How an AI accounting software company got cited by LLMs and ranked #2 on Google

Case Study SEO & GEO / AI visibility

AI Visibility for an AI Accounting Software Company

I led the SEO & GEO strategy for an AI-powered accounting software company looking to grow visibility beyond traditional search. The goal was to rank for high-intent audit software keywords and become the source AI surfaces when accountants look for the best tools in their space.

A content and schema strategy built for AI-first visibility, ranking #2 for competitive audit software keywords and surfacing the brand in AI-generated answers, fast.

Overview

An AI accounting software company wanted to grow visibility in a category increasingly dominated by AI-generated answers. Their challenge wasn’t just ranking , it was becoming the source AI cites when accounting professionals search for the best tools in their space.

I led the strategy and content planning for a listicle targeting high-intent keywords in the audit software category, working closely with the content team to execute a format designed specifically to earn AI citations, not just traditional rankings.

Objectives

Strategy & responsibilities

The core insight driving this strategy: AI models cite sources that are structured for direct answers, not just well-written. I designed the content architecture around this from the start, treating AI citability as a first-class requirement alongside traditional SEO signals.

• Listicle structure designed for AI citation. Answer-first introductions, every H2 framed as a direct question, and the first sentence under each heading delivering the answer immediately. This format maps cleanly to how AI models extract and cite information from source content.
• Comparison-led topical authority. The content led with pros/cons, feature comparisons, pricing signals, and quantifiable data, the structured, specific information AI prefers when selecting sources to surface in generated answers.
• Schema markup implementation. Article and breadcrumb schema were implemented via Yoast to reduce crawler friction and give AI platforms clear structural signals about the content’s context and authority.
• Off-page reinforcement via guest post listicles. 3–4 guest posts on relevant mid-authority accounting and marketing sites targeted the same core keywords, reinforcing topical credibility and the client’s category presence from multiple trusted sources.
• Content briefing and team direction. I developed detailed briefs for the content team specifying structure, heading hierarchy, formatting rules, and the specific signals needed for AI citation — ensuring every editorial decision served the broader visibility strategy.

One non-obvious finding: AI visibility didn’t require ItemList schema. The structured formatting of the content itself: answer-first headings, comparison tables, clear feature breakdowns was enough for AI Overviews to cite the piece. When content is well-structured, schema reinforces; it doesn’t substitute.

Results

Tools & skills

SEO strategy | GEO / AI visibility | Content strategy | Schema markup | Topical authority | Listicle optimization | Link building | Content briefing | Google Search Console | Yoast SEO | AthenaHQ | Otterly