SEO for accountants

As an accountant, you have a keen eye for numbers and a passion for accuracy. But in the digital age, making sure potential clients can find and trust your firm is just as important. How do you make sure your online presence is as solid as your financial advice? To find out, read my article on SEO for accountants.

Content and link building for accountants

As an accountant, you operate within the YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) category, where Google places extra high demands on the reliability and quality of your website. To be successful online in this competitive sector, you need to target content and link-building strategies to build trust and authority.

Content: showcase your expertise

For accountants, content is the way to show your expertise and reliability. Quality is crucial here:

  • In-depth guides: Publish well-researched guides and white papers on complex financial topics. This not only boosts your SEO, but positions you as an expert.
  • Current blog posts: Blog regularly about law changes and financial tips. Use sources and citations to add credibility to your articles.
  • Case studies: Showcase successful customer stories that demonstrate your real-world expertise.
  • FAQ pages: Answer frequently asked questions thoroughly to respond directly to what your clients want to know.

Especially if you want long-term success with SEO within this market, quality is important. Really write about the topics your target audience is looking for and deliver as much value as possible.

Particularly within accountancy, you can gain a lot when you explain topics in a simple way so that everyone who reads it actually understands it.

Optimize for niche keywords

Many accountants target general keywords such as “accountant” or “tax advisor.” But competition on these terms is cutthroat. By focusing on niche keywords specific to your expertise or industry, you can attract a target audience specifically looking for your services.

  • Specializations: If you specialize in certain industries, such as healthcare, real estate or startups, make sure to highlight these specializations with specific keywords such as “accountant for startups” or “financial advice for real estate.”
  • Service-specific keywords: Use keywords that target specific services such as “acquisition guidance” or “audits for non-profits.”

You can also consider keywords with local intent. Accountant + city/village, for example. There is a little less volume on this, but the competition is also a lot less. I would start working on creating some location pages for most accountants + the most common combinations (accountant, accountants and services keywords + city).

Link building: Quality over Quantity

For accountants, link building is all about getting quality backlinks from reliable sources:

  • Collaborations: Collaborate with financial institutions or publish on trade websites to gain valuable backlinks.
  • Local directories: Get listings in local business directories to increase your visibility.
  • Webinars: Participating in or hosting webinars can help you get high-quality links while demonstrating your expertise.

E-E-A-T: Essential for accountants

Because you fall into the YMYL category as an accountant, Google values E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness):

  • Experience: Make sure your content is written by experienced professionals.
  • Expertise: Clearly demonstrate your qualifications and knowledge.
  • Authoritativeness: Publish on reputable platforms to increase your authority.
  • Trustworthiness: Ensure transparency and accuracy in all your communications, both on and off your website.

These strategies will ensure that your accounting firm is highly findable online, while gaining the trust of potential clients.

Technical SEO and accessibility

For an accounting firm, it is important that your website be reliable and accessible. Technical SEO remains a foundation that should not be neglected.

  • SSL certificates and HTTPS: Make sure your website is secured with HTTPS. Not only is this important for data security, but Google also considers this a ranking factor.
  • Core Web Vitals: Optimize your website according to Google’s Core Web Vitals, which focus on loading speed, interactivity and visual stability. This contributes to a better user experience and can improve your rankings.
  • Accessibility: Make sure your Web site is accessible to people with disabilities. This is not only ethical, but can also help you reach a wider audience and comply with legal requirements.
Senior SEO-specialist

Ralf van Veen

Senior SEO-specialist
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I have been working for 10 years as an independent SEO specialist for companies (in the Netherlands and abroad) that want to rank higher in Google in a sustainable manner. During this period I have consulted A-brands, set up large-scale international SEO campaigns and coached global development teams in the field of search engine optimization.

With this broad experience within SEO, I have developed the SEO course and helped hundreds of companies with improved findability in Google in a sustainable and transparent way. For this you can consult my portfolio, references and collaborations.

This article was originally published on 14 August 2024. The last update of this article was on 14 January 2025. The content of this page was written and approved by Ralf van Veen. Learn more about the creation of my articles in my editorial guidelines.