How to Get ChatGPT to Recommend Your Accountancy Firm

When someone asks ChatGPT for a good accountant in Bristol, will your firm be the one it suggests?

That question isn’t as futuristic as it sounds. With over 300 million people now using ChatGPT every week, artificial intelligence is fast becoming the first stop for business recommendations. That’s not even mentioning the countless others turning to Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude and more.

If your accountancy firm is still focused solely on Google rankings, you might be missing the next big shift in digital discovery. Enter AIO – Artificial Intelligence Optimisation. It’s not just a buzzword. It’s the emerging strategy that ensures your firm is findable, recommendable and trusted across the tools your future clients are already using.

In this article, we’ll break down how ChatGPT and similar AI answer engines choose what to display, what makes a firm more likely to be recommended and the exact steps accountants can take to be recommended more often.

Why AI visibility matters for accountants

Search is evolving. Google’s traditional blue links aren’t going anywhere – but they’re now just one piece of the discovery puzzle. AI tools can summarise the web, generate answers and suggest service providers, often without the user ever clicking on a website.

Take this summary of self-assessment deadlines, for example:

This might normally be something accountants try to rank for. But now, ChatGPT and other AI tools can provide all the information from multiple sources in one place.

Sure, it lists the sources if you need them, but who’s clicking through to them once you know when your tax return is due?

That makes brand visibility in AI-powered tools a new competitive frontier. And for accountants, trust, clarity and reputation are already part of the job description. If AI tools are looking for high-quality sources, accountants are primed to win – if they know how to optimise.

Understanding brand visibility on AI tools

Here’s the catch. AI tools don’t “crawl” the internet in the same way Google does. They rely on a mixture of training data, structured content, citation patterns and external signals to generate their responses.

To get a better idea, Neil Patel asked ChatGPT over 100 random questions, then got a statistician and data analyst to study the answers for patterns. They found a strong correlation for six ranking factors in particular:

Brand mentions across the web
Reviews – both quantity and quality
Relevancy in terms of how keywords in the question are associated with the brand or product across the web
Age – older products or companies are recommended more often
Whether other websites were recommending the product or company
Authority – including social following and domain authority

SEO vs AIO: What’s the difference?

You’ve heard of SEO (search engine optimisation). AIO is its close cousin – but built for tools like ChatGPT.

SEO focuses on Google rankings, targeting keywords, building links and optimising pages for search crawlers.
AIO is about being recommended or cited by AI tools, by feeding them trusted, structured, verifiable information.

In practice, that means:

SEO	AIO
Targeted keywords	Trusted entities & brand mentions
Backlinks	Structured data & cited content
Search intent	Conversational clarity
Google’s algorithm	LLMs like GPT-4, Claude, Gemini

While there’s overlap – both reward authority and helpful content – AIO is more about being the source, not just ranking next to it.

So if someone types “Best small business accountant in Leeds” into ChatGPT, the model might return the name of a firm – but only if that firm has left a clear, trustworthy trail across the web.

As Forbes’ Jodie Cook puts it: “There’s no SEO shortcut to buy your way in. No easy way to game the system. Instead, ChatGPT values authority, credibility and relevance”

What makes AI suggest a particular firm?

To understand how to improve your chances of being suggested by AI tools, you need to know what these tools look for.

Unlike traditional search engines that use ranking algorithms, language models like ChatGPT don’t ‘rank’ results in the same way. Instead, they generate answers based on patterns and relationships in their training data – and that includes content from your website, reviews, mentions, citations and structured information like Google Business Profiles or online directories.

Here’s what increases the likelihood of being surfaced as a recommended firm:

1. Clear, specific language

AI tools work best with clarity. If your homepage headline says something vague like “Helping you do more,” that doesn’t tell the model (or your potential clients) anything useful.

Instead, say: “Chartered accountants in Manchester helping small businesses grow.” It’s precise, meaningful and includes key descriptors AI can use when matching queries to services.

AI and chatbot expert Sophie Hundertmark highlights this in her article on Large Language Model Optimisation:

LLMs process information most effectively when it is presented in simple, clear and information-rich language. Companies should take this into account when creating website texts. Structures that present advantages and disadvantages or comparisons are particularly well suited for processing by LLMs.

2. Entity clarity

AI models need to understand that your firm is a distinct entity. That means having:

A complete Google Business Profile
Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) listings across directories
Schema markup on your website that defines you as a business, including your location and services

This gives AI models structure to latch onto – not just text.

