If you have searched for a lawyer on Google lately, you may have noticed that an AI-written answer often appears before any website does. That shift was the focus of AI and the Future of Search, a virtual session hosted by the Legal Marketing Association’s Atlanta community on Tuesday, October 6. Esquire Digital Chief Operating Officer Brad Wetherall led the one-hour program, and his core message to legal marketers was clear: your brand is whatever AI says it is.
Brad joined Google in 2013 and spent about 10 years running operations for Google Business Profile, then called Google My Business, along with Google Merchant Center and Google Domains. Esquire Digital was proud to sponsor the program, and this recap covers the key points.
Want to know what AI tools are telling potential clients about your firm? Call Esquire Digital at 1-866-ESQUIRE (1-866-377-8473) or fill out our online contact form to schedule a conversation with our team.
AI And The Future Of Search: Why Does Brad Say Your Brand Is Whatever AI Says It Is?
Brad opened with a line from Google’s own leadership. In May 2025, Liz Reid, the head of Google Search, described the future of search as one that goes beyond information to intelligence. Brad worked directly with Reid when she led engineering for Google Maps.
A year later at Google I/O 2026, Reid went further and said Google Search is AI search. Brad’s read was simple: that is not a feature announcement, it is a mission statement. He backed it up with figures Google shared at the conference:
- AI Overviews: More than 2.5 billion monthly users
- AI Mode: About 1 billion monthly users one year after its debut
- Query length: Searches roughly three times longer than traditional queries
- Growth rate: AI Mode queries doubling every quarter since launch
Brad explained that a Google product doubling every quarter stops being a product and becomes the roadmap. Longer queries also show that people would rather ask than search, like someone describing a rideshare crash on I-85 near Downtown Atlanta.
Google I/O 2026 Search Updates: What Did Google Announce, And What Does It Really Mean?
Brad broke down four announcements from Google’s May 2026 developer conference:
- Gemini 3.5: The new default model behind AI Mode
- The search box: A redesign Google called its biggest upgrade in 25 years
- One experience: AI Overviews and AI Mode merged into a single flow
- Agentic booking and calling: AI agents that contact local businesses on a user’s behalf
Google says users will not only get AI responses. Brad has sat in the rooms where sentences like these get written, and he offered a translation. Across the moves from Places to Google My Business to Google Business Profile, Google never announced a replacement. It announced an addition, ran both, and quietly promoted the winner.
The AI Local Pack: How Is Local Search For Law Firms Already Changing?
Brad shared live screenshots of an emergency plumbing search. The AI answers first and names only one or two businesses instead of the classic three-pack. It also cites far more than the Business Profile, pulling from reviews, forums, and the open web, while organic results now sit below the map pack and People Also Ask. Collapsed, the AI Overview takes up about 48% of the screen, and depending on monitor resolution and size, it can take up to 100%.
He shared local search data from Whitespark and On Purpose Media:
- 68%: Share of local searches that now trigger AI Overviews
- 25%: Chance that a top-10 organic ranking earns AI Overview visibility
- 1 to 2: Number of businesses shown in the AI local pack
- N of 1: Every user may see a different result
For a firm in Baltimore or Philadelphia, that changes the goal. In Brad’s words, rank tracking as we knew it is finished, and the question is no longer where you rank but whether AI trusts your firm enough to say your name.
Brad also made a prediction he asked attendees to hold him to. After AI Mode launched in May 2025 and merged with AI Overviews in May 2026, he expects AI Mode to become Google’s default search experience by May 2027, with the classic results page tucked behind a settings toggle.
Preparing Law Firms For AI Search: What Five Areas Did Brad Say Need Attention?
Brad stressed that influencing AI is not about gaming the system but about understanding the data it reads. He grouped that data into what you say about yourself (website, content, and Google Business Profile) and what others say about you (reputation and brand authority).
He tied both groups to Google’s E-E-A-T framework. AI now verifies each letter by looking for proof you were there, answers it can quote, outside voices that back you up, and nothing that contradicts you. As Brad put it, your E-E-A-T is no longer a rating rubric. It is your biography.
Law Firm Website Optimization: How Can Your Site Serve People And Machines At The Same Time?
For non-local and informational searches, Brad said your website becomes AI’s most important source. His guiding phrase was “built for humans, readable by machines,” and he outlined five priorities:
- Readable structure: Clean H1, H2, and H3 order, one topic per page, and fast, crawlable pages
- Proof of experience: Attorney bios with credentials, bar admissions, awards, bylines, and specific case results
- Machine-readable media: Alt text, captions, and video transcripts across the site
- Structured data: Schema markup for LegalService, Attorney, and Person, plus sameAs links to trusted profiles
- AI access: A robots.txt file that does not block AI crawlers, plus emerging llms.txt and MCP standards
He also encouraged content that answers real client questions, such as what to do after a car accident, along with webinar summaries, white papers, and a few high-quality videos.
