SEO for Accountants, Accounting Firms & Bookkeepers

In today’s digital landscape, accountants and accounting firms need more than just word-of-mouth referrals to attract clients. A solid Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy can help accountants stand out in a crowded marketplace, especially as more potential clients turn to Google to find financial services. This guide will provide actionable insights into SEO for accountants, offering strategies that can elevate your online presence and bring in more clients.

Why SEO Matters for Accountants

SEO is the process of optimising your website to rank higher on search engines like Google. Higher rankings can lead to more organic traffic and, consequently, more leads for your accounting firm. A well-implemented SEO strategy not only improves your visibility but also establishes your firm as a trusted authority in the accounting sector.

The higher up you rank, the more likely your accounting firm will be found by a prospective client.

The aim is to rank on the first page, and ideally, you want to be the first result.

This is because, according to Advanced Web Ranking, the first listing on Google’s organic search results gets over double the amount of traffic, compared to even just the second listing.

Desktop

Position 1: 32.54%

Position 2: 15.81%

Mobile

Position 1: 30.06%

Position 2: 16.97%

Weighted CTR in Organic Search, International - Desktop vs Mobile (January 2024)
Weighted CTR in Organic Search, International – Desktop vs Mobile (January 2024)

Meanwhile, just appearing on the first page increases your chance of a click, with a grand total of 92% of all traffic in an average search landing on one of the first page results.

Don’t miss out on potential customers and conversions by staying in the past. Here’s your chance to modernise, digitalise and optimise your accounting business.

Key Components of SEO for Accountants

Targeted Keyword Research

One of the foundational steps in SEO is identifying the right keywords that potential clients are searching for. As an accountant, your keywords should reflect the specific services you offer, such as “tax preparation,” “small business accounting,” or “payroll services.” Additionally, incorporating location-specific keywords like “accountant in [city]” can enhance your local SEO and help you rank for searches in your geographical area​.

To achieve optimal results, it’s important to use a variety of keyword types:

  • Transactional Keywords: These are searches with clear intent to hire, such as “accountant for small businesses in Essex.”
  • Informational Keywords: These include queries like “how to reduce tax liabilities,” which offer the chance to attract clients by answering common questions.

Content Creation and Optimisation

Content is king in the world of SEO. Regularly publishing blog posts, case studies, and service pages that target relevant keywords is a crucial step. Topics could range from industry updates and tax-saving tips to solving common accounting problems. Engaging and informative content positions you as an expert in the field and keeps your website fresh and relevant​.

To optimise your content:

  • Use header tags to break up sections and improve readability.
  • Make sure your meta descriptions are engaging and include your primary keywords.
  • Incorporate internal linking to other related blog posts or service pages on your website to keep visitors engaged and help search engines crawl your site effectively.

Technical SEO for Accountants

Beyond content, technical aspects of SEO can make or break your rankings. Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly, as more than half of Google searches are done on mobile devices. You should also focus on page speed optimisation, as slow websites can hurt your rankings and user experience​.

A few technical SEO practices to implement:

  • Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is responsive and user-friendly on mobile devices.
  • Secure Website: Install an SSL certificate and ensure your site is served over HTTPS to improve trust and SEO performance.
  • Structured Data: Using schema markup can help search engines understand your content better, improving your chances of being featured in rich snippets​.

Local SEO and Google Reviews

Accounting firms often serve clients in specific geographical areas, making local SEO critical. Ensure that your Google My Business profile is up to date with correct contact information, opening hours, and services offered. Regularly encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews, as these not only build trust but also improve your rankings in local search results​.

Some local SEO tips include:

  • Ensuring NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency across all listings.
  • Listing your business in relevant local directories like chambers of commerce and industry-specific portals​.

Having your brand name, physical address and phone number (local landline is best) featuring somewhere on every page – usually this is at the footer.

This information known as (NAP) helps your search rankings if your information is consistent across multiple sites and your Google Business listing etc.

