The rise of generative artificial intelligence has created a new discipline in digital marketing, and law firms are increasingly being urged to take notice of its implications.
Generative engine optimisation, known as GEO, has emerged as a parallel practice to the long-established discipline of search engine optimisation, or SEO, as AI tools begin answering user queries directly.
While GEO and SEO can complement each other and work together effectively, there are specific areas where achieving maximum AI readability requires tailored adjustments to a law firm’s website.
An AI readability audit helps firms and their digital marketing teams identify those areas and apply any changes that may be needed to remain visible in AI-generated search results.
Many of the steps involved in such an audit are engineered around the specific needs of large language models and the ways they read websites, gather data, and process information.
In some cases, the adjustments a firm may wish to make following an audit can also affect how a site appears to ordinary visitors browsing through conventional web browsers.
Structured data and schema markup represent one of the core areas of focus, with recommendations to apply schema tags such as LocalBusiness to optimise for local search across site pages and social media surfaces.
Markup is also recommended for “About” pages, articles pages, and practice area pages, ensuring that AI systems can extract and interpret key information about a firm’s services accurately.
A further feature check specific to large language models involves llms.txt files, which are formatted in Markdown and added to a website’s root directory to provide condensed reference information as AI systems scan a site.
Mobile-first readability is another priority, with guidance emphasising that firms should test each page for readability and navigability beginning with the smallest screen sizes that visitors might use.
On the evolving relationship between schema tags and AI readability, the degree to which such markup translates into citation links remains a moving target, since both large language models and search engine algorithms are constantly being revised.
Despite that uncertainty, the practical conclusion drawn is clear: “there is no downside to structured data,” with the approach described as “a low-cost intervention with potentially high rewards and virtually no risk.”
Law firms that delay conducting an AI readability audit risk losing ground in an increasingly competitive digital environment where generative AI is reshaping how potential clients discover legal services.