At Active Business Growth, we take the marketing of your accounting firm very seriously.
And you should, too!
That’s why if you’re thinking of engaging in online marketing services for your CPA practice, you need to consider what search engine optimization can do for you.
The Importance of SEO For CPA Firms
SEO is an important part of internet marketing.
Especially in the accounting and finance industry.
This is for many reasons.
Show Up In Organic Search Results
A successful SEO campaign will get your practice to show up in organic search results.
This is the area of a Google search that is directly under the paid ads results.
Most users understand that the first results are paid advertisements, which is why they usually skip them and go straight to the organic section.
This is great for you.
This means that when they scroll down to the organic section, there is a high chance of them clicking your result and landing on your website.
This discovery process is the first step to acquiring a new client for your accounting firm through online means.
Appear In Google Maps
SEO also has the ability to get your firm to show up in Google Maps results.
Appearing in Google Maps can be extremely powerful.
When users find you in Google Maps, it’s because they are directly searching for directions to a certain location.
Of course, your practice would only appear if they search a term relevant to accounting.
And if they do – then they are most likely looking for an accounting firm right now!
These users are “buyers-in-heat” who are ready to take action immediately.
An Online Lead Generation Channel
If you’re looking for an online lead generation channel for your practice, SEO is the way to go.
It is specifically powerful for businesses that serve a local area.
This is because you can target local areas using local SEO – thus, giving you the ability to dominate your service area with your accounting services.
Benefits Of SEO For Accountants
It is clear that SEO is extremely important for accountants.
Let’s discuss the precise benefits of search engine optimization in greater detail.
Higher Conversion Rates And Easier Sales
Users that find you through Google Search usually close at a much higher rate than users that find you through other means.
SEO is a form of intent-based marketing, where you target keywords that signal an intent to buy.
For example: “best accountant near me”, “local tax expert”, or “tax preparation + city” are all keywords that show a high user intent for purchasing these services.
When these users find you through SEO and then contact your firm, the sale is naturally much easier to make, as they are pretty much already sold on your services and ready to buy.
Position Your CPA Firm As An Authority
One of the reasons why they are so ready to buy at that moment is because they see your CPA firm as an authority in the space.
People generally trust Google – this is why when they need a quick answer to a specific question, they simply do a Google search.
So when users do a Google search for accounting services and your firm is the first organic result to show, they inherently trust your practice from the start.
Being perceived as an authority figure makes the process of selling your services much easier.
Leads On Autopilot
Once your accounting website hits the first position of Google and becomes established in this position as time passes, you have essentially created a lead generation machine for yourself on autopilot.
The SEO leads will come in on a consistent basis without you having to do much work – the leads all flow in the background.
This allows you to focus on what you do best – servicing your clients.
How To Do Search Engine Optimization For Accounting Firms And CPAs
In order to reap the above mentioned results, you need to properly implement SEO on your website.
Depending on your location, the accounting field can be very competitive in the search engine results pages.
This means that you have to be at the top of your game and ensure you perform SEO at the highest level possible for your CPA website.
Keyword Targeting
Targeting the appropriate keywords is essential to your SEO campaign.
You need to ensure that the accounting keywords you target actually have enough monthly search volume and intent to drive both impressions and clicks every single month.
Here are sample CPA keywords that are common in the industry:
“accountant near me”
“best accounting firm”
“CPA tax specialist”
“affordable accountant + your city”
“tax service + your city”
“tax planning + your city”
“bookkeeper + your city”
“your city + audit services”
“your city + financial accounting”
“your city + forensic accounting”
Onsite Optimization
Next, you need to focus on nailing the onsite optimization of your website.
This includes website speed, HTML tags, content, interlinking, indexing, and much, much more.
Making sure this is up to par and even better than your competitors’ websites is a must.
Offsite Optimization
Offsite optimization is also important in getting your website to show up in front of users looking for basic accounting services.
Offsite SEO has to do with everything that is done for your business off of your website.
This is namely backlinks.
Backlinks From Websites In The Finance And Accounting Industry
Google needs to understand what your website is all about.
Having content on your website that talks all about accounting, tax, auditing, and other relevant topics will help, but it is not enough by itself.
To complement this, you need to build backlinks to your website from other websites that are within your industry.
This will show Google that, since other websites in the accounting and finance industry are linking to your website, you must be relevant to this industry as well.
This will help you rank for relevant keywords in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some commonly asked questions pertaining to accountant SEO.
What Can SEO Do For My Firm?
As discussed, search engine optimization can do wonders for your accounting practice.
It can drive more organic traffic to your website, improve your visibility, and increase your sales.
How Much Does SEO Services For CPAs Cost?
This is highly dependent on your current website metrics as well as the level of local competition in your area.
Generally, SEO costs about $1,000 per month for a small business website.
This is a good ballpark range to go off of.
How Long Does SEO Take In The Accounting Profession?
Typically, you will begin to see strong keyword movements between months 3 – 6.
Then in months 6 – 12, these keywords should start popping up to the first page.
If you want long-lasting rankings in the first positions of Google Search, a 1+ year SEO campaign is very common.
Accounting SEO – A Summary
All-in-all, SEO can be a very lucrative investment for your accounting and CPA firm.
It will allow your practice to be found in organic search and Google Maps.
It will also build you an online lead generation machine that works for you on autopilot.
If you’d like a free SEO quote for your accountant services, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
