Accountancy in the UK is big business – the industry’s turnover jumped 15% in 2021. This means there are plenty of firms jostling for position on Google. This is why solid Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for accountants is so important.
If your accountancy firm needs a boost, here are some essential tips to kick-start SEO for accounting firms.
Your money or your life!
Google will rank pages highly that it considers to be of good quality. The standards for quality are much higher for pages considered to be ‘Your Money or Your Life (YMLY)’. This is a recent update that has impacted many businesses.
According to Google, YMYL pages have the potential to affect “the future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety of users”. In other words, sites that offer legal, medical, or financial advice are judged against much stricter categories. This is obviously an important element of SEO for accountants.
Remember to EAT
EAT stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trust – the three factors that Google looks for to judge how to rank a YMYL page.
Expertise
You know what you’re talking about. You’ve studied, qualified, and have years of experience to show for it. Make sure you show it online. Effective SEO for accountancy firms depends on demonstrating why you’re worth listening to. Your online content should be written – or at least vetted – by an accountant. Their author profile should show the world why they’re the expert.
Authority
To persuade people of your expertise, you need the ‘trust signals’ – the markers of authority that separate you from ‘someone online’. If you’re a member of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or a similar organisation, display the badge with pride. When doing SEO for accounting firms, consider anything that shows your connection to the world of accountancy.
Trust
Anyone could paste an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) logo on their site. Getting them, or other high-profile, relevant organisations, to link to you will show search engines that you’re a trusted figure in your industry.
Likewise, customer reviews (either on Google Reviews, or your website) show that real users trust your services. Prompt responses to reviews further benefit SEO for accountants.
Three top tips for SEO for Accountants
Once you know how to EAT, you can focus on the basics to boost your SEO.
Keep it real
With so much online, it can be easy to forget the importance of your real-life presence. Google doesn’t forget this.
A big part of SEO for accountancy firms is making sure that your telephone number and real-world address are clear, consistent and present, on both your site and business directories like Google My Business.
Keep it local
Some firms are tailored toward local businesses, so need to consider local SEO rankings. Plenty of people want a service nearby, and this will be a major part of their decision-making. Make sure any locations you cover are mentioned on your website and are on your ‘Google My Business’ listing.
Keep it updated
Don’t let your site become a legacy site. Ensuring that good-quality, relevant content is regularly added to your site is an important part of SEO for accounting firms. You’ve got the expertise – show it off!
SEO for accountancy firms is a tricky business, and success takes time, research, and expertise. Tough to fit in, when the majority of UK accountancy firms employ fewer than five people.
A trusted web partner like Webhummel can do this heavy lifting for you. Be more than just an accountancy firm. ‘Bee’ an accountancy firm with an amazing web presence – contact us today to get started.
