Key Insights for Law Firms Adapting to New Search Trends
In October 2024, OpenAI unveiled SearchGPT to the public, a new AI-powered search engine designed to integrate seamlessly into ChatGPT and bring a fresh approach to online search. The potential for SearchGPT to transform how people look for services — especially legal representation — is huge. By merging conversational AI with traditional search functions, OpenAI is changing the way consumers interact with search engines and access information, particularly for high-stakes services like legal assistance. While we don’t have the same detailed insights into SearchGPT’s mechanics as we do with Google, I’ve explored its features and gathered some initial observations to share below.
The Launch of SearchGPT: A Major New Player in Search
SearchGPT marks a new venture for OpenAI in the highly competitive search engine market. With ChatGPT already claiming a strong base of 200 million weekly users, SearchGPT has the potential to make a unique mark by combining search with a conversational interface, allowing users to ask questions in a more human way. In many ways, this shift could especially benefit individuals seeking services that are traditionally hard to evaluate online. By responding to questions with deeper context and allowing follow-up questions, SearchGPT encourages a more interactive, conversational approach to finding information, potentially providing consumers with more comprehensive answers to complex legal queries.
To boost accessibility and presumably increase their user base, SearchGPT offers an integrated extension for Chrome, making it easier for users to set it as their default search engine and instantly access it via their browser’s URL bar.
With OpenAI’s recent addition of voice search, users can also engage in conversational queries verbally, a feature that has become popular across smartphones and smart devices. These changes may increase the speed and comfort of search for users seeking local services through their devices, which could reshape search expectations and routines over time.
Will SearchGPT Compete with Google?
It’s worth asking whether SearchGPT can meaningfully compete with a giant like Google, which processes billions of searches daily. Although SearchGPT has not yet reached Google’s traffic scale, OpenAI’s early partnership with Microsoft — and possibly Bing as a search data source — gives it a foundation of results powered by Bing that can appeal to existing search users.
Will SearchGPT dethrone Google? Unlikely within the next year, but I’m confident SearchGPT and others like it will begin to cut into Google’s search domination as more users become accustomed to this type of search experience.
(Here OpenAI admits to using Bing to power some of ChatGPT)
Conversational Search Language: A New Style of Searching
Traditional interactions with search engines have skewed towards staccato phrasing with simple (or no) context such as “Facebook login” or “Taylor Swift.”. And while it’s true there are billions of long tail keyword searches such as “what to do after a car accident” those searches are user refinements after a few entries in Google. SearchGPT aims to move search behavior towards a conversation rather than a one-way interaction. Take, for example, the query “workplace accident:”
On the left (dark) we have SearchGPT. The tool asks the user what they would like to see next. The same query in Google on the right requires additional refinement on the part of the user. Additionally, SearchGPT has the advantage of context. In the same session, I asked “Can you provide recommendations for legal representation” to each search tool.
You’ll notice two very different responses. With SearchGPT, the user can continue the conversation with the tool about workplace accidents, but the same is not true in Google because Google is not storing context in a conversational manner. This is a key advantage of SearchGPT and other AI search engines.
How does that affect what you do on your law firm website? It may mean restructuring content to address commonly asked questions and adding more interactive elements such as chat or “Ask a Lawyer” options. Again, it’s early days for SearchGPT, and we don’t yet know what it prioritizes the same way we do with Google (to an extent).
Observations on Early SearchGPT Results: Legal Directories Are Important
One of the early trends observed in SearchGPT’s results is a strong emphasis on established legal directories like Avvo, Justia, Super Lawyers, and FindLaw. These platforms appear frequently when users search for attorneys or legal services, similar to their prominence in Google results. This suggests that maintaining well-optimized, up-to-date profiles on these directories remains a crucial aspect of a competitive SEO strategy.
