Personal Injury Mastermind w/ Chris Dreyer
Episode 371: AI Feedback Loop – New Rules for LLM Visibility (Webinar Replay)
Date: December 8, 2025
Episode Overview
In this actionable and forward-looking episode, Chris Dreyer of Rankings.io hosts a webinar replay focusing on how law firms can dominate AI-driven lead generation. The session—co-led by Sean Denny (VP of Digital) and Logan Mosby (Director of SEO)—dives deep into the evolving influence of Large Language Models (LLMs) in legal search. The panel explains how directories, user-generated content, and consistent brand presence are now determining which law firms are surfaced and recommended by AI assistants, like ChatGPT. They reveal practical, specific strategies for boosting your law firm's visibility in this new era, covering critical directories, content structures, and tools for law firm operators who want measurable growth.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Directories Matter to AI and LLMs
- Directories act as semi-independent validators. AI models value what others say about you, not just what you say about yourself. User-generated content on review platforms and directories gives LLMs crucial social proof.
- “These platforms exist somewhere in between full user generated content platforms and fully owned platforms. ... they don't want just the biggest, best business to say I'm the most optimized and I've done everything I can and I control this."
— Sean Denny [02:59]
- “These platforms exist somewhere in between full user generated content platforms and fully owned platforms. ... they don't want just the biggest, best business to say I'm the most optimized and I've done everything I can and I control this."
- Mentions (even without links) help establish authority. It's not just about backlinks anymore—unlinked brand mentions are picked up as trust signals by LLMs.
2. How AI Determines "The Best" Law Firms
- LLMs heavily reference superlatives like “best,” “top,” and “super.”
- “One of the big things too is they lean on the superlatives, right, that we maybe can't necessarily say on our websites, but we can leverage them. So best, top, super all hold disproportionate weight.”
— Logan Mosby [04:15]
- “One of the big things too is they lean on the superlatives, right, that we maybe can't necessarily say on our websites, but we can leverage them. So best, top, super all hold disproportionate weight.”
- Third-party validation outweighs self-promotion: LLMs are trained to value external praise (“The best injury firm in town”) more than self-claims.
- Consistency and completeness across all listings is essential.
3. Optimizing Core Legal Directories for Maximum AI Visibility
a. Super Lawyers
- Use superlatives strategically; the more attorneys you list, the more association and authority you demonstrate.
- Both attorney profiles and firm profiles should be fully optimized.
- Seek discounts for multiple listings.
- “If you're a larger firm and you have multiple [attorneys], it is absolutely worth it to list all of them that you can in there.”
— Sean Denny [09:53]
b. Best Lawyers & Best Law Firms
- You must nominate attorneys to appear as a Best Law Firm.
- Awards help with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness), impacting SEO and LLM signals.
- “You cannot appear on Best Law Firms unless at least one attorney is in Best Lawyers. ... It is an award and why awards matter is because of EEAT, which impacts both SEO and these AI engines.”
— Sean Denny [09:53]
- “You cannot appear on Best Law Firms unless at least one attorney is in Best Lawyers. ... It is an award and why awards matter is because of EEAT, which impacts both SEO and these AI engines.”
c. Justia
- Fully fill out firm and attorney profiles, including biographies, jurisdictions, awards, peer ratings, and videos.
- “Fully filled out profiles get preferred in the LLM synthesis and having at least one peer rating that can help trigger that 10/10 badge.”
— Logan Mosby [11:56]
- “Fully filled out profiles get preferred in the LLM synthesis and having at least one peer rating that can help trigger that 10/10 badge.”
- Add video for higher engagement—pages with video see a 25–100% increase in engagement rates.
- “When a video is present on a page, it will increase engagement somewhere between 25 to 100%. Usually it's around a 50% bump in engagement...”
— Sean Denny [13:44]
- “When a video is present on a page, it will increase engagement somewhere between 25 to 100%. Usually it's around a 50% bump in engagement...”
d. Yelp
- Increasingly cited by OpenAI and Apple Maps and referenced for “best lawyer” queries.
- Reviews must be legitimate—encourage clients to leave multiple reviews across Yelp for stickiness; check-ins at your location help.
- “Yelp is becoming more and more a big source of information for these LLMs.”
— Sean Denny [14:55]
- “Yelp is becoming more and more a big source of information for these LLMs.”
- While pay-to-play can enhance presence, organic strategies are still essential.
e. Other Important Directories
- Keep a presence (profile completed) in as many as possible, such as FindLaw, Expertise.com, Avvo, ConsumerShield, etc.
- "These are additional examples of more directories where you can be present and get some more of those superlatives and get reinforcement for your brand entity."
— Sean Denny [19:32]
- "These are additional examples of more directories where you can be present and get some more of those superlatives and get reinforcement for your brand entity."
4. Building Out Structured Case Results on Your Website
- Create individual pages for each case result: settlement amount, case type, city, outcome, and description.
- “Having those on the website and then building out specific pages dedicated to each result ... under a week ... Google had already picked them up and indexed all of them. ... it was pulling those specific snippets.”
— Logan Mosby [17:25]
- “Having those on the website and then building out specific pages dedicated to each result ... under a week ... Google had already picked them up and indexed all of them. ... it was pulling those specific snippets.”
- Structure helps LLMs anchor and cite your achievements directly as proof.
- Frequent updating and transparency drive trust (E-E-A-T).
5. Best Practices for Consistency and Linkage
- Remain consistent with name, address, bios, and affiliations on every profile and directory.
- Cross-link profiles and websites to reinforce your entity.
- When new attorneys are hired, add them everywhere promptly.
6. Social Proof Beyond Directories
- Social signals matter, but directories and forums are more “static” and thus weighted more heavily than ever-changing social feeds.
- “Social media ... is harder for these LLMs to keep up with all the new posts ... but it does still play into LLMs sentiment around user generated content and what your brand stands for.”
— Sean Denny [31:39]
- “Social media ... is harder for these LLMs to keep up with all the new posts ... but it does still play into LLMs sentiment around user generated content and what your brand stands for.”
7. Cost-Effectiveness and Paid Directory Listings
- Not every directory is worth paying for—focus on high-impact ones (Justia, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Yelp). For many others, a free, completed profile is sufficient.
- “We are recommending for some of the most important ones. You do pay for that premium service ... on others just having it filled out is enough.”
— Sean Denny [30:14]
- “We are recommending for some of the most important ones. You do pay for that premium service ... on others just having it filled out is enough.”
- Balance holistic marketing value (indirect lead generation, social proof, AI visibility) vs. strict cost/lead calculations.
8. Measuring Your Visibility with LLMs
- Tools to monitor AI visibility (e.g., Ahrefs AI Overview, SEMrush, AWR Cloud) are emerging but not as precise as classic SEO trackers.
- “There's quite a few tools out there right now that are somewhat hit or miss ... but we do have the access to monitor that visibility. But I like seeing, okay, what is actually producing traffic to the site from these LLMs.”
— Logan Mosby [28:29]
- “There's quite a few tools out there right now that are somewhat hit or miss ... but we do have the access to monitor that visibility. But I like seeing, okay, what is actually producing traffic to the site from these LLMs.”
- Use analytics to track incoming traffic from AI-powered tools.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
User-Generated Content vs. Self-Promotion:
“When we as these firms say I'm the best, like that's going to be off putting to users. But when third party platforms say you're the best, that's validating.”
— Sean Denny [06:00] -
On Directory Superlatives:
“Super Lawyers uses these superlatives quite heavily—over 50 times of ‘top rated car accident lawyer’ … it's important to have these Super Lawyer distinctions.”
— Logan Mosby [08:24] -
Video’s Impact:
“When a video is present on a page, it will increase engagement somewhere between 25 to 100%.”
— Sean Denny [13:44] -
Yelp and AI Discovery:
“Last week we were talking to someone and they said, yeah, I started my journey for a personal injury lawyer on ChatGPT. It brought me to Yelp and I ended up contacting them and becoming a client because of it.”
— Sean Denny [16:50] -
Balancing Paid and Free Listings:
“No, we are not recommending you pay for all of these directories. ... some of the most important ones ... others, just having it filled out is enough.”
— Sean Denny [30:14]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [02:59] — User-generated content’s power in LLMs explained
- [04:15] — How AI leans on superlatives (“best,” “top,” etc.)
- [08:24] — Tips for optimizing Super Lawyers profiles
- [09:53] — The value and process of Best Lawyers / Best Law Firms listings
- [11:56] — How to fully optimize Justia profiles, including video integration
- [14:55] — Yelp’s increasing impact on AI citations and review “stickiness”
- [17:25] — Structuring individual case result pages for maximum AI recognition
- [21:22] — Why static directory info beats social feeds for LLMs
- [23:23] — Q&A: Paying for profile listings—bulk discounts and value
- [24:11] — Q&A: Are paid directory listings cost-effective?
- [25:24] — Q&A: What details are best in case result pages?
- [28:29] — Q&A: Tools for monitoring AI visibility and traffic
- [31:39] — Q&A: Social media’s impact on LLM trust metrics
Actionable Takeaways for Law Firm Owners
- Prioritize Top Legal Directories: Fill out and optimize firm and attorney profiles on Super Lawyers, Justia, Best Lawyers/Best Law Firms, and Yelp. Pay for premium listing where relevant.
- Build Out Case Results: Publish detailed, structured, and regularly updated case results as separate pages on your website.
- Maintain Consistent, Accurate Information: Use the same firm name, contact info, bios, and attorney links across all directories.
- Leverage Videos: Add video to all major directory listings and key website pages for increased engagement and higher AI citation potential.
- Strategically Pay for Listings: Invest in premium only where it drives meaningful LLM and user visibility. Don't scatter spend across less impactful platforms.
- Monitor AI Rankings: Use emerging tools and Google Analytics to understand traffic from AI sources—adapt as the measurement landscape evolves.
- Don’t Ignore Social, But Focus on Static Profiles: Social platforms matter for sentiment, but directories and forums are weighted more heavily by LLMs.
Closing Thoughts
Chris Dreyer and the Rankings.io team deliver a blueprint for PI law firms aiming to future-proof their digital strategy against a rapidly advancing AI search landscape. By systematically optimizing directory presence, proving expertise with concrete case results, and ensuring consistent information everywhere, firms can favorably position themselves in the AI-driven feedback loop—and capture more high-value cases.
“These directories act as amplifiers—get your house in order, and AI will be the one telling your next client you’re the best option.”
For more tools, bonus resources, and to sign up for future sessions, visit: newsletter.rankings.io