Getting recommended by AI search (sometimes called GEO, or generative engine optimization) isn't a separate trick. It builds on the same things that make a firm show up in Google. In our 100-city AI study, Google organic ranking and Google review count were the strongest predictors of a firm being named on every AI engine we tested.
This checklist is organized in layers. Layers 1 and 2 cover what the firm controls on its own website. Layers 3 to 6 cover what other sites say about the firm. Layer 7 is how to tell whether any of it is working. Each layer relies on the ones under it, so start at the foundation.
Tick the boxes as you go. Your progress is saved in your browser.
What's Not on This List
Some popular AI search advice doesn't hold up for law firms.
- Schema markup
- Google says no special schema.org structured data is needed for AI Overviews or AI Mode (Google Search Central). The rich results lawyers used to get are gone too. Review stars stopped showing for businesses that control their own reviews in 2019 (Google), and FAQ rich results were removed for every site on May 7, 2026 (Search Engine Journal). Tests suggest most LLMs don't read on-page schema (Search Engine Land).
- llms.txt and other "AI files"
- Google says no new machine-readable files or AI text files are needed to appear in its AI features (Google Search Central).
Want Help Working Through It?
Umbrella Visibility is our service that covers every layer on this list: SEO and AI visibility, original content, authority links, reviews and PR.
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