What WDW Is Doing About AI in Search

TL;DR

• SEO fundamentals still matter. Strong websites, backlinks, GBP presence, and comprehensive content are key for traditional and AI search.
• Authority drives AI visibility. Brand mentions, GBP ratings and reviews, and structured content correlate with AI results.
• Traditional search still delivers. Organic listings and local packs continue to drive leads.
• Traffic is less important. As zero-click searches increase, visibility and conversions matter more than ever as SEO performance metrics.
• AI supports, not replaces, SEOs. Strategic judgment and legal expertise remain essential.
• Pure AI content often underperforms. Pages that rank well are typically human-led and AI-supported, not fully automated.
• Coordinate across channels. Success means showing up in AI results, organic search, local packs, and even paid results.

Is SEO for AI search the same as traditional SEO?

Yes and no. The fundamentals still matter: a well-built website, clear site structure, strong content, quality backlinks and offsite mentions, and good reviews. These are still the levers that drive visibility.

In fact, studies show that pages ranking in Google’s top 10 often perform well in AI search, whether it’s Google’s AI Overviews, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, or Anthropic’s Perplexity.

But just like with every major update in search, some tactics will become more effective than others. So, we adjust.

At We Do Web, we’re constantly testing what works, reviewing client results, and watching trends across the industry. Our goal stays the same: help law firms get found wherever people are searching for legal information or for a lawyer to represent them.

Here’s an important caveat: Some strategies meant to boost visibility in AI platforms might hurt visibility and performance in traditional search or trigger penalties. Because Google still dominates search traffic, any AI-focused strategy must align with Google’s quality standards to avoid long-term damage.

How is WDW optimizing for AI search?

We’re leading with the core fundamentals of SEO because they’re also essential for earning mentions and citations in the AI search results.

• Build a fast, safe, and secure website with a good user experience.
• Plan and create insightful, original content.
• Build relevant, high-quality backlinks to your website.
• Create & maintain Google Business Profile(s) for your office(s).
• Track, attribute, and report metrics, including new leads.

But we’re also implementing and testing initiatives that appear correlated with visibility in AI search. Many of these strategies are already part of traditional SEO but tweaked or emphasized for AI search.

Nurturing brand mentions and authority

Authority has always been important in SEO. Industry tools like Ahrefs and Semrush track domain authority metrics, while Google has long used signals like PageRank to assess a website’s importance.

Your brand’s authority is important in the era of AI search too. And one way that manifests is in the apparent importance of brand mentions.

An Ahrefs study found “branded web mentions” as the factor most correlated with visibility in AI Overviews. Brand mentions are when your law firm’s name appears online, with or without a backlink — think of them as linkless backlinks.

Unlike traditional search engines that index web pages and essentially “match” them to search queries, AI systems train on large datasets and send retrieval bots to pull real-time content. If your name shows up in that data, you could be more likely to appear in AI-generated results.

Law firms can earn brand mentions through:

• Traditional link building and citations: Backlinks and press coverage often include your brand name, with or without a link to your website.
• Offline marketing: Sponsorships, billboards, and media ads build recognition in your community that can carry over online.
• Digital PR and unique content: Build unique assets and insightful content that gets shared, often with a mention of your law firm.
• Thought leadership: Publish insights on your site or social channels to gain recognition and visibility, which can translate into more mentions of your firm.

Optimizing Google Business Profiles (GBPs)

A significant portion of users doing local searches click on one of the results in Google Maps 3-pack. So, it’s always been important to optimize and manage your GBP. The factors affecting inclusion in the traditional 3-pack were varied, but proximity seemed to play a significant role, and factors like rating and reviews appear relevant too.

Proximity may be less correlated with visibility in the AI outputs for local searches, though ratings and reviews may still play a role. Ask an AI, whether an LLM like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Mode or AI Overviews, about lawyers for a specific case type, and you’ll often get a list of firms in that market, often with a summary of each firm.

In many cases, those lists reference ratings and reviews, making it important for law firms to continue encouraging clients to leave a review on the firm’s GBP(s).

And some searches will generate a map, similar to the 3-pack we’re used to in traditional search result pages.

So, we create, optimize, and maintain your GBPs so they reflect your law firm’s services and use the correct name, address and phone numbers. We also encourage law firms to add high-quality images to their GBPs and, most importantly, nurture client reviews.

Creating content around topics, not just keywords

Google’s AI Mode uses a “fan-out” technique that breaks a query into related subtopics and performs multiple searches at once. It then returns a summary that pulls from content covering not just the main query but adjacent ones too.

That means content strategy should evolve beyond simple keyword targeting. Plan to cover topics comprehensively, anticipating secondary and tertiary questions that Google may search in its “fan-out” technique or that users may ask as natural follow-ups. Because the query that earns the click may not be the one the user started with.

This isn’t wholly different from traditional content strategies, and keyword research could still inform your strategy. SEOs have long created content around clusters of topics or related queries. But building content plans based solely on keyword volume often falls short of fully covering a subject or positioning your firm as a trusted authority in the practice area. As users engage with AI tools more conversationally, strategies focused purely on search volume risk missing the full scope of a user’s needs.

