SEO For Accountants
Balance Your Books and Your Lead Flow With Simple SEO for Accountants
Written By: Joey Randazzo
Joey Randazzo is the owner and Founder of SEO Growth Partners, based in Portland, OR. He’s worked with hundreds of businesses to build growth-centric SEO campaigns.
Table of Contents
This Accountant SEO Guide Has Been Comprehensively Updated for 2023
Due to consistent algorithm updates, the relatively recent Helpful Content Update in late 2022, we’ve updated the written content that already existed on the page. We’ve written new content. And we’ve filmed new video content. Everything is up-to-date, fresh, and helpful for your accounting business to dominate Google for 2023.
How We Help Assisted Living Facilities Grow Their Practice & See a
5.7x ROI on Their Monthly SEO Investment
Higher Google Rankings
Get your accounting firm ranking on Google for high-value keywords that people actively search for when looking for tax, bookkeeping, and financial services.
More Qualified Website Traffic
Attract business owners, families, and individuals who are actively looking for accounting help and financial guidance.
More Leads & Phone Calls
Generate more motivated prospects calling your firm to schedule consultations, tax prep, and ongoing accounting services.
You Get Your Time Back
Stop spending your team’s valuable time trying to manage content, SEO, and digital marketing in-house. Focus on serving clients while we handle your online growth.
What Success Looks Like for Your Accounting Firm’s Website and SEO Strategy
When Someone Types "Accountant Near Me" Into Google, You Show Up Here…
When Someone Types "Accountant Near Me" Into Google, You Show Up Here…
Think about how people search for an accountant. They’re likely sitting at the kitchen table sorting through receipts, stressing over taxes, or realizing they need help with their company’s financial books. They grab their phone, open Google, and type something like “accountant near me.”
The very first thing they see is the Maps section of Google, called the Google Local Pack. The accounting firms listed here receive the most calls, consultation requests, and new client opportunities.
When Someone Types "Best Accountant in Portland" Into Google, You Show Up Here…
When people are searching for an accountant, they want the best! So they’ll often use phrases like “best accountant near me” or “best accountant in Portland.”
The accounting firms that rank in the Google Maps area for these searches are the ones that receive the most website visits, phone calls, and consultation requests.
When Someone Asks Google a Question Like "Do I Need an Accountant or a Bookkeeper?" You Show Up Here…
When Someone Asks Google a Question Like "Do I Need an Accountant or a Bookkeeper?" You Show Up Here…
Business owners and individuals ask tens of thousands of financial questions on Google every day. Questions like:
- “Do I need an accountant for my small business?”
- “How much does a CPA cost in Portland?”
- What can I deduct on my taxes?”
- “Should I be an LLC or an S Corp?”
Ranking for these types of searches signals to Google that your accounting website is a trusted authority and a reliable source of financial guidance.
The Way Clients Search for Accountants Has Changed
Let’s look at how searches for “accountant near me” fluctuate over the years.
The data above is pulled directly from Google Trends, a tool created by Google, and shows that over the past five years, searches for “accountants near me” have remained consistently high with strong seasonal spikes, showing a steady demand for local accounting services year after year.
See the Pattern? Accounting Firms Need a Strong Digital Presence to Attract Motivated Clients
At the end of the day, you want more people in your city to know your accounting firm exists. When they search Google for tax, bookkeeping, or accounting help, you want your firm to show up ahead of your competitors.
How Do Accounting Firms Get Measurable Results With SEO?
Step 1: Comprehensive SEO Audit
Most SEO companies skip this step. And it’s the most important one.
You cannot grow what you do not understand. Before making changes, you need a clear picture of your current performance.
A full SEO audit helps uncover:
- Your current search visibility
- Technical website errors
- How your local competitors are ranking
- Your Google Business Profile performance
- Opportunities to improve ranking and leads
Step 2: Create a Data-Driven Roadmap
Now that we have tangible data, we use it to build your SEO strategy.
