AI search optimization for professional services firms
When a business owner asks ChatGPT which CPA firm to hire, the answer names two or three firms. AI search optimization, also called answer engine optimization (AEO), is the work of making sure yours is one of them.
AEO builds on the same foundation as SEO. For most firms, one provider should handle both, so we add it to your SEO or fractional CMO work instead of selling it as a separate program.
What AI tools look for
- Pages that answer the questions your clients actually ask, in plain language
- The same name, address, phone and specialties on your website, Google Business Profile, directories and LinkedIn
- Mentions on outside sites AI tools trust, like associations, local press, review sites and industry publications
- Structured data that tells AI tools who you are, where you are and what you do
What’s included
- A written baseline. We run your prospects’ questions through ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity in a logged-out session and show you which firms and sources come up.
- Clear priorities. We name the two or three specialties to work on first, and the pages and outside sites for each.
- Page updates. We rewrite service and industry pages to answer real questions, with FAQ sections and schema.
- Outside mentions. We clean up directory listings, help you ask for reviews, and pitch the sites those AI answers already cite.
- One-page reporting each quarter, showing the questions we tested and where your firm showed up before and after.
What we need from you
An hour or two a month from a partner to review drafts and approve anything published under the firm’s name.
What to expect
Updated pages and new outside mentions take a few months to show up in AI answers, so the first real check-in is about a quarter in. Nobody controls what AI tools say, so we don’t guarantee placement in ChatGPT. What we can show you is the baseline, the work and the change over time.
Frequently asked questions
What is AEO?
Answer engine optimization is the work of getting your firm named in answers from AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity. It builds on SEO, with more focus on direct answers, outside mentions and structured data.
Do I need a separate AEO agency?
Usually not. If your current SEO provider can show you what AI tools say about your firm today and which outside sites they cite, add AEO to their scope.
How long does it take?
Expect a few months before changes show up in AI answers. We check results quarterly.
Which AI tools do you track?
ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity, using the questions your prospects ask.
Can you guarantee we’ll show up in ChatGPT?
No one can. Be wary of anyone who promises it.
See where your firm shows up today
Book a strategy call and we’ll run a few of your prospects’ questions together.
