Introduction: 2025 – The Year of Marketing Transformation
Online marketing will experience one of its most profound transformations since the introduction of mobile search in 2025. This transformation will be driven by:
- Generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity)
- Conversational Search & AI Overviews
- New advertising formats and automation
- Changing user behavior and increased expectations
Law firms face the strategic question:
„"Where is the focus really worthwhile – and what is just hype?"“
We summarize the 8 most important trends and translate them into concrete areas of action for law firm marketing.
Trend 1: AI-powered content – with clear guidelines
AI tools have arrived in content marketing – from blog articles and social media posts to video scripts. The efficiency gains are real, but so are the risks.
Opportunities:
- Drastic time savings in content creation
- Scaling without proportional staff increases
- Faster testing cycles (A/B tests, variants)
Risks:
- Generic, one-size-fits-all content without differentiation
- Legal inaccuracies in unverified AI texts
- Loss of the firm's own tone
Recommendation for law firms:
- Using AI for ideas, structures, and drafts
- Always have legal content reviewed by a lawyer.
- Define a style guide so that AI content fits the brand.
- Human-in-the-Loop principle: AI supports, humans decide.
Start 2026 with the right marketing strategy
These 8 trends will become even more important in 2026. Law firms that set the course now will have a decisive advantage in the new year. Let's analyze together which trends are a priority for your firm and how you can systematically implement them in 2026.
Trend 2: Conversational Search & AI Reviews dominate
More and more traffic is shifting towards generative assistants and AI-powered reviews in search results. Those who aren't visible here are losing market share.
Consequences:
| Classic SEO | AI Search SEO |
| Keywords & Backlinks | Conversational Queries & EAT |
| Link clicks count | Being cited counts |
Areas of activity:
- Think about content in question-and-answer structures.
- Massively expand FAQs and W-questions.
- Clearly communicate EAT factors (introduce authors, show specializations, include sources)
- Conversational Tone: Writing the way people speak
Trend 3: Local visibility remains the core battleground
Despite all the AI trends, local search is and remains the core competency for law firms. In critical situations (termination, liability, criminal proceedings), clients want someone within easy reach.
The most important levers:
- Google Business Profile (complete, up-to-date, optimized)
- Local landing pages (city-specific, not duplicate content)
- Reviews (actively collect, professionally respond)
- NAP consistency (name, address, phone number identical everywhere)
- Local backlinks (business directories, cooperation partners, press)
Best Practice: Combine locally optimized advice pages with a strong Google Maps profile and systematic review management. Together, these three pillars create unbeatable local visibility.
Trend 4: Video & Short-Form Content are exploding
Video is increasingly dominating all platforms – from YouTube and Instagram Reels to LinkedIn. This opens up a huge, still underestimated potential for law firms.
What works:
- Short explanatory videos (60-90 seconds) on frequently asked legal questions
- Behind-the-scenes: Insights into everyday law firm life, team introductions
- Client feedback and testimonials (with consent)
- Live Q&A sessions on LinkedIn or Instagram
Key principles:
| ✓ Authenticity beats perfection: Real lawyers are more important than studio quality |
| ✓ AI as a scripting assistant: ChatGPT creates video scripts, hooks, and titles – the expertise comes from you. |
| ✓ Think platform-natively: LinkedIn videos need a different tone than Instagram Reels |
Trend 5: Building trust through personal branding
In the legal field, personal brands determine who wins mandates. Users want to know:
- Who is behind the law firm?
- Who is my specific contact person?
- What values does the law firm represent?
- What expertise does the person actually possess?
Specific measures:
- Expand author and personal profiles (photo, career, specialization, philosophy)
- Strategically using lawyers' LinkedIn profiles (Thought Leadership)
- Instagram for authentic insights (optional, depending on the target audience)
- Blog articles clearly attributed to their authors
- Share your personal success stories (anonymized where necessary)
Insight: Users respond more strongly to personal stories and clear expert profiles than to interchangeable law firm slogans. Personal branding is not an ego trip, but trust-building marketing.
Trend 6: Data protection, ethics & transparency as a differentiator
With the increasing use of AI, sensitivity to data protection and the ethical handling of data grows. Law firms have a natural credibility here – if they actively use it.
How to stand out positively:
- Transparent guidance on how to handle contact data
- Clear separation of information and advertising
- Serious, factual advertising promises (no superlatives)
- GDPR-compliant cookie banners and tracking
- Explanation of how AI is used in the law firm (if relevant)
This pays off in two ways: on trust among clients and on the evaluation by search and AI systems, which increasingly consider "trustworthiness" as a ranking factor.