Accountant SEO should never be based on guesses. Many agencies rely on assumptions instead of evidence. We rely on data.
Your roadmap prioritizes what will create the biggest impact first. If your website is loading slowly, hurting your rankings and conversions, that becomes the first fix.
Every action has a purpose tied directly to growth.
Step 3: Implement High-Impact Changes First
Not all SEO improvements deliver the same results.
Updating a random blog image from years ago won’t move the needle the way improving your homepage content, service pages, or Google Business Profile will.
We focus on quick-win, high-return opportunities first, such as:
- Creating optimized pages for tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, and advisory services.
- Optimizing your Google Business Profile.
- Improving your homepage and location pages.
- Fixing technical SEO issues that block ratings.
No Google Business Profile yet? That should be your first move.
No dedicated service pages for tax prep, bookkeeping, payroll, and any other offerings? Those should come before worrying about your About Us photos or cosmetic site updates.
Step 4: Local SEO Best Practices & Content Creation at Scale
Local accountant SEO depends on three core factors:
- Consistent business information Google can trust
- Accuracy across the web
- Authority within your market
If your accounting firm lists one phone number on your website and another on Facebook, Google sees that as a trust issue. When Google is deciding which firms to rank, it needs confidence that when someone clicks to call, they will actually reach your office.
Keeping your name, address, and phone number consistent across high-authority directories is critical for strong local rankings.
Authority is built through content. When your website consistently answers real tax, bookkeeping, and financial questions, Google recognizes your firm as a trusted expert and ranks you higher than firms with thin or outdated content.
Step 5: Meticulously Track Data
The purpose of SEO is to create real business growth for your accounting firm.
More website visitors. More phone calls. More consultation requests. And ultimately: more revenue.
To make sure your SEO is delivering results, every piece of data needs to be accurately tracked and measured. A comprehensive SEO dashboard should track:
- Keyword rankings
- Website traffic
- Phone calls and consultation requests
- And other important KPIs
4 Common SEO Mistakes That Throw Your Lead Ledger Off Balance
Even the most established accounting firms can struggle with SEO when small issues go unnoticed. Technical website errors and missing service content can prevent your firm from showing up in front of people who are actively searching for tax and accounting help. Identifying the most common SEO pitfalls is the first step toward improving your online visibility.
Mistake 1: Their Google Business Profile Is Incomplete
Many accounting firms lose visibility simply because their Google Business Profile is barely filled out. When your listing lacks detail, your firm is less likely to appear when someone searches “accountant near me” or “CPA in Portland.”
A strong Google Business Profile should include:
- Accurate office hours
- A full list of accounting services
- Office photos
- Client reviews
A complete profile signals credibility to Google and gives potential clients confidence to click and call.
Mistake 2: Their Services Are Not Clearly Defined
If your website does not have a complete and comprehensive listing of your services, both Google and potential clients are left guessing.
People want to know exactly what you offer (tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, business advisory, CFO services, etc.). Dedicated service pages improve your search rankings and make it easier for visitors to quickly find what they need.
Mistake 3: They Are Not Publishing Data-Driven, Helpful Content Targeting Their Audience
Posting content without using real search data or client intent misses major opportunities.
People are actively searching for questions like:
- “How can a CPA help my business?”
- “What can I deduct on my taxes this year?”
- “What’s the difference between an LLC and an S Corp?”
Creating content that answers these questions builds trust, positions your firm as an authority, and improves your visibility in search results.
Mistake 4: They Don’t Follow a Consistent, Sustainable SEO Process
Without a structured SEO system, growth becomes unpredictable. This often leads to missed technical fixes, outdated content, and stalled rankings.
A repeatable SEO process ensures your accounting firm continues to improve its visibility, captures more local searches, and stays ahead of competing firms in your market.
