As Google and generative AI platforms increasingly answer questions directly, businesses are facing a search environment where visibility depends on more than traditional rankings. At ProfitCON 2026, AI search and SEO expert Sandy Wardenburg Waggett will outline how accounting and bookkeeping firms can improve their chances of being discovered, cited and recommended across conventional search and AI-generated answers.

Sandy Wardenburg Waggett, founder of MSW Interactive Designs, is scheduled to take the main stage at ProfitCON 2026 with a presentation focused on the changing mechanics of digital discovery. Her session, “Stop Just Trying to Rank. Start Trying to Be the Answer: How to Get Your Firm Found, Cited, and Recommended in the Age of AI,” will focus on how professional services firms can adapt SEO strategies for AI-driven search.

The shift is significant because search behavior is moving beyond the traditional model of entering keywords, scanning a results page and visiting multiple websites. Generative AI interfaces can instead synthesize information and return direct answers, recommendations and comparisons.

For accounting firms, that changes the definition of search visibility. A high Google ranking remains relevant, but businesses also need consistent digital signals that help search engines and AI systems understand their identity, expertise, services, audience and credibility.

Waggett's framework centers on 15 tactics spanning five areas: foundation, identity, proof, content and differentiation. The recommendations include improving Google Business Profiles, auditing business identity and NAP information, implementing schema markup, strengthening expert and author profiles, documenting credentials and awards, developing review libraries, publishing pricing information and building FAQ resources.

The approach reflects a broader movement toward AI search optimization, where structured information and corroborating evidence can become as important as keyword targeting. Schema markup, authoritative content, business listings, reviews and third-party references can provide machine-readable and contextual signals about an organization.

Content strategy is another major component. Rather than producing articles primarily around isolated keywords, Waggett advocates creating resources that address questions buyers actually ask, including pricing, comparisons, costs, common problems and service suitability.

That approach overlaps with the wider evolution of answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO). While traditional SEO focuses heavily on ranking web pages, AEO and GEO place greater emphasis on making information clear, authoritative and easy for AI systems to interpret.

The distinction is increasingly relevant for enterprise marketing teams as platforms from Google, Microsoft and other technology companies incorporate generative AI into discovery experiences. Businesses are consequently having to manage not only website optimization but also entity information, structured data, reputation signals and content consistency across multiple digital surfaces.

Waggett's presentation also emphasizes a practical implementation model. Her four-week plan begins with foundational business information before expanding into service pages, authority signals and an answer library built around buyer questions.

For smaller professional services businesses, that model highlights an important operational challenge: AI search optimization is not a single technical implementation. It combines local SEO, content strategy, structured data, reputation management, digital PR and ongoing information maintenance.

The larger implication is that search visibility is becoming increasingly connected to entity recognition and evidence. Firms need to make it straightforward for both potential customers and search systems to determine who they are, what they offer, who they serve and why their claims are credible.

Market Landscape

The rise of AI-generated search experiences is changing how marketers think about organic discovery. Traditional SEO remains a core component of digital visibility, but answer-oriented interfaces are creating additional opportunities and challenges around citations, recommendations and brand/entity recognition.

This evolution also increases the importance of structured and authoritative first-party information. For enterprise marketing organizations using platforms from Google, Microsoft, Salesforce or Adobe, maintaining consistent service descriptions, expert profiles, customer evidence and organizational data can become part of a broader digital information strategy.

The competitive environment is therefore shifting from “ranking for a query” toward a more complex model involving rankings, direct answers, citations, recommendations and brand mentions. The precise mechanisms used by individual AI systems remain proprietary, so businesses should treat AI visibility as an evolving optimization discipline rather than a guaranteed formula.

Strategic Outlook

Waggett's ProfitCON framework illustrates how SEO is expanding beyond conventional keyword and technical optimization. As AI interfaces increasingly mediate discovery, businesses may need to treat websites, business profiles, reviews, structured data, expert content and third-party references as connected components of a single digital identity.

For accounting and bookkeeping firms, the immediate opportunity is practical: build authoritative answers around real customer questions while ensuring the underlying business information is accurate and consistent. The same principle can extend to other professional services and B2B sectors as AI-powered discovery becomes more widely adopted.

Top Insights

• AI search shifts SEO beyond rankings, requiring businesses to establish clear identities, authoritative evidence and useful content that AI systems can interpret.
• Structured data and business profiles matter more as search platforms increasingly combine websites, directories, reviews and entity information when generating answers.
• Buyer-focused content gains importance when users ask AI about pricing, comparisons, services and recommendations instead of searching individual keywords.
• Professional services firms face a broader visibility challenge, connecting local SEO, content, reputation, expertise and digital PR across multiple platforms.
• AI visibility remains an evolving discipline, making accurate first-party information and credible third-party evidence important foundations for long-term search strategy.

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