For a long time now, Google has been a major source of potential clients for law firms. Many new clients come from individuals doing Google searches online. Whether a law firm was ranking high organically or through paid advertisements, law firms have had to worry about how they appear on Google from a marketing perspective. Law firms that have been successful over the last couple of decades have understood the significance of Google, and the other major search engines to a lesser extent, and have fought hard to stay on top.
Just like any other advertising method of the past, whether it be the phone book, radio, television, billboards, or other traditional advertising means, the prevalence of certain advertising methods can rise and fall. What used to work in the past may or may not work today. Law firms that want to continue to succeed have to stay on top of the latest strategies to attract new clients. ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence may be the next big way for law firms to obtain new clients.
What Should Law Firms Make of ChatGPT?
ChatGPT came onto the scene in 2022. Since then, ChatGPT has grown in prominence quickly. Individuals now use ChatGPT to find information on all kinds of topics, just as many would traditionally go to Google for a recommendation. Further, instead of using Google or other major search engines, many legal consumers now turn to ChatGPT to find lawyers. They might ask who the best lawyers are in a specific area of law in a particular locality. Legal consumers can then drill down their research by asking ChatGPT about a particular law firm’s reputation, reviews, and background.
Ultimately, an individual can even ask ChatGPT who they should choose between two particular options. To some, it may seem scary to think that an individual would decide which lawyer to hire based on artificial intelligence technology. However, the reality is that individuals are using ChatGPT for answers to all kinds of questions today.
Some theorize that ChatGPT might supplant Google and the major search engines. If that were to occur, it would cause major changes in how lawyers and law firms advertise. Others, however, theorize that ChatGPT will merely be another option, but that it will not replace Google. The two will just work in tandem.
Most also assume that before long, lawyers and law firms will be able to do paid advertising on ChatGPT, much like they would on Google. Once that occurs, many smart and savvy law firms will likely be allocating much of their advertising budget to ChatGPT instead of Google. Law firms that get in early may reap big rewards.
In response to the rise of ChatGPT and other AI technologies, Google has developed its own AI, known as Gemini. Gemini now appears atop the search results when many search for lawyers and law firms in their community. Much like ChatGPT, Gemini will also give the pros and cons of various lawyers and law firms as it perceives them. On Apple devices, Siri is equally important, has been around for a long time, and performs many of the same tasks as ChatGPT and Gemini.
At a minimum, ChatGPT and IT will be another way for individuals to find lawyers and law firms. However, ChatGPT has the potential to have an even greater impact by pushing Google and the major search engines aside.
What Should Law Firms Do In Response?
Law firms that want to stay ahead need to be thinking long and hard about ChatGPT and other AI technology. For many law firms, it might be time to start working with marketing companies that can help optimize a positive presence on ChatGPT and other AI technologies. Just as law firms aim to appear at the top of Google search results, showing up at the top of ChatGPT search results is becoming equally important, including using marketing companies that can help get your law firm recommended.
Having a positive presence on ChatGPT in some ways is not that different from showing high on Google and the other major search engines. For example, lots of online positive content can help. Ensuring that a law firm has positive reviews can be critical. However, there are other nuances to ChatGPT and AI that are complex and still evolving, including ethical issues from a professional responsibility standpoint.
