Top-ranking law firms fall behind in online visibility, mobile performance and SEO, warns new report, threatening referrals and market position

New York, NY – July 9, 2025 – 9Sail, a leading digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, PPC and Digital PR for law firms, today released its second annual Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index, which offers an in-depth analysis of the digital presence and performance of the top 200 law firms in the United States, as ranked by The American Lawyer. 

Building upon the baselines established in the 2024 report, this year’s study expands significantly to introduce the Digital Visibility ScoreTM. This proprietary framework was developed by 9Sail to quantify law firm searchability, authority and technical health, giving firm leaders a clearer path to identify deficiencies and strengthen their online presence.  

9Sail’s 2025 Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index evaluates each of the Am Law 200 firms’ readiness to compete in a search-driven, AI-influenced marketplace, and collects data across three key categories, including technical performance, online authority and digital growth. This study indicates:

• 30% of the top 50 firms have failing mobile performance despite more than half of all website traffic now coming from mobile devices
• 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
• 72.4% of firms lost more than 1.41 billion links to their website year-over-year, eroding their authority and visibility in search

“The data shows that SEO is no longer just a marketing concern, it’s an operational one,” said Joe Giovannoli, CEO at 9Sail. “The law firms approaching digital infrastructure with the same discipline they apply to finance or compliance are the ones building real strategic advantages. They’re making it easier for referred clients to validate their reputation, strengthening trust at every checkpoint and protecting the opportunities that prestige and word-of-mouth can no longer guarantee.”

Many of those underperforming digitally are among the industry’s most prestigious firms, whose longstanding reputations may insulate them from the urgency to modernize. Meanwhile, more agile mid-tier competitors are moving quickly to improve speed, structure and user experience, and are quietly capturing the visibility and market share top firms are losing. 

“The risks aren’t hypothetical anymore, and digital underperformance has real financial consequences,” said Robyn Addis, CRO at 9Sail. “For a firm with $500 million in annual revenue, even a 0.5% loss in client acquisition or validation due to weak SEO and decreased visibility can mean $2.5 million in lost revenue. That’s not just a dip in traffic, it’s silent rejection from prospects who never make it past your website’s homepage.”

9Sail invites law firm leaders, marketers and business development professionals to a live webinar on July 16, 2025, at 12 PM ET. The research team will walk through key findings from the 2025 Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index and provide opportunities for listeners to ask questions in real-time. To sign up for the webinar, click here.

The full report is now available. 9Sail encourages law firms to explore the findings, request their own visibility score and evaluate what steps can be taken to strengthen their digital infrastructure.

About 9Sail: 9Sail is a premier digital marketing agency specializing in search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), and Digital PR for law firms across the United States. Founded in 2015, 9Sail partners with B2B and B2C legal practices to deliver data-driven marketing strategies that increase online visibility, generate qualified leads, and drive sustainable growth. With a dedicated team of experts, 9Sail is committed to transparency, measurable ROI, and aligning marketing efforts with clients’ business goals. For more information, visit www.9sail.com.

Media Contact: 

Bailey Wray
Account Manager
9Sail.com
[email protected]
(201) 632-1185