Where’s the best place to hide a dead body?
It’s page two of Google’s search results.
Ok, we know it’s an old joke, but it still perfectly captures the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). According to a report, 75% of Google users never click past the first page of search results.
In other words, your accounting business website needs to be among the top ten search results if you want clients to even notice your online presence. But how does SEO for accounting firms work? It takes an entire article to answer this question.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- The benefits of SEO for accountants
- Top tips to optimize a website and improve the visibility of your accounting firm
Let’s dive in!
What is SEO for accountants?
SEO for accountants is the process of optimizing an accounting firm’s website in order to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal is to make it easier for potential clients to find your accounting firm when looking for accounting-related services online.
Key benefits of SEO for accountants
SEO is irreplaceable for accounting firms looking to enhance their online presence and reach more potential clients. Next up, we’ll point out four major benefits of SEO for accounting firms.
Increased website traffic
The first advantage of SEO is obvious—it will help you improve website ranking in SERPs. In other words, your accounting firm will become more visible to users searching for accounting services online. As a result, you’ll get:
- Extra visibility
- More organic traffic and website clicks
- New client inquiries
Generate high-quality leads
SEO for accountants is also a way for you to attract high-quality leads. The point is to create content that addresses a specific audience, so they can find you quickly. We are talking about high-intent searches that often result in user engagement.
Find nearby clients
Do you know that 46% of all searches on Google include local intent? This is extremely important because many accounting firms operate locally, which means they compete for the attention of nearby clients.
However, local SEO is anything but easy. We did a simple Google search to reveal the competitiveness in the accounting business:
As you can see, Google offers more than 11 million results for Brisbane-related accounting companies. High search results are common in other locations as well. With such high competition, it’s critical to improve your local SEO strategy and help search engines discover your company.
It’s a cost-effective marketing tool
Compared to other forms of marketing, SEO is a pretty cost-effective way for accounting firms to reach potential clients. Once you optimize for engine searches, it will keep generating organic traffic and leads without ongoing costs.
Of course, it’s better to keep improving your accounting website and conduct regular content audits. But even if you don’t do it, the initial optimization efforts will continue to generate results.
Accountant SEO tips to improve website ranking
SEO is incredibly complex and versatile, so we’ll only focus on the most important relevant optimization tips for a typical accounting website. Here are our top suggestions:
1. Set up a Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile is the first step on your SEO journey because it helps searchers find your firm. It’s a listing that appears in Google search results and provides important information about your business, including your:
- Address
- Phone number
- Business hours
- Client reviews
When someone searches for accounting services in the area, your Google Business Profile will appear in the search results. Here’s how it looks:
A Google Business Profile allows you to provide accurate and up-to-date information about your accounting firm. In addition, it allows clients to leave reviews about your business, which can improve your online reputation and attract new clients.
But before you can start showing up in Google’s map and search listings, you need to set up and verify your business on Google.
2. Conduct a website audit
We assume you already have a website, but it’s good to give it a thorough inspection before you continue with other optimization tactics. Doing a website audit will help you identify areas for improvement, so you can ensure better performance.
We dedicated a whole guide to website audits, so let’s just breeze through the main details of the process:
- Evaluate website structure and navigation, making sure that it has a clear hierarchy of pages and a logical flow from one page to another
- Check website speed and performance using tools such as PageSpeed Insights
- Review content to ensure it’s relevant, accurate, and up-to-date
- Assess on-page SEO to optimize your site for relevant keywords and phrases
- Check that all pages have unique title tags and meta descriptions
- Analyze website traffic and user behavior to identify patterns
- Test website security and scan it for possible vulnerabilities or security issues
3. Focus on relevant keywords from your niche
Keywords are the pillar of your SEO strategy, but you have to find and use the right ones. Doing keyword research reveals what phrases and terms your potential clients are using to find accounting services online. It comes down to the following steps:
- Use keyword research tools: Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs are just two examples of excellent platforms that identify popular keywords. They provide information on search volume, competition, and other important metrics.
