Key Takeaway
AI search is no longer something that’s coming in the future…it’s already sending visitors to websites today. If your law firm consistently answers client questions, publishes educational content across multiple platforms, and writes in a way that’s easy for people to understand, you’ll also be creating the type of content AI systems are increasingly recommending. The firms that embrace these fundamentals now will likely have an advantage as AI search continues to grow.
Something New Just Appeared in Google Analytics
A year ago, if you opened your Google Analytics reports, you wouldn’t have seen traffic coming from ChatGPT.
Today, you might.
Google Analytics 4 is now beginning to show traffic from AI assistants like ChatGPT, and it’s one of the clearest signs yet that online search is changing.
For years, businesses focused almost exclusively on ranking in Google.
Now, people are increasingly asking questions inside tools like:
- ChatGPT
- Grok
- Google Gemini
- Perplexity
- And more…
They are asking AI instead of typing those same questions into a traditional search engine.
For law firms, that’s a significant shift.
It means your next client might discover your expertise before they ever perform a Google search.
And while the amount of AI traffic is still relatively small for many firms, the trend is moving in one direction.
Up.
AI Search Isn't Replacing Google…It's Expanding Search Capabilities
Whenever a new technology appears, people tend to assume it replaces the old one.
However, that usually isn’t what happens.
When smartphones became popular, computers didn’t disappear.
When social media became mainstream, websites didn’t disappear.
The same thing is happening with AI.
People still use Google and Bing…but now they’re also asking conversational questions inside AI assistants.
For example, instead of searching:
“Estate planning attorney Pittsburgh PA”
Someone may ask:
“I’m retiring next year. What should I know about updating my estate plan?”
That feels more natural and it’s how a human thinks.
So, this means AI has to decide which sources it trusts enough to reference when answering.
The obvious question becomes:
How does your law firm become one of those trusted sources?
Fortunately, the answer isn’t nearly as complicated as many people think.
Step One: Create Content That Answers Real Questions
The first thing AI systems are looking for is useful information.
That sounds obvious, but it’s surprising how many law firm websites still focus almost entirely on talking about the firm instead of helping potential clients.
People want to know “What’s in it for me?”
They don’t care as much about what school you went to or how many years you’ve been in business.
Think about the conversations you have every week.
Clients ask questions like:
- Do I need a will or a trust?
- How long does probate take?
- What should I do after a car accident?
- What happens after I’m arrested for a DUI?
- How is child custody determined?
Those are exactly the kinds of questions people are asking AI tools.
If your website contains thoughtful, educational answers to those questions, you’ve already taken the biggest step toward becoming more discoverable.
This doesn’t mean writing hundreds of pages overnight.
Start small.
One new question answered each week becomes more than 50 pieces of evergreen content every year. You can answer the question via video or a blog (or both!)
Step Two: Publish Your Expertise in More Than One Place
One of the biggest mistakes we see is firms putting all of their expertise in one location.
Usually their website.
That’s a missed opportunity…for multiple reasons.
Today, your content should live in multiple places.
One educational blog can become:
- a YouTube video
- a LinkedIn article
- several LinkedIn posts
- Facebook content
- Google Business Profile updates
- an email newsletter
Not because every platform is equally important.
But because every platform reinforces your authority. It also helps your SEO.
AI systems evaluate information from many different sources.
The more consistently your expertise appears online, the stronger those authority signals become.
This is also why we’ve spent so much time on this blog talking about repurposing content instead of constantly creating new content.
The goal isn’t to work harder.
The goal is to get more value from work you’ve already done.
Step Three: Write Like You're Talking to a Client
This is probably the simplest improvement most attorneys can make.
Write for your clients.
Not other attorneys.
Legal writing serves an important purpose inside the legal profession.
Marketing content serves a different purpose.
Your goal is to educate.
That means using language your audience actually understands.
No Legal Jargon Allowed!
Instead of writing:
“Pursuant to Pennsylvania statute…”
Try writing:
“Here’s what usually happens if…”
Simple.
Clear.
Direct.
Interestingly, this helps both people and AI systems understand your expertise.
Tools like the free Hemingway Editor (https://hemingwayapp.com) can even estimate the reading level of your content and suggest ways to make it easier to understand.
Many of the highest-performing educational articles online are written around an eighth-grade reading level—not because the audience isn’t intelligent, but because clarity improves comprehension.
Good Marketing and AI Optimization Are Becoming the Same Thing
One of the biggest misconceptions right now is that businesses need some secret strategy to “rank in ChatGPT.”
In reality, many of the same things that have always made good marketing also make good AI content.
Helpful.
Trustworthy.
Consistent.
Educational.
If your marketing is focused on genuinely answering client questions and demonstrating expertise, you’re already moving in the right direction. This is a good thing, you don’t have to do double work!
The difference is that those efforts are now helping you in more places than just Google.
Why This Matters for the Future
Nobody knows exactly what search will look like five years from now.
But we do know this:
Consumer behavior continues to evolve.
People are finding businesses through:
- YouTube
- AI assistants
- referrals
- social media
The firms that consistently publish useful educational content are building visibility across all of those channels at the same time.
That’s a much more resilient strategy than relying on one platform alone.
The Bottom Line About AI Traffic
You don’t need to panic about AI.
You don’t need to rewrite your entire website.
And you certainly don’t need to chase every new technology that appears.
What you do need is a consistent system for publishing useful, trustworthy information that helps potential clients solve real problems.
That’s what AI systems are looking for.
And more importantly…
That’s exactly what your future clients are looking for too.
Want Help Creating AI-Friendly Content That Also Helps With SEO?
At IFTS, we help law firms turn the expertise they already have into educational content that works across:
- Websites
- YouTube
- Google Business Profiles
- AI search
- Email marketing
without requiring attorneys to spend hours every week creating new material. Start ranking higher and getting found by the AI Assistants now!
Learn more about our Law Firm Kickstarter Kit here:
