How to Be Found in Google AIO & ChatGPT
If you haven’t been paying attention to the landscape of the internet and have suddenly looked up to find out AI has taken over the world, here’s all you need to know: search has changed and is continuing to change – fast.
Tools like Google’s AI Overviews (“AIO”) and ChatGPT are not only here to stay, they’re reshaping the way people look for information. We haven’t seen a usage shift this large in the history of the internet. By 2026, search engine usage is expected to drop by 25% as more people rely on generative AI instead of traditional search engines (source). It’s critical that you take steps now to learn how to be found in ChatGPT, AIO and other AI platforms so that you are prepared for tomorrow.
This has caused a lot of anxiety for our clients, whether they’ve been paying attention or not. But, I will tell you what I’ve been telling them all along: people still need to find things and services.
They’re just finding them a little differently now. SEO isn’t just about optimizing for Google anymore, it’s also about making sure your content is useful and relevant to artificial intelligence algorithms. Let’s cover some ways you can make sure your website is standing out in all AI platforms.
Write for People, Not AI
I know this sounds counterintuitive but hear me out: AI search isn’t just regurgitating whatever is out there. Large Language Models (LLMs) selectively and systematically choose the best-fitting, most intent-aligned, highest-trust content available to source for answers to prompts.
Low effort, or wholly AI generated content with no strategy or intention is going to take your content absolutely nowhere.
If you want to show up in AI answers for “Informational” queries, your content needs to:
- Contain original content;
- Provide useful insight;
- Focus on the human intent or need;
- Be authoritative;
- Demonstrate expertise.
And if you’re thinking about churning out content wholly produced by AI, take a pause and read on. In what seems like an about-face for Google, Google’s own quality raters have been instructed to downgrade any “Main Content” produced by AI to the lowest quality (source). That’s not a great club to be in.
So, yes — AI is a great collaborator, but it shouldn’t be your ghostwriter. Your content should reflect your expertise, your credibility, and your experience. The things that still make you unique. Because that’s what builds trust, your brand, and that’s what makes your content useful to people using AI platforms.
AI Overviews and ChatGPT Tap Online Reviews
You know those Google, Yelp and Facebook reviews you’ve been ignoring? Well, guess what: AI platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot have been quietly using those reviews to influence how AI talks about you.
If your Facebook page hasn’t been updated since 2019 and your Yelp profile looks like a ghost town of unreplied reviews, it’s time for a refresh. Reviews matter more than ever, not just for credibility, but for visibility in the age of AI-assisted search.
Your Service Pages Need to Be Stellar
AI search thrives on User intent. If someone asks, “Who is a good car accident lawyer in [city]?” – you need to understand that this is a “Transactional” query. The person searching is ready to transact and they’re looking for the person to hire. They don’t want to learn about the history of car safety, nor do they care about a list of this year’s safest cars – this is the type of useless filler content that often plagues a law firm’s practice page.
I’ve heard of numerous SEO companies (and some software) that will claim you need at least 2,500 words to rank competitively. Bullshit. That being said, 200 words likely won’t work either.
In yesterday’s world, the longest page with the most breadth of information on the target subject matter won. That just doesn’t work as well today. In today’s world your service / practice pages need to:
- Sell you and your experience (yes I used the word sell)
- Create trust and display credibility;
- Be helpful and concise;
- Be visually compelling;
- Be interesting.
If your practice page ends up being a glorified resume or a wall of text… well, you can expect to have some problems when it comes to earning any kind of traffic or referral from ChatGPT or AIO. But, what makes a practice page actually work in an AI-driven search landscape?
- Speak to real people, not law professors.
Write the way your clients talk. Keep it simple, clear, and direct. The average potential business client isn’t likely searching for “tortious interference” — they’re asking “do I need a lawyer for a business dispute?” - Answer the questions your clients are already asking.
Include FAQ-style content right on the page. “Do I need to go to court?”, “How much does it cost to hire a car accident lawyer?”, “What should I bring to my first consultation?” - Include local signals.
Mention your office location, nearby landmarks, cities you serve, and what makes you local. If you’re near the courthouse or a popular local restaurant, say so. It matters more than you think. - Add proof you know your stuff.
Client reviews, results, case examples (with names changed), and media mentions all go a long way. The more credibility you can bake into the page, the more trustworthy it looks to both users and algorithms. - Make it easy to contact you.
A phone number buried in the footer isn’t going to cut it. Use bold CTAs, a clean contact form, and make sure your page is mobile-friendly — especially for folks searching in a moment of stress.
“Zero Click” Results are the Unfortunate New Norm
Posted by Ryan Law; Director of Content Marketing at Ahrefs
Not every search ends with a click anymore. A zero-click result occurs when Google AI Overview, ChatGPT or another AI platform provides the answer directly on the results page, so the user doesn’t need to click on any website link to get the information they’re looking for. AI-generated answers often give users exactly what they need without ever requiring them to visit your site, even though you may be cited as a source. Read our article about traffic loss due to AI Overviews. That means some of your content will work behind the scenes shaping answers, while your analytics show either absolutely nothing, or traffic erosion.
For most people paying attention to their digital marketing, this sounds like a worst-case scenario. But not really. There is a big difference between fewer clicks and fewer contacts. You just have to understand the new type of win you are earning: visibility & branding recognition.
People actually looking for a lawyer are still going to contact.
Visibility in AI is immeasurable. Not “immeasurable” because of extreme benefit, immeasurable because the benefit of being found in AI platforms really can’t be measured yet. Internally at Everest Legal Marketing, our client data doesn’t have any AI platforms breaking anywhere near 5% of total traffic even though most of our clients are cited heavily in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, CoPilot, Perplexity etc.
If your firm’s name, content, or expertise is referenced in an AI Overview, that’s brand exposure. It’s brand recognition happening right in the moment someone is actively seeking legal answers. You’re not just one answer on a page of answers, you are the answer. In the legal space, where trust and name recognition drive client decisions, that’s a strategic advantage, but it’s increasingly hard to assign a value to that when traffic metrics don’t align.
Clicks on your informational blogs don’t necessarily increase your revenue. BUT, you’re building trust, presence, and the kind of visibility and recognition that stays with your audience until they are ready to hire.
Backlinks still Matter to AI Overviews and ChatGPT
Semrush notes that having high-quality backlinks can increase the likelihood of a website’s content being included in ChatGPT or an AI Overview, potentially boosting its visibility. Even though AI platforms might not directly consider backlinks in the traditional Google “page rank” sense, they learn patterns from the Internet, including how well-connected and authoritative a website is.
You can’t ignore backlinks, especially for a competitive industry. Learn more about link building for lawyers, and why quality matters over quantity.
Contact Everest Legal Marketing
If you would like to schedule a call to discuss your AI optimization strategy or simply talk about the current digital landscape, reach out to us at (909) 697-7484, or submit a contact form and we’ll get back in touch with you. We are local to Southern California and are happy to meet virtually or in-person.
President & Founder – Everest Legal Marketing, LLC
Doug Bradley is the Founder and CEO of Everest Legal Marketing. Doug has over a decade of experience specifically in legal marketing, and foremost with expertise in Search Engine Optimization for law firms. Doug has been quoted on numerous websites, co-hosted many MCLE sessions, and has advised law firms of all sizes on the topic of effective marketing and ethical SEO strategies.
