SEO

It’s a noisy digital world, which makes it even harder for businesses to attract the attention of ideal leads. The solution? An SEO strategy to boost SEO organic traffic. Many professional service and accounting firms are shifting their focus on fine-tuning their website to grab the attention of search engines and leads. 

But this approach isn’t just about climbing Google’s page results—it’s about setting up a long-term referral pipeline without the extra cost of running ads. 

As a freelance SEO strategist, I’m pulling back the curtain on this: how can you spend the least amount of money on SEO and get the biggest returns? Let’s get right into it. 

1. Plan Around SEO Keywords

If you want search engines to notice your website and direct the right SEO organic traffic to you, you need to speak their language—SEO keywords. Incorporate relevant, high-traffic keywords throughout your website. That means digging into the types of terms your ideal client would put into the Google search bar to find your website. What makes them tick?

Here are the SEO keyword basics:

• Start with keyword research. (User intent is key.)
• Throw them in the right places. (Think URL, headline, alt-text, etc.) 
• Monitor and tweak.

Think of keywords as a bridge to connect your target client with your content to guide them to you.

2. Content That Resonates

Think of your content as a journey for your customers. While it needs to be valuable and aligned with your SEO keyword strategy, it also needs to resonate with the reader’s stage in the “buyer’s journey.” That means you must develop content relevant to all stages of the buyer’s journey. 

• Awareness (i.e., A blog post educating your audience.)
• Consideration (i.e., A video evaluating possible solutions.)
• Decision (i.e., A testimonial about your service.)

While the right content might bring SEO organic traffic to your door, your pipeline is only as good as the quality and readiness of your leads. Keep your audience’s intent in mind. 

3. Share Your Content Freely

Don’t plan your website content only for your website—share it. Once you write a blog article, plan to use the content in different ways. Share it in your email newsletter and social media channels, and build traffic to your website. You can’t control how a qualified lead finds your website, so ensure you can reach them through all possible channels. 

4. Build Authority Through Links

Boosting your website’s authority is incredibly important for better search engine rankings, and the leading way to do this is through backlinks. Backlinks (links from other websites to your website) show your authority and expertise and are a ranking factor with the almighty Google. Consider ways you can get those links for free. A few examples include:

• Public relations opportunities 
• Writing guest posts for high-authority websites
• Providing a quote to an industry leader
• Collaborating with influencers and peers in your field

Diversify your backlinks to help bring SEO organic traffic to your doorstep. 

5. Prioritize User Experience

Sometimes, breaking out of “industry speak” or “professional jargon” can be hard when you create online content. You’re the expert, and you know all about what you do for your clients, but they don’t. Talk to them in a way that’s easy for them to understand. 

Drop the abbreviations and acronyms. Your content should provide value and be what your ideal clients want to read (sprinkled with keyword strategy). 

Claim Free SEO Organic Traffic 

SEO isn’t just about algorithms and rankings. It’s a long-term strategy that can be a game-changer for your business. Instead of having a website with no views, you’ll be like a magnet attracting the best leads who want to book your services. But you can’t put SEO on the back burner. It’s a slow-burn tactic that requires gradual steps forward but can lead to amazing results. 

If you’re an accounting firm or professional services agency looking to partner with an SEO consultant, I’m here to help.

Book a call with me today. Let’s put your website to work to attract and convert leads into sales.

Getting Google’s attention doesn’t have to be difficult—although, as an SEO specialist, I’ll admit sometimes it’s not much different than chasing a client for financial documents. SEO strategy takes time and patience.

If you’re looking for a few easy ways to help your accounting firm’s website rank higher in search results, I recommend implementing these three website tips first.

1. Use SEO Keywords

What are keywords? These are the terms that your ideal client puts into the Google search bar to find you and your services. Keywords should be sprinkled on your website pages, but only one per page is best.

How do you develop a keyword list? 

You don’t have to be a keyword research pro or SEO specialist to create a list of keywords. The easiest tool to come up with keywords for your company website is you. (Your expert brain.)

Why is your knowledge the best SEO tool?

• You’re an expert in your industry.
• You’re the expert to your clients.
• You know how they think.

Let’s put that expertise to work.

