SEO Marketing Services for Accountants
What Is SEO?
SEO is short for “Search Engine Optimisation” and is a popular method of digital marketing. This method has been tested and improved over time since the first use of search engines. The primary goal of search engine optimisation is to tailor a web page’s content, technical structure and online relevance so that it appears as highly as possible in organic search results.
Businesses use search engine optimisation to make their websites more visible in order to generate more traffic and consequently more leads. Search engines are designed to serve the most relevant results to users with search queries and search engine optimisation aims to appease these search engines.
The immense size of the internet today means there are hundreds of thousands of websites competing for relevance in one or multiple industries. This results in the majority of internet users not browsing any further than the first few search results.
This means that capturing the attention of those internet searchers is crucial for any business that wants to generate more organic leads. Without any attempt at search engine optimisation a website will be missing out on a huge number of potential customers.
Search engines use progressively more advanced sorting algorithms to help them determine what ranking in which to order websites. These algorithms test websites for their relevancy, quality and authority using hundreds of individual ranking factors.
Search engine optimisation must therefore play catch-up with these algorithms in order to make sure a website remains as highly ranked as possible. This is a constant fight which requires people who engage in search engine optimisation to be highly skilled and always learning.
Search engine optimisation is the opposite of PPC (pay per click) digital marketing as it is attempting to build a sincere online reputation in order to be ranked by search engines. On the other hand a PPC campaign is paying for exposure it gets.
The Process of SEO
The process of search engine optimisation falls into two main categories; on page and off page optimisation.
On page optimisation focuses on tailoring the content that appears on the website itself. Off page optimisation focuses on tailoring the online profile of a website as it appears in other domains.
A good strategy means that both on page and off page tactics need to be implemented to boost the discoverability of a website. When search algorithms evolve so does the value of particular on and off page tactics.
On Page Optimisation
The most useful on page optimisation tactics are:
Keywords
Keywords are words and phrases that denote the topic of a web page. Keywords are usually targeted because they will be part of the search query that is used to find a website. A website will want to target keywords relevant to the product or service they are offering so that search engines serve them to the right audience.
The optimisation of keywords means altering their specificity and frequency in a pages’ content. Overuse of keywords is known as “keyword stuffing” and has a negative effect on a sites’ ranking.
HTML Code
This tactic of search engine optimisation works to better develop the structural code of a websites’ content to make it more relevant for search engines. This means tailoring elements such as heading tags, meta descriptions and the structure data of the webpage.
The HTML code is not visible to the average user but is used by search engine indexers to sort websites by their overall relevancy.
Content
Content refers to the information that is present on the page itself. The overall quality of the content is becoming the most important factor in how search engines will rank a website.
This is because the content is what users want most of all when searching, so search engines will favour well written content that they can serve to their users.
Search engine optimisation works to tailor content so that it is of high quality, accurate, authoritative and readable. Without a combination of these factors it is possible for poor content to be detrimental to a websites’ ranking potential.
The most important element of any web page is the quality of the content or information that is displayed there. If content is irrelevant or of poor quality, search engines’ won’t want to serve it to their users.
On page content is also improved by using high quality images with relevant descriptions, internal linking, proper website hierarchy and the overall graphic presentation of the website. Well written information is less effective when used on a website which is largely poor in other areas of its presentation.
Off Page Optimisation
The most useful off page optimisation tactics are:
Backlinks
A backlink is an inbound link to the targeted webpage that appears on other websites. This tells the search engine that the webpage is being shared around and is respected in other areas of the internet.
Backlinks attempt to generate a network of trust and reliability around a website as part of building its online reputation. They are most effective when appearing on a large number of websites in various domains.
These tactics use backlinks in order to construct the online profile of a webpage and make the overall presence of backlinks as sincere as possible. Google algorithms work to evaluate how genuine and authoritative these backlinks are.
Social Media
Search engine optimisation uses social media to help build the online profile of a website’s brand. Social media forms an open communication channel with potential customers and implies a level of sincerity in a business that uses it.
Since social media is so widely used search engine algorithms will favour domains that have a strong linking to active social media accounts.
What’s more important?
On and off page tactics are both considered to be important for SEO. While there are arguments for both, on page is generally considered more important as this is the actual content of the webpage that is being used to rank it.
Off page is more important in competitive markets where the quality of pages is more likely to be determined by its relevance and reputation in other domains.
