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GEO Playbook for Singapore law firms

GEO (generative engine optimization) means being named when people ask ChatGPT or Google’s AI for a lawyer. This is a free, step-by-step method from Canlah AI for Singapore law firms serving individuals and small businesses, written within the publicity rules of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 and the Law Society’s practice directions, with extra care for family-law work.

Start reading: Chapter 0 → PDF · 4.3 MB
Publisher
Canlah AI
Version
1.0
Published
Updated
Rules checked
Licence
CC BY 4.0

We place law firms on the lightly regulated side at 75% confidence: we could not read the Law Society’s members-only ethics guidance. See Limits ↓

Free to read and reuse · No ranking promises · Not legal advice

The numbers behind this edition

  • 8 / 10

    ChatGPT answers to “who’s the best lawyer” and “lawyer near me” questions that named specific law firms

    5 questions · asked twice · 29 Sep 2026

  • 47 / 122

    Google AI Mode citations that went to law firms’ own websites

    30 questions · 29 Sep 2026

  • 25 / 40

    of the law-firm websites AI cited were cited only once: no firm owns these answers yet

    30 questions · 3 runs · 29 Sep 2026

GEO Playbook: Law Firms Edition (v1.0, September 2026) is a free method from Canlah AI, a Singapore SEO and GEO agency, for law firms that want to be named in AI answers. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Mode 30 questions people in Singapore ask when looking for a lawyer (eight practice areas outside family law, plus choosing a lawyer and legal fees) on 29 September 2026, ChatGPT named specific law firms in 8 of the 10 answers to “who’s the best lawyer” and “lawyer near me” questions, often citing the Law Society directory or a ranking guide rather than the firm’s own website. Of 146 ChatGPT citations, 115 (79%) went to government and public bodies and 12 to law firms’ own websites, while 47 of 122 AI Mode citations (39%) went to law-firm websites; of the 40 law-firm websites cited, 25 were cited only once. The family-law questions in our open dataset (23 September 2026) show the same shape. So the edition feeds the two engines separately — fee pages, office pages and the Law Society directory entry for ChatGPT; explainer pages with the question as the heading and the answer first for AI Mode — and makes a fee guide the first page. It is written within Part 5 of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015: no success rates, no comparison with other firms’ fees or service, and nothing of value paid for referrals. We place law firms on the lightly regulated side at 75% confidence; the book is not legal advice and makes no ranking promises.

ChatGPT was asked each question twice and AI Mode once, all on 29 September 2026, so this is one snapshot. “Named” means the answer text gave a law firm’s name; we checked each of the 10 answers by hand. The 40 websites are counted across all three runs (ChatGPT twice, AI Mode once); the citation shares are from ChatGPT’s first run (second run: 125 of 161 to government and public bodies, 11 of 161 to law-firm websites). Answers in the ChatGPT and Google apps can differ. The two engines cited a different number of links, so compare who each one cites, not which number is bigger. How the 30 questions were asked → · Family-law questions: open data (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23005020) →

Find your question

Short answers. Each link opens the section of the book that explains it in full.

  1. Can we publish our fees on our website?

    As a fixed fee or a range: say which service it covers, how you charge, what is included and what is extra, and that the final fee is set out in the letter of engagement. We found no rule against a fee range (75% confidence), which is not the same as a rule allowing it. Never “cheapest”, and no comparison with other firms’ fees.

    Read Chapter 1 · 1.2 →

  2. Can we mention our success rate, past cases or client names?

    Never a success rate, not even as “most cases” or “never lost”: rule 43(1)(b)(ii) of the PCR has no exceptions. Past cases and client names only with the client’s authorisation and without breaching confidentiality; keep that authorisation in writing.

    Read Chapter 1 · 1.4 →

  3. Can we ask clients to review us?

    We found no rule against asking (70% confidence). Ask on four conditions: nothing in return, no writing it for them, no picking only happy clients, no telling them what to say. A single review on your own website needs the client’s written consent; family-law reviews are de-identified and signed off one by one first.

