LinkedIn is one of the sources AI search tools cite most often, and on ChatGPT and Google's AI Mode most of the LinkedIn content they cite comes from individual people rather than company pages. For law firms, this means the profiles and posts of individual partners and solicitors have a direct bearing on whether those people are named when someone asks an AI tool who the best solicitor is for their matter.
This post explains why AI tools treat LinkedIn as a trusted source, how a solicitor's LinkedIn activity feeds into those answers, and the practical steps fee earners can take to improve their chances of being cited.
Why AI Search Tools Treat LinkedIn as a Trusted Source
Two large studies published this year found LinkedIn among the domains AI search tools cite most often. Semrush analysed 89,000 LinkedIn URLs cited in responses to 325,000 prompts across ChatGPT Search, Google AI Mode and Perplexity. LinkedIn was the second most cited domain overall and appeared in around 11% of AI responses, rising to 14.3% on ChatGPT Search.
Research from Profound found LinkedIn moved from around 11th to around 5th among the domains cited by ChatGPT between November 2025 and February 2026. Across six AI platforms, including Google AI Overviews and Microsoft Copilot, it was the most cited domain for professional queries.
LinkedIn content has three qualities that make it useful to AI tools:
- It is tied to real people. Each profile connects a named person to their employer, job title and work history, which helps AI tools confirm who someone is and what they do.
- It is written by practitioners. Posts and articles come from the people doing the work, and AI tools tend to favour first-hand knowledge and practical advice.
- It is public and current. Public profiles, posts and articles can be read by AI tools and are updated regularly.
Most of the prompts in Semrush's study came from technology, business services, finance and industrial sectors rather than legal. AI tools choose sources in broadly the same way across sectors, so the findings are a reasonable guide for law firms.
How Solicitor Profiles Feed Into 'Best Solicitor' Searches
When someone asks ChatGPT or Google's AI Mode "who is the best employment solicitor in Manchester?", the answer names people and firms that the AI tool can connect to that practice area and location across several sources. These typically include legal directories such as Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500, the firm's own website, client reviews, press coverage and LinkedIn.
LinkedIn contributes in two ways. A solicitor's profile is often one of the clearest sources linking a named person to a specialism, a firm and a city. The posts and articles they publish then show AI tools which topics they know about and comment on regularly.
The Semrush study found ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode cited content from individual members 59% of the time, rather than company pages. Perplexity leaned the other way, citing company pages 59% of the time. Profound's data also shows a change in which LinkedIn pages ChatGPT cites. In November 2025, profiles made up 33.9% of its LinkedIn citations and posts made up 20.9%. By February 2026, profiles had fallen to 14.5% and posts had risen to 26.0%.
A complete profile is still needed so AI tools can identify the person, but posts now make up a larger share of what ChatGPT cites from LinkedIn than profiles do. For a firm, this means the LinkedIn activity of individual partners and solicitors should be part of its AI search strategy, alongside the company page.
How to Set Up a Solicitor's Profile for AI Search
Each partner and solicitor's profile should state clearly who they are, what they do, who they act for and where, using the same details that appear on the firm's website and in directory listings.
- Make the profile public. Check the public profile visibility settings so the profile can be seen by people who aren't logged in and by search engines. If it is hidden, AI tools can't read it.
- Write a plain headline. State the role, practice area, firm and location, for example "Partner, Employment Law at [Firm], Manchester". Vague headlines such as "Helping businesses navigate change" tell AI tools very little about what the solicitor does.
- Use the About section to describe the work. Two or three short paragraphs covering the types of matters handled, the clients acted for, sectors and locations. Write in full sentences and name the practice area in full, as AI tools can use clear statements more easily than slogans or lists of keywords.
- Connect the current role to the firm's company page. Select the firm from the drop-down list in the experience section rather than typing its name as plain text, so the profile is linked to the firm.
- Keep details consistent. Use the same name, job title and specialism as on the firm's website profile and directory listings. Mismatched details make it harder for AI tools to confirm they are looking at the same person.
