Lawyer rankings have increasingly found favour among C-suite members and in-house counsel according to a report by Greentarget, with 62 percent and 52 percent respectively finding them “important” when researching new firms. The relevance of these rankings is clear in the human sphere, but the emergence of a new audience can no longer be overlooked in shaping the marketing strategies within legal services: Generative AI.
In an article entitled “Another Argument for Lawyer Rankings: Search Results and the AI Meritocracy” on JD Supra, the role of Generative AI was examined in-depth. As digital transformation accelerates, AI systems, which are increasingly relied upon to scan and organize large volumes of digital data, become integral to legal marketing strategy. In effect, these AI systems, akin to search engines, prioritize and rank information based on given algorithms, pushing certain data to appear more prominently in search results.
This new “audience” necessitates a more nuanced approach to legal marketing, going beyond simple visibility to human prospects. Now, legal professionals must consider their visibility to AI algorithms as well, potentially modifying their online presence with this in mind.
A major mechanism involved is lawyer rankings. As algorithms organize and prioritize information, high-ranking lawyers would naturally appear more prominently in search results curated by these AI systems. As such, maintaining or striving for high lawyer rankings is an aspect of legal marketing that should not be overlooked.
This dual audience – both human and AI – for legal marketing strategies means that visibility and reputation management in the legal field is more complex and crucial than ever. While lawyer rankings have always been a useful tool within the profession, their importance is now further cemented by the advancement of Generative AI.