GEO for criminal defense lawyers
SEO for criminal defense lawyers in Google and AI.
LLMReach is an SEO and GEO agency for criminal defense firms. Our criminal defense lawyer SEO and dui lawyer seo work helps you rank in Google and get named by ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini.
By the numbers
The numbers behind how clients choose.
- arrests for driving under the influence were estimated in the U.S. in 2024, second only to drug abuse violations.
- 804,926
- arrests for driving under the influence were estimated in the U.S. in 2024, second only to drug abuse violations.
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, "Reported Crimes in the Nation, 2024" (Crime in the United States, 2024, Table 29)
What clients search and ask first
People search Google, then ask AI.
- Felony: “best criminal defense attorney in Memphis for a felony”. The answer names a few firms, mostly pulled from legal directories like Avvo and Super Lawyers, and the client calls one of them.
- DUI: “best DUI lawyer in Milwaukee”. A person facing a DUI wants one clear name fast, so the firm the assistant can confirm gets the call.
- Drug charges: “best criminal defense lawyer in Louisville for drug charges”. The assistant picks firms whose profiles and pages state this charge type plainly. Vague sites are skipped.
- Theft: “best criminal defense lawyer in Sarasota for theft charges”. Directory profiles and Google listings decide the shortlist, so firms missing from them rarely appear.
Most firm sites say little that is specific. In our searches assistants named the firms they could confirm on Avvo, Super Lawyers and Expertise. A vague site loses in both places.
The basics
Criminal defense SEO, now that AI answers.
SEO for criminal defense lawyers puts your practice pages in Google when people search for a DUI or felony lawyer. GEO gets your firm named by assistants. You need both.
Assistants build answers from your pages, profiles and directories. In our test of 30 answers, Avvo, Super Lawyers and Expertise led the citations. Learn the GEO basics.
Defense firms need two things: charge and city pages specific enough to rank and be quoted, and complete directory profiles, so AI visibility follows.
GEO and SEO
SEO vs GEO for defense firms.
Both rest on the same practice pages, reviews and profiles, but Google ranks them and an assistant quotes them. This is where they differ for a criminal defense firm.
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| What you win | A position in Google's list and map pack | Your firm named in the assistant's answer |
| Where the client sees you | The results for “DUI lawyer near me” | The short list ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity gives |
| What decides it | Relevance, reviews and page experience | Facts the assistant can confirm on your site and profiles |
| Sources that weigh most | Your website and Google Business Profile | Your site plus Avvo, Super Lawyers, Expertise and Google |
| How it is measured | Rankings, calls and signed cases | Citations across agreed prompts, and visits from AI assistants |
Our own results
We do this for our own brand first.
Gemini · Named
“best agency for getting cited in LLMs”
ChatGPT · Named
“agency that gets you cited in AI models”
ChatGPT · Named
“best agency for getting cited in LLMs”
AI answers vary by platform and moment, so these show the method working on those days, not a promise of identical answers.
See all resultsReal Google results
The sites Google ranks when clients search.
We searched Google for the same 10 questions your clients ask AI. 2 of the 10 results pages opened with an AI Overview and 10 with a map of local businesses. Only 18% of the sites ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity cite for the same questions rank in that top 10: ranking in Google and getting named by AI are two jobs.
- 01justia.comDirectoryBest Criminal Lawyers in Moore, OKtop 10 in 5 of 10 searches
- 02=reddit.comForumGood Attorney Recommendation : r/milwaukeetop 10 in 4 of 10 searches
- 02=superlawyers.comDirectoryBest Saint Francis, WI DUI-DWI Attorneystop 10 in 4 of 10 searches
Google
- 04=bestlawyers.comBest Lawyers Near You in Memphis, Tennesseetop 10 in 3 of 10 searches
- 04=top 10 in 3 of 10 searches
- 06avvo.comDirectoryJohn T. Bayer Profile - Milwaukee, WI DUI & DWI Lawyertop 10 in 2 of 10 searches
Google organic top 10, US, desktop, searched on 22 October 2026. Each site counts once per search; subdomains count with their site.
Real AI answers
Same question, three different answers.
We asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity 10 questions your clients ask. Here is what each one answered to the same question, word for word.
of the names in their answers were given by only one of the three assistants.
Only 3% were named by all three. Counted across our 10 questions, one question at a time.
