Why SEO Is No Longer Optional for Law Firms: How AI Just Raised the Stakes
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Why SEO is No Longer Optional for Law Firms: AI Just Raised the Stakes
Over the past 15+ years, I have worked with dozens of Toronto law firms developing their brand and web positioning strategies. I have had to become an expert in making websites that don’t just look beautiful, they are also strategically structured to ensure they can be found!
For many years, there was a version of marketing that worked fine for many of us:
1) have a well-designed website
2) with a few service area pages
3) and sprinkle in some five-star Google reviews.
Word of mouth did the heavy lifting, and the website was essentially a brochure.
I have become acutely aware that this approach is dying.
The way prospective clients are looking for legal help has shifted in ways that most firm websites simply aren't built for— and those that recognize this early will have a meaningful advantage over those that don't.
This is not the same scary AI rhetoric that is filling up your LinkedIn Feed. This is actually a VERY exciting opportunity to make some small changes to your site that will have a huge impact to your online visibility. Investing in SEO has gotten very competitive (and expensive), so an opportunity to increase your search results in a more organic way is a massive opportunity for smaller, boutique firms that may not have an endless SEO and Google Ads budget.
What's actually changing
Search results used to be a list.
Someone typed "Toronto criminal defence lawyer," got ten blue links, and clicked around until something felt right. Your website's job was to be on that list (preferably near the top).
This model is slowly being replaced.
Google is actively experimenting with AI-organized search experiences that don't present one ranked list, but instead group content around the different dimensions of a query. Someone asking about a commercial dispute doesn't just want "a lawyer" — they're moving through a decision process. They are looking to find the site that does the best job of answering their questions before they even speak to a live person…
What kind of dispute is this?
Do I need a lawyer now?
What will this cost me in legal fees?
What lawyers handle this in Toronto?
How do I choose the best lawyer?
Each of these questions is a different search. However, AI-powered search is now trying to answer all of them at once, surfacing content that addresses each stage of the journey. And AI search results are being presented at the top of the search page. BEFORE paid ads and natural search results.
Meanwhile, platforms like Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity are increasingly being used to find and recommend businesses directly. People are asking these tools: "Who's a good entertainment lawyer in Toronto?" or "What firm should I contact about a human rights complaint?" And those platforms are answering them — citing sources, recommending firms, synthesizing the web on behalf of the user.
If your firm isn't showing up in these types of answers, you're not in the consideration set. As of right now, there's no paid shortcut to get there.
My goal here is to outline a few small steps you can take to ensure you “get there” and rank better.
What this means for Toronto law firms specifically
Every legal field has a distinct search profile — the questions people ask, the anxiety driving those questions, and the journey from awareness to contact are different for criminal litigation than they are for entertainment law or human rights work.
A criminal defence client might search at midnight, terrified, using plain language questions they'd never say out loud in a consultation. A commercial client might spend weeks researching before picking up the phone, comparing credentials, reading about process and outcomes.
An SEO strategy that treats these the same isn't just underperforming. It's invisible to the AI systems that are now synthesizing those searches on behalf of the client.
What actually works now:
1) Specificity over breadth
A page that clearly answers "What happens if you're charged with fraud in Ontario?" will outperform a generic "Criminal Law" page in AI-mediated search. AI systems are looking for content that answers real questions, not content that signals a service category.
2) Authority signals that AI can read
Consistent mentions across credible sources, structured content, clear expertise signals — these are what AI models use to decide which firms to surface. A well-branded, well-structured site doesn't just look trustworthy to humans. It communicates authority to the AI systems doing the recommending.
3) Content that matches the full decision journey
Your website shouldn't just speak to someone who’s ready to hire you. It needs to be useful to someone who's three steps behind. They might still be figuring out if they have a case, what type of lawyer they need specifically or deciding if they need a lawyer at all.
Why your firm’s brand and SEO need to work together
This is where I see many law firms leaving value on the table.
