Local SEO for Accountants: What it is and Why You Need it

Local SEO is one of the first steps in any SEO strategy for B2B companies and service providers. It’s also one of the most important.

So, what is local SEO, how does it differ from traditional SEO, and how can you make it work for you as an accountant?

What is Local SEO?

You probably found this article by searching for “local SEO for accountants”, and if you’re like over 91% of internet users, you came here from Google.

We use SEO like any other company, but you’re probably not local to us, and as this is a term that is relevant to accountants nationwide, we didn’t employ local SEO to bring you here.

Local SEO simply refers to an SEO strategy tailored to attract local users. It might not be all that relevant to us—although it’s still important for all professional service providers—but as an accountant, it’s essential.

Why You Need Local SEO as an Accountant

Someone looking for an accountant in your area will head straight to Google.

They’ll probably zero in on the top results and may not even look beyond the first page.

Web users seem to have an innate distrust of any brand that doesn’t show up on the first page, and when it comes to local services, they may distrust anything that isn’t in the first few results.

In reality, it doesn’t mean those providers aren’t trustworthy. It just means their SEO isn’t as good, which has no reflection on their accountancy skills. But the deeper you go, the more likely you are to encounter spam sites, scam sites, and completely irrelevant sites, so users have a negative association with anything beyond those top results.

The closer you can get to the top of the rankings for local SEO keywords like “accountant in [location name]”, the more traffic you’ll get and the higher your conversions will be.

Some accountants also work exclusively with local clients, in which case a local SEO strategy can make or break them.

Local SEO Tips for an Accountant

There is a lot of crossover between traditional and local SEO, and if you nail the former you will likely see some benefits from the latter. There are some differences, though, and this is why local SEO for accountants requires a tailored approach:

Create a Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is a free tool that puts your business on the map—literally. It ensures that your offices appear on Google Maps and it gives you a profile that appears in Google’s search results.

You can add your office hours, website address, phone number, location, and more. It only takes a few minutes to add everything and it can make a massive difference to your local SEO.

You don’t need to run a big accounting firm, nor do you need an office. If you work from home and use that address as a business address, add it!

There are some restrictions regarding which businesses can create a Google Business Profile (including online-only businesses, ones that only have a remote/PO Box address, and lead generation agents), but they won’t apply to most accountants.

Ask Your Clients for Reviews

All businesses need social proof.

Prospective clients want to know that people have used your services before and were happy with the results.

Obviously, you can’t review yourself, and you should never pay for reviews or ask your friends. Let them happen naturally and organically. Not only are fake reviews unethical and against platform terms and conditions, but they also won’t work as well as genuine reviews and you’ll forever have a dark cloud hovering over you.

Simply ask your clients for reviews. You can ask them in person or send them email notifications. Don’t incentivize them, but do encourage them.

On sites like Trustpilot, you can automatically send review requests when customers have used your services.

Negative reviews can destroy your business, so new firms and sole proprietors often skip them altogether. But that could do more harm than good.

Go to Trustpilot and search for a few companies with which you’ve had good and bad experiences. You’ll likely notice that those with claimed profiles have mainly good reviews, while those with unclaimed profiles have mainly bad reviews, regardless of reputation or personal experience.

That’s because the people who don’t usually leave positive reviews can be tempted to do so with a little push, but if there is no encouragement, they will never do it themselves. On the other hand, clients who have a bone to pick won’t think twice about joining a review platform and leaving a bad review.

And let’s be honest, regardless of how professional and good you are, there will be unhappy customers.

So, make sure you’re encouraging the happy ones and not just leaving the doors open to the unhappy ones.

Create Content That Targets Localized Terms

Your main pages should liberally use keywords like “accountant in [location]”, as well as other terms that local clients are searching for.

Find those terms, sprinkle them throughout your site, and create engaging content that uses them.

Don’t overdo it, though. You don’t want a dozen articles that use the same terms.

There are many relevant terms available, so spread them around.

Build a Backlink Profile on High-Authority Accountancy Sites

Google establishes authority and reputation based on association.

If it trusts a site and that site links to you, your authority will increase.

Place listings in local business directories, look for features on local news sites and do everything you can to promote your articles and services elsewhere.

News sites can be a good outlet, as well, but there is a caveat. These sites have high authority, and they usually sell advertorials promoting your business. However, they often use no-follow links, which means they’re telling Google to ignore them and, thus, rendering any benefits redundant.

They can still help, as they’ll give you positive and reputable results when users search for your brand. Users may also read those articles, follow the links, and hire you. As far as SEO goes, however, they’re rarely worthwhile.

Summary: Local SEO Services for Accountants

An SEO expert can assist you with your local SEO strategy. They know what it takes to make these strategies work and have the experience to create a plan of action.

To work with dedicated SEO strategists who have a proven track record of getting Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and accounting firms to the top of Google, contact us today.