Here’s a list with 22 citation sites for the accounting and finance industry (BrightLocal.com):

  • wallethub.com
  • insidermedia.com
  • bobsguide.com
  • cpadirectory.com
  • wiseradvisor.com
  • accountant-finder.com
  • find-uk-accountant.co.uk
  • ukaccountingfirms.co.uk
  • businessindependent.co.uk
  • accounting8.com
  • allfinancedirectory.com
  • therightfinancialadvisor.com
  • financedirectory.net.au
  • local-accountants-uk.co.uk
  • finacial9.com
  • cpaclassifieds.com
  • best-financial-directory.com
  • nationalloans.com
  • venusfinancedirectory.com
  • scottfinanzdirectory.com
  • financialserviceslistings.com
  • reviewyourfinance.com

Local SEO is about NAP consistency – any inconsistency will rank you down!

Top Tip: Get in touch if you want help locating and standardising all of your information everywhere to translate it into the format Google most prefers.

Backlink Building for Authority

Search engines view backlinks from authoritative websites as a sign of trust and credibility. A strong backlink profile can significantly improve your site’s domain authority and rankings. To build high-quality backlinks, consider reaching out to industry websites for guest posts or creating case studies that showcase your expertise, which other sites may link to as a reference​.

On-Page SEO Optimisation

Each page of your website should be fully optimised for search engines. Use tools like RankMath SEO to ensure your meta titles, descriptions, and headings are properly optimised. Ensure your URLs are short, descriptive, and include relevant keywords​.

Regular Updates and Content Refresh

SEO isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. You need to regularly update your content to stay relevant in search results. Refreshing older blog posts with new information or updating service pages can give you an SEO boost and signal to Google that your content is current.

Other things to consider

Pick a domain name that works for you

Make it relevant and memorable.

A lot of businesses and accountants, in particular, pick lengthy domain names in order to try and appeal to the masses.

But it’s important when picking your domain to consider the future branding and longevity of your accounting firm.

You don’t see well-known brands with long domains that aren’t instantly recognisable, or that don’t relate to their actual company name!

In order to improve SEO, you may see your competitors keyword stuffing their domain. By keyword stuffing, I mean needlessly putting in keywords to try and rank higher.

For example, www.best-accounting-firm-london.co.uk. This is terribly bad practice and moreover, offers next to no benefit.

You want your clients to recognise you and for your domain to help build brand awareness.

Good choices of domains for an accounting company are:

  • johndoe.com (or .co.uk if based in the UK)
  • johndoeaccountants.com (or .co.uk if based in the UK)
  • johndoeaccountancy.com (or .co.uk if based in the UK)
  • johndoebookkeepers.com (or .co.uk if based in the UK)
  • areaaccountants.com (or .co.uk if based in the UK)
  • areabookkeepers.com (or .co.uk if based in the UK)

Web hosting providers matter

Do your research before picking a host.

Poor hosting can have terrible consequences for the SEO for accountants and result in malware attacks, loss of data, negative SEO rankings, your emails marked as spam and overall, a potential for lost revenue.

When doing your research, check the reviews and testimonials of your potential host. Look for how people rate the customer service in particular – you want to be able to contact your host easily, in case of an emergency.

The host should also be confident and able to share their expertise with you, making sure you get the best fit for your business.

Speak to them. What options do they offer? Shared, VPS (Virtual Private Server), Dedicated and Managed Web hosting, for example. Will they be able to grow with you as your business grows?

If they can answer your questions confidently you too can have confidence in them.

If your website is built on WordPress (which it should), check this out.

Internal linking

An internal link connects one page of a website to a different page on the same website. In an internal link, the source domain and target domain are the same.

It’s crucial for your SEO to evaluate and improve internal linking strategy on a regular basis.

By adding the right internal links you make sure Google understands the relevance of pages, the relationship between pages and the value of pages.

This is also a good way of keeping users longer on your website, by offering them some recommended additional galleries/articles to check out.

It’s also a great trick for lowering your bounce rate, increasing the dwell time and distribute link equity to your most important pages.

SEO Services for Accountants

SEO for accountants is a long-term strategy that requires a mix of content creation, technical optimisation, and strategic backlink building. By following these best practices and regularly updating your website, you can enhance your online visibility, attract more clients, and establish your accounting firm as a leader in the industry.

Contact me today to discuss your campaign and see what I can offer you to expand and grow your business via SEO.

Crafting the Path to the Top of Search Results