Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping how information appears in search results – and who gets seen first. For accountancy firms, that shift matters. Instead of relying solely on traditional rankings, Google now presents direct summaries and answers pulled from various web sources.
The problem? You might have written the best guide on allowable expenses, but if your site isn’t optimised for AI understanding, your insight could be left out entirely.
That’s where structured data comes in. Also known as schema markup, it’s long been used to help search engines understand what’s on a page. But could it now be the key to appearing in AI Overviews?
A recent study suggests it just might be.
But first, what the heck is schema?
Schema (or structured data) is a way of labelling the information on your website so that search engines can understand what it means – not just what it says.
Without schema, Google sees your page much like a reader scanning a dense spreadsheet – plenty of text and numbers, but little context. With schema, you’re effectively adding headings, notes, and labels that explain what each element represents. For example:
- That “ABC Accounting Ltd” is your business name
- That “01234 567890” is your contact number
- That a certain paragraph is a review
- That a list of questions forms an FAQ
This extra layer of meaning helps search engines interpret your content more precisely. That’s why schema has long underpinned features like rich snippets, star ratings and “people also ask” boxes.
For accountancy firms, schema can identify key details such as your location, services, qualifications and reviews. These all strengthen how Google represents your expertise and credibility.
And as Google’s AI Overviews rely more on understanding and summarising trustworthy sources, having clear, structured data could make the difference between your content being summarised by AI or skipped over entirely.
Related: How to Get ChatGPT to Recommend Your Accountancy Firm
The experiment: Does schema quality influence AI visibility?
In September 2025, a controlled experiment by SEO experts Molly Nogami and Ben Tannenbaum took a closer look at this question. Their goal was to test whether the quality of schema affects whether a page appears in an AI Overview – not just its presence.
They built three single-page websites, each targeting similar keywords and optimised to the same technical standard. The only difference? Their approach to schema.
- Page one included well-implemented structured data – Comprehensive Article, FAQ and Breadcrumb schema, with correct formatting and rich property details.
- Page two had poorly implemented schema – Incomplete data, errors and missing key properties.
- Page three used no schema at all.
Each site was submitted to Google at the same time, and all were crawled within hours.
The results: Strong schema, stronger visibility
Only one page appeared in an AI Overview – the one with well-implemented schema. Not only that, it also achieved the highest organic ranking – landing in position three for a key query.
By contrast, the poorly marked-up page did get indexed and ranked for some keywords, but none of its content was featured in an AI Overview. And the no-schema page? It wasn’t even indexed.
The authors are careful not to overstate the findings due to the small sample. But the result is hard to ignore. Schema quality clearly correlated with visibility in both standard results and AI Overviews. And in a search landscape that’s increasingly driven by AI, that edge could matter more than ever.
Why this matters for accountancy firms
For accountants, accuracy, trust and clarity are everything. These same traits happen to be what search engines and AI models value most. Schema helps express that structure and authority in a way machines can parse – whether it’s a blog post on dividend tax, a calculator tool or a page listing your corporate services.
By explicitly stating your qualifications, content type, service offerings and authorship, schema makes it easier for search engines to categorise and display the right information to users at the right time.
For example:
- Using LocalBusiness schema can help surface your office location, opening hours and contact details.
- FAQ schema can help your responses show up as expandable results right on the search results page – giving potential clients instant access to your insights without clicking through.
- Article schema can help Google better understand your blog posts and potentially include them in AI summaries.
Structured data also helps align your site with Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T. That’s experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness. When machines can clearly read who wrote the content, when it was published and how it’s structured, they’re more likely to view it as reliable.
As more users get answers directly from search results without clicking through, getting cited in those summaries is a powerful way to stay visible. Schema might be the nudge that helps your content cross that threshold. Above all, schema is another layer of reassurance – not just for users, but for search engines and AI models too.
How to add schema to your accountancy website
You don’t have to rebuild your website to implement schema. There are a few simple ways to get started:
1. Use a plugin or CMS integration
If your website is built on WordPress, tools like Yoast SEO, Rank Math or Schema Pro can help you add structured data with minimal fuss.
This video shows how the schema tab works on Yoast:
Many website builders now include built-in schema options that let you select the relevant type (such as LocalBusiness or FAQ) without editing code.
Tip: This method is ideal if you’re not comfortable working with HTML or want to apply schema across multiple pages quickly and consistently.
2. Use Google’s structured data markup helper
This free tool lets you highlight parts of your website and generate the correct schema code automatically. Once created, you can paste the code into your page’s HTML – either directly or via your CMS.
Here’s how it’s done:
Best for: Users who are confident editing website code or prefer more granular control over exactly what’s marked up.
3. Start small with the essentials
Focus first on areas where schema makes the biggest difference:
- LocalBusiness – Helps search engines display your firm’s name, address, phone number and opening hours directly in search results.
- Article – Identifies your blog or news posts, increasing chances of appearing in “Top stories” or enhanced snippets.
- FAQ – Shows common client questions and answers directly under your search listing.
- Review – Highlights client testimonials or ratings to help build trust and credibility.
You don’t need to mark up every page at once. Prioritise high-impact pages such as those explaining your services, pricing or niche expertise.
4. Test and maintain your schema
Use the Schema Markup Validator or Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure your schema is correctly implemented and error-free. Check your results in Google Search Console to spot any ongoing issues or enhancements.
Keep it up to date: Review your schema periodically to make sure it still reflects your current business data. For example, when updating your services, staff information or client reviews
Schema summary: A smart bet for accountancy firms
While schema alone won’t guarantee you a spot in AI Overviews, the evidence suggests it may tip the scales in your favour – especially when implemented properly. As search becomes more reliant on AI-generated summaries, every opportunity to improve machine readability and trust is worth exploring.
For accountants, this is about more than rankings. It’s about helping potential clients find trustworthy, accurate financial advice in a changing search landscape. Schema may just be one of the simplest and smartest tools to help you do that.
Ready to make your accountancy firm stand out in search?
At Rapport Digital, our SEO services for accountants go beyond keywords. From smart schema implementation to authoritative content and technical SEO, we help accountants like you earn trust, attract the right clients and stay visible in an evolving AI-driven search landscape.
Let’s take your SEO to the next level. Book a free, no-pressure consultation today.