The verdict in three sentences
For an international arbitration and corporate law firm in New York, SEO captures explicit searches on Google, while AEO/GEO works on how AI assistants like ChatGPT describe the firm when a general counsel asks them who to call. Both rest on the same foundation (precise practice pages, partner bios, consistent third-party mentions), but they are not measured the same way. Most established firms are better off keeping SEO as the base and commissioning an AI visibility diagnostic before funding recurring work.
What clients now ask, and why some firms do not show up
A general counsel, a board or a state does not pick arbitration counsel from an ad. They look at partner reputation, the seats and institutions a team has worked under (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, ICSID and others), working languages and sector experience. The same criteria now turn up in questions put to AI assistants like ChatGPT: 'which New York firms handle investment treaty arbitration against Latin American states', 'Spanish-speaking New York counsel for an ICC construction dispute', 'what does an ICC arbitration seated in New York cost'.
A firm appears in those answers when the information about it is clear, consistent and confirmed elsewhere: pages that name seats, institutions and sectors precisely, bios with publications and speaking engagements, up-to-date directory listings, third-party articles and conference programs. It drops out when its site talks about 'dispute resolution solutions' with no detail, or when partner and team names differ from one source to the next.
SEO or AEO/GEO: the comparison for a New York firm
| Criterion | SEO | AEO/GEO |
|---|---|---|
| What it targets | Google queries such as 'ICC arbitration counsel New York' | answers from AI assistants like ChatGPT to counsel-selection questions |
| Time to effect | 4 to 9 months on niche queries | variable, often several months, hard to predict |
| Market budget | $4,000 to $12,000 per month on retainer | $5,000 to $20,000 for a diagnostic, $3,000 to $10,000 per month after |
| Metrics | Search Console impressions and clicks, inbound inquiries | dated record of answers to the same questions, mentions and accuracy |
| Main risk | traffic without qualified inquiries | answers that shift month to month, hard attribution |
| Sensitive content | lawyer advertising rules on the pages | same rules, plus the risk of an AI summarizing the firm badly |
2026 ballpark based on typical quotes from New York agencies that specialize in legal services. Kolonell works on quote.
Where to invest, by situation
| Situation | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New firm spun out of a large firm | SEO first, AI diagnostic at 6 months | you first need pages and bios both channels can cite |
| Established brand, well-known partners | AI diagnostic first | the reputation exists; check that AI assistants render it correctly |
| Heavily regulated content (results, specialization) | cautious SEO and ethics review | New York rules and the ABA Model Rules govern such claims |
| Limited budget (under $5,000 a month) | shared foundation: practice pages and bios | this work serves both channels at once |
| Clients that are states and public entities | AEO/GEO and specialist press | these buyers compare reputations, not ads |
Lawyer advertising rules (the ABA Model Rules and New York's own rules) govern, among other things, references to past results and specialist titles. This is not legal advice: every page should be signed off by the partner in charge of professional responsibility. On the site itself, ADA Title III website accessibility suits are frequent in the US, and WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 level AA is a reasonable target.
How to measure, and what a diagnostic covers
SEO is measured in Search Console (impressions and clicks on a basket of 30 to 50 queries), then through inbound inquiries tied to pages. AEO/GEO is measured with a dated record: the same questions, put to AI assistants like ChatGPT at regular intervals, with a trace of each answer (firm cited or not, information accurate or not, competitors mentioned). Without that record, nobody can say whether the work had any effect.
In broad terms, a diagnostic covers the basket of realistic questions for your practice areas, the current state of the answers, the consistency of public information about the firm and its partners, the gaps in your pages, and an estimate of the effort. No serious provider can promise that an AI assistant will recommend your firm.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: 'Hudson Seat LLP', a fictional 14-lawyer firm in Manhattan, has $72,000 a year for visibility. Option 1: SEO only at $6,000 a month, so $72,000. Option 2: SEO at $4,000 a month ($48,000), a $12,000 AI diagnostic and a $3,000 quarterly record ($12,000 over the year), so 48,000 + 12,000 + 12,000 = $72,000. The baseline diagnostic shows, as an assumption, that the firm is cited in 3 answers out of 25 questions. For the same budget, option 2 gives a measurement base for both channels, with no promise of results.
FAQ
Should we stop SEO to fund AEO/GEO?
Rarely. Practice pages and bios serve both channels; within a $6,000 monthly budget, a split of two thirds SEO and one third AI work is a common starting point.
What does an AI visibility diagnostic cost in New York?
Typical quotes run from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the number of practice areas and questions tested. Kolonell prices this work on quote.
Can we mention awards and cases we have won?
Arbitration confidentiality and lawyer advertising rules limit this considerably. Stick to approved general descriptions, and have every page reviewed before publication.
How often should we record AI answers?
A quarterly record on 20 to 30 questions is enough for a mid-sized firm. A monthly cadence makes sense during a redesign or when a new team joins.
Can an AI assistant describe our firm incorrectly?
Yes, for instance by listing partners who have left or practices you dropped. The dated record also helps spot those errors and correct the public sources behind them.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We record what AI assistants like ChatGPT tell your clients about arbitration counsel in New York, and we size the effort. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