Original Content For Law Firm SEO: Can AI Help You Write Without Hurting Your Visibility?
AI writing tools are fast, cheap, and scalable, and Brad pointed out the problem: everyone is using them. He cited a Copyleaks study showing AI-generated content grew 2,848% from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024, which led Google to crack down.
Google has run four content quality crackdowns in about two years, starting with a March 2024 core update that cut low-quality, unoriginal content in results by 45%. The latest core updates in 2026 rewarded content that answers questions and shows first-hand experience.
So is AI content bad? Brad’s answer was no. Unoriginal, low-quality content is bad. The key is human oversight, with AI handling speed and readability while people bring the insight, brand voice, and personal stories that make content worth citing.
Ethical Use Of AI In Legal Marketing: Which Professional Conduct Risks Should Firms Watch?
Brad reminded attendees that law firms carry obligations other businesses do not. He flagged four areas of risk:
- Plagiarism: Review and edit AI-generated text carefully to avoid copyright problems
- Misinformation: Fact-check AI output, since AI tools can invent details that sound accurate
- Confidentiality: Use a closed AI platform so client information does not leak
- Advertising: Keep every communication free of false or misleading statements under ABA Model Rule 7.1
He also encouraged firms to be transparent about their use of AI tools and to check their own state’s advertising rules.
Google Business Profile For Law Firms: Why Is Your Profile AI’s Most Important Local Data Source?
Brad explained that for local searches, your Business Profile is Google’s most important source of data. He highlighted five factors:
- Optimized profile: Accurate name, primary category, and description
- Customer reviews: A steady flow of real client feedback
- Profile completeness: Filled-in attributes and services
- Real media: Authentic photos and videos of your team and office
- Engagement: Regular posts and image uploads
To show how this works, Brad searched for a karaoke bar in San Diego, and Google highlighted reviews mentioning karaoke for one bar. When he searched for the best bar in San Diego, the same bar appeared with reviews praising its tequila and food instead. Google pulls the review language that matches what a person asks.
Online Reviews And Reputation Management: How Do Client Words Become AI’s Words?
Brad summed it up simply: AI does not take your word for it. It reads what others say about you, then repeats it. His recommendations included:
- Reviews as raw material: Volume, recency, and consistency across platforms all shape AI answers
- Specific reviews: Ask every client and make it easy to mention their type of case
- Honest reviews: Never incentivize or script what clients write
- Review responses: Reply to every review, stay professional, and never confirm client details
- The wider conversation: Monitor Reddit, forums, and directories like Avvo, Martindale, and Justia
If you are not managing your reviews, Brad warned, you have no influence over how AI represents your firm. Even negative reviews deserve an empathetic reply.
Brad said firms earn brand authority through public relations. Reactive PR includes settlements and legal commentary on breaking news, while proactive PR includes op-eds, guest articles, community involvement, speaking engagements, and research studies. Google also draws on public records, such as federal court filings in PACER.
In one real example, Esquire Digital helped a client earn a top-three source spot in an AI Overview for a high-profile class action through a dedicated website, case-specific content, and social and news media activity.
Key Takeaways From LMA Atlanta: What Should Your Law Firm Do Next?
Brad’s closing message was direct: what got you here will not get you there. AI is now the gatekeeper between your firm and the people looking for help. Here are practical steps from the session:
- Check your AI presence: Search your firm and practice areas in AI Mode and note what appears
- Strengthen your website: Add structured data, clear headings, and detailed attorney bios
- Complete your profile: Fill in every Google Business Profile field and post regularly
- Build a review habit: Ask every client for a specific, honest review and respond to each one
- Earn outside mentions: Pursue commentary, guest articles, and speaking opportunities
None of these steps works alone. What you say about yourself and what others say about you need to tell the same story. Brad expands on these ideas in his book, AI and the Future of Search: The Law Firm’s Guide, and attendees were invited to scan a code for a free copy.
Frequently Asked Questions About AI Search For Law Firms
What was the LMA Atlanta AI and the Future of Search session?
It was a one-hour virtual program hosted by the Legal Marketing Association’s Atlanta community on October 6. Esquire Digital COO Brad Wetherall presented, and Esquire Digital sponsored the event.
How does a Google Business Profile affect AI search visibility for a law firm?
For local searches, your Business Profile is Google’s most important data source. A complete profile with real reviews, photos, and regular posts improves your chances of appearing in local AI Overviews.
Can law firms still rely on SEO content as AI search grows?
Yes, as long as the content is original and helpful. Google keeps rewarding first-hand experience and clear answers while penalizing mass-produced AI copy.
Prepare Your Law Firm For AI And The Future Of Search With Esquire Digital
Whether you attended Brad’s LMA Atlanta session or are just starting to think about AI search, our team can help you see where your firm stands today.
Call Esquire Digital at 1-866-ESQUIRE (1-866-377-8473) or reach out through our online contact form to talk with our team about your firm’s visibility in AI-driven search.
