AI VISIBILITY AUDIT — LAW
Be the law firm AI recommends, not just the one it finds.
We scanned 112 London law firms, corporate, commercial, employment, litigation, real estate and technology practices, to see how they appear when prospective clients and business partners search on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Most are visible. Over 4 in 10 are being described in someone else's words, not their own. Here is what that means for who gets contacted.
By the numbers
55%
MarGen, 2026
51%
Of legal search queries now trigger a Google AI Overview, the highest rate of any industry tracked
Semrush analysis, 2026
87%
Average cost per lead on legal search ads, versus the cross-industry average
WordStream / LocaliQ, 2026
Why law clients and referrers are switching from Google to AI search
Prospective clients ask AI who to instruct long before they read a firm's website.
When someone needs a corporate lawyer, an employment specialist, a conveyancer or litigation counsel, they no longer open ten firm websites and compare. They ask ChatGPT. They ask Perplexity. They get an answer, and they act on it.
Most law firms already publish accurate, well-written information about what they do. The gap sits a layer deeper, in entity clarity and decision-journey readiness, which is where standard SEO and GEO tools stop looking.
The firms in that answer are not always the strongest practices or the deepest expertise. They are the ones whose specialism, track record and credentials are structured in a way AI can read, verify and cite with confidence. If that information exists on your site but isn't retrievable, AI falls back on whatever third-party source is easiest to parse, a legal directory, a review platform, a ranking site, and tells your story instead of you.
What we found scanning 112 London law firms
We ran structured AI visibility scans across 112 London law firms, testing how each appeared across five prompt types on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. We tested what happened when large language models were asked to identify, compare and recommend firms for a specific practice area. Across all 112 firms, the average visibility score was 56.2 out of 100.
42%
Found, but not in their own words
Visible in AI search, but described using Legal 500, Chambers, ReviewSolicitors or a similar directory, rather than anything the firm itself has published.
69%
Not yet appearing consistently for their specific practice area, before representation even becomes the issue.
Medium or Low Visibility
Scans conducted across London aesthetic clinics and cosmetic surgery practices. Prompt types tested: unbranded treatment search, decision query, comparison query, specific treatment query, branded query.
What an AI visibility audit for law firms reveals
These are the patterns we see most often. None of them require a website rebuild.
All of them have a fix.
1
Being visible and being represented accurately are two different problems
Most of the firms we scanned show up in AI search. Over four in ten of those are still described using a directory's language rather than their own, which means the firm gets found, but doesn't get to say what makes it different.
2
Your practice area gets flattened into "a solicitor"
An employment specialist, a corporate M&A team, and a real estate practice can all get described the same vague way if the site doesn't state clearly and specifically what the firm actually does, at what level, and for whom.
3
Credentials and track record aren't structured for retrieval
SRA registration, named partners, deal or case history, client outcomes, these usually exist somewhere on the site, but often in a format (PDFs, footers, generic About pages) AI can't reliably extract and cite with confidence, so it defaults to a directory instead.
4
Your highest-intent visitors arrive to a page that doesn't confirm the fit
Someone who reached you through AI has usually already narrowed their search. If the page they land on doesn't immediately confirm the practice area and credibility they were told about, that moment is lost, regardless of how visible the firm was to begin with.
What Makes Xyra Different
An AI Readiness and Buyer Journey Audit
Most GEO tools tell you whether AI can find your website. Xyra assesses and benchmarks whether AI can find you, understand you, recommend you, and convert the buyers it sends your way.
For law firms, that means testing whether your practice areas, credentials and track record are structured well enough for AI to find, verify and recommend you ahead of a directory.
Three ways to work with us
Start where you need to. Most clinics begin with Diagnose to understand where they stand, then move to Fix once priorities are clear.
All engagements start from £699.
Tier 1 - Diagnose
AI visibility score across 30 items. Top issues identified and ranked. Clear view of where you stand vs competitors. Delivered as a structured report.
Tier 2 - Understand
Full annotated audit across all four pillars. Specific UX and content recommendations. Conversion friction analysis. Prioritised by revenue impact.
Tier 3 - Fix
Everything in Understand. 90-day prioritised roadmap. Backlog ready for your team to action. Optional implementation support.
Exact scope and tier confirmed at point of enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
1
Why isn't my firm appearing in ChatGPT or Perplexity results?
The most common reason is that your practice area and credentials are not structured in a way large language models can extract and use to answer a prospective client's question. AI systems do not read websites the way humans do. They look for content that directly states what your firm does, for whom, and with what evidence, supported by external signals such as your SRA registration and track record. If those elements are missing or poorly structured, AI defaults to a directory, or bypasses your firm in favour of one whose content is easier to retrieve.
2
What is the difference between SEO and GEO for law firms?
SEO optimises your website to rank in traditional search results. Generative engine optimisation, GEO, optimises your content and structure to be retrieved, cited and recommended by AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. For law firms, the distinction matters because AI-referred prospects behave differently: they arrive already having narrowed their search and formed an initial view of who to instruct. Being ranked on Google does not guarantee AI will describe you accurately, or describe you at all.
3
How do I get my firm recommended by AI instead of a directory?
Being described accurately by AI requires three things to work together: your practice area and credentials must be structured so AI can extract clear, specific evidence rather than falling back on a directory; your entity, what your firm does, who it serves, and what sets it apart, must be consistent and readable across your site; and the page a prospective client lands on must confirm what AI told them to expect. Most law firms address none of these consistently. An AI Readiness UX Audit identifies exactly where the gaps are and what to fix first.
4
Does Xyra Foundry only audit law firms?
No. Law is one of several high-consideration sectors we audit, alongside finance firms, SaaS and B2B software companies, aesthetic clinics and cosmetic surgery, and home care providers. Each sector page reflects the specific prompts, competitors and trust signals buyers use in that category.