R&Co Communications’ Sarah Ross shares how to brief Large Language Models (LLMs) on the contents of the Chancellor’s red briefcase
PR around the Budget used to be simple. It was determined by speed, the value of the commentary and strong media relationships, and press coverage could be achieved with the right client.
The payoff was coveted media coverage in a respected title – national if what you had to say had value, regional to reach your clients and instil trust, and trade verticals to share advice with a specific and relevant audience.
Search engines added a new level of complexity, bringing keywords and backlinks into the response strategy, but then AI and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) entered the frame.
Now, it’s not just about column inches and their advertising equivalent value. When it comes to the Autumn Budget, accountants need to consider their wider digital footprint if they want to win in AI and the race for coverage just got even faster.
AI as a news source
Research from Ofcom shows a fifth of UK adults are now getting news via AI tools.
With a topic as nuanced as the Budget, it is likely that more than 20% of the population will be turning to AI to make sense of how it will impact them.
Business owners and individuals will be asking multi-layered questions related to their own circumstances.
PR outreach around the Budget that doesn’t consider AI risks leaving accountants invisible to a significant portion of their audience at the very moment they ask ‘what does this mean for me?’.
As more than 60% of high earners use AI daily, according to a Financial Times‑commissioned survey of 4,000 workers, it’s not an audience that you want to miss.
Adding complexity to search behaviour
Audiences search differently when using AI compared to when they use search engines. They understand the limitations of search engines and the need to search for specific phrases or keywords.
AI searches are much more complex and conversational. Users search for personalised answers and tailored solutions, with prompts that can include multiple questions, so this approach to AI search should be considered when developing a marketing strategy for the Autumn Budget in 2026.
Optimising for AI
Increasing your AI visibility during the Budget and beyond doesn’t mean ripping up your marketing plans and starting again. You’re probably already using the key tactics that drive results, just not in the optimum way.
Here’s what you need to know to be able to increase your AI mentions and citations:
Trade-first PR
- National and regional media coverage have less value in AI
- Some of the biggest national and regional titles block AI crawlers from their websites, including BBC News, MailOnline and Metro
- Trade titles are filling this gap, giving them a valuable role in the era of AI
- Achieving coverage in accountancy trade titles and trade verticals is now essential for AI visibility
Website content
- SEO isn’t instant – publish an optimised preview page ahead of 28th October and update with analysis after the event
- Structure content by using questions as headings
- Use concise copy and include bullet points where possible in answers
LinkedIn posts
- LinkedIn is the second most cited domain across ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Mode, according to analysis by Semrush
- Educational content is cited most often so share something with value
- Don’t repeat what’s announced, explain what it means for your target audiences
To be the accountancy firm that owns AI results around the Autumn Budget, you need to align your PR, SEO and social media marketing.
With more than a decade of experience delivering digital marketing to the accountancy and finance sectors, R&Co Communications has developed How to Use the Autumn Budget to Market Your Business – a downloadable guide to help you maximise your visibility during the Budget in the AI era.
For more information about R&Co, visit rcomms.co.uk or search for R&Co Communications on social media.