Legal Marketing 101

Google for Law Firms in 2025: What Actually Works

• Rosen Advertising • Season 4 • Episode 15

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Google for Law Firms in 2025: What Actually Works

Google remains the heavyweight champion of law firm marketing in 2025, but the strategies that worked previously are now becoming obsolete as AI-driven results fundamentally change how potential clients find attorneys. 

We explore what's actually driving leads and visibility for law firms today, from AI-optimized content to Local Service Ads, and provide actionable steps to stay ahead of competitors.

• Google now actively generates answers using AI rather than just pulling from web pages
• Zero-click searches are rising as Google answers questions directly on the results page
• Google Business Profile has evolved from simple listing to full lead generation platform
• AI-friendly content should address specific questions potential clients are asking

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Speaker 1:

Google for law firms in 2025. What actually works. Welcome to Legal Marketing 101. I'm Toby Rosen. Let's be real. Google is still the heavyweight champ when it comes to law firm marketing. If someone needs a lawyer, even if they're going to end up going with a referral, there is still a pretty good chance that their first move is to open up Google and start typing. That has not changed as of today, but what has changed is how Google works and what it actually takes to show up, stand out and get that call. That's constantly changing. The strategies that crushed it for you in 2020, they are not cutting it anymore in 2025. If you're still relying on the same SEO playbook or running your ads the same old-fashioned way, it is probably costing you leads.

Speaker 1:

In this episode, we are diving into what's actually working right now, so your firm doesn't just keep up, but you can actually start to get ahead. So let's start off by acknowledging something we all know Google has actually evolved, and big time. It might feel familiar, but trust me, what's happening under the hood at Google is entirely different from 5, 10, or 15 years ago. The way Google ranks and displays information has fundamentally shifted towards AI-driven results. Now what does that actually mean for law firms like yours or like the ones I work with. First off, google isn't just pulling from web pages anymore. It is actively generating answers using artificial intelligence. That means fewer clicks and less website traffic. That is a certainty. Think about it your potential clients are asking questions and Google is often answering that question completely right on the results page. These are called zero-click searches and they've been steadily rising.

Speaker 1:

We've been talking about this on the podcast with relation to knowledge boxes and other elements of SEO, but AI has just changed the game, and it is no exaggeration to say that the entire game of SEO is changed forever because of this. And you might wonder wait, if people aren't clicking, is organic SEO even worth it anymore? And that's a good question, and the short answer is yes, but with a huge, huge asterisk. Organic SEO is still a really crucial element of marketing, but it's a lot different than it used to be. Today, we need to structure our content in a way that makes it really easy for Google to digest, and that means concise, clear answers, structured data, faqs and content that Google can confidently use for its AI-generated snippets. Now you might be saying, toby, that doesn't sound different than what you've been saying, and it's a little bit true, but here's the catch Traditional organic rankings, where we simply aim to appear at the top of the page, are becoming a lot less effective.

Speaker 1:

Google's top-of-page real estate is increasingly dominated by its own AI-generated answers, local services ads, also known as LSAs, and AI-enhanced PPC results. This means that, realistically, law firms in competitive markets cannot afford to rely solely on organic SEO anymore. It is just not something that we can do these days, and this brings us directly into the role of ads. This is really the big thing that is changing is where this fits in Google's local services ads, the LSAs. They have become really central to legal marketing. If you're not fully utilizing LSAs, you're probably leaving a good chunk of potential leads on the table, and there's a bunch of things that make LSAs great, but the really big thing is that they appear really prominently above even the top traditional paid ads. This makes them the new prime real estate, and it's really the only way that we can compete with the AI directly. Plus, google's enhanced PPC options are strong. I'm not a big fan of their AI-driven performance max campaigns, but they're getting better. They're not overwhelming, but these new strategies are eventually going to outperform our keyword-based strategies from 2015.