Embracing Voice Search: Optimizing for Conversational SEO
With SearchGPT’s advanced voice feature, law firms should also consider optimizing their content for voice searches, which often differ from text-based queries. Voice searches tend to be longer, more detailed, and question-based. For example, instead of typing “estate lawyer Chicago,” a voice user might ask, “Who is the best estate lawyer for wills and trusts in Chicago?” Law firms can prepare for this by incorporating complete, context-driven phrases into their web content, with a particular focus on common client questions and helpful information that naturally answers those questions.
Creating content that anticipates these conversational queries can improve visibility for both voice and text searches and could give law firms a competitive advantage on SearchGPT. Additionally, voice-optimized content should be concise and easy to read, as voice-based results may pull shorter, more direct answers for users seeking immediate guidance.
One-Dimensional Results
One of Google’s defining features is its variety of result types, such as “People Also Ask” sections, featured snippets, and integrated video results, which often provide users with quick, relevant answers or further resources. These additional result formats can be especially helpful in search queries involving complex or multifaceted questions because they guide users to related information or visual content that may enhance their understanding. For instance, Google’s “People Also Ask” feature can provide quick answers to related questions, while video snippets are often valuable for users looking for in-depth explanations.
In SearchGPT’s early stages, these specialized result types are noticeably absent. Our testing has shown that SearchGPT currently delivers responses in a more straightforward, conversational format, without additional suggestions or related media like videos. Users who want more detailed or related information can ask more questions of SearchGPT but the user needs to be aware of that world of additional information and how to access it. While SearchGPT’s simplicity may streamline the search experience for users who want quick answers, the lack of other result types — such as videos, images, and FAQs — might mean users will miss out on the layered information that Google’s additional features provide.
For law firms, this difference could mean adjusting how information is presented, focusing on providing comprehensive yet concise answers in a single response to appeal to both Google and SearchGPT’s processes. Without the supplementary information from elements like “People Also Ask” sections, SearchGPT emphasizes clarity and completeness in each response, underscoring the need for content that addresses client questions thoroughly in one place. As SearchGPT evolves, it will be worth monitoring the introduction of these types of result formats and how they might affect SEO strategies for legal content.
(credit Google Search Central)
Preparing a Law Firm’s SEO Strategy for SearchGPT’s New Approach
With SearchGPT’s arrival, law firms have an opportunity to broaden their SEO strategies to keep pace with AI-driven changes. Here are some actionable steps:
- Use Conversational Keywords: Identify phrases or questions your clients might naturally ask during a consultation. Using keyword tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, find commonly asked questions related to your legal services to integrate into your site’s content. You can also search internally. Is there a question that always comes up when a prospect first interacts with your firm? Perhaps that is worth addressing.
- Strengthen Directory Profiles: As SearchGPT shows a preference for established legal directories, it’s essential for law firms to claim, complete, and optimize profiles on platforms like Avvo, Justia, and FindLaw. High-quality profiles increase your firm’s chances of being found by potential clients using both SearchGPT and traditional search engines.
- Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your website is optimized for mobile-based searches, as more users are likely to engage with SearchGPT via mobile devices. This includes fast-loading pages, easy navigation, and content structured for clarity and user-friendliness. Don’t define practice areas using your internal firm structure; rather, ask how would a user define this. Or better yet, engage in user research to get direct feedback.
- Client-centric Content: Create layered content that provides concise, conversational answers to real client questions backed up by in-depth discussion of the relevant issues. Adding detailed practice area pages, informational articles, or guides on common legal issues in your field can help position your firm as a trusted source of information. The more directly your content speaks to potential clients’ specific needs, the better it may perform on SearchGPT.
The Future of AI Search and Legal Marketing
Consumers are likely to transition to using search engines for more complex, nuanced questions as AI-driven search gains traction. Law firms that adjust their strategies to meet these evolving needs by addressing user-specific legal concerns and providing straightforward answers stand to benefit most from this shift.
SearchGPT introduces a new dynamic to the search landscape that should be watched closely. Its conversational nature encourages law firms to think differently about their digital presence, fostering a more client-centered, question-based approach to law firm SEO. By making strategic adjustments now, law firms can position themselves to succeed in the new world of AI-driven search.
