Elmfields

Google’s May I/O update shows that Search is moving towards longer, more detailed, AI-led searches.

Not every prospective client is going to start using AI Mode tomorrow, but Google is showing us the direction of travel.

Search is becoming less static, less keyword-led and much more dynamic.

So what are the changes?
And what do they mean for law firms?

We break it down.

Elmfields

Chambers USA 2027 brings new sections, deadline changes and Nationwide referee updates - with some submissions due on 16 July 2026, 6 August 2026 and 3 September 2026.

Included in the changes:

▫️New submission opportunities across state and Nationwide categories e.g. litigation, insurance, public finance, life sciences, technology, product liability, national security, digital infrastructure and more.

▫️Revised deadlines for a number of existing sections to move research away from pinch-points in the year and reduce the amount of research taking place over the Thanksgiving holiday - with changes affecting several jurisdictions including California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and DC, as well as the Nationwide transportation categories.

▫️Updates to the list of Nationwide sections where Chambers does not accept referee lists.

As “near me” searches took off, a few businesses leaned all the way in - skipping the creative process entirely and heading straight for what people were typing into Google.

At some point in the early 2010s - as Google became the new Yellow Pages - a familiar instinct re-emerged, this time with a digital twist.

If people were searching “[service] near me”, why not just… become “[service] near me”?

While names like this might have helped businesses be found, we aren't sure it helped them be remembered.

The alternative? Using search data to inform strategy, rather than define identity.

Because while “[service] near me” businesses might’ve won the click, we doubt they alone won the client.

Still, it’s a great reminder being easy to find and easy to remember aren’t always the same thing.