What AI Tools Like ChatGPT Look for Before Recommending a Lawyer
If you want to be recommended by AI, your content needs to be structured for machines—not just humans.
Most lawyers still think in terms of SEO: ranking higher in Google, buying PPC ads, or stuffing keywords into service pages.
But here's what many are missing: AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are now the new front door to referrals.
The numbers prove it:
90% of Google searches now include AI overviews
73% of professionals use AI tools for research
1 billion+ daily queries on ChatGPT alone
And they don't "rank" pages. They answer questions.
So What Makes One Law Firm Show Up and Not Another?
It's not always the one with the most billboards. It's not even the one with the most backlinks.
It's the one whose website structure, content clarity, and topic authority help AI engines quickly recognize them as a trusted source.
At RottenPages, we've analyzed thousands of AI queries to understand exactly what makes law firms get recommended. Here's what we've discovered:
What AI Models Are Scanning for When Deciding Who to Mention
1. Content That Matches Real Questions
AI tools are trained on user behavior. They've learned how people ask, not how marketers write.
❌ Bad example: "We are a leading personal injury law firm in Denver with decades of experience."
✅ Better example: "If you were hurt in a car accident in Denver and aren't sure what to do next, here's what the law says, and when you should call a lawyer."
See the difference? The second example matches how real people think and ask questions.
2. Semantic Clarity
LLMs need context to pull answers confidently. Instead of writing vague headers like "Our Services," use:
"Car Accident Lawyer in Denver"
"Slip and Fall Claim Help in Colorado"
"When Should You Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?"
If your subheadings and paragraphs are clear and specific, AI can understand and quote them directly.
3. Structured Content
AI engines love clean, structured pages. That means:
✅ Short paragraphs
✅ Bolded answers
✅ Bullet points
✅ Proper headers (H1, H2, etc.)
✅ Schema markup like FAQs or How-To's
Don't bury your best content halfway down a page under fluff. Make it easy to crawl and easy to extract.
4. Authority Signals
ChatGPT and Perplexity cite what they trust.
If you've been mentioned in legal directories, media outlets, or high-quality blogs—AI sees that.
Even better? If other sources mention your name (like: "Attorney Leah Kabli, who specializes in AI visibility for lawyers...") that tells the model you're an expert.
Real Results from Proper AI Optimization
—> Personal Injury Firm (Texas):
Before: Generic content, 0% AI visibility
After: Structured Q&A format, clear practice area pages
Result: 85% AI visibility, clients calling from ChatGPT recommendations
—> Family Law Practice (California):
Before: Marketing-speak, buried content
After: Direct answers to common divorce questions
Result: Top-recommended for divorce queries, 40% more consultations
The RottenPages Advantage
At RottenPages, we've developed Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies based on analyzing how AI actually processes and cites legal content.
Founded by Leah Kabli (UCLA Law graduate and practicing attorney), we understand both the legal industry and AI optimization requirements.
Our analysis reveals:
Which content structures AI prefers for legal topics
How to format answers for maximum citation potential
Authority signals that build AI trust
Technical optimizations that improve AI comprehension
Final Thought: AI Engines Don't Care If You Look "Pretty"
✅ They care if they can understand you.
✅ This is your opportunity to teach the machine how to trust you.
✅ That's the future of legal marketing.
While your competitors focus on traditional SEO and pretty websites, the firms that master AI-readable content will dominate referrals for years to come.
Ready to See What AI Actually Thinks of Your Firm?
Most law firms have no idea how AI perceives their content. They assume their website works for AI the same way it works for humans. It doesn't.
We'll run your firm through the same analysis AI engines use, then show you exactly:
✅ What's working (and why AI cites it)
✅ What's missing (and why you're invisible)
✅ Which fixes will have the biggest impact on visibility
✅ How to structure content for maximum AI comprehension
✅ Authority signals to build AI trust
Complete analysis across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity & Google AI with specific implementation strategy.
Complete technical analysis with video explanation delivered in 5-7 business days.
About the Author: Leah Kabli is a UCLA Law graduate and practicing attorney who founded RottenPages to help law firms dominate AI search results. Follow her insights on legal AI marketing at Leah the Lawyer.