Oftentimes, when someone is looking for legal information or needs to find a lawyer, their research is going to begin in one of two places: on a search engine or in an AI program.

If they don’t start in either of those places, it’s because they asked a friend for a referral instead. But even then, their next step is looking up your firm online before they email, call or interact with a chatbot on your website.

It’s just what happens in the digital age. And it’s why every lawyer needs to use SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies that ensure they show up where and when it matters.

Law firms need to be cited, mentioned, and sourced in AI systems and features – but also rank well on search engines – to reach and engage their audience.

When done right, both SEO and GEO help law firms increase visibility and build brand recognition. It requires developing trust and proving why your voice should be heard.

Knowing the role of SEO and GEO in connecting lawyers to their audience is crucial. You can’t maximize the effect of one without the other.

Law Firms Need Optimized Content for AI and Search Engines

AI has introduced new challenges, but there are significant opportunities.

Firms that create and update content based on search engine and generative engine optimization practices are better positioned to reach potential clients. They’re also better at turning them into leads. Here’s why.

What drives SEO and GEO success is the ability to understand what your audience needs and wants to know and anticipate their next step. And when they find you, whether it's your firm’s website or a social media account, or a third-party blog article, content must be clear and easy to understand, and in a way that resonates with them.

Hopefully, your law firm is already on top of SEO, but we know this isn’t always the case. Many of the lawyers we've worked with didn’t know their firm website wasn't performing as it should until we did a technical assessment and content audit. Others hadn't updated their legal content marketing plan to adapt to the changes that AI has introduced, while some simply struggled with how to approach GEO.

Your Firm’s Website Content Is More Important than Ever

The search journey of potential clients has changed. Your website is often accessed later in the search process, and what they find can help or hinder what happens next.

When SEO and GEO guide your law firm's website content and user experience, it can have a powerful effect.

A recommendation from a chatbot is like a recommendation from a friend.

The way people interact with AI has created a new referral source for lawyers – chatbots. People trust their responses, plain and simple.

When you successfully boost your AI search visibility and your law firm is recommended by a chatbot, the next step is looking you up on Google. This is the part that has changed.

When your audience turns to a search engine after a recommendation, their intention is different than if they had gone to Google first. The same applies when they used ChatGPT to find answers to legal questions and your firm was mentioned or sourced.

The difference in their intent is why your law firm’s website is more important than ever.

Since getting recommendations and answers to legal questions from a chatbot was their first stop, they’re further along in the decision-making process when they look you up online.

At the very least, they're looking to engage with your brand; they're giving you a chance to show how your law firm can meet their needs. But in many cases, they’re closer to converting – to becoming a lead - and that AI visibility is invaluable.

And what they find when they search your name affects whether they click on your website. This is where SEO comes in.

Some SEO and GEO strategies, like creating backlinks from building your law firm's brand with third-party blogging, do more than help make you visible in AI and on Google. They also show potential clients that you're a voice of authority and that you share your expertise in a way they understand, on an established legal news and information platform.

Bottom line? The search journey of potential clients means lawyers must use SEO and GEO strategies to show up in the search systems their audience is using. Whether they start in AI, read an AI Overview, or go to Google first, your law firm must have a strong presence regardless of where they began.

When your law firm’s audience goes to Google to search a legal topic or find a lawyer, they'll see one of two things at the top of the page: traditional results or an AI Overview with results below.

If your online presence is developed and maintained with SEO in mind, you should rank well on search engine results pages (SERPS) for the terms most relevant to your firm’s expertise. From there, the audience clicks-through, and then it’s up to your site’s performance, user experience, and how well the content they’re directed to meets their needs.

If you have a strong search presence on Google and Bing, you’re probably getting at least some visibility in AI Overviews. But your law firm won't be cited, sourced, or mentioned in AI Overviews without optimizing content for AI search engines, too.

Lawyers Need SEO and GEO for Online Visibility

GEO practices help get you cited, sourced, and recommended by AI systems, but SEO is still important - and they're both an ongoing process.

Lawyers must consistently demonstrate their credibility and authority to stay relevant and visible. While there are specific strategies for GEO, like ensuring content is structured for AI citation and discovery, there are similarities between what AI and traditional search engines require of sources.

Content clarity and relevance, ease of access, and third-party backlinks (like what happens when you become a Contributor on The Legal Examiner), are all factors these systems assess. But there's more to it.

Hopefully, your firm already has an in-house marketing team or an agency that handles SEO and GEO. If not, we can help.

On top of Contributor accounts, we provide writing, optimization, and web performance and hosting services that can improve your law firm's search visibility.

Canonical source: The Legal Examiner
Archive copy: nickcarroll.com