A firm can have a sharp brand, but if the website isn't structured to communicate its positioning in the language their clients are actually searching for, it doesn't travel.
Keyword strategy isn't about stuffing phrases into a page. It's about understanding what your prospective clients are actually asking, where they are located, and building content that answers those questions in a voice that's consistent with who you are as a firm. That's where brand strategy and SEO become the same conversation.
When we work through competitive analysis with Toronto firms, we're not just looking at what competitors rank for. We're looking at the gaps — the questions no one is answering well, the specific niches of a practice area that are underserved in search, and the language clients use that firms almost never use back.
That gap is your content opportunity.
The law firms that will win
The legal market in Toronto is competitive, and differentiation is hard. Across criminal litigation, commercial litigation, human rights, and entertainment law, there are skilled practitioners at every level.
But most law firm websites were built for 2015:
Static practice area lists
Generic bios
No real content or local SEO strategy
Today, your site architecture needs to make sense to an AI trying to understand what your firm does, where it lives and who it serves. The firms that invest now in a real SEO strategy (one grounded in brand, specific practice areas, and actual search behaviour of your clients) will have a structural advantage that only compounds over time. Search authority isn't built overnight, and it can't be bought when you finally decide you need it.
We know SEO matters for law firms. But are you building it effectively for where search is going?
What you can do NOW to improve your law firm’s AI search performance
Strategy is useful. But if you're a firm owner reading this, wondering where to actually start, here's how I'd approach it if it were my practice.
1. Audit what your website is actually answering.
Open your website and read every page as if you're a prospective client who knows nothing about law.
Ask yourself:
Does this page answer a real question someone would type into Google or ask ChatGPT?
Or does it describe your services in language that only makes sense to someone who already knows they want to hire you?
Most practice area pages fail this test. They list what the firm does, not what the client needs to understand. Make a list of every question a client might have before they contact you — and check whether your site answers them. The gaps are your content roadmap.
2. Google yourself the way your clients would.
Don't search your firm name. Search the way someone who doesn't know you exists would search. "What to do if charged with fraud in Ontario," or “human rights complaint employer, Toronto," or "entertainment lawyer near me for music contract negotiations".
See who shows up.
Read what they've written. Notice what questions their content answers and what it doesn't. This is your competitive landscape — and it will show you exactly where the openings are. If no one in your market is answering a specific question well, that's your first piece of content to write.
3. Pick one practice area and go deep.
Don't try to fix everything at once. Choose the practice area that drives the most revenue, or the one where you most want to grow, and build it out properly. Write content that addresses the real questions clients have at different stages (early confusion, active research, or ready to call). Structure the page so the journey is clear. Add an FAQ that uses the actual language people search for.
One practice area done well will teach you more than five done halfway. It will start building the kind of search authority that compounds over time.
This is just a small part of the work I do with law firms across Toronto. From brand positioning and competitive analysis to custom website builds designed to perform in an AI-first search environment. If you found this post valuable, you may want to check out my other blog posts, such as:
And if you’d like to learn more about M81, reach out! I’d love to connect and share my experience in helping other Toronto law firms like you level up.
You can see a few examples of other law firms we have partnered with here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SEO and why does it matter for law firms?
SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of structuring your website so it appears when prospective clients search for legal help online. For law firms, this means showing up when someone searches "criminal defence lawyer Toronto" or "what to do after a workplace human rights complaint." It matters because the majority of people looking for legal help begin with an online search. If your firm doesn't appear in those results, you don't exist to that person.
How is AI changing the way people find lawyers?
AI Platforms like Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Mode are increasingly being used to find and recommend professional services, including law firms. Instead of clicking through a list of websites, prospective clients are asking these tools direct questions — "who is a good entertainment lawyer in Toronto?" — and receiving recommended firms in return. AI tools synthesize content from across the web to generate those answers. If your firm's website doesn't clearly communicate what you do, who you serve, and where you practice, you are unlikely to be surfaced in those recommendations.