    Read Chapter 1 · 1.5 →

  4. Can a marketing agency write and publish for our firm?

    Yes, but the responsibility stays with the lawyer: under rule 42(1) of the PCR, publicity on a lawyer’s behalf counts as the lawyer’s own. So a partner or director signs off every batch, and the agency is paid a fixed fee only, never per lead, per case or as a share of legal fees: paying anything of value for referrals breaches rule 39(2)(b).

    Read Chapter 6 · 6.1 →

  5. Which page should we build first?

    A fee guide. In the first ChatGPT run on our 30 questions, all 12 citations of law-firm websites came from four kinds of question: fees, a firm nearby, whether a named firm is good, and which firm is best; questions about process, rules and definitions produced none. Fee questions were the widest and steadiest door, though that does not guarantee ChatGPT will cite your page.

    Read Chapter 5 · 5.1 →

  6. What changes for family-law work?

    Three things: children in the proceedings must not be identifiable (section 112 of the Children and Young Persons Act), Family Justice Court hearings are private and may carry an order restricting publication (section 10 of the Family Justice Act), and family lawyers must advise clients to consider settling amicably. The first two penalise whoever publishes, and a lawyer’s sign-off cannot lift them.

    Read Chapter 1 · 1.7 →

Limits, stated up front

  • We place Singapore law firms on the lightly regulated side, at 75% confidence. On 29 September 2026 we checked the PCR 2015, the Legal Profession Act and its subsidiary rules, and the Law Society’s 12 practice directions and 2 guidance notes against their original text. We could not read the more than 100 written ethics guidances in the Law Society’s members-only area or the 2019 and 2020 Ethics Digests, which may hold stricter rulings. Where the book says you can do something — show a fee range, ask for reviews, offer a free first consultation, have us publish for you — the basis is that we found no rule against it, not that a rule allows it.
  • Family-law work adds two statutes that bind whoever publishes: nothing that could identify a child in the proceedings may be published (section 112 of the Children and Young Persons Act), and Family Justice Court proceedings are heard in private and may carry an order restricting publication (section 10 of the Family Justice Act). They penalise the publisher — including us, when we publish for a firm — and a lawyer’s sign-off does not lift them.
  • This is not legal advice, and no one can promise you a ranking inside AI answers; we don’t either. Before you publish, have a partner or your compliance lead check Appendix A, which lists every rule with its original wording, its source and the date it was checked. Open Appendix A →

About this edition

Publisher
Canlah AI (CANLAH AI PTE. LTD., Singapore)
Sources checked
Data behind the numbers
Open dataset · DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23005020 The family-law questions are in this dataset; the 30 law-firm questions of 29 September 2026 are not. Chapter 0, section 0.1 sets out how they were asked.
How to cite
Canlah AI (2026). GEO Playbook: Law Firms Edition, v1.0. https://canlah.ai/playbook/law/ This edition has no DOI of its own yet; the method’s quick guide is DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23005022.

How to read it

  • You are a partner or run the firm

    Chapter 0 shows how far the publicity rules reach and which pages a firm can build. Chapter 1 has the lines not to cross: fees, success rates, cases, reviews and wording.

    Chapter 0 →Chapter 1 →

  • You handle marketing, or you are the agency

    Chapters 2 to 6, in order: the first week, the firm and lawyer pages, which questions to go after, page types and off-site work. Links marked “→ General Edition” take you to the sections each chapter builds on.

    Chapter 2 →

  • You sign off compliance

    Chapter 1 and Appendix A: every rule with its original wording, its source and the date it was checked. Appendix B has the sign-off form and the family-law self-check.

    Chapter 1 →Appendix A →Appendix B →

This edition only covers what differs for law firms. Everything else is in the General Edition. Open the General Edition →

Contents · Law Firms Edition 13 chapters

Online, one page per chapter. Links marked “→ General Edition” inside each chapter go straight to the matching General Edition section.

