SEO is tricky, and it’s even trickier to master the art of local SEO. Why is it so hard to get found in your own geographical area? Shouldn’t a close address be enough?Unfortunately, it’s not. Digital marketing has changed, and the way businesses get found by nearby prospects is evolving as rapidly as Google’s search algorithm. One of the best sources for information on SEO management and local search is Moz, who released their 2020 State of Local SEO Industry Report midway through this year. Upon analyzing the report, our team was thrilled to see that our CountingWorks PRO platform and SEO services cover nearly 100% of the top factors affecting search rankings. Yep – we do it all. There is so much noise out there, and odds are that you – like most business owners – have probably been contacted by many so-called “SEO experts.” They don’t know you like we do. Work with a trusted partner that knows the tax and accounting industry and offers the best and most comprehensive solution available. Putting up a website isn’t enough: without an optimized digital presence – including reviews, social media profiles, and off- and on-page strategies – most tax and accounting firms are simply marketing on an island and getting lucky every so often. This post offers a breakdown of key insights from the Moz report and how they relate to your industry. Let’s get your practice found online.

What do expert marketers recommend for local SEO?

Source: Moz

You can see from these charts which Search Engine Results Page (SERP) factors matter the most to marketers and which activities they recommend businesses focus on. Within the tax and accounting industry, our team has the depth of experience needed to define which local SEO factors are the most important for practices to prioritize: Local pack rankings and Google My Business (GMB) profiles. We are able to cater to both of these through our GMB optimization and review campaigns. Additionally, if you take a look at the full list of activities surveyed marketers recommend devoting more resources to, CountingWorks PRO covers nearly all of them, including:

• Local content development
• On-site optimization
• Technical analysis of ranking/traffic/conversions
• Website design
• Review management
• Social media
• Email marketing
• Technical needs
• Other Google Business Profile features management
• Citation management

Wondering about some of the key takeaways from the surveyed marketers? Here are a few of our favorites:

The Most Important Ranking Factors for Local SEO

Source: Moz

Finally, let’s discuss the list of the most important ranking factors for local SEO, according to top marketers surveyed by one of the most trusted sources on search. As you can see from this chart, marketers consistently ranked factors such as GMB, Google reviews, citations, and on-page SEO as being very important – and all of these can be impacted by how you choose to approach your marketing strategy. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of how CountingWorks PRO tackles each ranking factor to help your tax and accounting practice break through to the top of your local search rankings:

Google My Business Elements

• We claim and verify your profile
• We optimize the content on your listing, ensuring your services, name/address/phone number (NAP), and business information are accurate and consistent
• We can provide logo and cover images to give your listing a professional look
• We connect your GMB to your site
• We provide frequent automated blog posts

Google Reviews

• We offer done-for-you review campaigns
• We share your five-star reviews on your social media profiles
• We continuously monitor your reputation
• If you were ever to receive a negative review, we will catch the negative review early and coach you through your response, safeguarding your reputation
• We build up your review profile and reputation on other marketplace sites, like TaxBuzz.com and CountingWorks.com

Proximity of the Searcher to the Place of Business / Physical Address in City of Search

• We optimize your site elements and your off-page data to align with your local market
• We create local listings for you to help you dominate your local market
• We provide expert coaching that can help you select language to expand your reach

Consistency of Citations

• Your Knowledge Graph is the single source of information online for the many public facts about your brand
• We use schema and optimized web pages to provide consistent data about your brand across the web
• We provide a citation building service where we ensure that all of your data is consistent and accurate online
• We lock your data in so no one can touch information
• We allow you to instantly update and manage unique business attributes (e.g. special hours, health specifications, online appointments, etc.)  which is especially important during COVID-19
• 42% of companies have adopted an automated approach to listing management

On-Page SEO Elements

• All of our sites are built with SEO in mind
• Our sites are structurally built for SEO
• Our content is written with SEO in mind

Tracking Performance Metrics for Local SEO

Source: Moz

As you can see here, most respondents are dependent on Google’s tools, and rely on Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google My Business to monitor performance. CountingWorks PRO’s service covers optimization and control for all three of these tools, all in one place.

Are businesses getting help with local SEO?

In 2020, 77% of Moz respondents said that they have some kind of SEO staff – 8% higher than last year. However, 33% of businesses with one to 25 locations don’t have any full time SEO staff. Many small to mid-sized businesses do look to outside help for local SEO. 40% of businesses with less than 500 employees outsourced at least some local SEO work, according to the 2020 report. For all those businesses seeking help with local SEO, tactical priorities remain mostly the same across all brand sizes. “Local link building, local content development, and on-site optimization top the wish list for the activities marketers want resourced.”

How Tax & Accounting Pros Can Boost Their Local Search Rankings

CountingWorks PRO has been helping tax and accounting practices win the SEO game since SEO became a “thing.” Because our expertise is industry-specific, we know exactly how to help your practice succeed in ways that other SEO “experts” cannot.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you improve your local search rankings and get found online, contact us today at 1-800-442-2477 x3 or set up some time to speak with one of our digital marketing experts. We’re here to help!