CPA Practice Marketing - Dominating Local Search Results

Many merchants and service providers (including CPAs and accountants) are experimenting with various forms of internet marketing. So much of internet marketing for local companies comes down to one question: How do you dominate local search results? To put it another way: How do I make sure that my firm shows up in search results before other firms?

Local search domination can be very challenging. This is true in large part because of all the competition in the market. There are so many accountants and CPAs diverting their advertising dollars from traditional marketing methods, such as direct mail and the yellow pages. But with so many firms engaged in online CPA practice marketing, it makes it that much tougher to get exposure at the top of the search engines.

Basic local search optimization requires: (1) understanding the marketplace; (2) diligent keyword research; and (3) site optimization. First, make sure that you have a good grasp of your ideal clients and what they are looking for in a CPA. There may be a specific client base you are targeting (small business owner, individual tax preparation, trust or estates, etc). Second, make an exhaustive list of the keywords that prospective clients type into the search engines. This would consider many of the basic search terms plus many long tailed keywords that may be used. For accountants and CPA there could be hundreds. Third, optimize your site for the selected keywords.

No CPA practice marketing campaign will be able to dominate local search results overnight. It is a long process and we have certainly just touched on the basics here. But if you are committed to the process, you can certainly see improved results.

John Harkin is with Tax Lead. Through it's online accountant marketing solutions, Tax Lead provides lead generation for the accounting profession. The company's services include tax leads, accounting leads, and CPA practice marketing. For additional information, please Click Here.