Search Engine Optimization for Accountants

SEO stands for search engine optimization and means the process for improving the quality and quantity of your website traffic and placement in the search engine rankings (SERPs) for free (organically). Essentially, the higher your website is placed by Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, the more website traffic you will have. The correlation between organic website traffic and SEO is very simple but the process is hard. Better SEO means more website traffic, and more website traffic means new customers and more brand awareness.

Studies have shown that each position matters. The top three organic results get more than 50% of the clicks.

While we don't expect you to do this yourself, information can be power for your accounting practice.

Three Pillars of SEO for Accountants

While SEO changes constantly, the fundamentals of SEO seldom do.

Technical Optimization - Technical optimization is the process of designing your website so the search engines can easily do their job. This includes site maps, programming code, website architecture, URL structure, internal linking, mobile friendliness and website navigation.

On-Page Optimization - On-Page optimization is the process of ensuring your website content is relevant and incorporates the most important keywords. Your website content needs to be written for people (content) and search engines (code). Both. On the content side, your goal is to provide high quality content that is important for your audience's needs. For search engines, this means title tags, meta descriptions, header tags (HTML code).

Off-Page Optimization - Off-Page optimization is the process of improving your placement within search engines by obtaining high-quality backlinks which improve the website's reputation. Creating brand assets by establishing online expertise, authority and trustworthiness. This is accomplished claiming your local listings consistently, obtaining online reviews (Google and Yelp, responding to them), social media marketing, content marketing (blogging, podcasts), review boards (inbound links from Clutch, Expertise, Clearly Rated, accounting trade magazines, articles written by you and published, etc.) and awards (Top 40 Under 40, etc.).

Organic SEO vs Paid Advertising (PPC)

Most search engines contain two types of results near the top of each page:

Paid Advertising results - Paid advertising (PPC) requires a fee for placement

Organic SEO - Free placement resulting from search engine optimization

While the paid advertising results are generally first at the top of the page (above organic SEO), most savvy web users ignore advertising placement and scroll to the free organic listings.

Fundamental Steps to SEO for Accountants

For accounting practitioners, here are the fundamental steps for search engine optimization:

1. Crawl accessibility - Search engines need to read your website fully. Some websites are easy to read and follow the rules closely. Others (like pre-programmed templated websites) are difficult to read fully and use code that is not ideally suited for SEO. Simple https vs http redirects can be a stumbling block.

2. Compelling content that is original and answers common questions (FAQ's)

3. Keywords written to attract web searchers and search engines

4. Fast loading speed for all formats (desktop to mobile) and respected user experience (UI)

5. Content that is shared and earns inbound links, citations and recognition

6. Descriptions and titles within the website that receive high click through rates

7. Local listings management (claiming, verifying, optimizing) on all directories and review sites (consistently everywhere)

8. Obtain Google and Yelp reviews to boost your local reputation

9. Create a following by writing engaging articles and get published (content marketing, inbound links)

SEO Never Ends

The need to be near the top never ends. Google never stops changing the rules. And your competitor's desire to move up the ladder never ceases. In some cases, a redesigned website or new articles (relevant content) or steady increase in Google/Yelp reviews might leapfrog your competitor up the SERPs. And web code breaks occasionally as well thus lowering your placement. Who knows what breakthroughs with ChatGPT and AI exist going forward.