SEO can be your small firm's secret weapon. Here's what it is and how to make it work.

Of all the ways you could improve your firm’s effectiveness online, search engine optimization (SEO) may pack the biggest bang for the buck. The idea behind SEO is simple: increase organic (non-paid) search traffic to your website by taking actions such as updating the content on your site or tweaking the site’s technical configuration. This is important, because online searches are a key part of the new business pipeline today, and they’re only growing more important.

Sound complicated? SEO can be as complicated as you want to make it – but it can also be fairly easy to make measurable improvements without overcommitting your time and resources. Plus, if you use the .cpa domain, your new URL could help give your SEO a leg-up.

How can you take advantage of SEO optimization to drive more traffic – and more new business prospects – to your site? Start with these four steps.

Start with keyword strategy

Has your firm created a list of the keywords your target clients are most likely to search for? If not, that’s where to start. Consider your firm’s strengths and areas of focus – why do prospective new clients seek out your firm today? Is it because of your family practice? Tax services? Estate planning? Which words and phrases are linked to those strengths? Free tools like Google Keyword Planner are great for expanding your list of keywords and discovering how often they are searched.

Once you’ve developed your list of keywords, make sure you use them heavily throughout your site – on your homepage, in your descriptions of products and services, in every piece of content should include relevant keywords.

Content, content, content

Search engine algorithms are trained to seek out unique, frequently updated content. If your site is static – if you can’t remember when you last updated it – it’s time to commit to a schedule of routine updates. Daily content updates aren’t required. If you don’t have a writer or other marketing resource who can help, lean on internal expertise. AI tools can help, too – AI shouldn’t be considered a replacement for human writers, but you might be surprised at how much an AI assistant such as ChatGPT can help jump-start the writing process. Firm updates, short articles on timely issues and trends, FAQs, blog posts – for search engines, these function as “signs of life” that help ensure that your site shows up in search results.

Choose an SEO-friendly domain name

What does your firm’s domain name signal to online searchers? Does it emphasize what makes your firm distinctive? Does it even communicate that your firm is a CPA firm rather than a law firm or some other provider of professional services? Your choice of domain name is an important factor in your SEO success.

Many firm leaders don’t even consider that they have a choice in domain name – whether you love it or hate it, you’re stuck with the one you have today, right?

Actually, it’s not that difficult to switch to a more SEO-friendly domain name. Or you can just keep your domain name and add more that redirect to it. With the .cpa domain , we’ve made it easy. Only authorized CPA firms have access to .cpa addresses, making it easier for your firm to secure its top choice of address – a critical boost for your branding and SEO efforts.

Tune up your site for SEO

Content is a big part of SEO – but it’s not the only factor in making it more appealing to search engines and visitors. These are some other important ways to improve your site’s SEO:

• Page speed: Fast-loading websites rank higher in search results. Using the right web design, hosting, and content management tools can help ensure that your site loads as quickly as possible.
• Mobile-friendly design: Sites that use responsive design principles work just as well on mobile devices as on laptops.
• Backlinks: Backlinks are links on other websites that go back to pages on your website. Make sure your partners, vendors, and others include links to your site.

Firms using the .cpa domain automatically benefit from a speed-optimized environment and mobile-friendly design with our free starter site. You can build one yourself in minutes once you’ve secured your preferred .cpa domain.

How to start smart with SEO

Successful SEO is the result of several different factors working together – when the technical foundation of your site is combined with solid SEO principles in areas such as keywords and content quality, the results can be truly powerful. When you start with a .cpa domain, you’re already laying the groundwork for an effective SEO strategy. For all the trickier aspects of SEO, it’s always a good idea to consult with a SEO professional.

SEO is only one of many reasons to consider adopting the .cpa domain for your firm. For a complete picture of everything the .cpa domain has to offer, take a few minutes to visit our .cpa landing page, and find our FAQs, demos, and videos of firm leaders talking about their .cpa experiences.

About the author:
Amber Higgins is the Associate Integrated Marketing Manager at CPA.com, helping manage the Digital CPA Conference and .cpa web domains. With a background in financial planning marketing and communications, she is passionate about helping finance professionals advance their careers.