Speaker 1:

Now it's important to note that Google's shift towards AI and automation hasn't gone unnoticed by regulators. We're not going to get too deep into this and we're not going to stay on it, but I do need to mention this. Legal marketing. We're an area that's always been highly scrutinized and in 2025, we really need to make sure that we're in compliance. Google is becoming stricter in policing legal advertising claims, ensuring that firms are representing their services clearly, accurately and, most importantly, ethically. So gone are the days of aggressive keyword stuffing, misleading claims. We'll get you this, that and the other thing Transparency and compliance. These are mandatory today, but what is Google exactly doing to evaluate law firms in this new era? It's actually really simple to break down. They are doubling down on this EEAT system experience, expertise, authority and trust.

Speaker 1:

This is not new at all, but Google's ability to assess these qualities has become a lot more sophisticated. The search engine's AI is now much more adept at distinguishing firms that genuinely demonstrate these qualities versus those that are just sort of you know, checking the boxes. If you want visibility on Google, you need to consistently demonstrate the depth of your knowledge. You need to do things like showcasing credible client experiences through reviews, and you need to build trustworthiness through more reviews and things like case studies. And speaking of trustworthiness, quickly, let's talk about the Google business profile. I've talked about this a lot and it's not exactly changing, but it is becoming a little bit more important. This has become kind of the cornerstone of our local visibility. Today, our Google business profile is essentially our firm's digital storefront on Google. It's the first thing that many prospective clients are going to see and increasingly, it's the only thing they look at before calling you.

Speaker 1:

In 2025,. Hyperlocal search results are incredibly dominant, especially with the prevalence of mobile search, and the quality, completeness and regular updating of your GBP directly correlates with the visibility of the profile and the leads you receive through the profile. If your GBP isn't optimized, you are losing leads. Period Regular updates, engaging posts, accurate service descriptions, genuine client reviews these are all boxes you have to tick. This isn't optional, it's foundational. Think of it like opening a physical office you wouldn't put your firm's signage in the basement or not have lights or a toilet. You need to be treating your GBP with the same level of importance. This is the world we are living in now and we have to deal with it.

Speaker 1:

But the bottom line of all of this is pretty simple. Google's changing landscapes means law firms have to adapt to stay visible. If we just continue relying on the same old, same old when it comes to SEO and Google ads, it's not just ineffective, it is downright risky. Embracing AI, enhanced approaches, prioritizing our local presence and then making sure that we're staying compliant with all the regulations this isn't just about keeping up. It's about staying relevant and competitive. Now let's dive straight into what's actually driving leads and visibility for law firms on Google right now, because if you're still marketing like it's 2020, as I've said 10 times now you're leaving money on the table.

Speaker 1:

First, let's talk content. You have probably noticed the search results. They're not just that list of blue links, this AI Google Gemini it's reading, understanding and answering search queries directly, and if your website isn't being optimized for AI-driven search, you could end up completely invisible in this new landscape. But the good news is that there's a clear path to standing out. Structured data, those behind-the-scenes tags that help Google quickly understand and categorize your content, is even more critical, and categorize your content is even more critical. Google wants quick, concise answers and it can confidently display those results at the top of pages. Law firms can capitalize on this by structuring content in formats that Google loves Short FAQs, succinct answers in the lead and clearly labeled authoritative sections.

Speaker 1:

Google's Gemini-friendly content goes a lot further than just a bunch of keywords. It means we have to craft answers that directly address questions that people are asking. So if you're a family lawyer, for instance, your content shouldn't just we don't want to stick with the same divorce in Texas, divorce lawyer in Texas People are going to start to search their actual questions. So now we want to start answering hyper-specific questions, things like how does property division work in a Texas divorce? How does property division work if I own a boat? How does property division work if I own a big boat? Google pulls this type of direct authoritative content straight into its AI-generated answers and it's attributed, so this gives you front-page visibility even above the traditional organic results. So maybe you don't have the budget to rank number one on everything, but if you're quick and you're smart about it, you could rank first in the AI right now.

Speaker 1:

And don't forget the video snippets either. Google is increasingly preferring dynamic multimedia content. Put those on the pages. Quick, authoritative videos that answer common legal questions are prime material for featured snippets. This boosts our visibility and our credibility simultaneously, and it's engaging it's video. But let's face it, google has sort of become a pay-to-play environment, especially for the highly competitive field like ours In 2025, lsas that I talked about before they're not just important to try, they've become absolutely essential.