Does my law firm need SEO if most clients come through referrals?
Yes. Even clients who receive a referral will search your firm's name before making contact. What they find (or don't) will influence whether they reach out. Beyond that, referral networks have limits. SEO builds a parallel pipeline of clients who find you through search, which reduces your firm's dependence on any single source of new business. As AI search becomes more prevalent, firms with strong online authority will increasingly appear in recommendations even when the prospective client has no prior connection to the firm.
What kind of content helps a law firm rank in AI search results?
AI search tools prioritize content that directly answers specific questions at each stage of a prospective client's decision journey. For law firms, this includes clear explanations of legal processes, answers to common questions clients have before contacting a lawyer, and content that addresses distinct practice areas with specificity. A page titled "What happens after a fraud charge in Ontario" will perform significantly better in AI search than a generic "Criminal Law" practice area page. FAQ sections, process explanations, and plainly written guides are particularly effective.
What is the difference between ranking on Google and being recommended by AI tools like ChatGPT?
Ranking on Google means your website appears in a list of results when someone searches a keyword. Being recommended by an AI tool means the AI has assessed your site's content, authority, and relevance and chosen to surface your firm in a direct answer to a user's question. The factors that influence AI recommendations include the clarity of your content, the consistency of your firm's information across the web, third-party mentions and citations, and how well your site communicates expertise in a specific area of law. You cannot pay to appear in AI recommendations — it is earned through the quality and structure of your content.
How long does it take for SEO to work for a law firm?
SEO is a long-term investment. Most firms begin to see meaningful movement in search visibility within three to six months of consistent effort, with more substantial results over twelve to eighteen months. The timeline depends on how competitive your practice area and geography are, the current state of your website, and how consistently new content is being produced. The firms that benefit most from SEO are those that start before they feel urgent pressure to — because authority builds slowly and cannot be purchased overnight.
Do law firms in Toronto need a local SEO strategy?
Yes. Legal services are inherently local — a prospective client in Toronto looking for a commercial litigation lawyer is not looking for a firm in Vancouver. Local SEO ensures your firm appears in geographically relevant searches, including Google Maps results and searches that include location terms like "Toronto" or "Ontario." This involves consistent business information across online directories, location-specific content on your website, and Google Business Profile optimization. AI tools also use geographic signals when recommending firms, so local authority matters in that environment too.
What makes a law firm website trusted by AI search tools?
AI tools assess trust through a combination of signals: the clarity and consistency of your firm's information online, the quality and specificity of your content, mentions and citations from credible third-party sources, and the overall structure of your website. A well-organized site that clearly states who the firm is, what areas of law it practises, which courts or jurisdictions it operates in, and what kinds of clients it serves gives AI systems what they need to accurately represent your firm. Vague, undifferentiated content that’s common on many law firm websites is harder for AI to use.
Should a law firm blog for SEO purposes?
Yes, with focus. A blog that answers real questions prospective clients are asking — written in plain language, organized clearly, and specific to your practice areas — is one of the most effective tools for building search visibility over time. The key is specificity: a post that explains the Ontario human rights complaint process step by step will perform better than a general post about workplace rights. Blogging also signals to AI tools that your firm is an active, authoritative source on topics relevant to your practice, which increases the likelihood of being cited in AI-generated answers.
Can Squarespace support a strong law firm SEO strategy?
Yes, when built correctly. Squarespace supports the core technical requirements for SEO — clean page structure, mobile responsiveness, page speed optimization, and the ability to customize metadata and page content. The limitation is not the platform but how the site is built on it. Many law firm Squarespace sites are structured as digital brochures rather than content-rich resources. A Squarespace site that is built with a clear content architecture, specific practice area pages, a consistent blogging strategy, and proper metadata will perform well in both traditional and AI search.
Marlo Biasutti, RGD
CEO/Creative Director
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