Want to Appear First in Google’s AI Overviews? Here’s How Smart Estate Planning Lawyers Are Doing It
By Foster Web Marketing
You’re casually researching how your firm shows up in search results when something unexpected catches your eye. Above the typical blue links sits a sleek, AI-generated summary—answering questions about wills, trusts, and probate. It’s informative. It’s high up. And your practice isn’t mentioned anywhere. But your biggest competitor? Their estate planning firm is right there, front and center.
This isn’t just a subtle evolution. It’s a fundamental transformation in how potential clients discover estate planning attorneys. A March 2025 analysis by Semrush showed that 13.14% of all Google queries now trigger AI overviews—a number that nearly doubled from January. Legal topics, especially those related to family, finances, and planning, are increasingly part of this AI spotlight. If your firm isn’t featured, you’re missing out on visibility, trust, and potential clients.
At Foster Consulting®, we help estate planning attorneys stand out in this AI-first search landscape with our Perfect Practice System©—an approach that aligns your legal expertise with how Google selects and showcases content.
About Google’s AI Overview Selection Criteria
Google’s AI doesn’t choose sources randomly. It follows specific criteria designed to ensure quality, authority, and clarity. For estate planning attorneys, that means:
- In-depth legal content wins. AI favors content that directly and thoroughly answers common client questions. Your article on revocable trusts should explain what they are, how they work, tax implications, and when they’re most appropriate—making it easy for the reader to understand why this trust type is a vital part of a comprehensive estate planning strategy.
- Authority and legal credibility matter. Your website should clearly display your credentials, bar admissions, years of experience, and any board certifications. You’ll also want to link to legal publications or court case references. Demonstrating your authority in as many ways as possible helps AI trust your content.
- Updated content drives relevance. Estate laws and tax regulations evolve. Keeping your site current with the latest legislation (state-specific, especially) increases the likelihood you’ll be selected by for Google AI overviews.
How to Create AI-Friendly Content Structures
AI systems digest content differently from human readers. Structuring your legal content with these patterns in mind gives your firm an edge:
- Lead with common client questions. Organize content around queries like “What’s the difference between a will and a trust?” or “Do I need an estate plan if I’m under 40?” Google’s AI often highlights content that gives direct, well-structured answers to such questions.
- Implement structured data markup. Use schema markup for legal services that includes your practice area, jurisdiction, credentials, and contact information. This helps AI understand the scope and focus of your services. At Foster Consulting®, our websites are powered by DSS (Dynamic Self-Syndication)™ software that handles this automatically on your behalf.
- Support claims with citations and references. When discussing probate timelines or trust taxation, reference legal statutes, IRS guidelines, or notable case law. This builds credibility and increases the likelihood of AI inclusion.
Tips for Establishing Your Firm’s Topical Authority
To be featured consistently, your site needs more than one well-written page. Google’s AI looks for consistent, quality content across your niche. Here’s what we recommend:
- Deep dive into estate planning subtopics. If your strength is elder law or high-net-worth planning, build robust resources around those. Create content that covers durable powers of attorney, Medicaid trusts, long-term care planning, and fiduciary responsibilities.
- Map the client journey. Develop clusters of content that guide users from discovery to resolution. For instance, a “probate process” cluster might include timelines, executor duties, legal fees, and potential pitfalls.
- Debunk legal myths. Many users have outdated or incorrect assumptions. Address these with content like “Do all estates go through probate?” or “Can a handwritten will be legally valid?”—topics that often trigger AI overviews due to their high search volume and relevance.
Content creation at the level Google wants can be time-consuming, even if you’re utilizing the latest AI tools. Our team of experienced content writers offers content services to fit every budget, whether you’re looking for fresh content each month or assistance with lead-generation offers and other one-time projects.
Ready to Lead in Google’s AI-Powered Search?
Whether you want to increase referrals, grow your client base, or become the top name in your area, it starts with being visible when people need you most. Foster Consulting® helps estate planning firms like yours master the new rules of search visibility and build a roadmap to AI success.
Book your free strategic content performance review today—and let’s position your practice not just to keep up, but to lead.
Start Building Your Video Presence Today
Consistently producing content targeted at the phases of the buyer’s journey offers three key advantages. The most successful estate planning attorneys we work with understand that video marketing isn’t a project—it’s an ongoing process that builds momentum over time. Foster Consulting®’s Perfect Practice System© provides the strategy, production support, and distribution systems that make consistent video marketing possible—even for busy attorneys like you.
Contact our team today for a comprehensive video marketing assessment. We’ll analyze your current approach, identify opportunities for improvement, and provide a roadmap to build a consistent video presence that attracts your ideal estate planning clients.
ABOUT FOSTER WEB MARKETING
Since 1998, Foster Web Marketing has provided boutique website design and digital marketing services to lawyers, doctors, and other professionals across the U.S. and around the world. We use our in-house website design, content writing, search engine optimization, and coaching teams to strategize more effective marketing plans for our clients. We also provide powerful marketing software that supports businesses in attracting their “perfect clients” and achieving consistent success online.
Foster Web Marketing is the current web designer of nationally renowned estate planning attorney and Ultimate Estate Planner’s President, Philip Kavesh’s, law firm’s website. Take a look at www.kaveshlaw.com.
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