Accounting SEO Services Shouldn't Be One-Size-Fits-All: We Customize Everything To Your Business
Accountant SEO isn’t the same as SEO for other types of businesses.
Unfortunately, many other SEO companies treat it as if it is. They use the same tactics and strategies they use in other industries, thinking they’ll work in accounting. That’s not the best way to do it.
We treat your business as unique. We take an individualized approach to each industry (such as accounting), to your specific city (Los Angeles might be different from a smaller town in Iowa), and to your specific website (built on WordPress or Webflow).
5 High-Impact Local SEO Strategies for Accountants
Strategy 1: Google Business Profile Optimizations
Here’s what an accountant’s Google Business Profile looks like:
This is what is displayed on the front end of a Google Business Profile, the part that a Google searcher can see.
Why does a solid Google Business Profile matter for accountants?
Google Business Profiles are important ranking factors in order for your business to be relevant enough to rank in the Google Local Pack. If you forgot what the Google Local Pack is, below is a screenshot:
Optimizing your Google Business Profile helps you get found there.
Remember, when you show up in the Google Local Pack, you are far more likely to get phone calls and website visitors than your competitors.
So, how do you properly optimize your Google Business Profile in order to land a spot in the Google Local Pack?
Summed up in one word, the answer is: comprehensiveness.
There are many sections where you can provide complete information, such as:
- Your business categories
- Your firm’s description
- Your services
- Your office and team photos
Here’s a simple example that shows the difference between being thorough and barely scratching the surface:
For your firm’s description, you may be tempted to write something short like, “We are a team of experienced accountants ready to help with your finances.”
That’s only one sentence. Google allows up to 750 characters for your firm description, so you should make the most of all of them.
Do you offer tax preparation? Bookkeeping? Payroll? Business advisory? CFO services? Is your primary audience small businesses, individuals, or both? Do you specialize in certain industries?
Answering every relevant question helps your profile become more complete, more trusted, and more likely to rank.
Strategy 2: On-Page SEO for Your Homepage and Location Pages
On-page SEO for accounting firms is simply the content and structure on your website that tells Google what your business does and who it serves.
This includes things like:
- Your title tags
- Your meta description
- Your header tags (H1, H2, H3)
- Internal and external links
- Images and alt text
- And everything else that lives on your website pages
Why does on-page SEO matter for accountants? Because Google uses this information to decide when and where your firm appears in search results.
For single-location firms, the most important page for local SEO is your homepage. For multi-location firms, your location pages carry the most weight.
These pages should use relevant keywords while also providing detailed, helpful information for potential clients and for Google.
Example: Instead of a basic title tag like “Smith Accounting | (555) 111-1111,” you can give Google far more context with something like “Downtown Portland’s Trusted Accountants | Smith Accounting Services.”
This helps your firm appear in higher-intent local searches and attract more qualified leads.
Strategy 3: Google Business Profile Optimizations
Website Architecture Best Practices
It can feel a little confusing at first, but here’s the simple takeaway. When Google reviews your sitemap, it’s learning what your website is about and how your services are organized. This plays a big role in local SEO.
Your website should follow a clear, logical structure.
Let’s use two common accounting services as an example:
- Tax services
- Financial planning
Where do these pages need to live on your site? First, you should probably have a “services” page that has the URL structure similar to .com/services/
Now, any services that you offer (such as tax services and financial planning) should live UNDER this main services page, like this:
- .com/services/tax-services
- .com/services/financial-planning
This seems like a given, but many websites do this incorrectly, leaving out the hierarchy entirely. Instead, every page lives directly under the homepage like this:
- .com/services/
- .com/tax-services/
- .com/financial-planning/
- .com/business-consulting/
With this structure, Google doesn’t know that you offer business consulting. It’s just another page on your site!
Strategy 4: Content Creation at Scale
Let the fun begin. Potential clients search for thousands of questions on Google every day.
