SEO, or search engine optimization, helps bookkeepers improve their online visibility and makes it easier to attract qualified leads. To build your presence on search engines, it’s essential to optimize your website’s content and structure with relevant keywords. This is where targeted SEO keywords for bookkeepers come into play.
If you want your bookkeeper website to show up high on search engine results pages, you need to find strategic SEO keywords that bridge the gap between what potential clients are searching for and your bookkeeping services. Keyword research is not always easy, but fear not! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll teach you how to choose the best SEO keywords for bookkeepers so you drive organic traffic and grow your small business.
Why Bookkeepers Need to Prioritize Keyword Targeting
Before you write your website content, you need to create a strong SEO strategy that makes sense for your target audience. When you identify and target specific, relevant keywords that match the intent of your audience, you can connect with qualified leads who are genuinely interested in your bookkeeping or accounting services.
In turn, targeting the wrong keywords might still get you high search rankings, but the website visitors you attract won’t be the right match for what you have to offer. Even if you create high-quality content, your efforts will be in vain because the people who read it simply won’t be ready to convert. This is why targeting the right SEO keywords for bookkeepers is so important.
In short, effective keyword research ensures that your website ranks higher for terms that matter most to your business, leading to increased visibility, higher click-through rates, and ultimately, more conversions and sustained growth!
Higher Chances of Ranking on Google Search
Keyword targeting increases your chances of ranking high on Google search results because it aligns your content with what potential clients are actively searching for.
When you focus on specific, high-intent keywords, you can create content that directly addresses the needs and questions of your target audience. Google’s main goal is to connect people with the most helpful information for them, so when your content is targeted to what your people search for, you have a higher chance of SEO success.
Attracting Targeted Traffic
When you use keywords relevant to your target audience, you draw in website visitors who are actively seeking your bookkeeping services or products vs. the general public who randomly stumble on your page. Targeted traffic is more likely to convert into clients because their needs directly match the services you offer.
This means that you not only get a higher engagement rate and more conversions but also make use of your marketing resources more effectively.
Increased Authority in Your Niche
Creating high-quality content on specific bookkeeping topics showcases your expertise and relevance to both search engines and potential clients. Copywriting strategy helps you address the specific needs and questions of your target audience, making your content more engaging. By focusing on valuable insights, you improve your SEO while building trust with readers, encouraging them to choose yo
When you create targeted content using relevant keywords, you position yourself as a knowledgeable and reliable source within your niche. This not only improves your search engine rankings but also builds trust with your audience, as they find valuable, tailored information that meets their needs. Over time, this targeted approach fosters a reputation of authority and competence, making you the go-to expert for bookkeeping services.
Opportunities for Local SEO
Online bookkeeping services are growing in popularity, but many clients still prefer to work with bookkeepers who are located in their town or city. You can strategically target SEO keywords that allow your web pages to come up in local search results to attract clients who are searching for bookkeeping services within their immediate vicinity.
This not only increases your chances of converting these local searches into clients but also grows your brand awareness within the local community, which can lead to better networking and new exciting connections. Plus, local SEO often has less competition compared to broader keywords. This makes it easier for bookkeepers to rank higher on search engine results pages and stand out from competitors.
Cost-Effective Marketing
SEO is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing strategies for bookkeepers. Search engine optimization focuses on attracting sustainable organic traffic to your website instead of requiring continuous spending to maintain paid advertising such as Google or Facebook ads. By combining SEO with an email strategy, you can nurture leads captured through your website, delivering tailored content that keeps your services top-of-mind and encourages conversions.
The benefits of SEO compound over time. Once you create a blog post, you don’t have to keep spending money to make it drive leads to your web page. High-quality content only grows in authority, starting to rank higher and higher on search engines. With an effective SEO strategy, blog posts that you created years ago will continue to bring qualified leads right to your virtual doorstep!
How to Find Competitive SEO Keywords for Bookkeepers
Now that you understand the benefits of finding relevant keywords for bookkeepers, it’s time to dig deeper into the strategies that’ll help you identify the best keywords to use to start ranking high in search queries. We also teach you how to do this in our Content Brief Training.
1. Research Your Target Audience
The first step to finding the most effective keyword phrases to market your bookkeeping business is researching your target audience. When you understand who your target audience is, you can tailor your keyword strategy to match their unique search queries.
Your goal is to create insightful content that genuinely helps your audience, so it’s essential to start with understanding what kinds of questions your potential clients have. Go beyond understanding your audience’s demographics, such as their age and income level, and focus more on their psychographics, including their needs, desires, and hesitations when it comes to bookkeeping or accounting services.