Speaker 1:

They don't always work, but positioned at the top of all of the search results on mobile and on desktop, lsas offer potential clients immediate trust through that Google screen verification, which can mean the difference when it comes to getting the call or being skipped over entirely. Optimizing LSAs does require attention, but it's not overly complicated. Google's algorithms now heavily reward responsiveness and positive client experiences. Law firms with quick intake processes and a consistent flow of positive, detailed client reviews are going to consistently outrank less responsive competitors. Remember Google measures not only how quickly you respond, but how satisfied your past clients are. Make review generation and responsiveness significant priorities, especially when it comes to LSAs. If you do this, you're going to see LSAs driving significantly better quality leads. Now let's talk about PPC strategy, because LSAs have become this go-to option that's really popular.

Speaker 1:

Traditional Google ads do still matter. However, it is really important to understand that Google's automated campaigns, especially performance max they're 50 essentially. Despite promising automation and efficiency. Often, we see performance max campaigns spreading budgets too thin, diluting the message, wasting ad spend on irrelevant or poorly targeted audiences, and really what we're doing these days is something that's a little bit more controlled. I do think performance max, or some variation of this optimization, is going to work at some point, and for some industries it does work really well, but for the legal industry, it's just 50-50.

Speaker 1:

To win with Google ads today, though, what we are really trying to do is focus on narrowly targeted, carefully managed campaigns that are driven by detailed first party data. This means data that is collected directly from your leads, from your website visitors, your existing clients, and it gives us the clarity needed to precisely target the right audience segments. Instead of trusting Google's broad AI-driven targeting, the successful firms I work with are using their intake analytics, their CRM integration and their conversion tracking to continuously refine their audience profiles, and if you're interested in learning more about that, make sure you subscribe to the paid episodes. In practice, what this generally means is tighter keyword targeting, refined geographic targeting and a bunch of detailed exclusions for things like demographics, for example. Rather than blanket targeting broad keywords like divorce lawyer, we're drilling down into highly specific intent-driven searches, things like contested divorce attorney near me Paired with precise geographic boundaries around our service areas. These tightly controlled campaigns reduce wasted clicks and keep our ad spend focused. In short, pay-to-play is inevitable and it's already happening.

Speaker 1:

But the solution here isn't blind automation. It's precision, targeting, data-driven refinements and relentless attention to detail. When we combine well-managed LSAs with carefully targeted PPC campaigns, not only are we getting higher quality leads at a lower cost, maximizing the efficiency of every dollar spent. All of that cool stuff. We're doing the one thing that lawyers actually like. We're ranking first, and I know that your egos love that.

Speaker 1:

But let's move on to something that has lots of pictures of you, because we've talked about it for a second. But GBP this used to just be a simple listing. This is now a fully-fledged lead generation tool For many potential clients. The GBP, like I said, it, is the first place they see you. Hyperlocal search matters more in 2025 and beyond than ever. Google's algorithm prioritizes proximity, but it also heavily, heavily weighs user engagement. The more actively you update your GBP with posts, ai-powered chat features, specific service descriptions, the more Google is going to trust and prioritize you. We're not digging into it today, but service-specific call tracking and built-in AI chat have become really big for Google. My Business Clients are increasingly preferring to engage immediately with you via chat, directly from your GBP, and this makes the instant response thing essential.

Speaker 1:

Don't underestimate the power of reviews either. We've talked about them for a while and, like I've said, these are not optional. These are a core ranking factor. Encourage reviews by integrating requests into your intake, your follow-up processes. Just ask constantly, because, remember, consistent, recent and detailed reviews are not only good for Google's algorithm, they actually work for marketing. They dramatically improve our conversion rates and it makes people want to work with you. But finally, let's talk efficiency, because I've mentioned the AI thing a little bit here and there, but Google's AI driven bidding and audience segmentation has evolved significantly when it comes to their PPC stuff.