- Analyze competitor keywords: Look at the websites of high-ranking competitors to see the keywords they’re targeting. This often helps identify new opportunities for keywords that you may not have considered.
- Don’t neglect long-tail keywords: We’re talking about longer, more specific phrases. These often have lower search volume, but also a much higher intent. They can be highly targeted and easier to rank for.
- Analyze keyword intent: Are users looking for information or are they ready to sign up as a new client? Understanding the intent behind keywords leads to more effective content that meets the needs of your audience.
- Refine your keyword list: Use the data and insights gathered from your research to refine your keyword list. Prioritize keywords that are highly relevant to your accounting services and have a good balance of search volume and competition.
4. Publish high-quality posts
Your website is your virtual storefront, and publishing quality content is key to attracting and retaining clients. After all, search engines prioritize websites that publish relevant, informative, and engaging content. That’s also why 79% of companies use content marketing to generate quality leads.
But how do you create standout content?
Let’s say you’re writing a blog post. In this case, you have to do keyword and competitor research first. This will give you some ideas on what users and potential clients are searching for. After that, you need to write an article that provides valuable and relevant information. It’s the only way to outperform competitors who are already on the first page of search results.
However, top-level content creation also means taking care of other details:
- Come up with appealing headlines that encourage people to read your posts
- Write strong introductions that make users want to read more
- Avoid fluff, making sure that each word is relevant and informative
- Enrich your posts with images, infographics, GIFs, and videos when relevant
- Use examples to explain your tips or statements
- Link to other pages with credible statistics, facts, or analysis
- Add internal links to maximize time spent on your site
5. Write catchy meta descriptions and titles
Meta titles and descriptions are critical elements of on-page SEO because they help determine your click-through rate. But what are they?
The title tag is the clickable headline that appears in SERPs, while the meta description is the short blurb that appears below the title tag.
They must include relevant SEO keywords and accurately reflect the content of your web page. Both elements should be concise—keep the title tag up to 60 characters, while the ideal length for a meta description is 155 characters.
Always use action-oriented language in your titles and meta description as it makes your content more engaging. Here’s an example:
- Don’t: Our Tax Services
- Do: Maximize Your Refund with Our Expert Tax Services
6. Write killer service pages
Writing killer service pages is a must for an accounting firm because most potential clients will search for a particular service. For instance, they’ll search things like “tax planning” or “business recovery and insolvency”. You must provide a clear overview of your company’s services and create a page on each service.
These pages serve a few purposes:
- They communicate the benefits of your services
- They showcase your expertise
- They provide clear calls to action to encourage potential clients to get in touch
A well-designed service page starts with a strong headline that succinctly conveys the main benefit of your service. For example “Expert Tax Planning Services for Small Businesses.”
The main goal is to highlight your unique selling proposition because it shows what sets your accounting firm apart from your competition. In addition, service pages are even better if you add testimonials or case studies. Social proof is powerful—it reassures potential clients that you have a proven track record of delivering results.
7. Earn backlinks
Do you know that websites that rank #1 on Google have nearly four times more backlinks than the rest of the top ten sites? It reveals the importance of backlinking for search engine ranking.
Just in case you don’t know this: backlinks, aka inbound links, are links from other websites that point to your website. Getting high-quality backlinks increases your website's authority in the eyes of search engines.
But how do you get backlinks?
It all begins with content creation. If you craft high-quality content that provides value to the target audience, you’ll soon start earning backlinks. Besides this, you can also do the following:
- Write guest posts for other websites
- Participate in online communities to build relationships and earn backlinks
- Reach out to industry influencers and ask them to share your content or link to your site
All these tactics combined will help you get inbound links and improve website authority.
SEO for accountants: A long-term investment
Search engine optimization is a major tool for accounting firms hoping to establish a strong online presence. With the right SEO strategy, your website will get more traffic, generate high-quality leads, and help you sign up new clients.
While it may take time to achieve significant results, SEO is a long-term investment that can provide ongoing benefits for accounting firms. As the world continues to shift towards digital channels, incorporating SEO into their marketing strategy is crucial for accounting firms to stay competitive and reach their full potential.
