Agentic Marketing News recently featured Scott Berry, founder and president of MarketCrest, in an in-depth conversation about AI search, law firm marketing and how smaller firms can build a recognizable brand without trying to match the budgets of national competitors.
One of the central ideas Berry discusses is the shift from traditional SEO toward what he calls “Search Everywhere Optimization.” Prospective clients are no longer finding law firms through Google alone. They may encounter a firm through social media, YouTube, directories, maps, reviews, websites and increasingly, answers generated by large language models.
“SEO now kind of means Search Everywhere Optimization. You’ve got to be everywhere,” Berry told Agentic Marketing News.
But Berry cautions law firms against treating AI visibility as a reason to abandon marketing strategies that already produce results. In many cases, he says, firms have bigger opportunities within their existing advertising, intake, consultation and follow-up processes.
The interview also addresses the flood of AI-generated content that followed the arrival of widely available writing tools. Berry’s view is that AI can be useful for brainstorming and developing ideas, but publishing large amounts of content simply because the technology makes it easy isn’t an effective strategy.
Instead, he points to a strong digital presence and a clearly defined identity as important foundations for both traditional search and emerging AI discovery.
For smaller and boutique law firms, that creates an interesting opportunity. A firm can use its website, social platforms, video, podcasts, webinars and other channels to consistently establish what it does and what makes it different.
“If you push hard enough and publish enough, the LLMs will pick up on that, and you can cut ten years off your brand building,” Berry said.
While technology doesn’t erase the advertising budget advantage of larger competitors, Berry believes smaller firms now have more tools available to establish a distinctive brand and become visible across the places prospective clients search for information.
His broader message is to keep the fundamentals intact. Build a clear identity, publish useful content, establish a presence across relevant channels and continue investing in marketing and client acquisition systems that can demonstrate results.
Read the full interview on Agentic Marketing News:
Small Law Firms Can Finally Build a Brand That Outpunches Their Budget