3. Reputation signals

If you ask ChatGPT for recommendations, it highlights “well-reviewed” as one of the criteria before giving you some options:

So, how do you fit that bill?

Mentions on third-party websites, verified reviews and press coverage are all useful signals. If your firm is discussed elsewhere on the internet – especially in reputable, trusted places – that reinforces your credibility.

It’s not just what you say about yourself. It’s what others say about you that sticks.

4. Deep, defensible content

Want to be cited in an AI-generated answer? You need to be the source worth citing.

Case studies
Practical guides for clients
Clear explanations of tax or accounting concepts
Insights based on your real-world experience

These are harder to fake – and that’s the point. AI tools are trained to prioritise unique, informative content that adds real value. Not the same old recycled FAQs.

Examples of AIO in Action

Let’s say a user asks ChatGPT:

“Who’s the best accountant in Cardiff for landlords?”

If your website has a page specifically dedicated to landlord tax support, you’re far more likely to be recommended than a generalist firm with a bland home page and no specific service content. Even more so if that page includes real-world examples, glowing testimonials from landlords and clear expertise in this niche.

We’ve put that to the test, of course. The top result was Harries Watkins Jones, who – you guessed it – have a page dedicated to accounting for landlords.

Or maybe someone asks:

“What’s the best way to manage corporation tax as a UK startup?”

If you’ve written a practical blog series for startup founders with advice based on your firm’s experience, AI tools will favour your content over generic answers. Especially if it’s clearly authored by a qualified accountant.

This is why niching down and showcasing your expertise matters more than ever. Not just for search engines, but for the AI tools that are fast becoming clients’ go-to advisors.

Steps accountants can take to optimise for AI discovery

AI Optimisation (AIO) might sound technical, but for accountants it really boils down to good digital marketing practices. All done consistently, strategically and with a focus on trust and authority. Here’s how to get started:

1. Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile

AI tools often draw from structured data. Make sure your business name, address, phone number, website and services are all up to date. Add high-quality photos, client reviews and your business description using language your ideal clients would use.

This is covered in more depth in our guide to local SEO for accountants.

2. Write niche, helpful content that only you could create

Generic tax advice isn’t enough anymore. Instead, write articles that showcase your real-world expertise. For example:

“What Every Landlord in Manchester Needs to Know About HMRC’s Let Property Campaign”
“How Our Firm Helped a Bristol Café Owner Save £12,000 in VAT”
“A First-Time Business Owner’s Guide to Navigating Corporation Tax”

This kind of content demonstrates experience that’s hard to fake – and makes your firm more recommendable by AI.

3. Use clear headings and structured content

AI tools parse language more effectively when your content is broken up with clear, descriptive headings. Use H2s and H3s like:

“Tax Advice for Freelancers in the UK”
“Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Limited Company”
“When to Register for VAT (And When Not To)”

The easier your content is to read and reference, the more likely it is to be pulled into AI answers.

4. Build citations and authority across the web

Submit your firm to trusted directories like Yell, Thomson Local and other local business sites. Guest post on industry websites or collaborate with partners who can mention and link to your business. These third-party references help AI tools connect the dots and boost your credibility.

5. Use schema markup on your website

Schema is a type of code that helps search engines (and AI tools) understand the structure of your content. Add local business schema, service schema and FAQ schema to make your website easier to digest – not just for humans, but for machines too.

6. Encourage detailed reviews

Generic five-star reviews won’t cut it. Encourage clients to leave reviews that mention specifics – like your location, the service you provided and how you helped. These contextual clues strengthen your authority in AI-generated responses.

Why this matters more than ever

You don’t need to ‘rank #1’ to get discovered anymore. In a world where people are asking AI to do the research for them, the firms that get cited, mentioned or recommended are the ones that win.

The good news? This is a huge opportunity for accountants – especially those with a strong niche, a local presence and real-world experience. AI tools reward trust, clarity and credibility – all things that are already core to great accountancy.

So instead of waiting for the next big Google update, future-proof your visibility by investing in content and credibility that AI can understand, reference and trust.

Because the next time someone asks “Who should I trust with my tax return?” – you want the answer to be you.

Ready to build an SEO strategy that actually works?

At Rapport Digital, we don’t just chase rankings. We create content and strategies that build trust, authority and long-term visibility. Whether you’re a solo accountant or a growing firm, our SEO services for accountants can help you carve out your niche, earn attention from search engines and AI tools and stay miles ahead of the competition.

Let’s talk SEO. Get in touch today for a free, no-pressure consultation.