Why Law Firms Need To Focus On AI Visibility

Quick Summary

•          AI is starting to change how prospective clients find, assess, and engage with law firms.

•    Prospective clients are now more likely to consider sources, links and recommendations provided by AI LLMs.

•         To regain visibility, law firms are switching from a marketing model that relies on traditional Google search to being seen as authoritative, accessible and visible across a wide range of online platforms.

Law firms, as with all businesses across all sectors, are grappling with how to remain digitally visible as the old guard of traditional Google search gives way to the young guns of Google’s ‘AI Overview’ and ‘AI Mode’, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Perplexity, and a whole host of other LLMs that people are increasingly turning to for information. So, where does this leave law firms in the UK? Do they need to adapt to this new AI/LLM universe we find ourselves in, and if so, how?

How is AI changing the marketing game for UK law firms?

AI-powered search providers such as ChatGPT and Perplexity are rapidly becoming the search method of choice. As a result, businesses, including law firms, are experiencing a noticeable dip in organic traffic to their websites. Some estimates put this at up to a 64% reduction in organic traffic. One of the main reasons for this is that when someone asks a question in an AI-powered search engine or LLM model, they receive a comprehensive answer without needing to click on another website. Indeed, roughly 60% of searches now result in zero clicks to other websites because the needs of the user have been satisfied.

This shift means the way in which prospective clients will find a Solicitor who can help resolve their problem has fundamentally changed. Ranking on Google is still important, but law firm marketers and owners will need to work a lot harder across many more platforms to capture the attention of possible new clients.

How are prospective clients finding law firms?

The reduction in organic searches leading to law firm website clicks means that prospective clients are likely to instruct a law firm on the basis of the following:

•       Recommendations made by AI search providers and LLMs - If your law firm is cited or recommended by one of these models, it means it is visible to AI and viewed as more authoritative than other sources.

•       Searches for local firms “near me”

•       Seeing the firm on social media, Reddit, or YouTube

•       Reading an article or opinion written by a Solicitor from the firm in a newspaper or trade journal

What should law firms do to regain visibility?

If your law firm is losing ‘visibility’ and hence is not receiving the volume of new instructions you once were, it may be a direct result of the way in which users are searching due to the prevalence of AI search tools and LLMs. To regain visibility, it is essential to now focus on:

1.    Being seen ‘everywhere’ across the internet

2.    Being seen as an authority in your practice area

3.    Being innovative and standing out from the crowd

4.    Providing Google and LLMs with original content that it can use to train its AI

5.    Nurturing your client reviews, and

6.    Writing op-eds and articles for newspapers and trade magazines

If you remember anything from this article, remember the ‘rule of 7’. The rule of 7 in marketing suggests that a brand needs to be seen at least 7 times before prospective customers commit to a purchasing decision. While the numbers can be debated in the context of our industry and the types of services offered, what matters is that your law firm is visible in a range of digital settings. Indeed, this is why more and more law firms are turning to YouTube to connect with their audience. Whether you choose to launch a podcast or YouTube channel or provide help on Reddit, show your human side, connect with people, and let your personality shine through.

Being seen as an authority in law

Many law firms are already seen as an authority in their area of law. In order to be visible to and cited by AI, it needs clear signals that you are highly regarded in your area of law. This can be achieved through being cited by and backlinks from authoritative sources (e.g. Law Gazette, Solicitors’ Journal), reviews (e.g. Google reviews, Review Solicitors), and being mentioned in the Legal 500 or Chambers & Partners.

Another highly effective way to be seen as an authority in your field is to have editorial content in established magazines and journals. You need to have properly structured EEAT-compliant content that demonstrates your Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust.

Being innovative and standing out from the crowd

It is no longer good enough to use content produced by LLMs or write blogs that do not provide anything new of value. Such content will simply be lost, viewed as low authority, ignored by AI, and ultimately, it will never be read. Producing unique, valuable, high-quality and innovative human-written content is key. A large reason for this is that AI itself needs new information which it can use to provide up-to-date responses.

Final words

For the past decade, Google search has provided one of the main vehicles by which clients find law firms. As of 2025, this has changed. Organic search now represents one of several channels which now include AI-driven models. Law firms now need to make a conscious shift to be seen across the board as an authoritative and trusted source of up-to-date legal expertise. Above all else, remember to show your personality, humanity, and connect with your audience.

Albion Legal provides a range of added-value products and services, from bespoke employment disputes insurance cover to white-labelled HR software. To discuss any points in the above article or to find out how we can help your business, please phone 0113 2471 717 or email our team.