  1. Chapter 0

    1. Start here: how far lawyers' publicity is regulated, and which pages you can build

      Which rules apply, the three things to ask before you start, and which of the 46 page types a law firm can build

      4 sections
      1. 0.1 How to use this book: it only covers where law firms differ from the General Edition
      2. 0.2 How tightly law-firm publicity is regulated: you can publish fee ranges, but not compare yourself with other firms, cite success rates or pay for referrals
      3. 0.3 Which of the 46 page types a law firm can build
      4. 0.4 What to tell the client: what we won't do, and what we are not sure about either

  2. Chapter 1

    1. Before you write: the red lines for fees, success rates, past cases, reviews and wording

      How firm each rule is, what to write in place of what you delete, and three extra rules for family cases

      8 sections
      1. 1.1 How firm each rule is, and which situations mean you stop and get a partner's written sign-off
      2. 1.2 Your firm's own fees: you can give a range, but state how you charge, what is included, and that the letter of engagement sets the final fee
      3. 1.3 Court fees and market rates: publish the court's figures, never other firms' prices
      4. 1.4 Success rates, past cases and client names: what you can mention and what you never mention
      5. 1.5 Client reviews: you can ask for them, but there are limits on how you ask, display and reply
      6. 1.6 Expertise, titles and rankings: back every expertise claim with evidence, and never award yourself a ranking
      7. 1.7 Three extra rules for family cases: children must not be identifiable, hearings are private, and amicable resolution comes first
      8. 1.8 What fills the gap: seven kinds of checkable fact a law firm can publish

  3. Chapter 2

    1. Week one: check the website and save today's AI answers before you fix anything

      Look without changing anything, save the questions and today's AI answers, then change the settings

      4 sections
      1. 2.1 Day one: look, don't touch, and ask the remaining nine pre-start questions
      2. 2.2 The 30 questions: 24 in English, 6 in Chinese, only for work the firm actually does
      3. 2.3 Freeze today's answers, measure how much they vary, and ask AI for the first time whether it knows you
      4. 2.4 Fix the website settings: check each domain one by one, and record the day you change them

  4. Chapter 3

    1. Make sure AI identifies your firm and every lawyer correctly

      The firm's name identical everywhere, and every lawyer matched to their practising certificate

      4 sections
      1. 3.1 The firm's fact table and facts page (/facts): get the approved full name right, and say what you do and don't handle
      2. 3.2 Lawyer profile pages: name as on the practising certificate, titles from the approved list, expertise backed by evidence
      3. 3.3 Rankings, awards and specialist accreditation: you can mention them, but only your own entry
      4. 3.4 Six-trace alignment, business profiles and keyword microsites

  5. Chapter 4

    1. Which clients and which questions to go after first

      Rank matter types by the business they bring in a year, and decide where each kind of law-firm question should land

      2 sections
      1. 4.1 Group by matter type and work out what each group brings in a year
      2. 4.2 Where law-firm questions should land: fees, "near me" and "is this firm good" come first

  6. Chapter 5

    1. Writing pages (1): rules for every law-firm page

      Fees page first, a few changes to the page structure, hard requirements for Chinese pages

      3 sections
      1. 5.1 The first page is always the fees page: ChatGPT mostly visits law-firm websites when asked about price
      2. 5.2 The skeleton of a law-firm page: where law firms change the seven general rules
      3. 5.3 Chinese pages: for Google AI only, using only the approved Chinese firm name
    2. Writing pages (2): fees pages and how-to-choose pages

      Fee guides, single-matter fees, legal aid and limits, fee estimates, comparing procedures (never firms)

      5 sections
      1. 5.4 ② Fee guide page: the law firm's first page
      2. 5.5 ① Single-matter fee page: one URL per type of matter
      3. 5.6 ⑰ Legal aid and pro bono, ㉗ amount limits, ㊳ fee estimator
      4. 5.7 ④ Comparison page: compare procedures, not law firms
      5. 5.8 ㊸ How to choose a lawyer and ㊹ concept pillar page
    3. Writing pages (3): FAQ, process, deadline and case-law pages

      One question per page, requirements and process, second opinions, definitions, case summaries, new-rule explainers, Muslim marriages

