When considering SEO for accountants, it’s important to note that it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Many business owners make the mistake of thinking SEO is a one-and-done task to check off the list of things to do to market your company.
In truth, good SEO takes time, and if you’re not able to commit long-term, you likely won’t be able to compete with other accounting firms in your market. But that’s only a problem IF search engine optimization is the right choice for your account firm.
Before you decide if SEO for accountants is right for your accounting firm, consider these top 5 things you may not know about SEO. Even if you choose to proceed with SEO services, you’ll be glad you’re entering into the decision with your eyes wide open.
5 things you should know before committing to SEO for Accountants:
- While SEO experts, including the Margott team, have a clear understanding and proven strategy to get to the page 1 results in Google, there is no way that results can be guaranteed. There are far too many variables outside of our control. If an SEO “expert” tells you they can guarantee page 1 results, run far away from that so-called expert as fast as you can.
We actually DO get page 1 results for our clients, but due to the nature of SEO, we can’t guarantee the same results for all clients. It would be unethical to guarantee results. - How old is your accounting business? New businesses are essentially non-existent on the internet. While both new and established accounting firms can benefit greatly from SEO, the impact is typically more significant for newer companies.
The age of your business helps to determine the marketing strategies that will be the most effective for your business. Suppose your accounting firm is older, highly established in your community, and you have alternative ways to get introduced to new people or companies in your market. In that case, SEO may not give you the most bang for your buck, so we’d recommend other forms of digital marketing ahead of SEO. - Do you have the time necessary to be involved in the process? Good SEO requires new content to be written and published regularly. You must be able to review the recommended content and provide feedback within a reasonable amount of time.
A little feedback goes a long way in SEO for accountants, so if you can commit, SEO should definitely be considered. If you don’t have time to review the content, stop. Hire an assistant. Then revisit SEO when you’ve increased your capacity. - You must have a budget if you’re considering SEO for accountants. SEO simply doesn’t work for companies that don’t have a marketing budget. There’s always someone who says they’ll do “cheap SEO,” but that’s not usually in your best interest, and it’s the easiest way to get burned. Quality search engine optimization requires strategy, experience, and knowledge. That’s no place to try to save a dime.
- Your timeframe is a huge consideration with SEO. Results don’t happen overnight, so it’s essential to manage your expectations related to SEO. It can take 3-6 months to see good results and 6-9 months to see the best results. If your accounting business is in a time crunch, you may want to consider spending your marketing budget on paid ads instead of SEO. Paid ads can deliver results much faster than SEO can.
Do you want to find out if SEO for accountants is right for your accounting firm or how your online presence stacks up against your competition? We’d love to help you! Schedule a no-obligation Strategy Session. We’ll conduct a thorough marketing analysis and share our findings and recommendations during our scheduled conversation.