There are several ways to research your target audience, including surveys, interviews with past clients, and social listening. One of the most effective research tools is to browse social media websites that your potential clients frequent, whether it’s Instagram or Facebook. Reddit can also often give you a good insight into what kinds of topics will help you rank high in Google’s search results.
For example, in this Reddit thread, a small business owner is asking for advice on whether or not hiring a bookkeeper is worth it. From reading this post, you can theorize that you can target SEO keywords related to the pros and cons of hiring a bookkeeper. You’ll need to identify the exact keywords using keyword research tools, but this research gives you insight into potential topics that you can do SEO research on.
2. Do a Brainstorm Session
Once you have a solid understanding of your target audience and the topics that they are interested in, it’s time to sit down for a brainstorming session. Before you start looking for specific keywords, it’s essential to have a running list of possible ideas that you can research and refine later on.
Compile a list of topics, phrases, and terms associated with your bookkeeping service so you can check them in your keyword research tools in the following step.
3. Use Keyword Research Tools
Search engine optimization is both an art and a science. To find the right SEO keywords for bookkeepers, it’s essential to use keyword research tools that’ll give you insightful stats into what kinds of keywords your audience is searching for and which ones are realistic for you to target.
These tools provide data on search volume, competition, and keyword trends so you can make an informed decision on the best keywords for you to use as well as uncover hidden opportunities to boost your website in organic search results. Research tools also allow you to track the performance of your chosen keywords over time so you can adapt and optimize your SEO strategy to resonate better with your potential customers.
There are several keyword research tools that bookkeepers can use, including Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, Semrush, and, our personal favorite, Ahrefs. Your Google Search Console and Google Analytics can also give you important insights into your SEO performance to inform you digital marketing strategies. When you work with SJ Digital Solutions, the cost of keyword research tools is already included in your SEO services.
4. Analyze Competitors
There are several SEO techniques to do keyword research, and one of them is analyzing your competitors to see what keywords they’re ranking for to inform your keyword targeting strategy.
When you study the keywords other bookkeeping and accounting firms rank for, you can gain insights into the terms and phrases that are effective within your niche. This strategy allows you to identify gaps in your SEO strategy and discover opportunities to differentiate yourself.
5. Check “People Also Ask For” on Google
Checking “People Also Ask For” (PAA) section on Google can help you find more relevant keywords to target. This technique is especially valuable for discovering questions that your target audience has when it comes to bookkeeping.
“People Also Ask For” shows related questions that people often ask about a specific topic so you can learn more about their search intent and get a glimpse inside their minds. For example, here’s a sample “People Also Ask For” section that comes up when you Google “hiring a bookkeeper”:
Reading these questions gives you a good idea of the kind of information that your target audience needs to know, such as the benefits of hiring a bookkeeper, the difference between a bookkeeper and an accounting firm, and how much a bookkeeper typically charges for their services. “People Also Ask For” section is also often helpful for creating an FAQ section for your blog post or educational article.
6. Check for Matching and Related Terms
Depending on the keyword research tool you use, you may get a list of matching and related terms for a particular keyword. These terms can often help you identify better keyword opportunities than your initial search or find secondary keywords to include in your content in order to broaden you reach.
For example, when you search for “hiring a bookkeeper” on Ahrefs, you get lists of terms that match your query, frequently asked questions, related keywords you can also rank for, and broader ideas you can talk about in your content. All of these keyword ideas can deepen the educational quality of you content and SEO reach.
7. Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more detailed phrases that have lower competition and search volumes. Research shows that long-tail keywords have higher click-through rates than short-tail keywors.
An example of a long-tail keyword for bookkeepers is “virtual bookkeeping services for small businesses” or “tax preparation for freelancers in [your city]”. In contrast, keywords like “bookeeping services” or “tax preparation” are short-tail keywords that are much harder to rank for because they’re not as specific.
Identifying and targeting long-tail keywords allows you to attract qualified website traffic that’s already actively looking for the specialized bookkeeping solutions that you offer. Long-tail keywords are also easier to rank for because not as many people are searching for them. If your bookkeeping or accounting firm’s website is relatively new or unestablished in terms of SEO, long-tail keywords can help you grow faster on Google and attract new clients.
8. Pay Attention to the Search Volume
Search volume is the number of times a particular keyword or phrase is searched for on search engines within a specific timeframe, typically monthly. It’s an important metric that shows how popular or in-demand a particular keyword is and how much traffic you could potentially drive to you website if you rank for this keyword.
