The rise of new search platforms such as Chat GPT, Gemini, and Claude have risen to a new frontier in how clients research select law firms. You need to start asking:
- Are your potential clients using Chat GPT and/or Gemini to find service providers?
- Is your website a recommended option in these platforms?
- What can you do to get visibility from these platforms?
We should also remember that AI platforms aren’t only used when connected to a search, you want to be visible in the native versions of the AI platforms as well.
At Majux, we help law firms gain visibility on search engines, not just Google. Now, we have yet another search engine to contend with. Learn more about AI visibility here, and if you need help, get in touch for a free consultation.
Chat GPT Pulls Directly From a Rotating List of Sources, Citations, and Bing
Chat GPT’s search engine capabilities are powered by Bing. This won’t change any time soon because of the partnership between Bing and Chat GPT.
Why This Matters
Generally speaking, search engine optimization strategies that apply to Google also apply to Bing. The only difference is that Bing is not nearly as powerful. But good content, backlinks, reviews, site speed and other factors still help you rank well on Bing.
That said, you need to check on your Bing rankings. Are you visible on Bing search? If not – you will likely not rank well on Chat GPT when people search for things like, “what is the best personal injury law firm in Milwaukee?”
This is causing many marketers to dust off their Bing Webmaster Tools logins to make sure everything looks optimized and healthy. Consider setting up Bing keyword tracking as well.
Bing Maps Visibility
Did you know that Bing Maps rankings do not perfectly mirror Google Maps rankings? Do you know where you rank on Bing Maps? Do you even have a Bing Maps profile in place?
It’s time to look into these questions. We set Bing maps profiles up for our clients, and it’s a different process than Google – in fact, Bing still uses the antiquated postcard verification process.
Furthermore, Bing Maps pulls in reviews from third-party sources like Facebook and Yelp. You have to manually log into Bing Maps and set up this connection if you want your listing to rank.
Chat GPT Web Search Relies Heavily on Bing Maps Rankings
We have identified cases where certain law firms who dominate Google Search, both in the map pack and regular rankings, do not rank well in Bing Maps. By extension, the firms don’t rank well in Chat GPT’s internet search feature either. This is now a critical issue.
To fix this, we recommend setting up your Bing Maps profile, claiming ownership of it, filling out the profile with new and updated information, and connecting your Facebook and Yelp reviews. If you don’t have reviews on those platforms, you will need to get some.
What Does Gemini Base its Results On?
Gemini operates within Google’s ecosystem, so to a certain extent, Google search visibility is a foundational piece of visibility within Gemini search. Similarly to ChatGPT, Gemini also uses a rotating collection of third-party websites as citations for its results.
Brand Mentions on Authoritative Sites
Chat GPT and Gemini Rely on Brand Mentions
Chat GPT and Gemini rely on their own training model to push results, and this is simply information scraped from a huge web archive. Sites that get recommended on these platforms generally:
- Have a significant number of brand mentions on authoritative sites – irregardless of backlinks
- Are cited on third-party sites for resources such as ‘The Best XYZ Attorneys in [Geography]”
- Have good case studies and user reviews on third-party sites
- In general, have a well-known reputation
AI platforms are typically not capable of finding “diamonds in the rough”, or websites that don’t have a volume of PR, but offer a tremendous amount of value. To rank on Gemini and Chat GPT’s native apps (not the webs search feature), you will need to accumulate legitimate brand mentions, and wait for the training model to update.
Does your firm have profiles on sites like:
- AVVO
- Expertise.com
- SuperLawyers
- The US News & World Report law firm directory
These are important places to start.
User generated content sites like Reddit and Quora also feed Chat GPT and Gemini, for better or worse. If you don’t have a single brand mention on those sites, or other important industry sites, consider working on bolstering your presence.
We Help Law Firms Get Visibility on Chat GPT and Gemini
If you do not have any visibility in AI search, send us a note. We would be happy to look at your online profile and put together a strategy for catching up with the times.
It may be as simple as improving your footprint for the citations that AI is using to rank your competitors, or it may include finding PR opportunities for your firm. No two AI results are alike, and we will create a custom plan for your firm.
