Standing out in search in 2027 means showing up in three places at once: the regular Google results, the map listings, and the AI answers that now sit above both. For a CPA firm, law firm or advisory practice, the firms that win all three have a clear specialty, a strong Google Business Profile, pages that answer real questions, and other trusted sites saying the same things about them. Here’s what the latest research shows and what I’d do about it.
What’s different going into 2027
- AI answers come first. Google’s AI Overviews now appear on most searches, and Google has said they use the same ranking systems as regular results. Ranking well is still the way in.
- Clicks are scarcer but worth more. When the answer is on the page, fewer people click. Pages cited inside AI Overviews got about 120% more clicks than pages that weren’t, so being the cited source matters.
- Mentions now matter more than links. An Ahrefs study found brand mentions across the web tracked with AI Overview visibility far more closely than backlinks did.
- Every AI tool reads different sources. ChatGPT now uses Yelp’s reviews and business information for local recommendations and lets businesses claim their own profiles, while Google’s AI leans on its own index. One study found 80% of local businesses named by AI tools showed up on only one platform.
- Google keeps rewarding the original source. Its 2026 core and spam updates favored first-hand expertise and penalized sites that mass-produce AI content or near-identical city pages.
1. Get the map results right
For local searches like “estate planning attorney Long Beach,” the map results often decide who gets the call. In the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey, the biggest factors were your primary Business Profile category, how close you are to the searcher, a real address in the city being searched, being open at the time of the search, your star rating and the number of reviews with written comments.
- Choose the most specific primary category you can, and add every secondary category that truly fits.
- Fill in Google’s predefined services. They jumped from #81 to #22 in that survey, and most firms leave them blank.
- Keep your hours accurate, including holidays.
- Ask for reviews steadily, not in bursts, and reply to every one. Reviews that mention the specific service help most. Attorneys and advisors should check bar and SEC rules before featuring them.
- Never add keywords to your business name. It’s against Google’s rules and can get your profile suspended.
2. Build one strong page per service
Each core service or specialty needs its own page, written for that client, with a direct answer at the top and the questions clients ask in a first meeting below it. A single services page that lists twelve things gives Google and AI tools nothing specific to match. Build city pages only where you have an office or real local clients.
3. Show who’s behind the work
Search engines and AI tools look for expertise. Give every attorney, CPA or advisor a bio page with credentials, licenses and publications, put real bylines on articles, and add structured data so search engines can connect your people to your firm. For tax, legal and medical topics, a “reviewed by” line and a review date add trust.
4. Show up where AI tools look
Your website is one source among many. Claim and match your listings on Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, ChatGPT and your industry directories. For law firms that means Avvo, Justia and Super Lawyers, which appear in a large share of AI answers about local attorneys. For CPAs it means CPAverify and the CalCPA directory. Use the exact same name, address, phone and services everywhere.
5. Earn mentions, not just links
Aim for one outside mention a month: a quote in a local business journal, an article for a trade association your clients belong to, a podcast episode, a co-written piece with a referral partner. These are the pages AI tools trust when they decide which firms to name.
6. Publish less, and make it yours
One article built on a partner’s real experience will outperform four generic posts. Write about the questions clients ask you, publish cost and comparison pages, and once a year share something only your firm knows, like anonymized trends from your client base. Refresh your most important pages every quarter with real changes.
7. Put your people on LinkedIn and YouTube
AI answers cite LinkedIn and YouTube often, mostly posts and videos from individuals rather than company pages. Short videos of a partner answering one client question, posted with a transcript, work in search, in AI answers and in the feed.
8. Keep the technical basics clean
Make sure Google, Bing and the AI search bots can reach your site, and that your security settings aren’t blocking them. Keep one version of each page, redirect old URLs when you change them, and make sure your site is fast on a phone. Clear titles, one H1 per page and internal links between related services still matter.
9. Measure what matters
Track calls, form fills and consultations by source, not just traffic. Search Console now reports AI impressions, and Bing Webmaster Tools shows when Copilot cites your pages. For AI visibility, run the same 10 to 20 prospect questions through ChatGPT, Google, Perplexity and Copilot every month. The answers change almost every time, so look for the trend, not one result.
Frequently asked questions
Can a small firm still outrank bigger competitors?
Yes, especially locally and in a niche. Proximity, reviews, a clear specialty and first-hand content are all things a small firm can do as well as a large one.
Do backlinks still matter?
Quality links still help, especially from associations and local organizations. But mentions of your firm on trusted sites, linked or not, now carry a lot of weight in AI answers.
How long does it take to see results?
Business Profile and listing fixes can move map results within weeks. Content, mentions and AI visibility usually take three to six months to build.
Want to see where your firm stands in Google and AI answers today? Email me at lauren@lhoandco.com, or read more about our SEO and AI search work.