If a keyword you’re researching has a high search volume, it means that it can drive many new leads to your bookkeeping or accounting website. If a keyword has a low search volume, it’s a sign that not many people are interested in that particular topic. Paying attention to search volume during your keyword research process allows you to see which keywords are worth targeting and which ones your target audience is not as interested in.
9. Evaluate Keyword Difficulty
Keyword difficulty (KD) shows you how difficult it is to rank for a specific keyword or phrase. If a keyword has a high KD, it means that there are authoritative websites already ranking for this keyword, which makes it more challenging for you to rank for it. If a keyword has a low KD, it means that there’s less competition and it’s easier to target.
Checking the keyword difficulty of the keywords you want to target allows you to find a balance between creating content that’s relevant for your audience and attainable to you in terms of ranking.
For example, the keywod “small business tax” has a high KD of 59 and it’d be almost impossible to rank for it if your domain is newer and doesn’t have a lot of authority yet.
At the same time, the keyword “tax loopholes for small business” has a high search volume (which means that many people are searching for it) but an easy KD of just 2, making it the perfect SEO opportunity!
10. Consider User Intent
User intent gives you insight into why your target audience is searching for a particular keyword. Understanding user intent allows you to create content that is aligned with you target audience’s needs. User intent can be informational, transactional, or navigational.
For example, the keyword “bookkeeper for hire” has a transactional user intent. The searchers most likely want to find a list or database of bookkeepers they could potentially hire. In turn, the keyword “benefits of hiring a bookkeeper” has an informational user intent. The people who search for this keyword are most likely looking for an educational article on the topic.
11. Refine and Update Your Keyword List
Congratulations, you now know how to find the best SEO keywords for bookkeepers! Over time, you’ll develop a list of strategic keywords to target so you can grow your website traffic and attract new clients. It’s important to continue refining and updating your keyword list to create an even better SEO strategy for your bookkeeping or accounting business.
The Importance of Prioritizing Long-Form Content
When creating your blog posts and article, it’s important to know that Google prioritizies long-form educational content. Focus on comprehensive guides, advice, and tutorials related to bookkeeping practices to position yourself as a trusted resource in your niche. Generally speaking, your blog posts and articles should be at least 1500 words. The average first-page result on Google has 1,890 words.
Technical SEO 101
In addition to meaningfully incorporating relevant keywords into your website content and on-page SEO, you also need to make sure that the technical aspects of your website are set up properly. Title tags, meta tags (also known as meta descriptions), site speed, and other technical elements are extremely important for your SEO efforts to be successful.
If you’re worried your technical SEO may not be set up right, learn more about our SEO audit.
Examples of SEO Keywords for Bookkeepers
Here are a few carefully researched SEO keywords for bookkeepers to help you start or grow your blog.
- Accountant vs bookkeeper
- Benefits of hiring a bookkeeper
- How to organize small business finances
- Benefits of outsourcing bookkeeping
- Bookkeeping best practices
Learn more about our keyword research service to get more strategic SEO keywords for your bookkeeping business.
FAQs
Is SEO Important for Bookkeepers?
Yes, SEO is an important digital marketing tool for bookkeepers. It allows you to grow your online visibility, attract new qualified leads, and grow your brand’s authority. You can also use local SEO to target potential clients in your town, city, or immediate area.
Many people turn to Google to find bookkeeping services, and having a strong SEO presence allows them to find you among competitors. SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies for your bookkeeping business.
How Can Bookkeepers Incorporate SEO Keywords into Their Content?
First, you need to find the right keywords to target in your content using keyword research tools and the best strategies, such as finding the right balance between keyword difficulty and search volume.
Then, you need to write authoritative, in-depth content on your chosen keyword while using it strategically in headings as well as body content.
Make sure that you content reads naturally and organically. Search engines understand when you write content just to rank and will penalize you for it. You need to write for humans first and create content that’s genuinely helpful for them.
What Are the Best SEO Tools for Bookkeepers?
There is no shortage of SEO tools out there for bookkeepers, and the best ones for you will depend on your needs and budget. At SJ Digital Solutions, our favorite tools are Ahrefs for keyword research and Surfer SEO for content optimization. Semrush, Mangools, and Moz are also popular tools. Ubersuggest offers has some free features that you can use if you’re not ready to invest in a subscription.
Get Strategic SEO Keywords for Bookkeepers
If you’re ready to get the best SEO keywords for bookkeepers and start driving traffic to your website, learn more about our keyword research service. It’s perfect for bookkeepers who want to get an actionable direction to grow their blog and create high-quality content that attracts new clients.
