9Sail proclaims the commencement of its second annual assessment of the digital presence among Am Law 200 law firms
In a recent study, digital marketing agency 9Sail has highlighted several areas where top law firms must improve to maintain and enhance their digital visibility. The 2025 Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index reveals that many prestigious law firms are underperforming digitally, potentially leading to significant financial losses.
Technical Site Performance Issues
Technical site performance issues are a major factor in visibility decline for many law firms. Over half of the firms dropped in ranking mainly due to failures in digital infrastructure, particularly poor mobile page speed and insufficient core web vitals compliance, as Google has raised its performance standards.
Over-reliance on a Narrow Set of Backlink Sources
The study also suggests that many firms are weakening their domain authority by relying too heavily on a limited number of backlink sources. Backlink diversification and spam link monitoring are crucial to maintaining and improving visibility.
Heavy Dependence on Branded Keyword Traffic
Most firms derive the bulk of their search traffic from branded terms, but only 3% reach the benchmark of 80%+ non-branded traffic. Non-branded keyword optimization presents a significant opportunity to attract new clients searching for legal services without knowing specific firm names.
Lead Loss Risk
Streamlining client intake, having clear calls-to-action, and ensuring user-friendly website experiences are essential to convert visibility into actual business opportunities. Neglecting these factors can result in lost revenue, referral conversion leakage, and missed talent recruitment opportunities.
Impact of AI and Evolving Search Behavior
The rise of AI-powered search tools is reshaping how legal services are discovered, requiring firms to adapt beyond traditional SEO tactics and update digital strategies for sustained competitive advantage.
The Silent Rejection Phenomenon
Potential clients increasingly research law firms online before contact, and firms with weak digital presence lose consideration despite strong offline reputations.
The Digital Visibility Score™
The study introduces the Digital Visibility Score™, a proprietary framework developed by 9Sail to quantify law firm searchability, authority, and technical health. Only 3% of firms generate more than 80% of their organic traffic from non-branded keywords, meaning 97% aren't optimizing to appear to prospects searching for legal services by practice area rather than firm name.
Financial Consequences of Digital Underperformance
Digital underperformance has real financial consequences, with a potential loss of $2.5 million in revenue for a firm with $500 million in annual revenue. Mid-tier competitors are moving quickly to improve digital performance and capture market share.
Joe Giovannoli, CEO at 9Sail, stated that SEO is no longer just a marketing concern but an operational one. Law firms approaching digital infrastructure with the same discipline they apply to finance or compliance are building strategic advantages.
9Sail partners with B2B and B2C legal practices to deliver data-driven marketing strategies. The digital marketing agency, based in New York, NY, specializes in SEO, PPC, and Digital PR for law firms. The full report from 9Sail's study is now available, and law firms are encouraged to explore the findings, request their own Digital Visibility Score, and evaluate steps to strengthen their digital infrastructure.
[1] Source: 9Sail's 2025 Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index [4] Source: 9Sail's 2023 Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index [5] Source: 9Sail's 2024 Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index
Data-and-cloud-computing technology plays a crucial role in addressing technical site performance issues that affect law firm visibility. Firms require robust cloud solutions to optimize their digital infrastructure for faster mobile page speed and core web vitals compliance.
In the context of maintaining and enhancing digital visibility, adopting technology to diversify backlink sources, monitor spam links, and prioritize non-branded keyword optimization is essential. These technology-driven strategies can help law firms attract new clients and gain a competitive edge.