Some are super local:
- Best financial planning accountant in Portland
- Small business accounting consultant near Portland
Some are generic:
- What is needed to set up QuickBooks?
- What do I need to file taxes?
- How can I best keep track of payroll?
- Is TurboTax worth it?
If you answer these types of questions through comprehensive blog articles on your website, it will achieve two things:
- You may rank in Google for these keywords and drive more traffic.
- Google will notice and look at your website as an authority when stacked up against your competitors. Google will think, “They’re answering all of these accounting-related questions that users have. They must know their stuff. Their website must be more valuable than local competitors who haven’t answered any questions at all.”
Strategy 5: User Experience Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think! Stop Keyword Stuffing!
Old SEO strategies are out the window. Keyword stuffing, PBN link building, all the things that used to work are useless now.
Google gets more intelligent each day. And it’s starting to understand that a user’s experience on a website is important.
What does this mean for your accounting firm?
- Make it easy for clients to find what they’re looking for. They shouldn’t have to spend 5 minutes searching for whether you offer forensic accounting services or not.
- Make it easy for clients to contact you. Your phone number should be clickable on a mobile device. You should also consider an online calendar that allows people to easily schedule an appointment. Anything to make the user’s experience as EASY as possible.
- When writing content, your main priority is to add value to the reader. You can no longer get away with outsourcing writers who produce vague, keyword-stuffed articles. Your content should thoroughly answer the user’s questions and add value.
On Average, Our Accountant SEO Services Cost
31% Less Than Other SEO Companies
Compared to Other SEO Companies That Average Between $1.5k and $3k Per Month.
FAQs About SEO Services for Accountants
Here are the questions we hear most often.
What Is Accounting SEO?
Accounting SEO is a digital marketing strategy that helps accountants increase their visibility in search engines, particularly Google.
The specific SEO strategies that are used for accountants vary greatly (which is why all accounting SEO is NOT created equal).
Strategies include:
- Keyword research
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Google Maps optimizations
- Local SEO
- Content creation
- Landing page creation
- PR
- And more
Why Is SEO Important for Accountants?
Accountant SEO allows you to get in front of your target audience (the people looking RIGHT NOW to find accounting services).
Think about how social media marketing for accountants works: People are scrolling through Instagram or Facebook and stumble upon an advertisement for an accounting firm in their city. They might be actively looking for a new accountant, but it’s highly unlikely.
Now back to SEO, which puts you in front of motivated clients looking for what you have to offer.
SEO for accountants allows you to show up in Google for people actively looking for things like “best accountant near me” or “accountant in downtown Portland.” Ranking for those keywords has a MUCH higher conversion than people scrolling on Instagram.
How Long Does SEO for Accountants Take to Work?
Assisted living SEO can take 1 week to 6 months for you to start seeing results. It depends on a variety of factors:
- How big of a city you’re in
- How long your website has been around
- How high your website’s “domain authority” is
- How your current SEO is performing
- And much more
Some of our clients have seen 2x-3x the phone calls within a month after starting their SEO campaign. Other clients don’t see noticeable increases in phone calls for 2-3 months.
Think about this, though:
If everyone could make a couple of tweaks on their website and rank overnight for the HIGHEST value keywords out there, like “best assisted living in New York City” then the internet would go haywire.
Things take time. Google built their algorithms that way for a reason.
What Accountant SEO KPIs Should We Track?
Accountant SEO should be tracked meticulously.
You want to know, without a doubt, that the money you’re investing in SEO is working for your accounting business.
So, you need to track certain key metrics to ensure that the campaign is working successfully:
- Keyword rankings: Are you ranking on Page 1 of Google for your most important keywords? How are your keyword rankings changing week over week? Month over month?
- Organic website traffic: Is your Google search traffic increasing or decreasing? Which keywords are bringing in the most visitors?
- Online lead submissions: Are more prospects submitting contact forms and consultation requests? How is lead volume trending month over month?
