How LLMs Are Transforming Legal Search: What's Changed, Why It Matters, and How to Win

The way people search for lawyers is shifting. While Google remains important, potential clients are increasingly turning to conversational AI tools and voice assistants to ask more complex, contextual questions.

To stay visible in this evolving landscape, firms need to:

• Go back to the basics: Too many law firm sites overlook search engine optimization (SEO) fundamentals like on-page optimization, technical SEO, and backlinks. It’s important to go beyond practice area terms and build content around long-tail, intent-focused queries.
• Recognize that content is essential: A key goal should be to produce comprehensive, authoritative content, such as pillar pages, articles, and videos, that directly respond to the specific questions clients have during their journey.
• See E-E-A-T as essential: Showcasing Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness through detailed bios, client testimonials, and case studies are vital for achieving high rankings in both traditional search and as a reliable source for AI.
• Aim to be the go-to source: Establish the firm as the definitive source of information that large language models (LLMs) will reference to provide answers for potential clients.

The Changing Reality of Legal Client Search Behaviour

For many years, the way potential clients look for legal assistance has followed a familiar path: identify a problem, search Google, and explore a list of law firms to consider contacting. This linear pattern has formed the foundation of legal marketing strategies, with a heavy focus on search engine optimization to capture those initial queries.

Recent data, however, reveals a more complex reality. While online searches still play a major role, other factors significantly influence clients' decisions. The 2025 Legal Trends Report by Clio indicates more than half of clients have or would consider using AI to answer their legal questions. For those who have, just over half said that AI sufficiently answered it.

Referrals continue to be a significant source of new business. According to the 2024 Legal Consumer Report by Martinedale-Avvo, 45% of clients seek referrals from friends or family. This highlights the enduring significance of reputation and word-of-mouth marketing, even in the digital age.

On the other hand, online reviews, unsurprisingly, play a crucial role in the decision-making process. The same report also revealed that 70% of clients consider reviews as the most helpful element when searching for a lawyer.

The Impact of LLMs on Legal Discovery

The emergence of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini is changing the way we discover information. Rather than simply entering keywords into a search engine, users can now pose intricate questions in everyday language and get straightforward, conversational responses.

Instead of typing “personal injury lawyer,” a user might ask:

“I was in a car accident. The other driver was at fault and I have minor injuries. What are my rights, and who should I contact?”

LLM queries uncover user intent, circumstances, and the need for in-depth, contextual information. Search engines are adopting this technology too, with Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) serving as a notable example, offering AI-driven summaries directly in search results.

Google search results showing the Map Pack for top personal injury lawyers in Toronto ranked by client reviews and location.

ChatGPT response of trusted Toronto personal injury firms with their expertise in personal injury cases.

The implication is clear: law firms can’t rely solely on ranking for a handful of high-traffic keywords. While good SEO would already drive steady traffic, many firms neglect proper optimizations, execute them poorly, or rely on shortcuts that hinder results. Firms must shift from keyword stuffing toward producing high-quality, authoritative content that LLMs will reference for complex queries.

From Keywords to Conversations

According to the 2024 Legal Trends Report from Clio 79% of legal professionals have adopted AI in some way in their practice. And in the same report reveals that clients across generations would either be open to or even prefer lawyers using AI. This isn't merely a new tool; it's a fundamental shift in how individuals, including potential legal clients, seek information.

This change poses a challenge to traditional SEO methods. Previously, SEO focused on ranking among a list of ten blue links. Today, AI-powered “answer engines” often replace that list with a single, comprehensive answer. The new objective for law firms is not just to rank a link but to ensure their expertise, data, and authority are integrated and presented by the AI as part of that reliable answer.

The legal sector is beginning to recognize this significant transformation, even though the strategic responses are still evolving. This widespread recognition highlights the urgency of the situation. Firms are starting to realize that if they don't optimize their online presence for this new conversational, AI-driven search, they risk becoming invisible to the upcoming generation of clients.

Traditional Search vs. AI-Enhanced Search

The rise of voice search and AI assistants highlights how clients are increasingly seeking information through natural, conversational interactions with technology.

This table compares traditional search engines, which use keyword-based queries to return lists of links for users to browse, with AI-enhanced search, which responds to conversational questions with direct, summarized answers. The key difference is that AI prioritizes summarized, authoritative information over traditional ranking factors like website quality and location.

Actionable Search Optimization Strategy for Legal Practices

To succeed in today’s legal marketing landscape, firms need to take a proactive and strategic stance. Here’s a straightforward guide to help your firm navigate the new challenges posed by AI-driven searches and changing client behaviors.

1. Content-Focused Search Optimization

Your content is your most valuable marketing tool. It should directly address the questions your potential clients are asking through conversational AI.

Discover What Potential Clients Are Asking

• Consult with your intake team or paralegals to pinpoint the most common questions they encounter.
• When possible, talk to your current and former clients about the questions they had before choosing your services.
• Utilize tools like AnswerThePublic or explore forums such as Reddit and Quora to discover real-world inquiries related to your practice areas.