• Step 1. Get out a pen and paper—or an Excel spreadsheet. (You don’t have to buy fancy marketing software or tools for keyword research.)
• Step 2. Write down a list of terms (2-4 words long) that your clients would search for to find what you sell.
• Step 3. Head to Google and put those terms in the search bar—see what pops up.

Congrats, you’ve got the start to your first keyword list.

2. Analyze Your SEO (For Free)

Most SEO consultants use expensive and specialized tools to help their clients. In my arsenal, I regularly use Screaming Frog, SEMRush, WriterZen, chatGPT, SEOptimer, and others. But if you’re trying to figure out what’s going on with your website (and where to focus your SEO efforts), you really only need Google.

How can you quickly get an overview of your website’s performance?

Google Chrome’s Lighthouse.

What is Lighthouse? It’s an open-source, automated developer tool designed to improve the performance, quality, and accuracy of your web pages and apps. And it’s free and easy to access.

Here’s how:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Go to your website. 
3. Right-click and select “Inspect.”
4. Go to “Lighthouse.” 
5. Click “Analyze Page Load.”

This report will give you a brief overview of your website’s performance in performance, accessibility, best practices, SEO, and progressive web apps. It’s a quick benchmark tool I share with my clients as an SEO specialist before we jump into any project.

3. Add Internal and External Links

Internal and external links are the backbone of SEO. But what are they? 

• Internal links connect pages within your website.
• External links connect to other websites.

Why prioritize internal and external links?

Internal links help search engines crawl and understand your website’s content while also helping users navigate throughout the site. By linking to high-quality external sources, internal links also help boost your website’s authority and credibility.

How can you incorporate internal and external links into your CPA firm’s website?

• For internal links, make sure to link relevant pages together within your content.
• For external links, look for reputable websites or sources related to your industry or services and include them in your content.

When you work with an SEO specialist, they often recommend link building and an internal linking strategy to help improve your website’s SEO and overall user experience.

DIY or Work with an SEO Specialist

Whether you’re doing SEO on your own, having a team member handle it, or working with an SEO specialist, these tips can help set your CPA firm’s website up to capture the attention of Google and bring leads to you.

If you’re a professional services or accounting firm looking to partner with an SEO consultant, I’m here to help. Contact me today for personalized insights on bringing in more leads through SEO services and strategy.

So, recently, I was invited to an SEO services client’s team party. I was honored to be included after working with this local client for 3 years as their freelance SEO strategist. It was on the top outdoor deck of a local World of Beer—a balmy 50 F. I won’t lie. It was cold, my beer was cold, and my hand holding my beer was cold, but my heart was warm.

The camaraderie between the 79 employees and senior team members was infectious.

The smiles.

The workplace jokes.

The general feeling of belonging.

It made me almost miss the full-time work environment—almost.

Flying Solo as a Freelance SEO Strategist

The truth is that being a solopreneur can be lonely.

It’s not even so much that I work from home, sitting in an office on my own, with nothing but the Amazon package delivery to interrupt me.

(I’m pretty good with no commute.)

It’s the feeling of not belonging—of not having workplace peers I can go to when business or personal highs need to be celebrated.

(Or lows need to be mourned.)

And that leads to reflection, introspection, and uncertainty.

Overcoming Self-Doubt as an SEO Freelancer

I’ve had plenty of moments of self-doubt this year—and all the years of my business as a freelance SEO strategist. I’m constantly asking myself:

• Does what I do matter?
• Am I good enough?
• Can I really compete with larger agencies?
• Am I making a difference?
• Is working alone worth it?

But then, I remember why I chose this path—it’s:

• The freedom to make my own choices and decisions.
• The flexibility to work on projects that interest me.
• The ability to take time off when needed—without having to ask my boss for permission.

And most importantly, it’s the satisfaction of seeing my hard work directly impact my clients’ businesses.

And I’m not doing this entirely alone. Others see what I’m doing.

A Message That Changed My Perspective

One day, in the middle of the grind of my normal workday, I received an unexpected message from an amazing freelancer I collaborate with who has been thinking of freelancing full-time.

“Beth, I want you to know your business success has inspired me to get back to building mine. So, thank you for that!”

Oh, snap.

Self-doubt evaporated.

