UBCNews - Business - How to Get Found in AI Search Results: An Omnichannel Strategy for Law Firms

Episode Date: March 9, 2026

Welcome back everyone. Today we're tackling something that's changing the game for law firms - how to actually get found when potential clients are using AI search tools. You know, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google's AI overviews. Our guest today has been working directly with firms making this shift. So, let's start with the big picture - what's happening with AI search right now? MACH10X City: Southlake Address: 2600 E Southlake Blvd #120, Southlake, TX 76092 Website: https://mach10xmarketing.com/

Welcome back, everyone. Today, we're tackling something that's changing the game for law firms. How to actually get found when potential clients are using AI search tools. You know, chat GPT, perplexity, Google's AI overviews. Our guest today has been working directly with firms making this shift. So, let's start with the big picture. What's happening with AI search right now? Thanks for having me.

The thing is, we're seeing a massive transformation. in how people find legal information. Instead of getting 10 blue links on a results page, users are now getting direct synthesized answers. AI tools are essentially becoming advisors, and if your firm isn't being recommended by these systems, you're invisible to a growing segment of potential clients. Right.

So rankings alone aren't enough anymore. Being the answer that AI chooses to share is what matters. How does that actually work? Like, what makes AI pick one law firm over enough? other? Great question. AI prioritizes trustworthy sources that demonstrate real authority. It's looking for content depth, expert citations, and this is key consistency across multiple

platforms. Traditional keyword density matters way less now. What matters more is whether you're building high authority, structured, niche-specific content that answers user questions directly. Okay. So let's break that down. When you say structured content, what does that mean in practice for a law firm? Think about schema markup first.

That's the technical layer that helps AI understand your content context, things like FAQ schema, legal service schema, organization schema. Then there's the consistency piece your firm's name, address, phone number, what we call NAP data, needs to be identical everywhere. relies on pattern recognition for validation, so inconsistencies are red flags. Mm-hmm. I hear you. And I'm guessing most firms aren't thinking about this yet? Exactly. Many law firms have strong Google rankings, but lack substantial online reviews, citations, or that structured data we mentioned. Despite ranking well traditionally,

they're being overlooked by AI-driven platforms. I actually worked with a firm last year that was number one for their main keyword on Google. But when we tested chat GPT and perplexity, they weren't mentioned once. Kind of like being the best kept secret in town, except nobody wants to be a secret when they need clients. Huh. Right. Invisibility is not a superpower in marketing. So we've established that AI search is fundamentally different. Authority and trust signals are what count. That point about trust signals sets up our next piece, how to build them systematically. But first, a quick word from our sponsor. This episode is brought to you by Mac 10X. They're a team of content specialists, developers, and advertising professionals who help law firms grow organic traffic

through Done for You campaigns. Their approach focuses on building sustainable online presence with unique exposure strategies, connecting you with people actively researching and ready for your services. They work as an extension of your team, aligned with your organic traffic goals. Learn more at mock 10xmarketing.clientcabin.com. Thanks for that. Picking up on trust signals, how do law firms actually build those across multiple channels? What does an omni-channel content strategy look like in practice? So Omnichannel means consistent brand messaging across every platform, your website, social media, Google business profile, any PR you do. The goal is to ensure that whether someone finds you on LinkedIn, reads a blog post, or sees a mention in a legal

publication, they're getting the same expertise in positioning. AI systems look at all of these signals together to decide which sources to cite. And I assume that's where first-party data comes in, like original research? Absolutely. Publishing unique research, expert interviews, proprietary data. This stuff is gold for AI visibility. It increases the likelihood your content gets cited because it's citable. You're providing something new rather than rehashing what everyone else says. When multiple authoritative sites reference your original work,

AI models build a stronger association between your brand and your area of expertise. I remember one client published a survey on small business legal needs, and within three months we started seeing AI tools cite their data when answering related queries. So to everyone listening, have you checked whether your firm shows up when you ask AI tools about your practice area? That seems like step one. But let's talk about the practical side. What are the common pitfalls you're seeing when firms try to implement this? Oh, there are a few big ones.

First, treating AI optimization like traditional SEO, just trying to game algorithms. That doesn't work here. You genuinely need to become the most helpful, authoritative resource in your space. Second, ignoring non-website content, your LLM visibility depends on the entire ecosystem. Social posts, podcast transcripts, review platforms, forum discussions. Right, exactly. Third pitfall. Inconsistent messaging.

If your firm says different things on different platforms, AI builds a confused, weak association instead of a clear, authoritative one. And finally, firms often publish brilliant content that isn't structured for answer extraction, no matter how good your content is, if it's not formatted with direct answers, clear headings, FAQs, AI won't cite it. I see. So structure is critical. Let's get specific. What's the checklist? If a marketing manager at a law firm is listening right now, what should they focus on first? Start with three things. One, audit your NAP consistency across all directories and platforms. Two, implement schema markup on your website.

At minimum, FAQ and legal service schema. Three, create at least one piece of original research or a detailed resource that others in your field would want to reference. Those three steps alone will put you ahead of most firms. And what about answer engine optimization? AEO. That's a term we're hearing more. How does that fit in?

AEO is essentially the new SEO for the AI era. Structuring content so AI search tools can understand it and use it as the direct answer to a user's question. That's what this approach focuses on. Instead of aiming to be a link on a results page, you're aiming for inclusion inside the final answer that AI presents. Put another way, you want to be the answer, not just one of many options.

That means writing in clear, concise sentence, using question-based headings and opening every piece with a direct answer to the primary question. So conversational search is key. People are asking full questions now, not just typing keywords. Precisely, think about how someone talks to an AI assistant. What's the cost of filing for divorce in California? Not just California divorce cost, your content needs to align with those natural language queries. and topical authority matters enormously.

AI systems prioritize sites with proven expertise and thorough coverage on a specific subject. Build topic clusters, pillar pages with supporting content to demonstrate that depth. This is really practical stuff. One more thing I want to ask. How do firms measure this? Traditional analytics don't capture AI referrals, right?

That's the challenge. Most AI platforms don't pass referral data so you have to get creative. Track increases in direct traffic, which often indicates AI referred visitors. Monitor your branded search volume. As AI visibility grows, people search for your firm name more often.

And honestly, the most reliable method right now is to regularly query AI platforms yourself. Ask ChatGPT, perplexity, Google AI questions in your topic areas, and document when your brand appears. Makes sense, so it's partly manual monitoring right now. Before we wrap up, any final thoughts on why law firms specifically need to prioritize this? Law is fundamentally centered on trust and expertise.

Those are exactly the signals AI models prioritize when deciding which sources to recommend. We're already seeing AI overviews appearing in a significant portion of searches, and that trend is accelerating. firms that build AI visibility now will establish brand authority that directly impacts client acquisition. The firms that wait will spend years catching up. That's the reality check we needed. AI search visibility means becoming genuinely authoritative, consistently helpful, and structurally optimized for how AI understands information. Thanks so much for walking us through this today. My pleasure. The question law firms should be asking themselves is,

When an AI is asked about our practice area, are we the firm it trusts enough to recommend? If the answer is no, it's time to start building that trust. Couldn't have said it better. To everyone listening, this is definitely a space to watch. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll catch you next time.