Question asked
“best DUI lawyer in Milwaukee”
22 October 2026
- ChatGPTgpt-6
Named
- 1.Andrew Mishlove
- 2.Michael M. Hayesalso named by Perplexity
- 3.John T. Bayer
- 4.Grieve Law Criminal Defense
- 5.Van Severen Law Office, S.C.also named by Gemini
Sources cited
- Gemini3.5 Flash-Lite
Named
- 1.Mishlove & Stuckert, LLCalso named by Perplexity
- 2.Van Severen Law Office, S.C.also named by ChatGPT
- 3.Michael Hayes Law Office
- 4.Konstantakis Law Office, LLCalso named by Perplexity
- 5.Mastantuono Coffee & Thomas, SC
Sources cited
- Perplexitysonar
Named
- 1.Mishlove & Stuckertalso named by Gemini
- 2.Michael M. Hayesalso named by ChatGPT
- 3.Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown
- 4.Konstantakis Law Officesalso named by Gemini
- 5.Benjamin Van Severen
Sources cited
avvo.com
superlawyers.com
lawinfo.com
findlaw.com
justia.comChatGPT (gpt-6), Gemini (3.5 Flash-Lite) and Perplexity (sonar), asked from the US in English on 22 October 2026. Names appear as each assistant gave them, in its order; we do not rank or endorse them.
Sources
The sites AI cites in your sector.
The sites the three assistants cited most across all 30 answers: the pages AI reads before it names a firm in your sector.
- 01avvo.comDirectoryTop Rated Oklahoma City, OK Criminal Defense Lawyerscited in 16 of 30 answers
- ChatGPT
- Perplexity
- 02superlawyers.comDirectoryBest Oklahoma City, OK Criminal Defense Attorneyscited in 13 of 30 answers
- ChatGPT
- Gemini
- Perplexity
- 03expertise.comDirectory16 Best Criminal Defense Lawyers Oklahoma City, OKcited in 9 of 30 answers
- ChatGPT
- Perplexity
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini
- 04maps.google.comDirectoryJacqui Ford Lawcited in 6 of 30 answers
- Gemini
- 05=findlaw.comDirectoryBest Criminal Defense Lawyers in Oklahoma City, OK | FindLawcited in 5 of 30 answers
- Perplexity
- 05=cited in 5 of 30 answers
- Gemini
- Perplexity
- 07=bestlawyers.comBest Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Criminal Defense: General Practice Lawyers | Best Oklahoma City Attorneys Near Mecited in 4 of 30 answers
- Perplexity
- 07=cited in 4 of 30 answers
- ChatGPT
- Perplexity
- 07=google.comWyatt Law Officecited in 4 of 30 answers
- ChatGPT
- 07=lawyers.comDirectoryOklahoma County, OK Criminal Defense Law Firms & ...cited in 4 of 30 answers
- ChatGPT
- Perplexity
Measured on 22 October 2026. Each site counts once per answer; subdomains count with their site.
Practice areas
Where SEO and GEO matter, by charge.
DUI and DWI
People facing a DUI want one trusted name fast. City pages, court details and reviews help buyers and assistants pick you.
Felony defense
Buyers compare firms before a serious charge. Pages on process and attorney background give assistants facts to quote.
Drug charges
Clients ask which firm handles their exact charge. Clear charge pages put you in the answer.
Assault charges
Plain pages that explain how your firm handles these cases make you easy to name and compare.
Theft charges
Local searches rule here. State your city, courts and bar admissions plainly.
Urgent calls
Night and weekend calls go to the first firm that looks trustworthy. Reviews, hours and local profiles carry weight.
What's included
Criminal defense SEO, plus the AI answer.
A 90-day engagement built around how clients search for a defense lawyer, in Google and in AI, from the first call to the shortlist.
- Client keyword and prompt audit across Google, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, by charge and city
- Keyword research and practice area pages that rank in Google, from DUI to felony defense
- Answer-first rewrites of your home page, charge pages and attorney bio pages
- Technical SEO fixes plus LegalService, Attorney and FAQPage schema
- One consistent firm profile across Google, Avvo, Super Lawyers, Justia and FindLaw
- llms.txt and robots.txt set up for the AI crawlers
- Research into the Reddit and community threads where people ask how to find a lawyer
- A baseline of your Google rankings and AI citations, taken before work begins
- Weekly updates on your Google and AI visibility
How it works
How criminal defense SEO works: the Citation Stack.
We map what clients search in Google and ask AI, from “DUI lawyer near me” to “felony defense attorney in my city”. Then we agree the searches and prompts worth winning.
