The accountancy landscape reflects an extremely competitive industry and as digital literacy has become more widespread, most firms now understand the benefit of creating and implementing a search engine optimisation strategy (SEO) designed to help them to maximise their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) for keywords and phrases.
A solid SEO strategy should form the foundations of a wider digital strategy that will allow your business to survive and thrive, even as marketplaces become even more competitive. In addition to helping you to increase your online visibility, good SEO will help you to identify new leads, secure new clients, and drive additional revenue. But standing out online for the right reasons is now more important than ever before, as we collectively face an unprecedented financial crisis as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.
The importance of SEO for accountancy firms during a global financial crisis
In a relatively short period of time, the internet has transformed marketplaces and made it possible for so many new businesses to make names for themselves in emerging industries. It also allows us to access every piece of information we could possibly need, instantly. Search engines now drive the business marketing landscape, meaning that consumers find businesses, rather than the other way around.
Currently, more businesses than ever before are turning to Google and other leading search engines to look for the latest financial information in relation to the coronavirus outbreak. Accountancy firms like yours are now being presented with the opportunity to deliver first-class services at a time when they are urgently needed. This means that you need to ensure you are effectively maintaining a robust online presence because, if your potential clients don’t know you exist, they are simply going to take their business to a competitor.
Remember, potential clients will use the information they can find out about your firm online to decide whether they believe you have the skills and experience to provide them with the advice and support they need to make it through this period of financial insecurity. Your potential future clients are already using search engines to search for accountants offering the services you know you can deliver at a higher quality than your competition, so it is up to you to ensure that your firm is hyper-visible in SERPs for the keywords are phrases they are already using.
Strong search engine optimisation strategies are tailored to your unique business objectives
SEO for accountancy firms delivered by an experienced agency with extensive industry experience can be tailored to both the specific business needs of your firm and the wider financial landscape. This means that SEO can be applied and leveraged in myriad ways, including connecting with new leads and meaningfully channelling potential clients into your marketing funnel in mutually beneficial ways.
It has long been known that the majority of searchers will not look past the first page of search results for the queries they conduct, but in these highly uncertain times when concerned business owners are looking for the information they need quickly and efficiently, this is arguably more the case than ever before. As such, securing and maintaining a high ranking position for relevant search terms and phrases will contribute significantly to the quality and volume of the results your accountancy business will drive from the SEO element of your digital strategy.
For accountants SEO should never be viewed as an option, but as a necessity to driving the results that will sustain your business over the long term. A comprehensive SEO strategy will facilitate connections between you and your perfect potential clients, in the right place, at precisely the right time. In addition to helping you to drive growth and increase your revenue, promoting your ability to deliver high-quality financial advice and services during a time that is providing to be highly stressful for so many will solidify your reputation as a trusted firm within your particular niche. This reputation will stay with you long after the pandemic has ended and the financial landscape begins to lose its volatility, which will further contribute to the continued success of your business.
Businesses that are currently driving the most impressive results from their search strategies have honed in on hyper-specific goals and objectives. There are a variety of ways in which working with a professional SEO agency will help you to shape a powerful strategy for your firm and here are a few things that will help you to ensure that your accountancy and financial services are visible to the people who need them most right now.
Increase your organic reach
If your firm doesn’t appear on the first page of the search results for terms and phrases that are relevant to the types of accountancy services you offer, your potential clients are never going to even know you exist. Ensuring that your SEO strategy has the power to increase your organic reach is a key part of driving the success you need to see.
The thorough optimisation of your website is essential to organic reach because it is what will ensure that search engines understand both the content and the context of your website. Remember, search engines want to ensure that they are consistently delivering ultra-relevant and up-to-date information for every search query. Complex algorithms crawl accessible sites and use key pieces of information and signals to organise the rankings of every query that searchers perform.
Within the current financial landscape, it is imperative that your firm is ultra-visible for the specific accountancy services you provide because this is what will help you to secure new clients looking to give their businesses a level of financial stability they likely haven’t felt for some time.
Right now, business owners and self-employed individuals are looking for very specific services and information, including the latest assistance released by the government, how to defer VAT, and even, in the most extreme situations, how to close a limited company.
We are living through difficult times and people are looking for actionable solutions to the very real issues they are facing. You need to ensure that you are adequately promoting the services you can provide that will deliver viable solutions effectively and efficiently. It is also important to address the ways in which your accountancy services and professional financial advice can help businesses and individuals to look forward and strive to maintain a level of business continuity and pursue approaches that will secure their long-term success. It is not misplaced to be hopeful because the time will come where this global pandemic and the resulting financial implications will be a distant memory.
Local search
For many accountants SEO that delivers meaningful results at a local level will be more effective than strategies that take a more general approach. The implications of COVID-19 are having devastating effects on local businesses and their suppliers, partners, and employees. Local SEO can help you to connect with potential clients in your community and to contribute to the business landscape within your local area at a time when your services are arguably needed more urgently than ever before.
In many cases, local SEO will help you to nurture leads that you can convert into long-standing clients. When prospects use search engines to identify accountancy services within a specific area, they are likely to be in a position to make serious enquiries with firms they believe are best placed to deliver the support and advice they require. As they will be able to engage with your business and the services you offer in-person, you can leverage your interpersonal skills to build rapport and establish your brand as a trustworthy and supportive presence within the community.
The COVID-19 pandemic is significantly impacting the financial security and stability of businesses across a range of industries and sectors. As new developments continue to occur on a daily basis and new measures are introduced by governments, the landscape will remain highly changeable.
Accountancy firms and financial experts are uniquely placed to deliver informed advice and expertise to businesses and organisations looking for ways to manage and secure the stability and integrity of their operations. A strong SEO strategy can help you to maximise your output at a time when your services will make a significant difference to both your local community and the wider economy.
