Business owners are no longer only searching Google for an accountant. They are asking ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity who to hire, then uploading proposals, websites, and LinkedIn profiles and asking the AI whether a firm is the right fit. Ross Simmonds, founder and CEO of the B2B content marketing agency Foundation and founder of Distribution.ai, joins Brannon Poe to explain what this shift means for CPA firm owners.
Ross is the author of the Amazon bestseller Create Once, Distribute Forever and has been ranked by BuzzSumo among the top content marketers in the world. In this episode, he explains generative engine optimization (GEO), the practice of shaping your content so AI platforms recommend your firm. Fewer than 5% of Americans pay for an AI subscription, but business adoption is far higher. That means the business owners your accounting practice serves are already using these tools to make buying decisions.
Traditional SEO still forms the foundation of a strong accounting firm website. GEO adds a new layer built on niche service pages, case studies, awards, community involvement, and content distributed across LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, and podcasts. Ross also explains why these same signals support recruiting, since job candidates now research potential employers through AI before they apply.
The Conversation Covers:
- How business owners use AI to discover, compare, and evaluate CPA firms
- Why a “Who We Serve” page with niche sub-pages helps AI match your firm to the right clients
- How generative engine optimization differs from SEO, and why your firm needs both
- Why employer branding shapes whether candidates find your accounting firm at all
- How to test your AI visibility accurately by logging out before you search
- Why AI-written content needs your own expertise before it goes live
Reputation has always driven growth in public accounting. AI platforms are now one of the places that reputation gets built, and firms that tell their story clearly across channels give both people and AI a reason to recommend them.
This Episode Is For: CPA firm owners curious about how AI search affects client acquisition, accounting firm leaders ready to strengthen their online visibility without hiring an agency, practice owners wondering how to stand out to candidates researching firms through AI, and anyone interested in what generative engine optimization means for the accounting profession.
Q&A Section:
How are clients finding CPA firms differently today?
Ross Simmons, founder of Foundation and Distribution.ai, explains that clients are using AI platforms like Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity not just to discover accounting firms but to evaluate them. They upload proposals, screenshots, and firm websites and ask the AI directly who they should hire.
What is generative engine optimization and why does it matter for accounting firms?
Generative engine optimization, or GEO, is the practice of optimizing your content and online presence for AI platforms rather than just Google search. Ross explains that the signals that influence AI recommendations, including YouTube videos, Reddit threads, reviews, and social content, are different from traditional SEO ranking factors.
What should a CPA firm's website include to show up in AI search results?
Ross recommends creating specific "Who We Serve" landing pages for each client type or industry your firm works with. AI platforms crawl these pages to match your firm to relevant search prompts, so specificity matters more than general descriptions.
How can a CPA firm build visibility without a full-time marketer?
Ross suggests starting with an SEO audit using a tool like Ahrefs' Let I Do, then using a content distribution platform to spread existing content across LinkedIn, Facebook, and other channels. The goal is to get your story out to more places so AI platforms have more signals to work with.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome and guest introduction: Ross Simmons, founder of Foundation and Distribution.ai
01:14 - How search is shifting from Google to AI and what that means for CPA firms
03:21 - How ChatGPT changed the search experience and why adoption is faster inside businesses than among consumers
07:03 - How the entire buyer's journey has changed: discovery, consideration, and comparison in the AI era
08:57 - Why "Who We Serve" landing pages help LLMs match your firm to the right clients
10:54 - How AI platforms evaluate employer brand: values, culture, community involvement, and awards
15:33 - What GEO is and how it differs from traditional SEO
17:40 - Practical low-lift tools for CPA firms: Ahrefs, MCP connectors, and Distribution.ai
20:17 - Common content mistakes: checking your own AI ranking while logged in, and copy-paste AI content
23:07 - Ross's story: a fantasy football blog, a borrowed suit, and a C-suite meeting in Miami
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