Self-confidence recharged.

We may not realize it, but we’re probably all inspiring someone. And I’m thankful for those who inspire me as a freelance SEO strategist, entrepreneur, and human.

• My digital marketing mentor/friend who selflessly shares knowledge and support.
• My WordPress wizard husband—who graciously answers my random questions.
• My Junior League friends and their passion for helping our community.
• My kids—who look at the world with curiosity and creativity.
• My parents, who gave me the best life.
• My clients and customers—who give me neverending trust in my skills and insights.

(Heck, I’m also grateful for the newsletter subscribers who keep opening my emails!)

Truth be told, you never know how you make a difference in someone’s life.

Embracing the Solopreneur Journey of a Freelance SEO Strategist

As a freelance SEO strategist, I’ve learned to accept the uncertainty, solitude, and challenges of being a solopreneur.

But most of all, I’ve learned to appreciate the moments of connection, community, and inspiration that fuel my journey. And for that, I am grateful.

So, here’s to all the fellow freelancers out there—you are not alone in your journey.

Today, I’m embracing gratitude for amazing people and unexpected words that remind me I’m on the right path.

The Gift of Giving Back: Sharing SEO Insights

As we tread this path together, one thing I’ve come to understand is that growth thrives on knowledge sharing. And I’ve gained so much from those who have generously shared their insights with me, and I want to pay it forward.

That’s why I love working with clients who are open to learning about SEO and understanding how it works the way it does.

Interested in learning more about SEO and how a content marketing strategy for SEO can benefit your business?

Subscribe to my newsletter and follow my blog for valuable insights, tips, and strategies from an SEO consultant.

Search engine optimization, also called SEO, may sound exhausting, time-consuming, and highly technical—left only to a keyword research pro.  

But it’s actually pretty straightforward. 

It’s all about using the right keywords to make your website more visible and rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). 

Basically, you need to become a Google whisperer. 

You probably already know the importance of keyword research—but are you using your results effectively? 

Let’s make sure you’re hitting all the marks to get the eyes of search engines and customers on your website. In this article, I’ll share some seo consultant insider tips on optimizing your content like a true keyword research pro.

The Quick Method to Place Keywords Like A Keyword Research Pro

If you scour the internet, you’re bound to find lengthy lists of all the ways you can do SEO and keyword research for your website. 

Every keyword research pro or SEO guru has their own insights and hours of YouTube content on the subject. 

But really, there’s a quick way to dive into keyword research without the fuss.

Enter the FOCUS HERE Method. 

It’s a straightforward blueprint designed to make anyone a keyword research pro in no time. 

FOCUS HERE Method to Keyword Research

Instead of sifting through heaps of data, the FOCUS HERE Method keeps things simple. 

First & Last: Begin your story with the keyword and end with it. This means placing your keyword in the title and the introductory paragraph and wrapping up your content with it. This strategic placement tells search engines about your content’s primary focus.

On-page Categories: Use the categories feature in your CMS to your advantage. It’s a nifty tool every keyword research pro should utilize for primary and secondary keywords.

Copy: Sprinkling keywords throughout your content is essential, but ensure they blend seamlessly. After all, you’re primarily writing for your readers. Keyword integration should be an art, and that’s what makes you a keyword research pro.

URL: This isn’t merely a digital address but an SEO opportunity. Embed your keyword to make the link meaningful.

Site Title: Reflect the essence of your content in the site title. Including the keyword here is a move every keyword research pro swears by.

Headings and Subheadings: Apart from structuring your content, these are prime spots for your keywords. Their prominence ensures better visibility to search engines.

Extra Meta: The meta description is your content’s elevator pitch. A keyword-rich meta can boost click-through rates, something every keyword research pro knows.

Resource Tags: Similar to on-page categories, tags accentuate the relevance of your keywords.

Element Images: Alt-text in images isn’t just for accessibility; it’s an SEO tool. By embedding keywords here, you ensure search engines grasp the image’s context.

What about keyword density?

The idea of ‘keyword density’ refers to the number of times a keyword appears in your content compared to the overall word count. 

While in my case, I feel like one can never have too many fountain pens or Disney vacations…there is such a thing as too many keywords. 

