Those who regularly use Google to perform searches have likely noticed the prominently displayed section titled “AI Overview” that appears at the top of the search results page. According to Google, “AI Overviews provide a snapshot of key information about a topic or question with links so you can easily explore more on the web.” In other words, this feature, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, offers searchers a quick summary of the topic or information they are looking for. As the algorithm and technology becomes more advanced and attuned to each searcher’s intent, more people are finding the information they need right there in the AI Overview and do not need to click through to other websites to locate the details or answers. With a significant number of searchers relying on the convenience of the AI Overview, businesses (including law firms) are noticing a large drop in the number of website visitors who click through to their websites (i.e., organic traffic is falling significantly in the era of AI Overviews). Moreover, the majority of searchers skim the top section of the AI Overview and then move on, which underscores the importance of grabbing the attention of these searchers right away.
Since Google’s AI technology relies heavily on websites and other online materials to generate trustworthy, accurate, and relevant responses to display in the AI Overview section, it’s more important than ever for your law firm to update your current digital marketing for lawyers strategy to appeal to this technology and increase the likelihood of your content being featured prominently in the AI Overview. Not only will potential clients see your content in this section, but they may also easily locate the link provided in the AI Overview and click through to your site (with the hope of taking the next step by scheduling a consultation with your law firm). Let’s take a look at how AI Overviews are changing content marketing for law firms as well as how partnering with a highly experienced and knowledgeable digital marketing strategist for law firms can help you optimize your content marketing strategy for AI Overviews.
Understanding the Impact of No-Click AI Overviews
Before the introduction of the AI Overview feature, traditional search engine optimization (SEO) best practices included user-friendly website design, keyword-rich content that was natural and easy to read, and maintaining good customer reviews so that the search engine algorithm would view your law firm as a trustworthy authority worth promoting to searchers. While these SEO best practices continue to be important elements of an effective content marketing for law firm strategy, it’s worth exploring how AI Overviews have led to a notable rise in no-click searches. Without an AI Overview section, searchers would peruse the top of the search results page and choose which link to click through to examine more carefully. However, the AI Overview feature now provides a helpful summary of a given topic, giving searchers the information they need without having to click through to a website to find what they are looking for. As content marketing for attorneys strategies adjust to the reality of AI Overviews, the primary challenge is how to boost your law firm’s visibility without relying so heavily on clicks.
Tips For Boosting Your Law Firm’s Visibility in the Age of AI
If more of your potential clients are relying on AI Overviews to provide them with the information they need, how can you adjust your existing digital marketing for law firms strategy to remain competitive? Here are just a few tips you can use to maintain a visible online presence for your law firm in this ever-evolving landscape.
Prioritize SEO Best Practices
As we’ve explored a bit in the section above, traditional SEO best practices continue to provide a stable and secure foundation for your law firm’s online presence and visibility. Search engines still favor sources and content that is user-friendly, accurate, and high-quality. It’s worth noting that details matter here—be sure that your titles, meta descriptions, and snippets are clear, accurate, and full of keywords to maximize their impact. Your website’s loading speed should also be fast (ideally, within 3 seconds or less) and your content should be clearly presented (i.e. bullet points, lists, etc.) for easy perusing and identification.
FAQ Sections Are Everything
Since most people perform searches by asking questions, search engine algorithms and AI Overviews prefer sources that are clearly arranged in the form of common questions and concise, accurate responses. By structuring your website to include frequently asked questions (FAQ) sections or including more questions and short responses on the practice area pages, you are more likely to have this content picked up by the search engines and displayed in the AI Overview section.
Find out where you stand with a local keyword report.
Organize Your Content for AI Comprehension
AI technology prefers short sentences and bulleted lists to quickly assess and gather information when compiling a response to a user’s search query. The more you can appeal to these preferences, the more likely your law firm’s website will be to be featured in the AI Overview section or cited alongside this summary. At LegalRev, our highly qualified and knowledgeable digital marketing team can help you optimize your content for snippet formats that are much more likely to appeal to these AI-powered systems.
Incorporate a Variety of Content Formats
Websites are just one source of information that the AI Overview feature pulls from. This system is also able to review and summarize video content, which is an increasingly popular and trusted format that searchers are using to gather information. If your law firm is ready to learn more about how to purposefully and strategically integrate video content into your digital marketing strategy, give LegalRev a call today to get started.
Now’s the Time to Level Up Your Content Marketing Efforts
In the rapidly changing landscape of digital marketing, your law firm deserves to work with the most knowledgeable content marketing team that understands your unique challenges and goals. Reach out to the LegalRev team today by calling (800) 893-2590 to get started with a content marketing for law firms strategist who can help you boost your visibility and grow your law practice according to your vision.
