Writing, websites and content strategy
Look carefully
I examined 1,915 pages published by accountancy firms to see how widely content was shared, how much it changed and which versions Google selected in a small search test. Syndicated content can be useful. But firms should be clear about what they expect it to achieve.
I found a dramatic pattern in 540 AI answers, then discovered my comparison was invalid. So I blocked two accountancy listicles from Claude and collected 200 answers in a randomised experiment. Recommendations for three competitors fell sharply. Neither publisher was named.
I tried to turn 100 homepage audits and 540 AI answers into a white paper that would win me accountancy clients. Then the evidence broke the argument I intended to sell, so I spiked it. What I found instead is more useful if you are thinking of buying GEO services.
It's one of the most common phrases in accountancy marketing, and one of the least useful. Here's why 'business advisers' falls flat, and what to say instead.
There is no secret switch that puts your firm into an AI answer. But there are clear reasons one firm is easier to recommend than another.
Your firm ranks on Google, but ChatGPT and other AI assistants keep naming its competitors. The problem may begin with what your website actually says.
Referrals still matter. I don't think that's changed. What I think has changed is the buying process. Prospective clients now spend longer researching, comparing and reassuring themselves before they ever make contact.
Your SEO agency delivered. The traffic is there. The rankings are there. So why aren't the enquiries? Before you brief another agency, it's worth asking whether the website is actually ready for the people who find it.
Your website has two structures: the menu, and the one that's grown beneath it. A content audit shows which version of your firm clients actually see.
Referrals work because they are specific and build trust. Many professional services websites lose that advantage because those details never reach the page.