Guest article: Alistair Banks and Joe Caley, Optix Solutions
For more than two decades, law firms have been told the same story: optimise your website for Google, climb the rankings, and you’ll win new business. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) became a staple of legal marketing, as vital as networking events or referrals. But just as firms began to feel comfortable with the rules of the game, the rules have changed again and this time, the shift is seismic.
Enter Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
GEO is the discipline of ensuring your firm appears in AI-driven search platforms like Google’s AI Overviews (and AI Mode), Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Perplexity. Increasingly, these tools are not just suggesting links to websites, they are providing direct answers to prospective clients’ questions. If your firm’s expertise is absent from those answers, your visibility may significantly decline.
This was the central theme of a recent Optix Solutions session led by Alastair Banks, co-founder of the agency, and Joe Caley, one of the UK’s leading specialists in GEO. Optix has been working at the forefront of search for more than 25 years, from the early days of keyword stuffing in the 2000s to the rise of link-building, content-driven SEO, and now the shift into the AI-powered era.
Their message to the legal sector is simple: GEO isn’t a tweak, it’s a transformation.
From SEO to GEO: A brief history of search
Two decades ago, SEO was so simple. Stuff keywords into hidden page text or build doorway pages for phrases you want to ‘own’. Over time, Google evolved, rewarding more natural language, authoritative content and trusted brands.
Then, over the last two years came a new disruptor: AI-powered search. Tools like ChatGPT allow users to type questions such as “How do I challenge a will in England?” or “What are the options for a no-fault divorce?” and receive conversational, personalised answers. Instead of ten blue links, the user gets one AI-curated response. A response that may or may not feature your firm.
This is the crux of GEO. It’s about ensuring your expertise, brand and authority are structured and visible in ways AI engines can detect, trust and reproduce.
Why GEO matters
For law firms, GEO isn’t just another marketing acronym. It’s about future-proofing client acquisition and ensuring your business is staying ahead of the competition.
Clients are changing how they search: Instead of searching for keywords like ‘employment lawyer London‘, they’re asking more in-depth questions, such as ‘What are my rights if I’ve been unfairly dismissed?‘. Generative engines answer these questions directly with a more detailed response.
AI favours authority: GEO tools gravitate towards trustworthy brands, credible sources and widely cited content. Larger firms with established reputations may see disproportionate visibility, while smaller firms risk invisibility unless they double down on local trust signals.
High-stakes sector: Choosing a lawyer is not like choosing a restaurant. Clients want reassurance, authority and proof of expertise. If your firm isn’t referenced in AI-driven answers, your competitor will be.
The challenge for smaller firms
Joe Caley points out that GEO presents a particular challenge for smaller practices. AI platforms naturally gravitate towards well-known, frequently mentioned brands, which means that smaller firms are likely to see the biggest impact.
However, regional firms can still see success within AI-based search. The solution isn’t to fight national giants on their turf. Instead, it’s about owning your local space and targeting the right audience to reach the people who matter:
– Optimise for localised search queries (“family lawyer in Exeter”, “best conveyancer in Potters Bar”).
– Maintain and strengthen your Google Business Profile, highlighting key details and strengths.
– Leverage local digital PR – Aim to appear in local press, regional business directories, or community sponsorships that AI can pick up as signals of authority.
– Build your team’s personal brands on LinkedIn and other platforms where local business decision-makers engage.
In short: dominate locally before you attempt to compete nationally and no matter how large your firm is, you can see success.
Avoiding AI Slop
Alastair Banks warns against the temptation to churn out low-quality, AI-generated content, what’s increasingly known as ‘AI slop’. The legal profession, with its emphasis on precision and expertise, cannot afford to fall into this trap.
AI can and should be used as a drafting partner, generating ideas, structuring content, or suggesting first drafts. But human oversight and input is essential. What AI lacks and what clients value most in lawyers, is experience.
By utilising real-world experience, case insights and professional nuance into your content, you achieve two outcomes:
– Differentiation: Your content stands out from generic AI churn.
– Trust signals: AI engines can detect and prioritise content backed by credible, human expertise.
As Alastair put it: “AI can’t replicate experience. Lean into it, and you’ll win.”
Practical steps law firms can take now
So what does GEO readiness look like for a law firm today? Here are five steps you can look into straight away to maximise your potential within AI search:
1. Audit your visibility in generative search
Run test queries in Google AI Overviews, and tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. What answers do clients see for your practice areas? Are you mentioned at all? If so, how is your brand being mentioned and in what context?
2. Re-optimise for conversational queries
Clients ask questions in plain English, so your content should reflect this. Build articles, FAQs and guides around question-led searches: “How do I protect my intellectual property as a startup?”. Use content to answer questions directly.
3. Double sown on EEAT
Demonstrate Expertise, Experience, Authority and Trust across your site. Highlight accreditations, client testimonials, case studies, and thought leadership. Also utilise personal experience across your team. Show off your firm as best as possible!
4. Invest in digital PR
Mentions matter more than ever. External links, mentions and citations help to boost authority within your industry. Appear in trusted publications, legal directories, podcasts, and news outlets. These signals feed directly into AI engines’ trust frameworks.
5. Train your lawyers as digital voices
GEO isn’t just technical. Content is a huge part of performance within AI search, particularly content from experienced lawyers. LinkedIn posts, interviews, and commentaries written by your partners or associates help feed the wider digital ecosystem AI tools draw from.
The bigger picture
Generative Engine Optimisation is not a passing fad. It represents a massive change in how people are searching for information online. for law firms, it’s a structural shift in how prospective clients will find and evaluate legal services. The danger for firms is complacency: assuming GEO is simply “SEO with another name”. It’s not. It is completely rewriting online search behaviour.
GEO requires law firms to think holistically: not just about their website rankings, but about brand presence, authority signals and digital reputation across the web.
As Optix’s team emphasise, for forward-thinking firms, the upside is enormous. Law firms that embrace GEO early will not only protect their visibility but also differentiate themselves as modern, client-centric practices attuned to the way clients actually search today.
The question is not whether GEO will reshape the legal sector’s marketing landscape. It already has. The question is whether your firm will adapt in time.
Key takeaways for legal leaders
– GEO is the new frontier: appearing in AI search results will soon be as vital as traditional SEO rankings.
– Larger firms will benefit by default, but smaller firms can win locally by doubling down on regional authority and trust.
– Avoid low-quality “AI slop” content, lean into lived experience and expertise.
– Focus on EEAT, digital PR, and question-led content to future-proof visibility.
– Early adopters in the legal sector will gain a lasting competitive edge.
Alastair and Joe are part of the team at Optix Solutions, one of the UK’s leading digital marketing agencies based in Exeter, Devon. Optix partners with a wide range of professional services firms across the UK and internationally, and is a trusted delivery partner for PM Forum training in digital strategy and generative AI.
