AI Search
Search marketing is in transition. Traditional search still accounts for much of the online traffic that accounting firms see, but artificial intelligence is gaining ground. This means accounting firms can’t simply focus on showing up in online search results; they also need to focus on appearing in AI searches on Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude.
AI advancement in the tech industry is the catalyst for much of our current economic growth. More companies are investing in AI, and in turn, more people are using it. As of August 2025, over 55% of people have used generative AI tools, according to Alexander Bick, an economist at the
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There is a growing consensus among AI and search marketing experts that one of the best ways for firms to appear in LLMs is to have their brand cited in media outlets. This means publishing columns or having your accounting firm quoted in articles from reputable accounting magazines or in your local media. Search engines and LLMs trust these publications as reliable sources of news, and being cited in them will help you get mentioned in LLMs when users ask questions.
Getting cited in these LLMs is a helpful step toward growing your accounting firm’s online footprint as digital marketing shifts toward AI. Here are a few ideas on how your accounting firm can leverage AI to find more media opportunities:
Starting a PR campaign can be overwhelming. There are thousands of media outlets across the country, and finding the relevant ones can be a challenge. Deep research mode in major LLMs is a powerful tool for finding outlets where your firm can be featured. This is an excellent place for your marketing team to start.
The key is to use AI to identify publications relevant to your accounting firm. This means having it search for three types of publications: local media, industry publications and national media. You are probably familiar with much of your local media market, but you should still use AI to find new local publications.
Your local market will usually include a few hyper-local publications and websites, along with the major papers and magazines in your city. Many of these hyper-local publications will focus on the surrounding suburbs and exurbs of your city. You will also want to research local business publications that operate in your area. Publishing in local publications will increase the chances that LLMs will cite you when responding to local accounting questions.
Industry publications are outlets that cover industries your firm works with, as well as professional accounting magazines. LLMs consider these publications authoritative sources for the industries they cover. You want to target industry publications that are relevant to your clients. For example, if you work with construction companies, you will want to be in construction industry publications.
These columns will likely be geared toward a B2B audience, while local and national publications will be geared more toward a B2C audience. Learn the publication’s audience before you reach out. You can even ask the LLM you are using to provide readership information for any publication it finds.
Using an LLM to find relevant publications is a strong first step toward leveraging AI in your growth marketing strategy.
The news runs on current events, and the best way for your accounting firm to get published is to write columns that are relevant to those events. Accounting firms can use an AI agent to scour the news and find new information relevant to the accounting profession. For example, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made significant changes to tax law that many clients may not be aware of. Your agent may find a story on accelerated depreciation expansions in the OBBBA. You can use this news to pitch a column on how this expansion affects industries your firm specializes in.
One firm using AI as an essential tool to keep up with current tax legislation changes is Tax Goddess. The firm’s owner, CPA Shauna Wekherlien, specializes in creating tax strategies for business owners who pay $100,000 or more in taxes.
“Many CPAs will wait until tax season to take an update class, but we work with clients who need a tax strategy the day after it happens, so we are constantly looking to keep up with court cases and legislation coming down the pipeline,” Wekherlien said. “AI agents have become an important tool in that process because when a bill such as BBB is passed, we can use them to provide a detailed breakdown or case study that we can use for content on our blog and target pain points our clients might be feeling.”
Wekherlien stressed the importance of verifying the accuracy of AI-generated information by reading the sources it cites and running it through another AI agent to see if it produces the same results.
“If you are doing research in ChatGPT, you want to run it through Gemini as well to see if it is giving you the same information,” Wekherlien said.
Never assume that what AI tells you is correct. Always verify.
Use an AI agent to conduct daily checks on the tax issues the publications you are targeting are covering. This will help you stay informed about relevant accounting issues in your community and position your firm as an expert on them.
You can find all the relevant current events in the world, but they won’t be of much use if you can’t turn them into a well-written, timely article. Turning important news into a successful pitch can be difficult if you haven’t done it before. AI is a helpful aid in crafting article ideas beyond your own frame of reference.
It can analyze what people are searching for, the most frequently asked questions, regulatory changes and industry pain points. Knowing these things will better inform what you write about. Then use what it finds to see how it matches up with your own ideas. How something affects taxpayers should be a major factor in what you write about, and knowing what questions they are asking will ensure you are writing a relevant column. Use AI to help you navigate the brainstorming process.
Accounting firms must understand that AI in growth marketing should be used as a tool, not a crutch. It can help you brainstorm, find relevant topics, and identify media outlets, but it should never write your article for you. Reputable media outlets consider AI-generated columns akin to plagiarism, and LLMs and search engines assess content’s originality when evaluating its authority.
Media outlets want original content from knowledgeable professionals who know their craft. The original words you write in your column are authoritative, so let your expertise do the writing, not AI.
Chase DuBois, CPA, is the managing partner of
“AI/LLMs are not a silver bullet. You must include the human element in your content, as the market can easily spot AI-slop writing,” DuBois said. “Effective use of AI requires thoughtful changes to workflows and procedures, not just replacing a human task with an LLM.”
Expanding your online profile requires showcasing your expertise and voice. Write the column yourself, and have your team help if you need editorial support. Editors are on guard, so don’t have AI write your column for you.
As AI becomes more prevalent, so will the need for your accounting firm to appear as a source in LLMs. The best way to establish authority and get cited by LLMs is to publish in local, industry, and national publications relevant to your accounting firm. Your firm can leverage LLMs to find publications, stay up to date on current events, and brainstorm story ideas. Using the tools AI gives you will help you effectively pitch to media publications, improve your traditional search rankings, and show up in LLM inquiries.
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