Your marketing transformation for 2026
Do you want to not only be aware of these trends, but also actually implement them by 2026? We'll support you every step of the way – from strategy and implementation to ongoing optimization. Tool setup, content strategy, video kickstart, automation: We'll ensure your marketing is on a modern footing by 2026.
Trend 7: Automation of standard marketing processes
Modern marketing stacks allow automation in many areas:
- Lead nurturing sequences (automated email sequences)
- Dynamic website content (personalized based on visitor behavior)
- Intelligent forms with branching logic
- Chatbots for initial qualification
- Social media scheduling
Important: Within a law firm, there must be clear points of transition from automation to genuine personal communication – for example, in complex cases or shortly before a client is retained. Nobody wants to be retained by a bot.
Trend 8: Performance measurement across all channels – including AI
Budgets are increasingly shifting towards AI-powered search and ad formats. Measurement must keep pace.
Classic KPIs remain relevant:
- Leads (number, quality)
- Mandates (Conversion Rate)
- Cost per mandate (CPM)
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
New metrics are being added:
- Visibility in AI response systems (Share of Voice in AI responses)
- Citation Rate
- Engagement in dialogue-based channels (chatbot interactions)
- Zero-click impressions (visibility without a click)
Tool Stack 2025: Sistrix (SEO), Google Analytics (traffic), call tracking (leads), Peec AI (AI visibility), CRM (mandate development) – together
Conclusion: What law firms should do now
2025 is not a year for "waiting and seeing," but for strategic action. The trends are clear – prioritization is crucial:
The crucial difference between successful and stagnant law firms in 2025 will lie in the speed of implementation. While some are still waiting, others are already building AI-optimized content libraries, establishing themselves as thought leaders on LinkedIn, and automating their marketing processes. These advantages will be difficult to catch up with.
The good news: You don't have to implement everything at once. A structured, step-by-step plan, consistently implemented, beats hectic, knee-jerk reactions.
At OMmatic, we support law firms in translating these trends into their individual marketing strategy – pragmatically, measurably and with a clear focus on client acquisition and sustainable growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which marketing trend will be most important for law firms in 2025?
Conversational search and AI optimization are top priorities. Already, 40% queries originate from AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews. Law firms that optimize their content for these systems now (FAQ structures, W-questions, clear answers) will secure a 3-5 year competitive advantage. Traditional SEO traffic won't disappear, but it will be increasingly supplemented by AI-mediated leads.
Do I have to implement all 8 trends at the same time?
No, that would be counterproductive. Recommended prioritization: Stage 1 (immediately): AI content basics + conversational search + schema markup. Stage 2 (months 3-6): Launch video content + personal branding on LinkedIn. Stage 3 (months 6-12): Hyper-personalization + marketing automation. Stage 4 (year 2): Perfect performance measurement across all channels. Start with a focused approach, focusing on 2-3 measures that you can consistently implement.
Do I need a marketing manager for these trends?
For firms with 5 or more lawyers, a dedicated marketing manager (at least part-time) is strongly recommended. Alternatives include: virtual assistance (5-10 hours/week, €25-40/hour for operational tasks), a specialized agency (€1,500-3,000/month for strategic support), or a DIY approach (10 hours/month by a partner, works for firms with up to approximately 3 lawyers). Important: Marketing requires continuous attention – 2 hours every 6 months is not enough.
How do I measure the ROI of video marketing?
Key metrics: Views and watch time (YouTube Analytics), website traffic from video platforms (Google Analytics referrer), conversion rate of video viewers vs. total traffic (GA4 segments), inquiries referring to videos, and a shorter sales cycle. Realistically, after 3 months of regular video posting (2x/month), you should see 15-251 more qualified initial inquiries. Video leads are often more decisive because they already "know" you.
Are these trends also relevant for specialized niche law firms?
Even more so! Niche law firms benefit disproportionately. Why? Less competition within the niche, a clear target audience for personalized communication, higher expertise signals (EAT), and better conversion rates. For example, a specialist lawyer for medical law with two attorneys can achieve more through focused LinkedIn personal branding and specialized, AI-optimized FAQs than a large, full-service law firm. Their advantage: They can cover very specific long-tail keywords and niche questions that generalists ignore.
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