In short
Vatam helps law firms, accountants, consultancies, agencies and logistics companies in East Africa get named when foreign companies ask Google, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity who to hire locally. We fix firm and partner entity clarity, service pages, structured data and third-party sources, and track enquiries from your own analytics.
What do foreign companies ask AI before hiring a local firm?
A company entering East Africa usually starts with a question to an AI assistant, because it does not yet know the local market. It asks for names, then checks them. Partners and owners tend to make the call quickly, so a firm that appears early and clearly has an advantage.
A realistic prompt panel looks like this:
- “Nairobi accounting firm for foreign companies setting up a subsidiary”
- “Kampala law firm for commercial contracts with international clients”
- “Freight forwarder from Dar es Salaam port to Rwanda and Uganda”
- “Who can help register a company in Kigali for a foreign investor?”
- “Management consultancy in East Africa for market-entry research”
- “Marketing or SEO agency in Nairobi that works with international brands”
Why does AI visibility matter for B2B and professional services?
Professional services sell on credibility, and credibility is checked from a distance. A buyer in Frankfurt or Singapore cannot judge your reputation locally, so they rely on what your website says, what other sources say about you and what an AI assistant repeats.
The unit of trust is often a person: the partner, the lead lawyer, the head of customs. AI engines build entities for people as well as firms. Making those profiles clear and consistent is a practical, controllable job.
Many buyers also ask follow-up questions in the same conversation: which firm is bigger, which has handled a similar case, who responds quickly. Pages that answer those directly give an assistant something concrete to say about you.
What does Vatam fix for professional services firms?
- Firm and partner entities. A clear firm page, plus individual profiles for partners and senior staff with qualifications, areas of practice and professional memberships you supply. Consistent with LinkedIn, directories and press.
- Service pages by client need. Not “Our services”, but pages such as “company registration for foreign investors”, “cross-border VAT support” or “port-to-inland freight”. One question, one page, one clear answer.
- Structured data. ProfessionalService, LegalService or AccountingService for the firm, Person for partners, Service for each offer, FAQPage for process questions, and Review markup only for genuine, visible reviews.
- Guides your professionals review. “How to set up a company in Uganda” type guides, drafted from your own expertise and signed off by your qualified staff before publication.
- Third-party sources. Chambers of commerce, professional body listings, business directories, conference pages and trade press, checked for accurate descriptions.
- Client references. Permissioned case notes and quotes that engines can read and buyers can verify.
- Local and maps. Google Business Profile for each office, so local intent searches resolve to the right address and phone number.
| What AI looks for | What we check | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| A named firm for a specific need | Whether a page answers the buyer’s exact question | Service pages written by need and market |
| Credible people behind the firm | Partner profiles, qualifications, memberships | Profile pages with Person schema |
| Evidence of experience | Case notes, references, publications, speaking | Proof and references plan |
| Agreement across sources | Site, directories, LinkedIn, chambers, press | Source map and listing fixes |
How do we measure it?
We run a fixed panel of buyer prompts every month across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. For each, we record whether your firm is named, how it is described and which sources the assistant cites, alongside the firms it names instead.
From your own analytics and Search Console, we track contact form submissions, calls, meeting bookings and visits from AI assistants. Where your team logs “how did you hear about us?”, we use that as a cross-check on the numbers. B2B enquiries are few but valuable, so we look at individual conversations as well as totals.
Where do we work?
Vatam is based in Kigali and works with firms across the region. That includes Nairobi for regional headquarters and professional services, Kampala for law and consulting, and Dar es Salaam for logistics, trade and the port. Our SEO work covers each market separately.
What proof do we have?
There are no published professional services results yet. The case studies are two Lagos retailers, LAGE Lightings and Lens & Co by Tiara. They show the method on purchases where buyers research carefully. Lens & Co by Tiara, for instance, had about ten years of reputation but was cited by no AI answers at baseline, which is the kind of gap an audit is designed to find.
How do you start?
Request a free AI visibility audit. We check how your firm appears on Google, whether ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity name you for the prompts foreign clients use, how clear your firm and partner profiles are, and who they name instead. Request your audit and we will go through it with you directly.
Frequently asked questions
Can a law firm or accounting firm be recommended by AI assistants?
Yes, assistants often name firms when asked who to hire. We cannot promise it, and regulated professions need care. We make your firm and partner details, services and credentials clear and consistent, then track whether you are named. Your professionals review every published claim.
Why do partner profiles matter for AI visibility?
Because buyers hire people as well as firms, and AI engines build entities for both. A clear profile with qualifications, practice areas and memberships gives engines something verifiable. Matching details on your site, LinkedIn and directories makes it easier for them to name the right person confidently.
Which pages should a consultancy or logistics company publish first?
Start with pages that match how clients ask: one for each core service and market, such as freight from Dar es Salaam to Kigali, or market-entry research in Kenya. Add process FAQs and a clear contact route. We prioritise after the audit by comparing what AI already says.
Do you write legal or tax guidance for us?
No. We help structure and edit guides drafted from your own expertise. Your qualified lawyers, accountants or advisers approve every claim, and we do not write legal or tax opinions. The aim is clear, accurate answers that show how you work, not generic advice.
Is Google Business Profile useful for a B2B firm?
Yes. Foreign visitors and local buyers both look up offices on Google Maps, and a complete, accurate profile with correct categories, hours, phone and website reinforces your entity everywhere else. It is a small task with a clear payoff, so it is part of our foundation work.