If you stuff your content with too many keywords, it can hurt your SEO efforts. 

Instead of cramming keywords into your content, plan a content marketing strategy for SEO that blends keywords naturally into your writing. 

Work With A Keyword Research Pro 

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why all this fuss about keywords?” it’s because, in the digital age, keywords are the breadcrumbs that bring search engines to your door…and with them, searching customers. 

Take the FOCUS HERE method for a spin and bring traffic, customers, and sales to you.

But, if you’re looking for a speedier way to get started with SEO, work with a keyword research pro and get tailored SEO consulting. As an SEO expert, I’m here to help you navigate the world of keyword optimization and bring in a sea of traffic to your website. 

Let’s turn those Google searchers into your customers together! Contact me to learn about my SEO services at beth@bethchernes.com to get started.

Ready to give your content marketing strategy for SEO a fresh new spin? Whether it’s a new year, a new season, or it just feels like time to pivot—any time is a great time to step up your SEO game. And you don’t have to be an SEO consultant or digital marketing expert to do this.

Let me walk you through three awesome (and easy) ways to jumpstart your content marketing. These tips are perfect for getting things rolling, no matter when you decide to start.

Take Stock of All the Content You Currently Have Out There

Are you using all the great blog posts and articles you’ve created?

Have you identified any key gaps that need to be filled with some fresh ideas?

Get ideas from past content on what works well for your audience, and re-work and repeat!

Check-in with Your Target Audience

Ultimately, you need to ask yourself, are you delivering content your audience wants to see?

Take the time to do a little research on your social media target audience, or even just spend some time listening to your customers. Digging into their desires will help you to better understand what content they are hungry for and how you can deliver it.

Remember, no matter how fantastic your social media or SEO-friendly content writing may be, it won’t serve its purpose if presented to the wrong people.

Set Measurable Goals

For data-driven nerds, this may be a no-brainer. But, for many small businesses, you’re pushing out content so fast that you might forget to set goals and measure them.

By strategically mapping milestones, you can gauge overall success or areas needing improvement along the way.

Whether it’s related to website traffic, engagement, or leads generated, setting clear goals at the start of your content calendar will help you stay on course and optimize content along the way.

Embrace Visual Content

Over 50% of marketing pros agree that visual content is critical to their marketing strategy. On top of that, according to Forbes, 91% of consumers prefer visual content to written content. Don’t just stick to writing articles and calling it a day. Mix up your content plan with short-form videos, podcasts, infographics, and other visual media. Diversifying your content types can boost engagement and appeal to different groups in your target audience.

Optimize for Mobile Users

With the majority of people turning to their phones first to search the internet, make sure your content is mobile-friendly. This isn’t just about layout and design—it’s also about content format and load times. A mobile-optimized site can significantly improve your SEO rankings. A few ways you can ensure your site is mobile-ready are:

• Responsive Design: Use web design elements that will automatically adjust your website to mobile browsers.
• Compressed Images: Large graphics and videos on your website slow it down to a crawl. Compress your images to less than 100 KB for the best results from content marketing for SEO.
• Simple Navigation: A cluttered menu can be frustrating on a small screen. Streamline your navigation menu to work well on mobile settings.
• Avoid Flash: Many mobile devices don’t support Flash, which can limit your site’s accessibility.

Create A Clickable Content Marketing Strategy for SEO

There are always new opportunities to engage your visitors, roll out value, and hit the highest SEO rankings. Don’t stress about the woulda-couldas of the past. Instead, use these tips as a guide for kicking off a content marketing strategy for SEO that will get you seen, heard, and loved by the right people—your leads.

If you’re a financial services firm that needs SEO services to bring in leads, let’s chat. We’ll work together to get you high-impact results and sales.

Successful digital marketing has many components. SEO and Pay Per Click (PPC) are approaches that offer long-term benefits to expanding your audience. But, what is the difference between SEO and PPC? How can they work together as part of your online marketing strategy?

What Are SEO and PPC?

SEO and PPC can improve your Google rankings and connect you with a wider audience. But there are important distinctions between them:

• PPC Ads are paid advertisements that appear next to relevant searches.
• SEO stands for “search engine optimization” and is the practice of providing content on your website that can potentially improve your site’s visibility to search engines.