Map the Client’s Search Journey

• Outline stages from problem recognition to hiring decision for each practice area.
• Example for personal injury:
  • Awareness: “What should I do after a car accident?”
  • Consideration: “How much does a personal injury lawyer cost?”
• Decision: “How do I choose the right personal injury lawyer”

Develop Topic Clusters

• Pillar Page: Develop a thorough, in-depth guide on a key topic (e.g., "The Complete Guide to Divorce in [Your State/Province]"). This page should serve as the central hub for that topic.
• Cluster Content: Create shorter, more focused articles that address one or two questions from your research (e.g., "How is child custody determined?" or "What is the difference between mediation and litigation?"). Each of these articles should link back to your main pillar page. This signals deep expertise to search engines and LLMs.

2. Demonstrate Trust and Expertise (EEAT)

In the realm of legal marketing, establishing trust is essential. It's crucial to demonstrate your expertise, experience, authority, and reliability at every digital interaction.

Enhance Bios

• Make sure each article or content piece is linked to a specific lawyer.
• Develop comprehensive and accessible bio pages for each lawyer, detailing their qualifications, bar admissions, awards, publications, and speaking engagements.
• Create specialized author/speaker bios that can be customized for different contexts (blog posts, guest articles, speaking engagements, media mentions) with targeted emphasis on relevant credentials and expertise.
• For a more comprehensive guide, read our blog 5 Steps to Building Better Bios.

Build a Review Strategy

• Utilize an automated system to solicit reviews from satisfied clients on platforms like Google, Avvo, and others.
• Professionally respond to all reviews, whether positive or negative, to show your engagement and appreciation for client feedback.

Showcase Social Proof*

• Prominently display client testimonials (with permission) on your website, including video testimonials when possible.
• Feature logos of media outlets that have mentioned or highlighted your firm.
• Create in-depth case studies that detail a client's issue, your firm's solution, and the successful outcome (while ensuring client confidentiality).
• Highlight notable firm awards, recognitions, and industry badges that reinforce your credibility.

*In compliance with your jurisdiction's advertising rules.

3. Build Authority Through Backlinks and Citations

• Keep your profiles on trusted legal directories like Avvo, Justia, FindLaw, and Martindale-Hubbell updated and linked to your authoritative content.
• Make sure your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online platforms to boost your visibility in local searches.
• Gain quality backlinks by writing guest articles for legal publications, getting quoted in the media, and engaging in industry events and forums.
• Create a public relations strategy aimed at gaining media attention in both local and industry-specific publications.

4. Expand Beyond Written Content

Clients take in information through different formats, so adopting a multi-modal approach can make your content more engaging and visible.

Create Explainer Videos

• Transform your most popular blog posts or FAQs into short, captivating videos (2-3 minutes long).
• Lawyers should simplify complex concepts for a broader audience.
• These can be shared on your website, YouTube and social media platforms.

Use Visual Storytelling

• Visualize complex processes, such as the steps involved in a real estate transaction or the timeline of a personal injury case.
• Utilize charts and graphs to showcase data from your case studies or industry reports. These visuals are highly shareable and easy for audiences to grasp.

Offer Interactive Resources

• Create downloadable guides, checklists, or templates that clients can use (e.g., "Pre-Consultation Checklist" or "Estate Planning Document Organizer").
• Host educational webinars on timely legal topics, allowing for live Q&A to build engagement and capture leads.
• Repurpose webinar recordings as on-demand video content for your website.

Launch a Niche Podcast

• Start a weekly or bi-weekly podcast to discuss legal news, answer common client questions, or interview experts in related fields, building authority in audio format.
• Partner with local radio stations for an "Ask a Lawyer" segment to extend your reach beyond digital platforms and build community presence.

5. Optimize Technical Performance and User Experience

• Use Google's PageSpeed Insights to identify performance issues and optimize your website's loading speed to under 3 seconds by compressing images and minimizing code, as slow sites lose visitors and hurt rankings.
• Monitor engagement metrics like engagement rate and scroll depth using analytics tools to identify underperforming pages and improve content, layout, or CTAs to keep visitors engaged longer.
• Improve crawlability and indexation by submitting an updated XML sitemap to search engines and using robots.txt to guide crawlers to important pages.

Future-proofing Your Search Optimization Strategy for Legal Marketing Success

The legal industry is on the brink of significant change, largely due to the swift progress in artificial intelligence. How potential clients search for and connect with lawyers is evolving, and law firms need to adapt to this shift or risk falling behind.

To thrive in this evolving landscape, law firms must move beyond a reactive, keyword-focused approach and adopt a proactive, content-driven strategy. By truly understanding clients’ needs and producing high-quality, authoritative content in a variety of formats, your firm can position itself as a leader in the AI-powered search era.

The future of legal marketing isn’t about chasing algorithms; it’s about building trust and delivering genuine value. In a world of AI-generated responses, the firms that succeed will be those providing clear, reliable answers to the questions clients are actively seeking.

If you have questions or want to develop a tailored SEO strategy for your firm, reach out to us. We're here to help you adapt and thrive in this new landscape.