Online Reviews Impact on SEO and YOUR Accounting Firm Reputation
Online reviews in Google, Yelp and Facebook directly influence consumer's perception of your firm reputation. They also impact search engine visibility and website traffic. Below are key reasons why from a study conducted by BrightLocal:
- 97% of consumers read online reviews for businesses
- 85% of "trust" online reviews
- 77% of consumers read reviews on at least two websites before deciding to use a local business
- top three review sites are Google, Facebook and Yelp
Regardless of your skepticism, online reviews from Google, Facebook and Yelp directly influence consumer's perception of your accounting firm reputation.
Off-Page SEO
Stepping back to the key components of SEO, online reviews from Google, Facebook, Yelp and other review websites are off-page SEO and validate your website's reputation.
Off-page SEO factors like online reviews, backlinks, and recommendations from other websites are the foundation of your trustworthiness, expertise, experience and authoritativeness. Here are the key factors that impact your off-page SEO:
- Link building from reputable websites - Link building is the process of persuading other reputable websites to link to your website. Both quantity and quality. As you might suspect, your website authority score evaluates inbound links from search engines (Google, Bing), university websites (.edu), government websites, non-profit websites, industry websites (Journal of Accountancy, CPA Practice Advisor, etc.), and review websites (Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot, Angi, etc.).
Other forms of off-page SEO are:
- Content marketing - articles written by you with links to your website from accounting trade magazines (Intuit, Thomson, Journal of Accountancy, etc.) and even local chapters (local accounting associations, Chamber events, state specific societies)
- Podcasts - guest appearances on third-party podcasts
- Journalist requests for commentary - local journalists and trade publications often need quotes and insights to support their articles and willing to provide links from their article back to your website (e.g., backlinks with link juice)
- Forums and continuing education platforms - inbound links from Q&A forums, speaking events and university websites (suppose you teach accounting at local community college or speaker at trade show) are another source of off-page SEO
Awards for Best in Class Accounting Providers
Awards as one of the "best" accounting firms in town not only influence prospects for your accounting practice, they also provide another inbound link from a trusted, authoritative website. The three primary award providers are Expertise, Clutch and Clearly Rated.
Google, Yelp and Facebook Reviews
Accountants consistently under-estimate the role and impact that online reviews can have on their local reputation, lead generation and website traffic. Combine that with the fact that most accountants are not type A personalities and hate to ask clients for favors (e.g., online reviews), then you have a perfect storm that enables tax franchises and back tax operators to abuse the system. To me, seeing H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, Liberty Tax franchisees strikes me the wrong way but yet they have plenty of Google and Facebook reviews despite being open seasonally with inferior quality staff.
Google Reviews are the gold standard within the accounting industry, especially considering Google 75%+ market share. That said, Google respects Yelp Reviews as well and has even tried several times to purchase Yelp. Facebook Reviews within the accounting industry are like tin and not valued highly.
To me, your accounting firm needs at least 30+ Google Reviews and 5+ Yelp Reviews to be considered top tier. If you need help improving your local reputation, BizPayO and Build Your Firm's Content Marketing in a Box should be within your arsenal. Both are game changers.
