Short answer. To check if AI recommends your accounting firm, ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity the questions a client would type, such as "I'm a self-employed designer in Bristol and need an accountant for my tax return", with web search switched on and in a private window. Record whether your firm is named, whether your website is given, and which firms appear instead.
Why accountants should test this
People who need an accountant often describe their situation first and the service second: a new limited company, a rental property, a side business that has grown. If they ask an AI that, the answer may be a short list of firms. Being on that list, with your site linked, is the thing to test.
The general method is in how to check if AI recommends your business. This guide adapts it for a firm.
Which index each AI reads
Each AI reads a different source when search is on. Your site has to be findable in the right one.
| AI | Live search draws on | How sure we are |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Several providers; OpenAI has not said how much comes from Bing | Partly confirmed (OpenAI) |
| Claude | Brave Search, per Anthropic's subprocessor list | Reported, not confirmed in documentation (TechCrunch) |
| Gemini | Google Search's index | Confirmed (Google) |
| Perplexity | Its own index | Confirmed (Perplexity) |
| Copilot (optional) | Bing | Confirmed (Microsoft) |
The evidence and its gaps are in which search engine each AI uses. Google says that for a page to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode it must be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet, and that no special structured data is needed (Google Search Central).
BrightLocal's November 2024 test of 800 local searches in ChatGPT Search found business websites were 58% of listed sources, and that categories where the stakes are high ("Your Money or Your Life") had a larger share of directory sources than others (BrightLocal). That is one vendor's snapshot of a product that has since changed. It does suggest that for a professional service, both your own site and listings on other sites may be read.
How to check, step by step
- Write eight client questions. Mix styles: "accountant for a small online shop in Cape Town", "who does bookkeeping and VAT for restaurants near Manchester", "how do I find an accountant for my rental property taxes in Ohio". Leave your firm name out.
- Add three questions that name you. "What does [firm name] do?", "where is [firm name] based?", "does [firm name] work with freelancers?"
- Use a private window, with your location set to where your clients are. OpenAI says ChatGPT may share your general location with its search providers (OpenAI help centre).
- Switch web search on in every AI. Source links in the answer show that search ran.
- Ask each question three times on each AI and keep every answer.
- Record for each run: named (yes or no), website given (yes or no), the other firms named, and the sources listed.
- Repeat with search off. This is the memory check. See memory versus live search.
Reading the results
- Named and linked in most runs: good on that question. Recheck monthly.
- Named, no link: the AI knows your firm but not your address. Check your name and domain match everywhere.
- Not named, competitors named: open the sources listed. Those pages are what the AI read, and they show where you need to be present, such as a directory or a local list.
- Named for the wrong service or place: find the page behind the sentence and correct it.
- Named on one AI only: each AI reads a different index, so check you are indexed in Google and Bing, and that your site is readable by the others.
Check your robots.txt
Open yourfirm.com/robots.txt and make sure none of the AI search crawlers is blocked by mistake. OpenAI says a site that opts out of OAI-SearchBot will not appear in ChatGPT search answers (OpenAI). Perplexity says to allow PerplexityBot to appear in its results (Perplexity). Anthropic lists Claude-SearchBot for search (Anthropic).
One run is not a result
The same question can return different firms from one run to the next. Count how many of three runs name you, and repeat monthly. See why AI answers change every time.
Or have it done every morning
aipozi asks the questions you choose on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity every morning with live search on, and records whether your firm was named, whether your site was linked, and who was recommended instead.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check if AI recommends my accounting firm for free? Yes. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity all have free versions. Ask each the questions a client would type, with web search on, and record whether your firm is named. If you hit a daily cap, use separate sittings.
Should I test by service or by type of client? Both. Clients ask in many ways: by service, such as bookkeeping or tax returns, and by their own situation, such as a freelancer or a small shop. Write questions in each style, with your location, and see which styles name you.
My firm serves clients remotely. Does location matter? It can. OpenAI says ChatGPT may share your general location with its search providers, so an answer can change with where you ask from. If you serve a region or a country, ask from there and also try questions without a place.
What if an AI names my firm for a service I do not offer? Record the sentence, the AI and the date, then open the sources it listed. The error usually traces to an old page or a wrong listing. Correct the page if you can, or ask its owner to.
How often should I check? Monthly is a sensible rhythm, and again after changing your services, name or address. AI answers shift between runs and model updates, so one check is only a snapshot. The Improve guides, starting with how to get recommended by ChatGPT, cover what to change.