The 7 Stages of MFAF: Establish Your Address with Local SEO
If you’ve been following this blog for the past few weeks, you’ll know that we’ve been comparing the process of creating your company’s marketing plan to building a house. Last week, it was all about building a site that can This week, we’re going to talk about helping people FIND your house. That means improving your Search Engine Optimization performance or SEO.
Step 4: Be Findable
Checklist Items
- Local SEO
- High-intent keyword SEO
- Google Ads
- Be findable in virtual and in-person networks
Local SEO
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses on the idea that folks around you are looking for goods and services. When they search for your accounting service within your area, you’ll show up as one of the top spots to patronize. How do you do that? Well Google wants to know certain things about you, how real your business is, if you have a brick and mortar store, etc
They do this by having you register a Google My Business Account. When registering a GMB, you’ll provide evidence of your phone number, a physical address, and at times an SAB (Service area business). Google provides this service as a service for businesses that service an area but don’t have a physical location there. This process is pretty simple, but you’re going to want to make sure that you’re following directions carefully. If Google thinks something strange is going on, they could penalize you and you’d fall out of the rankings entirely.
High Intent Keyword SEO
High intent keyword SEO is super important for an accounting firm’s marketing. It’s all about making sure that when people search for accounting services online, they find your firm. By coding into pages on your site (say the services page) you can use specific keywords like “tax help” or “small business accounting,” to attract people who are actively looking for what you offer.
In general, this is about knowing your services and knowing what your audience is searching for. To do this well, you’ll start by researching which keywords are most popular and relevant to your services. Then, use these keywords in your website content and tags so that search engines like Google can easily find and show your site to those searching. Also, create helpful content that answers common questions people might have about accounting. Keep an eye on how your keywords are performing and adjust your strategy as needed to stay visible to potential clients.
This isn’t an overnight process, it takes some time to get it right. Our general rule is
- Update weekly
- Report on the numbers monthly
- Make decisions quarterly
Google Ads
Using Google Ads can be an important part of an accounting firm’s marketing plan. It’s like putting up signs in the busiest parts of town, but online. With Google Ads, you can make sure that when people search for things like “tax help” or “accounting services,” they see your firm’s ad at the top of the search results. That said, many of these accounting terms are also used by HUGE competitors who have much bigger budgets than most accounting firms, so you’ll have to be smart about spending your money.
It’s all about catching the attention of people who are actively looking for what you offer. To get started, you’ll need to choose the right keywords that match what your potential clients are searching for. In Google Ads, employing long-tail keywords can significantly benefit your accounting firm’s marketing efforts. Long-tail keywords consist of more specific phrases that may not generate as much search traffic but are highly relevant to your target audience. To create them, focus on the particular services you provide or the specific issues your clients face. For instance, instead of using a broad term like “tax help,” opt for phrases such as “small business tax planning advice” or “personal tax preparation for freelancers.” These longer phrases can attract individuals actively seeking your services, potentially leading to higher conversion rates. Additionally, since there is often less competition for long-tail keywords, you may achieve better results with your ad budget.
Be Findable for both In-person and virtual networks
It’s easy to see why you’d want to network locally in-person. That’s been happening for years. Joining the BBB, a rotary club, etc has been a way for businesses to connect with their community for literally a hundred years. There’s also the virtual version of this called, “link building”. Essentially, these business networks also exist online, typically as large directories full of links to each business’s site. Ensuring that you’re in those directories and being linked to is a process called “Citation Building.”
Citations are when Google sees your listing in these professional directories and uses it to prove that you have some authority in the space. It’s like those directories are “vouching” for you. Building citations can sometimes be the key to raising your local SEO profile