Helping Your Customers Find You

SEO is vital for successful online marketing because it improves the chance that customers will find your business. PPC Ads help you reach your customers immediately and direct them to you and your services. However, organic search results are 8.5x more likely to be clicked than paid results.

SEO and PPC Are Stronger Together

SEO and PPC work best when combined in your overall marketing plan. Both channels are profitable, and using them together can maximize the effectiveness of your online marketing efforts. A few benefits of using both includes:

• High-cost keywords can be moved from PPC to organic search.
• Increase website traffic.
• Test your keyword strategy first in PPC before using long-term SEO strategies.
• Target your audience at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
• Build trust with your audience with a robust paid and organic online presence.

Easy SEO and PPC Tips

Once you commit to a digital marketing strategy, use these best practices to drive traffic to your website and see success in your Ad spending.

• Keep your content fresh.
• Leverage your blog.
• Be active on social networks.
• Increase your Click-through-Rate with effective ad copy.
• Find new keywords to target.

Conclusion

A unified approach to online marketing is your best bet to see digital marketing success. Integrating SEO and PPC approaches will allow you to make a smarter decision around your search strategy and improve results in both channels.

Need help with your company’s content or Ad copy? Let’s chat

How do you create content that’s valued by your clients and also considered SEO friendly content writing for the search engines? To nail both of these goals, you need to look at your SEO strategy and at what your clients are thinking. Let’s talk about the importance of listening for SEO writing.

When creating content, listening and understanding your client is critical. How can you create relevant and clickable content if you don’t know your target audience?

The secret of making sure that all your content gets the attention it deserves and directs traffic to you is listening to your clients and customers.

Client-Focused Keyword Research

Your SEO keyword research should always begin with thinking about what your client is thinking. Basically, ask yourself, “What would your ideal client put into the Google search bar to get to the content you’re creating?” A client-first focus in keyword research will help direct you to the terms that are both suited for SEO friendly content writing and also solve your client’s problem or answer their question.

Don’t Do What Facebook Did

It’s essential to know your audience and what they want when rolling out new SEO content writing, such as blog articles and newsletters.

Making assumptions can create disinterested (or angry) customers. For example, Facebook encountered this problem with the new design to its interface.

Facebook users gave negative (and hateful) feedback about the new design.

This begs the question, did Facebook ask their audience what they wanted?

Stay Committed To Every Client

When you listen to your customers, you may not always get the feedback you want to hear. And that’s ok. You want that too.

An opportunity to have a conversation with a customer is an opportunity to build a relationship. But, how you respond is also critical.

A recent study by TCN showed that 72% of Americans would abandon a brand after one poor customer service experience.

Don’t give your leads and clients a bad experience. Listen to their problems with an open mind and desire to act. Show them you are committed to them.

Connect With Your Audience

The secret to valuable SEO, friendly content writing is simple: listen to your clients.

But keep in mind that listening isn’t just about reading reviews. It’s more than that.

Listening is about connecting with your clients and understanding their desires, wants, and needs. Listening is learning how you can help them achieve their goals.

The Secret To Customer Loyalty

What is the key to customer loyalty?

For example, is it discounts, viral videos, or free swag?

While all those are nice perks, the key to customer loyalty is listening to and responding to their feedback.

Great Content Requires Great Listening

Content marketing focuses on creating relevant, valuable, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

But how can you create content if you don’t know what your audience wants?

Listening to your clients is the key to effective content marketing.

Content marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies today, but it requires getting to know your audience. Most importantly, once you connect with your audience, you can create content they want, and they’ll trust you.

Well-executed content marketing can position you as a trusted brand, and people are more likely to buy from brands they trust.

Keep Them Coming Back For More

Try new ways to communicate and listen to your audience. Use surveys, social media polls, or direct messages—whatever works best for your business and can help you understand your clients.

If you do these things, you will be able to:

• Keep your audience on your page.
• Keep them liking your content.
• Keep them coming back to you.

But how do you do this? Start with listening.

Above all, don’t put off creating valuable content to attract customers!

Are you a professional service agency or financial firm looking for SEO consulting paired with SEO-friendly content writing? Let’s chat. Book a call today.