We focus on educating searchers and sharing unique insights within the subject area rather than just answering keyword-inspired queries. We aim to make your law firm an authority in your practice area through a robust, well-planned content strategy.

Utilizing clear content structure & schema

Make it easy for AI models to understand your content, business, and website.

AI does not work like traditional search. It trains on mountains of data (e.g., web pages) and looks for associations and connections between words. It essentially relies on probability to anticipate the most likely word or phrase or sentence based on the user’s prompt or query, then the next, and the next, and so on.

Content should be well-structured and easy for an AI platform to interpret and cite in its output. To accomplish that, stick to the hallmarks of strong web content.

• Be clear, not clever.
• Offer simple, direct answers.
• Segment ideas by section.
• Use h2s and h3s to organize the content.
• Use bullet lists where appropriate.
• Make content easy to read and digest.
• Avoid fluff.

And to earn visibility in local searches, write content that’s locally relevant.

These have long been hallmarks of our content production standards, and we and others have found that such an approach facilitates visibility in AI platforms too.

Structured data (schema) may also help. While it’s not a guarantee that using structured data will improve visibility in AI, the thought is that “labeling” pages with schema could make it easier for AI to extract key details about your page and practice.

Does traditional Google organic search still matter?

Does traditional Google organic search still matter?

Yes. A report analyzing Q1 desktop searches found that 40.3% of searchers clicked an organic result in March 2025, though that was down from 44.2% the previous year.

But it’s no secret that AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s own AI features are changing how users search. While Google still dominates the search market, more people are using AI chatbots like ChatGPT, sometimes in place of traditional search. And Google itself is quickly integrating AI into its search experience.

The Q1 report found that zero-click searches are rising as organic clicks are declining. In March 2025, 27.2% of U.S. searchers ended their search without a click, up from 24.4% the previous year.

Source: Datos

So, while the shift is real, it’s not absolute. Plenty of users still engage with organic listings and map listings to find what they need, including law firms.

We Do Web is preparing for zero-click searches to rise, but we’re not ignoring organic and local search. It remains a viable source of leads for law firms.

Will AI change how we measure SEO success?

In some ways, it could. As AI platforms and features drive more zero-click searches and organic clicks decline, traffic may decline as an important indicator of SEO success.

Consider this scenario: A user types “car accident lawyer st louis” into Google’s AI Mode. The AI returns a list of law firms in the area based on their reviews and ratings. The user calls one or two of the law firms without ever visiting a website.

Or consider this scenario: A user asks ChatGPT, “what should I do after a car accident?” and follows up with “what should I look for in an attorney?” The AI summarizes content from dozens of sources and shares citations of web pages, including yours. But the user never clicks on them. The conversation continues, the AI suggests car accident attorneys in their area, and the user then picks one or two and calls them without ever clicking on a website.

In both cases, your firm is visible. Maybe you’re even one of the firms the user calls. But you won’t see that reflected in traffic data.

This has clear implications for how law firms measure SEO success.

First, AI platforms and LLMs are changing the mid-funnel search journey. Instead of typing keyword-based queries into Google, users are interacting with AI more conversationally. This makes keyword volume harder to measure, especially for longer-tail, mid-funnel questions that don’t show up in traditional search tools. As a result, SEOs will need to rely less on exact-match keyword data and more on broader signals of visibility and conversions.

Second, zero-click searches are rising, and with them, traditional traffic numbers may dip. But a decline in traffic doesn’t necessarily mean your SEO strategy isn’t working. As outlined above, your firm might still be found and contacted, just without the traffic to show for it.

So, which metrics will SEOs rely on to measure success and make strategic decisions?

As user journeys span AI chat, Google search, map listings, and ads, no single channel is enough. Law firms that silo SEO, PPC, or LSA efforts risk leaving leads on the table. The most effective strategies coordinate visibility and messaging across every platform where legal consumers search.

With AI-based SEO firms now available, why should my law firm work with a traditional SEO agency?

SEOs can certainly integrate AI into workflows. But just as is the case in every industry, what it hasn’t changed is the need for strategy, experience, and insight.

The future of SEO is human-led, AI-accelerated. In other words, AI can assist the process but shouldn’t drive it.

SEO, especially for law firms, is not plug-and-play. What works for one firm does not necessarily work for the next. Markets differ. Practice areas differ. Goals, budgets, and value propositions differ. SEO requires a custom strategy aligned with your firm’s competitive landscape, objectives, and resources.

AI tools can analyze competitor data, surface keyword opportunities, and even assist with content production or technical tasks. But AI alone should not make strategic decisions. Nor can they ensure those SEO efforts are executed correctly.

When AI automates not only research but also planning and execution, your firm risks a generic, cookie-cutter strategy. You blend in with every other firm chasing rankings in your market.