- Use the Featured section. Pin directory rankings, published articles, talks and media coverage.
- Link the website profile to LinkedIn. Add each solicitor's LinkedIn URL to their profile page on the firm's website, both as a visible link and in the page's Person schema using the sameAs property.
What Solicitors Should Post
The LinkedIn content AI tools cite tends to be original, specific and written to help the reader. In the Semrush study, 95% of cited posts were original rather than reshares, and between 54% and 64% shared knowledge or practical advice. Promotional posts made up a smaller share.
Topics that work well for solicitors include:
- Answers to questions clients regularly ask, such as how long a divorce takes or what an employer must do before dismissing someone.
- Commentary on new legislation, case law or regulatory changes and what they mean for clients in practice.
- Explanations of legal processes and costs, such as the stages of a commercial dispute.
- Lessons from published judgments or anonymised matters.
- Talks, rankings and firm news, kept to a smaller share of what is posted.
The format should match the depth of the topic. LinkedIn articles, written with the platform's own article tool, suit detailed guidance and made up 50% to 66% of the LinkedIn content cited in the Semrush study, with articles of 500 to 2,000 words cited most. Shorter posts suit single points, and posts of 50 to 299 words were cited most often. Posts under 50 words were rarely cited.
A few writing habits make content easier for AI tools to use:
- State the answer in the first one or two sentences.
- Keep paragraphs to one to three sentences so each one makes sense on its own.
- Name the practice area, legislation and location in full, and spell out acronyms the first time they appear.
- Use numbered lists for steps and processes.
- Add a view. A post that summarises a judgment and then explains what it means for employers is more useful than a summary alone.
Follower numbers and engagement matter less than many solicitors expect. The median cited post had 15 to 25 reactions, and authors with fewer than 500 followers were cited at least as often as those with more. A solicitor with a small network can still be cited if their content answers the questions people are asking.
All posts should follow the firm's social media policy and the SRA's standards, particularly on client confidentiality.
Why Consistency Matters and How a Content Calendar Helps
Regular posting is one of the clearest patterns in the data. Around three-quarters of the authors whose posts were cited had posted more than five times in the previous four weeks, and around 60% of cited article authors were frequent posters. Posting regularly on the same practice area also gives AI tools more content that links a solicitor to that topic.
The main obstacle for most fee earners is time. A content calendar makes regular posting manageable because the topics, formats and dates are agreed in advance.
- Set a realistic cadence. Two short posts a week and one article a month is achievable for most partners and is in line with how often cited authors post.
- Plan around known dates. Map out the quarter around legislative changes, consultation deadlines and seasonal peaks for each practice area, such as the rise in divorce enquiries in January or the end of the tax year for private client teams.
- Build the month's posts from one article. Write one detailed article, then use its main points as the basis for that month's shorter posts.
- Share the work with marketing. A short monthly conversation between a partner and the marketing team can produce a month of drafts for the partner to review and post from their own account.
- Keep a list of ideas. Note the questions clients ask during the week, as each one is a potential post.
- Check the results. Each month, ask ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Perplexity the questions clients would ask, and note whether the partner is named and which sources are cited.
How LinkedIn Fits Into a Wider AI Search Strategy
LinkedIn is one of several sources AI tools use when deciding which solicitors and firms to name. The firm's website, directory listings, reviews and press coverage all contribute, and the details across them need to match. Our Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) services look at all of these sources together, so a partner's LinkedIn activity supports the rest of the firm's AI search visibility.
Paid social can extend the reach of that content. LinkedIn's Thought Leader Ads let a firm put budget behind posts published from a partner's own account, so their most useful content reaches in-house counsel, referrers and potential clients outside their existing network. Our social media advertising team can plan and run these campaigns alongside the organic content calendar.
Get in touch
If you'd like to understand how visible your partners and solicitors currently are in AI search and what would make the biggest difference, speak to our team. Call us on 0161 402 3170 or get in touch using our online form, and we'd be happy to take a look.
