Search behaviour has shifted faster in the past two years than in the previous decade. A growing number of people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity a question instead of typing it into Google.
For accountants, that means the way a prospective client first discovers your firm has changed, and your website needs to keep up.
How Big Is AI Search Right Now
The scale of this shift is hard to overstate. ChatGPT alone hit 800 million to 1 billion weekly active users in early 2026, with Sam Altman noting roughly 10% of the world now uses ChatGPT systems in some form. In the US, more than 100 million Americans use ChatGPT at least once a month, representing close to 30% of the population, and over a third of US adults have used the platform at least once, up from just 18% in mid-2023.
This isn’t a niche behaviour anymore, it’s becoming a default way people look for information, including who to hire.
People Are Asking AI Tools Instead of Searching Google
What This Means for Visibility
AI Search Is Reducing Clicks to Websites, Not Increasing Them
A common misconception is that AI search sends more traffic to websites. In reality, the opposite is often true for the first stage of someone’s research. 58 to 60% of all searches now end without a click to any website at all, and when AI Overviews appear in Google results, that figure rises to 83%.
That means a growing share of people get their initial answer, including which businesses are recommended, without ever visiting a website directly. Being the source AI cites matters more than ever, because for many users, that citation is the only impression of your firm they’ll see.
When AI Does Send Traffic, It's Higher Quality
There’s a silver lining. While fewer searches lead to clicks overall, the visitors that do come from AI platforms tend to convert better. AI-referred website sessions jumped 527% between January and May 2025, and AI-referred visitors convert at 4.4 to 23 times the rate of average web visitors.
For an accountancy practice, this means investing in AI search visibility isn’t just about chasing volume, it’s about reaching people who are further along in deciding who to contact.
How AI Platforms Decide Who to Recommend
Unlike traditional Google rankings, AI tools don’t simply rank pages, they extract and synthesise information from multiple sources to construct an answer. This changes what your website needs to do well.
Structured Content Performs Better
Pages with FAQ schema are up to 3.2 times more likely to appear in Google AI Overviews, and content with properly implemented schema markup overall has up to a 2.5 times higher chance of appearing in AI-generated answers. For accountancy websites, this means clearly structured FAQ sections, service pages and About pages aren’t just good practice, they’re a direct lever for AI visibility.
Content Needs to Match How People Actually Ask Questions
AI systems break a user’s question down into smaller, more specific sub-questions before searching for an answer. Page titles and headings that closely match the way people actually phrase their questions are one of the strongest predictors of whether a page gets cited in an AI response. A page titled “VAT Registration Guide” performs worse for AI citation than one titled “How Do I Register for VAT as a Small Business in the UK.”
Freshness Matters More Than You'd Think
Consistency Across the Web Is Now a Ranking Factor
AI platforms pull information from multiple places, not just your website. If your business name, address, phone number or services are listed differently across your website, Google Business Profile and directories, AI tools can give prospective clients inaccurate information, or skip your firm altogether because the signals don’t line up.
Research has found that only 68% of business contact information on ChatGPT and Perplexity matches what’s listed on Google Business Profiles, and around a fifth of ChatGPT users switch over to Google to verify a local business’s details after getting an AI answer.
Inconsistent information doesn’t just confuse AI tools, it actively pushes potential clients to double-check you elsewhere, adding friction at exactly the point you want to convert them.
What Accountancy Firms Should Do About It
Adapting to AI search doesn’t require starting from scratch. The fixes mostly build on good SEO fundamentals that were already worth doing:
- Add structured FAQ content that answers real client questions in plain language
- Implement schema markup across service pages, your About page and FAQs
- Keep tax and deadline-related content updated as rules change each year
- Make sure your business name, address and phone number match exactly across your website, Google Business Profile and directories
- Write service pages and headings that mirror how people actually phrase their questions
- Maintain a current, well-organised blog or resources section
Frequently Asked Questions
Are people really using ChatGPT to find an accountant?
Does AI search reduce traffic to accountancy websites?
What's the easiest way to improve AI search visibility?
Does my Google Business Profile affect AI search results?
How often should accountancy content be updated for AI search?
Make Sure Your Accountancy Firm Is Visible Where Clients Are Searching
At DCP Web Designers, we build web design for accountancy firms that are structured for both traditional SEO and AI search visibility, including schema markup, FAQ content and consistent business information across the web. If you’re not sure how visible your firm is in AI search right now, get in touch for a free consultation.