      9 sections
      1. 5.9 ⑥ One question, one page: the first sentence of the answer stands on its own
      2. 5.10 ⑦ Requirements and eligibility page: can it be done, and what must be met
      3. 5.11 ⑧ Second-opinion and change-of-lawyer page: deadlines first, then the conflict check
      4. 5.12 ⑫ Definition page: a one-sentence definition plus the section number
      5. 5.13 ⑬ Step-by-step procedures, ⑭ preparation lists and ⑯ deadlines and key dates
      6. 5.14 ㉒ Collected FAQ page
      7. 5.15 ㊱ Case summary page: the subject is the court, not the firm
      8. 5.16 New rules and policy types: ⑩ ㉓ ㉖ ㉞ ㊵ ㊺
      9. 5.17 Muslim marriages: a separate set of pages for Syariah Court cases
    4. Writing pages (4): offices, credentials and trust pages, plus pre-publish checks

      Office pages, register lookups, engagement process and confidentiality, reputation and data pages, the hand-over self-check

      5 sections
      1. 5.18 ⑪ Office page: name the MRT station, and put whether you handle family matters on the address line
      2. 5.19 ㉚ Official register lookup and ㊴ practising credentials wall
      3. 5.20 ㉛ Engagement process page, ㉟ pro bono and legal aid page, ㉑ confidentiality and privacy page
      4. 5.21 ㉙ Reputation and credentials page, ⑲ firm data page and ⑱ long-form PDF
      5. 5.22 Handing over: the three law-firm checks and common mistakes

  7. Chapter 6

    1. Beyond your website: the Law Society directory, rankings, reviews and articles bylined by lawyers

      Fixed service fees only; nothing paid to referral platforms; reviews can be requested, on four conditions

      6 sections
      1. 6.1 Before you send any letter: sign-off sheet, fixed service fee, banned-word list
      2. 6.2 Paid placements: the Law Society directory is worth considering; referral platforms get nothing
      3. 6.3 Directories and ranking guides: fill in your own entry completely
      4. 6.4 Articles bylined by lawyers, outreach letters and supplying fee material directly
      5. 6.5 Reviews: you can ask, but offer nothing and do not pick who you ask; family reviews are de-identified first and signed off one by one
      6. 6.6 Annual rankings, individual awards and long videos narrated by the lawyer

  8. Chapter 7

    1. Monthly retests: how to tell whether it is working

      Ask the same questions again every month, and read the two legs separately

      2 sections
      1. 7.1 Monthly retests: how law firms read the numbers
      2. 7.2 When next month cannot fill three tasks: thicken explainer pages first; admission and settlement

  9. Appendix A

    1. The rules word for word, with sources

      Rule numbers, original wording and links for the PCR, the Legal Profession Act, Law Society Practice Directions and the family-law provisions (checked against SSO and the original documents, 2026-09-29)

      6 sections
      1. A.1 PCR 2015: publicity, confidentiality, fees, titles
      2. A.2 The Legal Profession Act (LPA 1966) and subsidiary rules: practising, names, intermediary offences, penalties, contingency fees
      3. A.3 Law Society Council Practice Directions (PD) and Guidance Notes (GN)
      4. A.4 Family law only: private hearings, children's identity, amicable resolution, the touts list
      5. A.5 What the regulators and SAL do themselves: directory, awards, specialist accreditation, register lookup
      6. A.6 Things no rule prohibits, the history of the old rules, and the original texts we could not get

  10. Appendix B

    1. Templates and checklists

      Source list, outreach declaration and review templates, word lists, sign-off sheet and family self-check sheet

      4 sections
      1. B.1 Singapore law-firm source list
      2. B.2 Outreach letter insertions, review request and reply templates
      3. B.3 Word list (English–Chinese) and the fixed monthly-report sentence
      4. B.4 Lawyer sign-off sheet and family self-check sheet

Want help with the first week?

Send us your firm’s website on WhatsApp. We’ll tell you where the week-one check in Chapter 2 would start for your site.

Message us on WhatsApp

Or email admin@canlah.ai · WeChat CanlahAI

Prefer to start on your own? Chapter 0 →