SEO Guides, Tips & More!

As year-end approaches, many firms are focused on building their 2017 budgets and, along with that, their strategy for multiple areas of the business. We have been working closely with clients to develop the strategy and tactics to bring their digital marketing and SEO efforts to the next level in 2017. However, this got me thinking about the big changes coming and where accounting marketing professionals should focus their attention. Of course, much of this depends on the amount of work done on the site to date, but a general guideline can often be useful.

Recent developments indicate that SEO is going to be more user focused, which means a “good website” needs to not only follow traditional SEO techniques, but also pay serious attention to how visitors interact with and view the site. To help clients, prospects and others understand the latest trends, FlashPoint Marketing has provided a brief overview below.

Increase Your Authority Profile

Authority is an essential component of how Google ranks websites, so working to increase your site’s authority is a worthwhile goal for the coming year. Authority is determined, in part, by content quality, back links, UX (or user experience) and other factors. It’s essential to assess and implement tactics that support this strategy. There is no doubt that if an accounting marketer follows the steps outlined in this post, there will be an appreciable increase in traffic, conversions and new business.

1. High Quality Content Matters
   Simply posting content that doesn’t speak to the target audience’s cares and concerns is a big SEO “no-no”. Many firms will purchase content from a third party service, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, it’s essential to take the time to position the content to ensure it connects to your target audience. All too often good content on a website is hampered by generic introductions and conclusions. Take the time to customize purchased content. It will pay off in the long run!
2. High Quality Backlinks
   Backlinks are those websites that link to your site. In other words, the websites that link to your site tell Google a lot about the type and quality of content on the site. If low ranked sites are connected to your site, then it’s likely the rankings will not be positively impacted. If high ranked sites are linked to your site, then it will have a positive impact on the site. In order to build high quality backlinks, we suggest the following steps:
   1. Issue press releases on a regular basis.
   2. Blog on trusted third-party websites.
   3. Get your website listed on trusted directories and industry-related portals.
3. Keyword Optimization
   Keyword optimization is central to traditional SEO. Many accounting marketers will set the site with keyword terms and assume they are good to go. However, as the site grows and content changes, so should the keyword focus. This means revisiting keyword terms on a regular basis to see where opportunities may exist. Utilize keywords that you think your customer would search to find relevant information on your website. You can even get keyword help from tools like SEMRush, Google Planner or MOZ. Such tools let you know the exact number of searches done for your keyword and the amount of competition for that same keyword. Aim to increase your use of search keywords that have low competition. Be smart with how you use them and be sure to insert them in titles, URLs and content.
4. Meta Tag is Designed for Clicking Not for Optimizing
   Just in case you’re unsure what a meta tag is, they are those little paragraphs you see just below the title of your website on a web search result page. You need a compelling and appealing meta tag that convinces potential customers to click to visit your website. It is this simple little paragraph that can separate you from your competitor’s site. Make sure yours gets clicked.

In Perspective

There are many steps a firm can take beyond these to ensure their website is in top shape and positioned to enhance their authority profile. We offer a website audit that can help provide insights into what specific steps should be taken with your website from an SEO and user experience perspective. Let us know if we can assist you and what things you are focusing on to get your website more traffic in 2017.