How we helped a global law firm build an AI search strategy across key markets

Sector

Legal Services

Services Delivered

GEO / AI Search Audit, AI Search Visibility Benchmarking, Competitor Analysis, Source Analysis, Multi-market Search Research, Strategic Recommendations

The Challenge

AI search is changing how buyers shortlist professional service providers.

For this leading global law firm, the question was no longer just how it performed in traditional search. It needed to understand whether it was being surfaced when prospective clients used AI platforms to research, compare and shortlist firms in its specialist areas.

The complexity was obvious from the start. Visibility varied by platform, by market, by search term, and by the sources each AI system appeared to trust. A strong presence in one environment did not guarantee visibility in another.

The client needed a clear view of where it stood, where competitors were gaining ground, and what actions would strengthen its visibility in the AI-driven search journeys increasingly shaping buyer decisions.

The Solution

We delivered a GEO and AI Search audit designed to turn a fast-moving, opaque landscape into a clear strategic picture.

Across ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity and Claude, and across the client’s five priority markets, we measured how often the firm and its competitors appeared for the key search terms prospective clients use when evaluating legal providers.

We then went deeper, analysing the websites and external sources influencing AI-generated responses in each market and on each platform.

The outcome was not just a benchmark. It was a practical strategy: one that showed the client where it was visible today, why certain competitors were appearing more prominently, and what needed to change to improve performance in the AI results that matter most.

What We Did

We started by identifying the high-value search terms that prospective clients use when researching and shortlisting law firms.

Using those terms as the foundation, we measured brand visibility across each platform and market combination, mapping where the client appeared, where it did not, and where competitors were consistently outperforming it.

Next, we analysed the sources behind the answers. For every LLM and country combination, we reviewed the websites, publishers and third-party references shaping AI responses. This helped us understand not just the outcomes, but the authority signals driving them.

We then compared the differences across search term, platform and country combinations to identify patterns, inconsistencies and opportunities.

Finally, we translated the findings into a focused LLM visibility strategy, with practical recommendations to improve discoverability, strengthen authority signals and increase presence in the AI-generated results influencing early-stage client research.

Why It Worked

This project worked because it treated AI search as a strategic visibility channel, not a one-off experiment.

Instead of looking at a single platform in isolation, we assessed the full landscape. Instead of relying on assumptions, we benchmarked actual performance across priority markets and commercially relevant search terms. And instead of stopping at surface-level visibility, we examined the sources and signals influencing the answers themselves.

That gave the client something far more valuable than a snapshot.

It gave them a structured understanding of how AI platforms were interpreting authority and relevance in their sector, and a clear plan to improve visibility where prospective clients are increasingly starting their research.

The Result

The client came away with a clear baseline for AI search visibility across its top five markets, a deeper understanding of which competitors were winning attention in AI-driven discovery journeys, and a strategic roadmap for improving its presence across the platforms shaping modern professional services research.

Most importantly, the engagement replaced uncertainty with clarity.

The firm could now see where it was already visible, where it was being overlooked, which external sources were influencing AI responses, and which actions would have the greatest impact on improving visibility in the next wave of search.