• Lack of Strategy: AI platforms often chase search volume, not qualified leads. You could rank well but for terms that don’t convert.
• Brand Dilution: Your firm isn’t a template. Purely AI-written content often reads generic, and potential clients will notice.
• Overreliance on Automation: Search algorithms evolve constantly. AI tools may respond in ways that ignore your business priorities.
• Compliance & Ethics: AI doesn’t understand your state bar’s advertising rules. A well-intended AI-generated page could trigger a marketing ethics violation.
• Accountability Gaps: When results stall, who’s accountable? With AI-driven SEO, there’s often no clear answer.

The legal vertical is one of the most competitive in digital marketing. You’re up against firms investing six or seven figures annually. Outcompeting them requires more than templates and generic content. It requires an experienced, strategic partner who will:

• Differentiate your firm in saturated markets
• Align SEO goals with your intake, CRM, and case selection priorities
• Adapt to evolving algorithm updates and search behavior
• Create content that meets user intent, reflects your unique value, and builds authority
• Keep your marketing compliant with bar regulations

Leadership, strategy, and accountability must come from humans. AI can help in data analysis and executing strategy, but that strategy, and accountability for it, must stay with humans.

In short: AI gives us speed and scale. People give us direction and wisdom.

Can’t my internal marketing team manage SEO with AI tools instead of hiring an agency?

In theory, yes, if you have the right people, time, and expertise. But law firm marketing teams are usually stretched thin juggling vendors, social media, intake coordination, and offline marketing.

Even with AI tools, SEO remains resource-intensive. You need to:

• Analyze data and, most importantly, make strategy decisions based on that data
• Keep up with constantly updated Google algorithms and now AI platforms
• Create original content that’s accurate, reflects your firm’s values, and offers unique insight
• Fix technical issues that pop up with your firm’s website, GBP, and other platforms
• Build quality backlinks, which can be more resource- and time-intensive than many realize

AI can make these tasks more efficient, but it doesn’t replace the judgment, lived experience, and strategic instincts SEO professionals bring to the table. Even with automation, doing it right still takes time, skill, and focus.

We Do Web handles the SEO and digital marketing tasks while your team focuses on high-level marketing strategy and firm operations.

Can’t AI just write all our content faster and cheaper?

Faster and cheaper? Sure. Better? Probably not.

And better matters.

The most expensive content is the content that does nothing to boost your authority, credibility, and trust, and thus does nothing to help you sign clients.

Here’s an example: Pay $50 for a page, and it’s probably purely AI-generated with no or very little human input. While it’s perhaps grammatically correct, it’s also generic, lacks insight, and may or may not contain factual errors and ethical violations.

That $50 page of purely AI-generated content is more expensive than a $300 page of the same length that shares original insights and experiences. The latter contributes to a content ecosystem that boosts trust and authority, performs in traditional and AI search, and converts users into leads. The former does nothing. You’re throwing $50 in a garbage can vs. investing $300 in an asset that’ll contribute to business growth.

Yes, there are reports of purely AI-generated content surviving Google algorithm updates. But Google’s March 2025 core update cracked down on content spam, AI-generated or otherwise. And over the next several months, anecdotal reports began to emerge of sites that had survived algorithm updates now receiving manual penalties for content spam, often due to low-value AI-generated content.

That’s not to say AI can’t play a role in content development.

A majority (81.9%) of pages ranking in Google’s top 20 are a blend of human- and AI-written content, according to a recent report. Only 4.6% are purely AI-generated, and the remaining 13.5% are human-only. Among blended pages, just 7.8% showed dominant AI use (77–99%), while most landed in the moderate range: 40% showed 11–40% AI use and 20.3% showed 41–70% AI use.

Source: Ahrefs report

AI itself is not the problem. But overreliance on AI can hold back your content.

AI lacks the judgment, insight, and original thinking that drive quality and credibility in content. Pages that rank well typically rely on human strategy, perspective, and review. When relied upon alone, AI struggles to replace the human element that makes content helpful, insightful, and original.

Bottom line: AI can accelerate tasks during content production: outlining content, analyzing competitors, and even helping human writers draft and edit content. But truly effective and insightful content only comes when humans play a prominent role. Specifically, those with deep experience in legal content. AI can assist but shouldn’t replace them.

Our content department:

• Keeps the high standards we’ve nurtured from the beginning
• Writes content to satisfy user intent and thoroughly cover the topic
• Embeds your firm’s value proposition and differentiators
• Shares unique insights based on your firm’s experience
• Fact-checks content so it’s accurate, avoiding embarrassing AI hallucinations
• Ensures content is ethically compliant with your state bar’s marketing rules

And because we maintain detailed profiles on your law firm’s brand and content preferences, the result is content that consistently reflects you, your perspective, and what sets you apart.

In other words, we create content that’s uniquely you, avoiding the generic content that often comes from lazy use of AI to generate content.

Leadership, strategy, and accountability must come from humans. AI can help in data analysis and executing strategy, but that strategy, and accountability for it, must stay with humans.

In short: AI gives us speed and scale. People give us direction and wisdom.