Will organic rankings become the small print of digital marketing?

Since the launch of Google, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has been a cornerstone of digital marketing and online business generation for law firms. However, as search engine results pages (SERPs) become increasingly complex, the impact of top organic rankings is diminishing in terms of click throughs, traffic and enquiries.

This shift is necessitating a change in strategy and the exploration of new avenues for attracting clients.

Important to know: AI-driven search tools could lead to a 64% drop in organic web traffic.

The changing landscape of organic rankings

Recent data suggests that organic search rankings are losing their once-dominant position in driving website traffic.

According to a study by Backlinko, the #1 result in Google’s organic search results has an average click-through rate (CTR) of 27.6%. While this may seem significant, it’s important to note that this leaves over 70% of searchers clicking elsewhere.

In addition, the rise of featured snippets, local pack results, and other SERP features has pushed organic listings further down the page. A study by Ahrefs found that featured snippets can reduce organic CTR by up to 8%.

The impact of declining organic visibility is even more pronounced in the professional services sector, because they rely so heavily on organic traffic. A report by HigherVisibility revealed that B2B businesses generate twice as much revenue from organic search compared to paid search.

Strategies for law firm marketers to mitigate organic rankings impact

Given these challenges, law firm marketers must adapt to maintain and grow their online presence. Your online marketing cannot be a one trick pony. In our experience if something is working for a law firm then they normally remain loyal to that approach for as long as possible – now is the time to begin spreading your risk.

Embrace paid advertising

While organic search remains important, paid advertising provides immediate visibility and drives the vast majority of Google’s revenue, so it isn’t going anywhere soon. Google Ads and Local Service Ads are particularly effective for law firms looking to generate leads.

Allocate a portion of your marketing budget to paid search campaigns and put it in the hands of a professional company with a demonstrable track record of law firm marketing.

Optimise for Generative AI platforms

There’s no need for me to go on about Chat GPT, Perplexity, Deep Seek etc as now almost everyone is aware of them and has used at least one of them. Across our portfolio we are now seeing more traffic attributable to these platforms arriving at our law firm customer websites and converting into enquiries.

As they are a relatively green field from an optimisation point of view, now is the time to take advantage of this relative lack of competition.

At MLT we are in the process of launching a series of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) package but for now, here are some tips for prominence:

Develop comprehensive, structured content
Leverage GEO-friendly schema markup
Focus on E-E-A-T signals
Create AI-friendly content formats
Monitor and adapt to AI-generated responses
Amplify your social media presence
Focus on garnering and showcasing reviews
Optimise for local search

1. Develop comprehensive, structured content

Create in-depth, well-organised content that covers legal topics relevant to your practice areas. AI models often draw from such content when generating responses.

Ensure your website includes:

Detailed practice area pages
FAQs addressing common legal questions
Glossaries of legal terms
Step-by-step guides for legal process

2. Leverage GEO-friendly schema markup

Implement schema markup on your website to help AI models better understand and categorise your content. This can increase the likelihood of your firm’s information being used in AI-generated responses.

3. Focus on E-E-A-T signals

Emphasise your firm’s Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) through:

Detailed solicitor biographies highlighting qualifications and experience
Showcasing real-world examples through case studies and testimonials
Publishing thought leadership content in well-known legal publications (such as Legal Futures!)
Securing backlinks from authoritative legal websites

4. Create AI-friendly content formats

Develop content that’s easily digestible by AI models, such as:

Bulleted or numbered lists of legal steps or requirements
Tables comparing different legal options or outcomes –
Clear, concise explanations of complex legal concepts

5. Monitor and adapt to AI-generated responses

Regularly query AI platforms with questions related to your practice areas. Analyse the responses to identify areas where you appear, and where you don’t and modify your ongoing content strategy to ensure you are doing more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Of course, you should also be monitoring ongoing reporting to see what this is returning in terms of enquiry volume and new clients.

By optimising for generative AI, you can ensure your firm’s expertise is reflected in AI-generated responses to legal queries, to enhance visibility, brand awareness, traffic and enquiries.

6. Amplify your social media presence

We’ve always had a mixed view of social media marketing for law firms on the basis that legal services are often a distress purchase, but in a recent interview with Danae Shall of Legal Tech platform Valla, I was told that:

‘TikTok is like the golden age of Google from a lead generation point of view’

Of course, this depends entirely on the type of service you offer but in general terms social channels, such as LinkedIn, Blue Sky and TikTok offer alternative ways of promoting your expertise and services without competing with everyone else for a diminishing amount of real estate on the Search Engine Results Pages.

Be aware though that it is a hamster wheel and you have to be willing to keep that wheel moving to grow reach and engagement. Develop a comprehensive social media strategy that includes:

Regular posting of valuable content
Engagement with followers and industry peers
Sharing of client testimonials and case studies

” TikTok is the golden age of Google from a lead generation point of view.”

7. Focus on garnering and showcasing reviews

Online reviews play a crucial role in potential clients’ decision-making process. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews on platforms like Google My Business and Review Solicitors. Showcase these reviews prominently on your website and social media profiles to build trust and credibility.

As well as helping with conversions the early signs are that a strong review portfolio will further improve your chances of ranking well on AI platforms for relevant queries.

8. Optimise for local search

For many law firms, local visibility is key to attracting clients who often search for nearby legal services. A strong local SEO strategy ensures your firm appears prominently in search results when potential clients are looking for legal help in your area.

Optimise your Google Business Profile by:

Ensuring all information is accurate and up to date
Adding high-quality images of your team and office
Including relevant FAQs to provide valuable information to potential clients

Evolving beyond rankings - diversify your digital strategy

The message here is don’t cry if your rankings are great but your traffic and enquiries from that source are decreasing.

Keep going with the SEO but vary it up a bit and add a few extra channels in there to ensure you don’t have all your eggs in that basket, for two reasons:

Google doesn’t care about organic rankings as they don’t make it any money
People are looking elsewhere in ever increasing numbers

If you’d like more guidance to create a tailored digital marketing strategy which would work for you, please contact our Director, Chris Davidson to get started.