Law360 Canada (June 10, 2026, 11:21 AM EDT) --

Lauren Schlaht

The legal profession spent more than two decades adapting to search engines with algorithms that continually evolved. Law firms focused on websites, search engine optimization (SEO), online directories and content marketing because their audience turned to Google when looking for information and representation.

Now, another shift is underway, and the implications for firms may be even more substantial than when search engines emerged.

The rise of AI systems and features — including Google’s AI Overviews and assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini — is changing how people research their legal options. Rather than reviewing multiple websites, they’re increasingly seeing summarized legal answers from a relatively small number of sources.

But AI isn’t just used when people need answers and information. When deciding on representation, many prospective clients ask chat assistants for recommendations, similar to how they would ask a friend for a referral.

For Canadian law firms, AI has created a new visibility gap. Firms that don’t appear during the research process that prospective clients follow risk not being considered when it comes time to decide who to hire. Meanwhile, competitors that have properly adapted to AI are gaining the brand recognition and credibility needed now and for the years to come.

AI search is different than Google search

Google’s recent announcement regarding AI and its platform indicates that search has become conversational, with further integration coming later this year. Instead of presenting users with a list of links that require them to compare sources themselves, search engines and chat assistants are providing answers directly.

This changes the role of a law firm website and the strategies needed to remain visible to prospective clients.

For over 20 years, the goal was to rank prominently in search results. Rankings remain important, but AI has introduced a second challenge for law firms: giving generative systems what they need to be mentioned and cited in their responses.

Since AI-generated summaries are not based on algorithms or how well firms rank in traditional search, online visibility is concentrated among fewer websites.

For law firms that don’t integrate web strategies to properly communicate with and gain the trust of AI, the practical consequence is simple, yet significant. They may continue to rank reasonably well, while at the same time, are entirely left out of the AI-generated answers seen by prospective clients.

Observations of the emerging online visibility gap

Over the past several months, our organization reviewed 100 Canadian law firm websites to better understand how prepared firms are for AI-driven discovery.

The analysis revealed a recurring pattern. Many firms invested significantly in their websites and maintained strong professional reputations. However, they frequently lacked key elements that help AI understand and evaluate legal service providers.

The weakest areas were not necessarily about how much content law firms had or their website design. Instead, common visibility issues involved content structure, firm identity signals, site architecture and the clarity with which legal services were explained.

For example, one of the lowest-scoring categories involved how content was formatted for machine interpretation. It’s not that firms didn’t have the answers AI looks for; it’s that their content wasn’t organized and presented properly for generative engines to interpret and extract information from.

Another low-scoring category was how clearly a firm’s identity was established. Most Canadian law firm websites in our review were missing much of the structured information and online signals needed to verify who they are, their credibility and who they help.

These findings suggest that AI visibility challenges are not always the result of poor legal content or a lack of expertise. The issue is that websites are often understood by humans but not by automated systems.

AI search is more than a marketing issue

Over the years, the legal profession has recognized that competence includes understanding technologies that affect the delivery of legal services, and AI is no different.

While discussions have largely focused on the use of generative tools within the legal practice, there’s another dimension worth considering — how it affects public access to legal information and service providers.

The reality is that AI has become a gateway through which the public gets answers and discovers lawyers. A firm’s ability to communicate accurately and effectively within those environments is becoming a business and practice-management issue, not just a marketing hurdle.

This is particularly relevant for small and mid-sized firms because they typically depend heavily on organic search visibility and educational content to connect with prospective clients. With traditional SEO coming into play later in the decision-making process, being left out of AI-generated responses can have serious ramifications.

The upside is that the technology has also created opportunities for smaller firms to compete with larger, wealthier firms in ways like never before.

What law firms should evaluate

Law firms do not need to redesign their websites every time a new technology emerges, but AI demands different structure, formatting and credibility signals.

Legal professionals should consider whether their website clearly explains their practice areas and services and include bios for individual attorneys. Content should be formatted and written for AI systems. This means that direct answers to common questions need to be easily identifiable and extractable.

Another important consideration is what demonstrates credibility and proves authority. Are lawyer credentials, affiliations and experience easy to verify?

These are some of the most critical legal industry-specific factors that influence how AI interprets and surfaces information, and which law firms they use as sources.

What AI search means for firms

The shift toward AI-driven search may seem like it’s in early stages, but it’s not. Many firms are already seeing drops in website traffic, even to pages that consistently generate leads. Paired with the continued evolution of search engines, the result is that many questions remain about the extent AI will change referral patterns and consumer behaviour.

But what’s clear is that law firms can no longer think about online visibility solely in terms of traditional rankings.

AI-generated answers will continue to become a more prominent part of how people find legal information and representation online. In response, firms should be paying closer attention to how well their websites communicate with both prospective clients and the systems that now influence and guide their decisions.

Lauren Schlaht is senior content marketing strategist at LawOnline.ca. She has worked in communications and marketing since 2009, with a focus on the legal industry since 2016. Her work includes legal content strategies, website development projects, search optimization and helping law firms improve their online presence and client engagement.

The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s firm, its clients, LexisNexis Canada, Law360 Canada or any of its or their respective affiliates. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.

Interested in writing for us? To learn more about how you can add your voice to Law360 Canada, contact Analysis Editor Richard Skinulis at Richard.Skinulis@lexisnexis.ca or call 437-828-6772.