The Search Game Just Changed — Again

If you’ve noticed your website traffic behaving differently lately, you’re not imagining things. Google’s new AI-powered search (often called Search Generative Experience or SGE) is reshaping how clients discover, trust, and choose their accountant.

In this new world, visibility isn’t about ranking first — it’s about being referenced by AI.

That means your firm’s digital presence isn’t just competing for clicks anymore. It’s competing for citations — those trusted snippets Google’s AI uses to summarize answers.

And if your content, your Google Business Profile, or your reviews aren’t AI-ready? You could be invisible to the next generation of search.

From “Ranking” to “Referencing”

Old SEO:

Stuff keywords. Build backlinks. Cross fingers.

AI Search SEO:

Build authority. Earn mentions. Be the source.

Google’s new AI model doesn’t just read your website — it synthesizes context. It looks at your Google Business Profile, reviews, recent posts, and even your author signals. Then it decides whether your firm deserves to be summarized in that top AI box.

This is why a well-optimized Google Business Profile is now a ranking and referencing asset — not just a digital listing. (You can read our full deep dive on that here: Why Every Tax & Accounting Firm Needs a Google Business Profile.)

What Google’s AI Actually “Sees”

When an AI model scans your firm online, it’s evaluating three key layers:

1. Authority:
   
   
   • Do other credible sources (directories, clients, industry sites) mention you?
     
   • Is your content original, expert, and helpful?
     
     
2. Activity:
   
   
   • Is your Google Business Profile active — updated weekly, with fresh posts and reviews?
     
   • Are you publishing current insights tied to tax season, AI, or advisory topics?
     
     
3. Authenticity:
   
   
   • Do your reviews sound real and recent?
     
   • Do your firm’s bios, services, and tone align with your brand story everywhere online?
     
     

These are the signals AI search now uses to decide who to include in its answers — and who to skip.

Read: Why Every Tax & Accounting Firm Needs a Google Business Profile

Why It Matters for Accountants

When clients search “best tax professional near me” or “how can I lower my small business taxes,” Google’s AI doesn’t just display websites. It curates answers.

That means a handful of trusted firms — those with strong local profiles and content ecosystems — can dominate exposure while others fade.

In other words, AI search is the new word-of-mouth.

And just like referrals, it only works if people (and algorithms) trust you.

The New SEO Stack for 2025

Here’s what modern local SEO looks like in the AI era:

- Google Business Profile management — optimized, updated, and reviewed weekly

- AI-optimized blog content (answer-style, clear, timely)

- Structured data and FAQs for Google to “understand” your site

- Consistent NAP (name, address, phone) and brand voice across listings

- Social proof signals — reviews, client stories, thought leadership

When these align, you’re not just visible — you’re cited by AI.

The Bottom Line

The accountants who adapt to AI search first will own visibility for years to come.

Because while competitors are still chasing rank #1, you’ll be chasing something bigger — AI trust.

And once you’ve earned that, Google’s algorithms (and your future clients) will do the marketing for you.

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💡 Want to make sure your firm shows up in Google’s AI results?

CountingWorks PRO helps tax and accounting professionals optimize every digital touchpoint — from your website to your Google Business Profile — powered by MAX.

Explore how it works →