What is SEO for Accounting Firms?
Accounting Firm SEO
More and more buyers turn to the web to find out key information about a company and the services they offered. Although professional service organizations, such as accounting and CPA firms, used to rely on networking, print advertising and other methods to attract new business, search engine optimization (SEO) is another tool which can be ignored. SEO is a process of positioning content on your website so that Google and other search engines (Bing, Yahoo, etc.) can easily find the content and properly index it. This are two ways to conduct SEO on a firm’s website one is called organic SEO and the other is pay per click or PPC. The first creates longer lasting ranks while the other allows a website to rank for a keyword term only when the firm is paying to have the ad appear.
Before starting a SEO program for your accounting firm it’s important to conduct a review of your website. There are several issues that need to be considered to ensure site fitness. Perhaps the most important is determining the content management system (CMS) that your site is built on. There are several examples of CMS’s including open source and closed source. The reason this is important is because open source generally allow for greater SEO management while closed source have more restrictive features. If your website is built on Word press or Drupal then you are a site on an open source CMS. If your site is built on Wix, Squarespace, CCH Sitebuilder or other proprietary program then your site is built on a closed source CMS. Once you have determined the CMS type then you can start your SEO program – organic or PPC.
Components of Organic SEO
Below is a brief list of essential Organic SEO components:
- Meta Tag Optimization
- Alt Img Tax Optimization
- PDF optimization
- Keyword research and planning
- Keyword tracking
- Content development calendar
Importance of Content
Beyond the organic versus PPC question the issues of content must be addressed. Google has stated over and over again that high quality content is what will quickly increase rankings. The challenge is that most accountants and accounting marketers don’t fully understand what high quality content is or what it looks like. In fact, if you were to look at most accounting firm website you would see essential the same type of content. Firm news, IRS updates, information perhaps from the Department of Labor and other regulatory agencies. The challenge is that these firm’s have not answered the value question. What can I do with the content that drives value to my clients and prospects? How can I approach the topic in a way that no one else does? It’s the answer to this question that makes the content truly quality. Once you have a unique way of adding value to your audience then you will attract the right type of eyeballs to the site.
When properly executed, effective SEO creates the opportunity for qualified prospects to find an accountant or CPA to provide a needed service. It’s important to remember it’s a process that takes time to produce ripened fruit. However, we have many accounting firm clients that have experienced years of success with SEO. If you have questions about SEO for your firm, contact us. We are passionate about the topic and love to see our clients succeed!
