How Smaller Law Firms Can Compete With Big Brands in AI Search

Large, established brands have a considerable advantage when AI platforms recommend businesses to consumers. But new research suggests that smaller competitors may still have opportunities to earn attention, particularly when people ask questions requiring specialized knowledge or firsthand experience.

For law firms competing against nationally recognized practices with substantially larger marketing budgets, the findings raise an important question. Can smaller firms earn recommendations from AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews?

A recent study from BrightEdge examined how major travel brands appear in AI-generated answers. Although the research focused on the travel industry, its findings offer useful insight into how brand recognition and the types of questions consumers ask may influence AI recommendations.

For attorneys, the research reinforces the value of building a recognizable, trusted law firm brand while identifying opportunities to compete through specialized expertise and local authority.

Big Brands Have an Advantage in AI Search

BrightEdge analyzed travel-related questions across Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT, measuring how frequently major companies appeared in responses.

The results showed that established brands dominated many categories. American Airlines, Royal Caribbean, and Expedia led their respective sectors across both platforms.

The leading companies were not always the same on each platform. Hilton led the hotel category in Google AI Overviews with 28.3% of measured brand exposure, while Marriott led on ChatGPT at 29.4%. The figures reflect appearances within BrightEdge’s tracked travel queries rather than overall market share.

Expedia also demonstrated a substantial advantage over competing booking platforms, appearing in 31.3% of the measured Google AI Overview results compared with 14.4% for Kayak.

For law firms, these findings raise questions about how established legal brands may perform in AI-generated attorney recommendations.

National firms often have significant resources dedicated to advertising, content development, public relations, and reputation management. These investments give them an established online presence, although the BrightEdge study does not establish how those advantages influence attorney recommendations.

Where Smaller Law Firms Can Compete

One of the more interesting findings involved questions requiring personal experience or subjective judgment.

While major brands dominated many commercial travel queries, sources such as Reddit and YouTube appeared more prominently when users sought inspiration and personal recommendations.

The distinction is relevant to how prospective clients research attorneys, even though the study did not examine legal searches.

Someone searching for a personal injury lawyer may begin with a broad question about firms in their area. Others may ask questions involving specific legal circumstances.

For example, a prospective client might ask whether they can sue a trucking company after an accident involving a commercial vehicle or how to find an attorney experienced in catastrophic injury litigation.

These searches create opportunities for firms with substantial experience handling particular types of cases.

A regional personal injury firm that regularly litigates commercial trucking accidents may possess more specialized knowledge in that area than a larger competitor handling a broader range of personal injury claims.

Detailed content explaining trucking regulations, accident investigations, liability disputes, and relevant case experience can demonstrate that knowledge to prospective clients.

Attorney credentials, documented litigation experience, and credible third-party recognition can further establish the firm’s authority.

Specialized content gives smaller firms another opportunity to compete for attention, even when larger competitors have significantly greater advertising budgets.

Why Local Reputation Matters in AI Search

National brand recognition can be valuable, but prospective legal clients often need representation in a specific geographic market.

A law firm may have limited recognition outside its region while maintaining an excellent reputation among local clients.

That local authority provides a meaningful competitive advantage.

Google reviews, an established Google Business Profile, local media coverage, and consistent organic search performance help prospective clients evaluate a firm’s credibility.

Consider someone searching for a personal injury attorney in San Diego. A nationally recognized firm may have a familiar name, but a regional practice with extensive local experience, strong client reviews, and detailed attorney credentials may be equally relevant to that person’s needs.

The same principle could apply when someone asks an AI assistant for attorney recommendations in a particular city.

BrightEdge’s research does not establish that local reputation determines which attorneys AI platforms recommend. Nevertheless, a strong local presence helps law firms compete in traditional search results and provides prospective clients with additional information when researching their options.

For smaller firms, establishing authority within their primary markets remains a worthwhile investment regardless of how AI search develops.

Why Law Firms Should Keep Traditional SEO at the Center

Growing interest in generative engine optimization, commonly called GEO, has encouraged some law firms to reconsider their search marketing priorities.

However, the emergence of AI-generated recommendations does not justify abandoning established SEO strategies.

Traditional organic search and Google Maps remain important channels for reaching prospective clients actively seeking legal representation.

High-quality practice area content, authoritative attorney profiles, relevant local information, and strong organic rankings help firms compete for those searches.

These investments may also support discovery through AI platforms, which can reference publicly available websites and other online sources when generating responses.

At TSEG, we have observed a steady increase in traffic from AI-related sources over the past several years. However, that activity has generally represented a limited portion of overall lead generation.

We have also observed instances where website traffic declined while the number of leads remained relatively stable.

These trends reinforce the importance of measuring marketing performance through qualified inquiries and signed cases rather than traffic alone.

A law firm appearing frequently in AI-generated answers has not necessarily gained a meaningful business advantage unless those appearances contribute to client acquisition.

Attorneys should therefore continue prioritizing the marketing channels that consistently produce qualified cases while monitoring AI search as an additional opportunity.

That approach includes maintaining strong organic performance, improving local reputation, developing content grounded in attorney experience, and earning credible recognition from sources beyond the firm’s website.

What This Research Means for Law Firm Marketing

BrightEdge’s findings demonstrate that established brands often have an advantage in AI-generated recommendations, but smaller competitors may find opportunities when consumers seek more specialized information.

For law firms, the research supports continued investment in the qualities that make a practice competitive in its market. Specialized legal experience, a trusted local reputation, and authoritative website content can help smaller firms distinguish themselves from larger competitors.

AI search may create additional opportunities for prospective clients to discover these firms, although the available research does not establish which strategies consistently produce attorney recommendations.

At TSEG, we help law firms build the search authority and brand recognition needed to compete against larger competitors. Our approach combines proven SEO strategies with an understanding of how AI is influencing search behavior, keeping qualified leads and signed cases at the center of every marketing investment.