A website is often a client or potential client’s first impression of a law firm. In a landscape where most research begins online, and often on a mobile device, digital visibility has become an important measure of competitiveness. To assist firms in measuring the success of their websites and give them a clearer way to understand how they perform in digital spaces against competitors, 9Sail created the Am Law 200 Digital Visibility Index.

The team at 9Sail saw a widening gap between traditional success markers and the way clients and recruits now discover and evaluate firms. They also recognized that the industry lacked a benchmark to compare how well firms could be found and understood online. As a result, this study offers a unique, more scientific and tactically valuable comparative perspective to the traditional ranking of firms by revenue – and how those ranking influence brand and digital value as well as impact the actions of clients or others. The study uniquely defines “digital visibility” by identifying three key components that reflects real user behavior.

Three Study Components and Scoring Visibility

In the study, each firm received a score out of a potential 100 based on three components:

• Growth: Accounting for 40% of the score, it measures traffic trends and reach.
• Authority: This comprises 20% and evaluates backlinks and mentions, which helps balance the influence of firms with larger public relations resources.
• Technical performance: Representing 40% of the score, it includes site speed, mobile readiness, search structure and overall user experience on both desktop and mobile.

This scoring structure creates a balanced comparison between firms of different sizes and challenges the common assumption that larger budgets always lead to stronger performance. The findings show a very different scenario.

“We built this report because we wanted to give the legal industry a clearer, more honest picture of what drives digital competitiveness today. Too many rankings rely only on perception or prestige outcomes, and that doesn’t help firms understand where they’re actually and technologically strong or where they’re falling behind,” said Robyn Addis, 9Sail’s chief revenue officer. “Our methodology had to be unbiased and data-first. Every part of the score ties back to measurable signals like site performance, content momentum and authority. That way, any firm (whether they’re number 10 or number 180 in revenue) can see exactly where they stand and what steps will move the needle.”

Digital Visibility Influences Both Perception and Opportunity

Digital visibility data can score the various ways a law firm site meets client needs. In addition to measuring ease of use and speed of loading, particularly on a mobile site, it can indicate whether its layout and content are easy to navigate. Together, these factors influence both perception and opportunity. A strong digital presence can support business development and recruiting while weak performance often indicates an underinvestment in key infrastructure.

The index shows a very different hierarchy from the Am Law 200 revenue rankings. Some midsize firms with modest financial positions performed well because they have invested in mobile-friendly design, speedier mobile load times and easy-to-navigate content pathways. Many of the highest earning firms ranked lower because the mobile experience was slow, difficult to use or poorly optimized. If a site does not load quickly or if users cannot easily find what they need, they leave within seconds – and that is a lost opportunity!

Technological Performance Before Content

Authority and growth also play important roles in the ranking. Some firms achieved authority scores because their content was widely cited on other sites or shared while others showed strong growth due to the amount of thought leadership featured. However, some firms with strengths in authority and/or growth often ranked lower because slow or outdated technical performance overshadowed these authority advantages. This reinforces a critical finding of the report: Technical performance can determine whether a firm’s content efforts pay off. While this may sound a bit revolutionary, technical performance must come before content – if a site doesn’t work, the content can’t be delivered.

Many of the lower-ranked firms often experienced similar issues. They were not held back by a lack of content or reputation but by slow mobile performance, broken elements, difficult navigation or infrastructure that no longer supports modern search behavior.

Artificial Intelligence Will Impact Digital Visibility

Artificial intelligence (AI) and the rapid rise of generative engine searches will continue to shape digital visibility, which will increasingly depend on how well a firm’s content is structured, cited and contextually relevant within AI-generated search results. Firms that establish strong technical foundations will be better positioned to adapt and ensure they are not only discoverable but recommended by generative engines.
Looking ahead, 9Sail expects the index to evolve as AI search, generative engine optimization and structured data shape visibility. The next report, planned for spring 2026, may include new metrics to reflect emerging patterns in user behavior and how content is interpreted by machine-generated results. Although trends like AI-enhanced searches will influence the industry, many firms are not yet ready for the technical demands these systems require.

The Top Five Law Firms

Greenspoon Marder, ranked 179 by Am Law in revenue, topped the index. The firm earned a perfect technical score of 100, reflecting strong performance in core web vitals and site speed on both mobile and desktop. Second on the list was Hinshaw & Culbertson, ranked 161 in revenue but lifted by strong growth and a high technical score. Akerman, Epstein Becker & Green, and Sullivan & Cromwell completed the top five. These leaders highlight the disconnect between financial rankings and digital performance – firms that excel in visibility are not always the highest earners. Many outperformed expectations by focusing on speed, usability and mobile readiness while larger firms lagged.

Rankings Among the Law Firm Elite

Among elite firms, the picture is mixed. Gibson Dunn ranked seventh, and Cleary Gottlieb placed eighth while others struggled. Skadden ranked 26, Jones Day ranked 50, and Kirkland & Ellis – the top firm by revenue – ranked 148. Latham & Watkins, second by revenue, ranked 195. These results show that even global firms can fall behind in visibility if their sites lack the technical performance that modern visitors expect.

Recommendations for All Firms

For firms that want to take immediate action, the first step is to address technical fundamentals. Improving mobile load time and simplifying navigation can quickly enhance user experience. Even small improvements such as optimizing image sizes or fixing broken links can significantly improve user satisfaction.

The index can provide great value to law firm marketing leaders, particularly those contemplating a new site or a refresh of their existing one, who can use the study to advocate for overdue investments. Chief marketing officers often focus on technical needs while managing partners look at how visibility connects to revenue, market reputation and talent recruitment. A strong digital presence can support business development and recruiting while weak performance often indicates an underinvestment in key infrastructure.

The goal of the 9Sail study was to provide credible research that helps firms understand their digital positions, identify needed areas of improvement and encourage leaders to treat digital visibility as a business driver and a way to keep users engaged.

The long-term goal of the index is to help the legal industry adopt visibility as a meaningful benchmark that stands alongside revenue and profitability. Firms that treat visibility as an ongoing priority will be better positioned as search behavior and user expectations continue to evolve.

“The risks aren’t hypothetical anymore, and digital underperformance has real financial consequences,” Addis said. “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.”

As firms look ahead to website redesigns planned for 2026, the findings of this report serve as a wake-up call. Digital visibility is no longer a cosmetic exercise but a measure of how effectively a firm meets the expectations of clients, recruits and referral sources. The start of a new year offers the right moment for all firms to evaluate technical performance, mobile readiness, content clarity and overall ease of use. Firms that take stock of their digital visibility now will be better positioned to compete in a market where first impressions are formed long before a pitch meeting and where search behavior and user expectations continue to evolve at a rapid pace.

Beth Huffman, a vice president at Poston Communications, has more than 40 years of experience in communications, media and marketing. She has spent the last two decades helping major law firms, legal organizations and their global clients create strategic narratives that elevated their reputations and work.

Dave Poston is the CEO and general counsel of Poston Communications. He is an attorney who has worked as a legal business development, marketing and communications professional for the last 30 years.

Reprinted with permission from the December 22, 2025 edition of The Legal Intelligencer © 2025 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited, contact 877-257-3382 or reprints@alm.com.