The Benefits of SEO
The main benefit is to help a webpage achieve its highest possible discoverability in search results. When a webpage ranks highly for their relevant keywords then they are more likely to generate leads from people who are actively looking for that product or service.
This is incredibly valuable as more and more people use the internet to search for what they want. These users are not only searching for the most relevant results but the most trustworthy and well-reviewed.
This is where the secondary benefit comes into play. The building of a sincere online reputation that is based on the quality of authoritative content will lead to a great mindshare in the target audience.
When users are served a website based on its quality and relevancy they are likely to associate that website with authority in the industry. This is because people trust their search engines to give them the best possible results.
Being ranked highly implies the website is one of those best possible results and therefore increases the legitimacy of that brand. This is what makes search engine optimisation such an incredibly important digital marketing strategy.
How does SEO help Accountants?
Search engine optimisation is particularly useful for accountants as more and more people search for accountancy services on the internet. Since accounting is a service that does not need to be done in-person many people will avoid the inconvenience of physically travelling to an accounting firm.
This means that in order to remain competitive an accounting firm needs to have a strong online presence. This will allow the firm to generate the highest number of online leads it can get from organic search results.
Since many people won’t have a particular accounting firm in mind they will likely do a simple internet search when the time comes that they need their services. This highlights the importance of an accounting firm appearing highly in those search results so they are a choice people consider.
The other benefit of appearing here is that potential prospects will consider the top ranking firms to be the most authoritative. When handling finances people value trustworthiness and professionalism above all else. Being ranked in the top search results implies a firm has those two qualities.
These factors increase the likelihood of a potential lead clicking through the firm’s website and being won over by the high quality content that appears there. This is where search engine optimisation serves as a one-two punch which gets users noticing and clicking on a high quality landing page.
The Importance Of Using A Professional SEO Agency
The effective implementation of search engine optimisation requires trained and experienced professionals. The art of designating, targeting and implementing keywords is on its own a highly complex element of search engine optimisation.
SEO agencies are experts at tailoring elements of a webpage to be as search engine friendly as possible. The agency will have an intricate understanding of web development, copywriting and how to use social media.
The agency knows the most effective way to craft high quality content and distribute it across the channels it will be most effective in. This includes the clever utilisation of backlinks to help build a robust online profile for their clients.
While the overall meaning of search engine optimisation is simple to understand the way in which it is accomplished needs a professional approach. This is why so many businesses have solicited SEO agencies to carry out optimisation tasks on their behalf.
Who Is SEO Shark And What Makes Us Different?
SEO Shark is a professional digital marketing agency that has specialised in providing search engine optimisation. Our company are experts at interpreting the constantly evolving search engine algorithms because we know how necessary it is to stay ahead.
Our company places importance on an open and honest correspondence with clients that works to establish all of the critical elements that will influence the success of a search engine optimisation campaign.
This means understanding the client’s needs, goals and current situation within their sector. These factors facilitate the creation of a monthly pricing structure that meets the exact needs of our clients.
This monthly pricing structure allows clients to leave us if they do not like our work which means it is of less risk to them and incentivises us to be constantly doing our best. Other agencies will charge an obscene one off fee which means they will stop working as hard once they receive their payment.
Our services provide content writing, social media management, link building as well as many other options including integrated PPC campaigns and website development. Our expertise means we know how to use all of these elements in conjunction with one another to achieve the best possible results for our clients.
Many other optimisation agencies use cheap software to generate quick results that are ultimately insincere and don’t build mindshare for clients. These methods are not only ineffective in the long run but can land clients’ domains in trouble with search algorithms.
SEO Shark will never compromise on the quality by which our optimisation tactics are carried out and we know that genuine results will take time to achieve. Our honesty and diligence regarding the entire search engine optimisation process is what keeps clients satisfied with the service we provide.
What’s Next
SEO is a field of digital marketing that gets more and more refined in order to keep up with search engines. This makes it a discipline that requires a careful and knowledgeable approach that only a professional SEO firm can deliver.
For these reasons it’s clear that an accounting firm that wants to enjoy the many benefits of a search engine optimisation campaign should get in contact with SEO Shark to make sure they get the best possible results.
Get in touch
t: 1300 732 002
Address: 61/104 Bathurst Street Sydney NSW 2000
SEO Shark
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