- Phone calls: Are more people calling your firm from Google searches? How is call volume changing over time?
What Type of Content Should Accounting Websites Have?
Accounting SEO should include content that your target audience is searching for on Google.
How do we know what keywords and topics your audience is searching for? We rely on industry-grade keyword research tools to uncover exactly what your ideal clients are searching for online. For example, “small business accountant near me” receives about 3,600 searches per month on average.
So, we identify the topics/questions that people seeking accounting services are searching for.
Questions like:
- “What does a staff accountant do?”
- “How much does a personal accountant cost?”
- “How to add an accountant to QuickBooks online?”
Creating content that directly answers these questions helps your site appear in relevant searches and builds long-term trust with Google.
What are the Most Valuable Accounting Keywords for SEO?
Question-Based Keywords
| Keyword | Volume | Keyword Difficulty |
| what does an accountant do | 12100 | 33 |
| what is a certified practising accountant | 9900 | 36 |
| how much does an accountant make | 4400 | 38 |
| how to become an accountant | 4400 | 33 |
| what is a chartered professional accountant | 4400 | 37 |
| what is an accountant | 3600 | 44 |
| how much should an accountant make | 2400 | 35 |
| what is an associate chartered accountant | 2400 | 27 |
| how much does an accountant cost | 1300 | 5 |
| what do accountant | 1300 | 46 |
| what is a forensic accountant | 1300 | 30 |
| what is chartered professional accountant | 1300 | 37 |
| how long does it take to become an accountant | 1000 | 15 |
| how to become a certified public accountant | 1000 | 50 |
| what is a certified public accountant | 1000 | 56 |
| can you study to be an accountant online | 880 | |
| what does accountant do | 880 | 47 |
| what is certified management accountant | 880 | 36 |
| how do i become an accountant | 720 | 21 |
| how much does accountant make | 720 | 39 |
Main Keywords
| Keyword | Volume | Keyword Difficulty |
| accountant | 74000 | 81 |
| certified industrial accountant | 27100 | 9 |
| accountant salary | 22200 | 54 |
| tax accountant near me | 22200 | 79 |
| accountant movie | 18100 | 62 |
| accountant near me | 18100 | 76 |
| certified public accountant | 14800 | 67 |
| quickbooks online accountant | 14800 | 60 |
| tax accountant | 14800 | 71 |
| what does an accountant do | 12100 | 33 |
| what is a certified practising accountant | 9900 | 36 |
| alberta chartered accountant | 8100 | 30 |
| cpa accountant near me | 8100 | 57 |
| remote jobs chartered accountant | 8100 | 26 |
| village accountant jobs | 8100 | 20 |
| accounting certified public accountant | 6600 | 67 |
| best tax accountant near me | 6600 | 64 |
| certified public accountant course | 6600 | 57 |
| qb online accountant | 6600 | 77 |
| accountant jobs | 5400 | 43 |
| adp accountant connect | 5400 | 42 |
| chartered professional accountant salary | 5400 | 44 |
| forensic accountant | 5400 | 34 |
| quickbooks accountant | 5400 | 61 |
How To Work With Us
First things first — we don’t partner with every assisted living community.
We’re a good fit for communities that:
- Are serious about growing their occupancy and visibility online
- Have the capacity to welcome more residents and inquiries
- Care deeply about their staff, residents, and families
If that sounds like you, we’d love to help. Here’s how to get started:
Step 2
Check Your Email
In less than 24 hours, one of our talented SEO specialists will send you a 3-5 minute customized video analysis. It will explain opportunities for you to outperform competitors.
Step 3
Sit Back And Watch Your SEO Skyrocket
Just take a look at our case studies to see the success that other U.S. businesses have experienced. You can have the same results.
If you’re looking for SEO services, we can help. Give us a call today to learn more about our pricing and availability.
Let's Take Your Accounting Business From The "Best Kept Secret" to the "Most Sought After Firm”
