AI Engines Don’t Guess, They Cite
Answer engines don’t guess, they cite. If your firm isn’t in those citations, you’re invisible at the exact moment clients decide.
In the old SEO world, the game was “rank on page one.” Today, experiences like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), Bing Copilot, Perplexity, and ChatGPT with browsing give users a direct answer and then show just a few sources. Your job is to become one of those sources.“AI search engines don’t recommend lawyers at random, they cite firms that look authoritative, consistent, and trustworthy.” Jeff Howell, Lex Wire
What Determines Whether You’re Cited
1) Structured Citations
Consistency across bar directories, Google Business Profile, reputable legal listings, thought leadership, and your site. Think of these as your digital fingerprints. If they’re missing or mismatched, engines hesitate to cite you.2) Schema Markup
The machine-readable layer that turns “words on a page” into verified context—LegalService, Person, jurisdictions, practice areas, credentials, reviews, FAQs, and media.
3) Authority Assets
Press releases, law-review style articles, CLEs, interviews, and podcasts published on credible outlets. Engines cross-check these to confirm you’re safe to cite.Old SEO vs. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
- SEO: volume, keywords, backlinks, blog mills.
- AEO: structured answers, clean entities, corroboration, and compliance signals that make you cite-worthy.
“Blogs alone won’t cut it. Structure your authority and earn corroboration, then AI can’t ignore you.” Jeff Howell
Make Your Firm Cite-Worthy in 30 Days
- Fix NAP + jurisdiction consistency across bar profiles and GBP.
- Add schema to attorney bios and core practice pages (FAQs + reviews where allowed).
- Publish one authority asset (press release, CLE recap, or Law Review–style article) and syndicate responsibly.
- Embed one short video with transcript on a core page; mark up with
VideoObject.
Related Guides in This Silo
- Your Outsourced AI Department: How Law Firms Can Compete Without Hiring
- How AI Transforms Law Firm Marketing & Operations
- Generative AI in Legal Research: What Lawyers Need to Know Now
- How AI Is Reshaping Client Intake & Communication
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t this just “better SEO”?
No. SEO earns rankings; AEO earns citations inside answers. That requires structure, corroboration, and compliance, not just more posts.What’s the fastest signal to improve?
Entity clarity: fix NAP and jurisdictions across bar listings, GBP, and your site; addLegalService/Person schema with FAQs.
Do small firms stand a chance?
Yes. Clear structure + credible mentions often beat raw domain size. Engines elevate the most trustworthy sources, not the noisiest.Where should we publish authority assets?
Use reputable legal media and bar outlets, then link back to your structured practice pages. See our Professional Services for press options.
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