Happy October! The leaves are turning, the decorations are out, and the scariest thing haunting most law firms right now isn’t a ghost. It’s a Q4 marketing plan that still says “TBD.”
This month’s edition is all treat, no trick. AI Overviews are showing up on far more branded searches, Meta and ChatGPT are both rolling out new ad options, and Google just wrapped its longest spam update of the year. We’re also going pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’ve got fresh reads on legal directories and LinkedIn that will help your firm get found by real people and AI tools alike.
Grab your coffee (pumpkin spice is optional, but encouraged). Here are the updates for this month 👇
🔍 Search
Google AI Overviews jumped from 26% to 80% of branded queries. Translation: when someone searches your firm’s name, there’s a good chance an AI summary is the first thing they read about you, before your website. That summary pulls from your reviews, directory listings, and profiles across the web, so keeping that information accurate and consistent is no longer optional. AI visibility needs to stay at the top of your marketing priorities.
Google’s September 2026 spam update is complete. It took nearly 14 days, making it the longest spam update of 2026 so far. For comparison, the March, June, and August spam updates each wrapped in under three days. If you noticed ranking movement, compare your Search Console data from before, during, and after the September 24 to October 8 rollout window before drawing conclusions. A temporary dip doesn’t automatically mean the update hit you.
Google is moving inline links higher in more AI search responses. Sources will sit closer to the top of the answer, which means more visibility and more potential clicks for the sites being cited. One more reason to make sure your firm’s content is the kind AI wants to cite.
🤖AI
Meta’s new AI assistant, Muse, is collecting a lot of personal data. Muse is built to help users with daily tasks and relationships, and to do that, it takes in more personal information than any of Meta’s other apps have needed. Security researchers found it builds detailed profiles of the people in a user’s life. Worth noting: Meta makes 97% of its revenue from advertising, so at least some of these insights are likely to shape ad targeting. For law firms, that’s a two-part takeaway. Expect Meta’s targeting to keep getting more granular, and remind your team to keep client information far away from consumer AI assistants. Need a refresher? Our AI Data Privacy and Security Guidelines for Law Firms has you covered.
🌐Digital Advertising
ChatGPT Ads introduced new measurement tools and visual ad formats. Updates include more measurement partners, a redesigned conversions page, weekly performance emails, in-platform feedback, and more visual ad options. Better reporting means clearer ROI, and the new formats leave more room for creative that actually stands out. We’re keeping a close eye on how these perform for legal advertisers.
📱Social Media
Meta announced new brand advertising formats across Facebook and Instagram, including ad super bursts and first impression ads. These options are still in testing, and we’ll share how attorneys can put them to work as they roll out more widely.
Stay LAWsome–We’ll See You Again Next Month!
That’s a wrap on October! Between AI summaries greeting people who search your firm’s name and new ad formats popping up faster than trick-or-treaters on your porch, there’s a lot to keep track of. The good news is you don’t have to chase every update yourself. That’s what we’re here for.
Wondering how any of these changes affect your firm’s Q4 plans? Reach out to the Consultwebs team and let’s make sure your strategy is ready for the home stretch.
Until next time, stay spooky, schedule that screening, and we’ll catch you in November! 🎃
