Professional services — law firms, accountants, consultants

Professional services businesses — law firms, accountants, management consultants, HR consultants — have a specific AI visibility challenge: the queries that matter most to you are high-stakes queries where AI systems are cautious about citing sources they can't verify as authoritative. When someone asks "find me a corporate lawyer in Manchester," the AI is drawing on a combination of directory listings (Law Society, Chambers & Partners, Legal 500), review data, and structured data. The professional body registration is the most important signal. **The priority order for professional services** 1. Professional body registration — Law Society, ICAEW, CIPD, CIMA, etc. Make sure your listing is current and complete. These are the authoritative sources AI systems trust most for professional services queries. 2. Chambers & Partners / Legal 500 / equivalent sector directories — if you're listed, make sure the listing is current 3. Google Business Profile — claimed, verified, category correct 4. Organisation schema with your professional body registration number in the `identifier` field 5. AI Verified Passport — domain verification, consistent NAP **The `identifier` field for professional services** ```json "identifier": [ { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "AI Verified Passport", "value": "your-hash-here" }, { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "SRA Number", "value": "your-sra-number" } ] ``` Replace "SRA Number" with the relevant professional body identifier for your sector. **What the Passport adds** For professional services, the Passport adds domain verification — confirming that your website is genuinely associated with your registered business. For clients doing due diligence before engaging a firm, that confirmation is a useful additional signal alongside the professional body registration.