding of how to leverage their online presence to take advantage of omnichannel marketing opportunities.

The Limits of AI for Law Firms

Various types of AI tools have been touted as time- and money-saving means to complete tasks. Chatbots to answer questions. Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT to generate content. But the practice of law is a trust-based industry. Clients choose attorneys who understand their issues and have the experience and expertise to provide the necessary legal services. No AI shortcut can provide the human connection that has to be at the heart of a successful legal marketing strategy.

This comes across most clearly in content generation. LLMs may be able to write blogs or provide basic answers to some legal questions, but it is incapable of producing personalized, authentic content that will differentiate one law firm from its competitors. AI content is, by its very nature, generic. To build trust with potential clients, content on all platforms should showcase a real lawyer’s understanding of the issues facing their ideal clients. [note: in March 2024, the content generated by LLMs that were not customized was deemed plagiarized, not unique, and deranked on Google]

Some key questions for law firm owners and partners:

  • So what about search?
  • Are prospective clients going to be able to find links to law firms if they’re buried under generative AI results on Google?
  • Did you know social media has embraced generative AI and is now a multi modal search platform?
  • Are you ready to embrace a shift from total reliance on Google to an expanded search paradigm that involves social media, LLM technology and digital advertising?
  • Are you aware that there are Gen Z’s and Millenials who think, search, and consider legal services with the right disposable income levels make them your prime prospect?
  • Baby Boomers who are retiring, with a high net worth are also searching online and they require a different set of content tailored for how they think and buy. Do you realize that Facebook is a great platform to market your services to baby boomers but organic social media isn’t punching its weight any longer?
  • Gen X-ers – you better start thinking how to capture this market as they the oldest is turning 59 this year. Your law firm is missing out if you have not gone through their search habits depending on what type of law firm you specialize in. Have you considered podcast or video marketing that are educational based?

First, keep in mind that if somebody really needs a lawyer, an AI summary isn’t going to help them. Thus, it’s still important to keep search rankings high, [recent studies show that Google’s SGE produced incorrect results and therefore it defaulted to answers ranked top 10 on SERP].

Second, optimizing search strategies has always had to adapt to changes in algorithms, but now firms need to expand their thinking. Social media and generative AI platforms are search platforms that should be part of a unified strategy. We are in an era where it is Search Everywhere Optimization the new explainer to the acronym SEO.

Why Search and Digital Marketing Still Matter for Law Firms

Strong search and generative engine optimization strategies are vital for law firms trying to enhance their visibility to prospective customers. Here are some reasons why.

Why Law Firms Need SEO and GEO Strategies

Justification For Each Reason
Potential clients still use search engines People looking for legal services rely on search engines like Google when they are looking for a lawyer or seeking the answer to a legal question, even as AI-based tools grow in popularity.
AI uses search engine data AI uses search engine data to train its models and generate results. Optimizing your SEO practices and strategies can help ensure that your law firm’s website is included in that data, enhancing its ability to stay discoverable online.
Content is only one part of SEO Yes, quality, personalized content is an important factor in a successful search strategy. But technical SEO and local SEO are vital for law firms. Most law firms serve clients in a specific geographic area, meaning that a targeting strategy designed to keep your local results high in search is critical for capturing those “law firm near me” searches. You can be assured that your local competitors are working hard to keep their search rankings high, so you need a strategy to stand out.

Innovative Digital Marketing for Law Firms

If your digital marketing efforts have been losing ground since the introduction of AI, you don’t have to settle for losing market share. Iffel International can help you keep pace with updated strategies that help diversify and expand your visibility online. To kickstart your business development for 2025, contact us here to schedule your consultation today.

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