Three Things We Learned This Year About Ourselves (And Why You Should Reflect Too)

At PaperStreet, we are constantly analyzing the changes to the digital landscape and refining our approach to stay ahead of the curve for our clients. As we get ready to start a new year, it’s time to look back at the three key lessons we learned in 2025 and how they will influence what we do in 2026 and beyond. 

Lesson Number One: Human Thinking > AI

On November 30, 2022, the world was turned upside down when OpenAI announced the debut of its first public generative AI model. It wasn’t long before everyone had an opinion about the value and/or threat of the future of AI. The early forecasts and fears haven’t come to pass. AI has not taken over the world. There is a simple reason for that: Humans are still way smarter than AI. 

If you have used an AI model, you are well aware that its ability to tackle tasks that require reasoning is still spotty. Sometimes it struggles to get even small things right. While AI does have its moments of brilliance, they are inconsistent and unreliable. We are still a long way from computers replacing human thinking. 

The Rise of AI in Legal Marketing

AI tools have become mainstream for content generation and SEO this year. We understand the temptation. Creating blogs, bios, practice area pages, and other resources is time-consuming and not very exciting. In a world where you are already too busy, using AI can be very tempting. 

The main advantage of AI is speed and efficiency. Also, AI does a good job of keyword placement that doesn’t sound stuffed or forced. But there are pitfalls. The writing produced by AI often is generic and lacks the soul of human-created content. It’s not hard to spot the difference. 

Additionally, AI lacks the ability to understand legal nuances. Sometimes it gets things wrong outright or makes up content. Using AI without double-checking output is a recipe for disaster. If nobody is proofreading and fact-checking AI output, you are potentially putting things on your website that are inaccurate or violate ethical standards.   

Why Human Creativity Still Wins

Human insight, emotion, and strategy are what make legal digital marketing effective. If you consistently post generic AI content on your website, eventually your website will become just that – generic. Think of it this way: Human-created content contains the full spectrum of colors. It has unexpected twists and turns. AI-created content has a very narrow bandwidth, which makes its spectrum grayscale. 

At PaperStreet, we recognize that AI tools have value. But we also know that it is our human editors and strategists who ensure your content resonates both with your human readers and Google’s ranking algorithms. Our experience tells us that content that resonates is also content that converts. 

Takeaway for Law Firms

One thing we learned in 2025 is that AI has a place in the world of legal marketing. It is a tool that, when used correctly, can save time and be helpful. The other thing we learned is that humans are still way smarter than AI, and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. In a law office, AI is like a law clerk. They are very useful to have around, but they aren’t the person running the law firm.  

Lesson Number Two: Google Is Money Hungry

The first Google search happened in 1996. In the 40 years since, Google has become the standard go-to search engine for most people. We trust it. Other services have tried to match it, but Google continues to hold the majority of the market share. Even attempts to dismantle it as a monopoly have done very little to cut into its ubiquity.

When we open a browser and run a search, we forget that Google isn’t providing its search engine out of the goodness of its heart. Google is a for-profit business. 

What Changed in 2025

In 2025, Google made a series of changes. These changes reshaped how organic search results appear. The company expanded its Search Generative Experience (SGE). It now inserts AI-generated summaries at the top of many queries. This often pushes traditional organic listings farther down the page. 

Sponsored placements and Local Service Ads became even more prominent, taking up more valuable screen space at the top of the screen.  Often, users have to scroll down before they see unpaid results. For law firms, this shift means fewer opportunities for organic visibility and more competition for clicks.

How Firms Can Adapt

Firms must rethink their visibility strategy. Relying on organic rankings is no longer enough. Successful firms are diversifying. They are combining pay-per-click campaigns with localized SEO and content that provides value to users and is likely to become the quoted source for Google’s AI summary. 

They are also investing in Google Business Profile optimization, review management, and analytics to make sure that every marketing dollar drives growth. At PaperStreet, we take a blended approach that balances paid and organic strategies to maintain visibility in Google’s ever-changing landscape.

Takeaway for Law Firms

Google’s profit motives aren’t new, but in 2025, they seemed to be accelerating. Law firms that understand this and adapt will outperform those that rely only on outdated SEO tactics. The takeaway for law firms is simple: Don’t fight Google’s system; learn how to work with it. 

By investing in paid placements while maintaining organic visibility, firms can reach clients before competitors do. Staying flexible and data-driven will help your firm keep growing even as Google continues to change the rules.

Lesson Number 3: There Is Still Plenty of Room for Success on the Internet

The third thing we have learned is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The good news is that there is still plenty of room for legal digital marketing success on the internet, and you may not have to outspend your competitors if you learn to outthink them. 

The Myth of a Saturated Market

It’s no secret that 96% of all people searching for an attorney start online. Law firms have figured this out. One recent study estimates that 65% of legal marketing budgets are now spent online. The market is crowded, but it isn’t saturated. The key to success is differentiating your firm from the competition. You have to give clients a reason to choose you over the other firms on the page.   

What’s Working Now

Here are a few strategies that continue to work well for firms of all sizes:

• Specialize and stand out: Focus on niche practice areas or underserved communities. 
• Refresh your content: Update top-performing pages with new information.
• Double Down on FAQs: Google’s SGE needs resources for its answers.  It loves FAQs that are relevant to the user’s query. 
• Invest in video: Attorney introductions and explainer videos build trust and drive conversions.
• Update your local presence: Keep your Google Business Profile current, ask for reviews, and create localized blog content.
• Track your results: Use analytics tools to measure what works and change what doesn’t.

The firms that succeed online aren’t always the ones with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones that think strategically, adapt quickly, and stay consistent.

Takeaway for Law Firms

Even in a crowded digital world, the right strategy can make a small firm feel like a big player. The takeaway is simple: Success doesn’t belong only to the largest firms or the biggest budgets. It goes to those who know their audience, produce meaningful content, and consistently show up. Continue testing, learning, and improving, and your firm will continue to grow, regardless of how crowded the space becomes.

Why You Should Reflect Too

The end of the year is the perfect time to look back at what didn’t work and what did. Knowing what didn’t work allows us to take those lessons and file them under “don’t do that again.”  It also allows us to be clear about what did work so that we can double down on those strategies in the new year. 

We encourage you to reflect. Take a step back and evaluate what worked well for your firm this year and what didn’t. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities creates direction for 2026. One thing is clear: Change is constant, and success comes to those who adapt. 

If you’re ready to take a fresh look at your online presence and build a plan that works for 2026, reach out to PaperStreet today. Let’s create something that stands out and drives real results.