Speaker 1:

In 2025, completely manually managing your ad campaigns isn't just like unnecessary, it's actively holding you back. Google's AI can optimize your campaigns faster and better than manual adjustments, freeing you up to focus on strategy, intake, client service and, if you have a PPC manager, make sure they are vetting every option that Google is bringing. Ai tools now fully automate our SEO workflows as well, from identifying keyword opportunities to generating content. Even by embracing these tools, we can produce better content at scale, saving time, budget and ultimately driving better results. But don't ignore the voice and multimodal searches. We've been talking about voice for close to a decade and really AI is just sort of the next version of that. Spoken queries like Google Lens and video are all additional options to bring in more traffic and, as search evolves, optimizing your presence for how people actually interact with technology today keeps your firm visible, accessible and relevant.

Speaker 1:

If you're serious about winning clients on Google in 2025, embracing these tactics isn't optional, it's essential. So what's next? You know Google is changing and you know that it's happening quickly. But what are the practical actions that we can take right now to make sure we're ahead of the curve? First, everybody's favorite thing run an audit, audit and optimize your GBP. Do this first. Think of your Google my Business profile as the new homepage for your firm.

Speaker 1:

Clients are often engaging with your GBP before ever visiting your website, so make sure you're updating your profile at least weekly, maybe putting up new photos, putting up answers to client FAQs, responding to reviews and timely posts highlighting recent wins, practice updates or even just publishing content. Regular activity sends a really strong trust signal to Google, boosting your visibility and your local rankings. The only thing that's going to do something beyond that is just getting a million reviews. But next it's time to shift marketing spend to local services, ads and AI-enhanced PPC campaigns. If you are still spending heavily on traditional pay-per-click without clear ROI tracking, pause and recalibrate LSAs provide unmatched visibility, particularly in competitive practice areas. Pairing these LSAs with the carefully managed data-driven PPC campaigns ensures that our spend directly targets our high intent audiences, and we need to make sure we're tracking every dollar so we know we're getting the best return.

Speaker 1:

And third, update your website content for AI-driven search. Google in 2025 wants structured, clear and highly specific content that it can easily use in AI-generated answers. Yes, it's stealing from you, but it's going to link to you too. Add your structured data markup, answer common client questions directly and integrate quick videos wherever you, too. Add your structured data markup, answer common client questions directly and integrate quick videos wherever you can Video snippets and interactive content. They don't just boost your engagement, they also increase your chances of being highlighted prominently on Google's results page, giving your firm that valuable front page or top of page real estate.

Speaker 1:

And lastly, don't underestimate the value of AI-driven intake and follow-ups Chatbots and I know I said I hate them. They are not a luxury anymore, though. They are becoming essential. People want this option and even if I personally hate it, people want it. Automated responses can capture leads in real time, 24-7, and they can help us reduce missed opportunities. Intake time all of that good stuff. And then, if we integrate our intake with a robust CRM to track every single interaction, we get insights into which marketing channels are performing the best and we can start automation in this system to save us more time, improve our responsiveness and boost our bottom line. At the end of the day, that's what we're trying to go for Now.

Speaker 1:

Before we go, we need to talk a little bit about what to skip. Knowing what to do is important, but you also need to know what to skip, so let's run through it quickly. First, don't waste your resources on traditional SEO practices, keyword stuffing, content without structured data, all that stuff You're essentially ignoring Google's AI-driven changes, and without AI optimization, you're invisible. Along the same lines, avoid that temptation to really chase every new PPC offering Google pushes out. Test Sure, but chase Never.

Speaker 1:

Google's suggestions often serve their interests a little bit more than they serve yours. Instead, just stick to the campaigns that leverage that first-party data and have precise targeting and are working. And lastly, don't ignore how user behavior is evolving. With AI, voice search, visual searches, with Google Lens and zero-click searches these are all mainstream. Now it's time for you to adapt your content and to adapt your approach to match these behaviors. If you don't, my script here says you're going to risk losing clients for firms who do, but I know better you will lose clients to firms who do. In short, we need to focus on what genuinely moves the needle in this new Google landscape and when the dust is all settled, you'll be positioning your firm miles ahead of your competitors, who are still stuck in their old habits. That's it for Legal Marketing 101. Check out RosenAdvertisingcom for more Thanks.

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