Explore AI Prompt ResearchGoogle and AI crawlers can reach and read every practice area and city page. Site speed and legal schema are in place.
Explore technical SEOAnswer-first pages state your practice, city and bar admissions in the first sentence. Plain language and no promised outcomes keep you within advertising rules.
Explore on-page SEOResearch into the Reddit threads where people ask how to pick a lawyer. We join only where it fits community rules and never contact people about their arrests.
Explore Reddit MarketingWe track your Google rankings for DUI and criminal defense searches and count AI citations across the agreed prompts, against a baseline taken before work begins. You get weekly updates.
Explore AI Visibility Tracking
You have the final say on every page. We do the rest, so your attention stays on your cases. See all our SEO services
Who this is for
Built for firms clients call in a crisis.
Not for you
If any of these sound like you.
- You expect new client calls in the first few days
- You want the cheapest criminal defense SEO you can find
- You only want a report on where your firm ranks, not the work done
- You can't approve the pages we write or share access to your site
For you
If this sounds like you.
- People compare defense lawyers before they call
- You can share bar admissions, practice areas and attorney bios
- You want the work done for you, not another report
- You have the final say on every page and want a 90-day window
- The work pays off where people compare defense lawyers before they call.
- It also works where you can show real bar admissions, reviews and clear practice details.
FAQ
Criminal defense SEO: questions firms ask us.
What does SEO for criminal defense lawyers cover now that AI answers?
It still earns rankings in Google: practice area pages, technical fixes, local profiles and reviews. Now it also has to get your firm named when clients ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini. One team handles both in the same 90 days. See how SEO and GEO differ.
Is GEO the same as AEO, AI SEO or LLM optimization for criminal defense lawyers?
AI SEO for criminal defense lawyers, AEO for DUI attorneys and LLM optimization for defense firms mean the same work. So does ChatGPT optimization. The goal is assistants naming your firm when someone asks who to hire. The Citation Stack is our method.
How is DUI lawyer SEO different from other criminal defense SEO?
DUI attorney SEO is more local and more urgent. Pages must name the city, the court and the charge. Directory profiles and Google reviews weigh heavily. Felony and drug charge pages need more depth, since those clients compare more firms.
How long does criminal defense lawyer SEO take?
Usually months, not weeks. Local practice pages tend to move first. Competitive terms like DUI lawyer in a big city take longer. AI citations can move sooner, because profile updates are picked up fast. We report weekly against a baseline.
Why do AI assistants cite Avvo and Super Lawyers instead of firm websites?
Because directories hold structured, outside views of many lawyers. In our test of 30 answers, Avvo appeared in 16 and Super Lawyers in 13. We make your site specific and keep your directory profiles complete and consistent.
Can you promise results or use "DUI specialist" in our copy?
We promise visibility, not verdicts or case outcomes. We follow lawyer advertising rules: no outcome promises, and no "specialist" or "expert" without an accredited certification. We write "focuses on" instead. The only guarantee we make is on AI citations.
How do you get a criminal defense firm cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity?
We make your firm easy to confirm on Avvo, Super Lawyers, Justia and Google, the sites assistants read. Complete profiles come first. Then a page per charge and city that answers the question first. See law firm GEO.
How do you measure the work?
We track your Google rankings and count citations of your firm across the agreed prompts in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini. The baseline comes first. Visits from assistants show in GA4 as their own source, so you see which charge types bring calls.
What should I ask before hiring a criminal defense SEO agency?
Ask three things. Which client searches and AI questions will it track, against what baseline? Which profiles will it fix, beyond pages? How will it keep copy within advertising rules? Our free AI visibility audit answers them for your firm.
How big is the demand for DUI and defense lawyers?
Large. The FBI estimated 804,926 DUI arrests in 2024. Each arrest is a person who needs a lawyer quickly and often asks Google or an assistant first. Being visible at that moment is the point of both SEO and GEO.
Free AI Audit
Is your firm on Google and in AI?
You leave knowing where your firm is missing from AI answers, what is causing it, and which changes would matter first, whether we work together or not.
What to expect
Audit
Before the call, we run the questions your clients ask through ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini.
Map
On the call, we show you where competitors are cited and you are not, and what's causing it.
Decide
An honest read on whether the Citation Stack fits. If it doesn't, you'll hear it on the call.
Don't see a time that works? Email Karim directly: contact@llmreach.ai