Blog > Google Ads for Accountants
Google Ads for Accountants - Hacks and Strategies to Generate More Leads
By Cullen E
Follow this tailored Google Ads strategy for accountants to drive more traffic to your website and turn that traffic into paying customers.
Why Run Google Ads for Your Accounting Firm
Google Ads is a powerful tool for accountants to showcase their expertise and connect with people who need help with their accounting.
By targeting searches like "accountants near me" or "accountants in [city]", you have the ability to secure appointments with those people, and acquire them as clients.
Google Ads Strategy for Accountants
Advertising on Google Ads for accountants is all about leveraging the right keywords, honing in on location-based targeting, and having a landing page that converts traffic into leads.
The strategy outlined below will address each of these and gives you actionable tips on how to create effective Google Ads campaigns for your accounting firm.
Let's jump in.
Choose the Right Campaign Type and Conversion Goal
For a service-driven profession like accounting, your emphasis should be on Google Search campaigns targeting users who are:
a) Exploring or researching accounting services for their business or personal needs.
b) Ready to schedule a consultation with an accounting firm.
c) Located within your designated service area.
To ensure optimal campaign performance, set your conversion goal to 'leads'.
This will enable Google to refine your bidding strategies towards the primary goal of generating new inquiries.
Find Relevant Keywords and Search Terms
As an accountant, you should focus on targeting the specific services that you offer or specialize in to align with the user's search intent.
For example, this could be tax accounting, business accounting, or chartered accounting.
By targeting the specific service, and understanding the nuance of your keywords, you're able to craft compelling ad copy and drive qualified leads that actually convert.
To find relevant keywords for your accounting firm, head to your preferred keyword research platform. I prefer to use Ahrefs, but Google Ads Keyword Planner works fine and is entirely free.
From there, you are researching and listing all the search terms associated with your services. Note down the most relevant terms like 'tax accountant near me' as well as irrelevant terms or words like 'salary', 'jobs' etc.
Your relevant terms will be used as target keywords whereas irrelevant terms will be used as negative keywords.
Example Keywords and Search Terms for Accountants
Here are some relevant keywords and searches for accountants, along with estimated monthly search volumes and CPC (Cost Per Click) estimations:
Search Term | Search Volume | Estimated CPC |
|---|---|---|
tax accountant | 1200 | £4.00 |
accountant | 13000 | £4.00 |
property accountant near me | 150 | £3.50 |
tax accountant near me | 1500 | £3.00 |
accountant near me | 5200 | £5.00 |
chartered accountant | 5300 | £1.50 |
online accountant | 800 | £8.00 |
Data collected from Ahrefs.com. Search volume refers to monthly searches on Google
Average CPC in the Accounting Industry
Average CPC in the accounting industry is quite high sometimes ranging up to £8.00 for highly competitive services such as online accounting.
That's why it's so important that you set your campaigns up for success right from the off.
On average, CPC for accountants can range anywhere from £1.50 all the way up to £8.00.
Monitor and Optimise Your Keywords and Search Terms
Choosing and selecting the right keywords is only half the battle.
In order to improve your performance, and generate more leads for your accounting firm, you need to consistently monitor and optimise your keywords and search terms..
Here's how.
Search Terms
With Google Search and standard Google Shopping campaigns, you’re able to see exactly which keywords your ads are showing for in the ‘Search Terms’ tab.
From there you can analyze which of those keywords are bringing you the best results, and what keywords you’re wasting money on.
My top tips for monitoring search terms:
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Update your search term report with important metrics such as:
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Cost/Conv
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Conversion rate
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Avg CPC
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Impression share and click share
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Do a full search term review after a meaningful amount of data (e.g. around £1000 worth of ad spend)
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Add searches that are not relevant to your ad, landing page or service to a negative keyword list and add that list to your campaign(s)
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Add specific search terms that are top performers to your campaign as a target keyword if they are not in already
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Monitor specific buzzwords like ‘free’ or ‘trial’ that may perform poorly and add this as a broad match negative keyword
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Alternatively, find specific buzzwords that perform strongly and add these into your RSA ads for relevance
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Watch out for specific question-based search terms that give you insight into your customer
Keywords
Keywords are the core part of any Google Search campaign as they form the basis for who and where your ads are shown.
You need to be constantly monitoring your keywords to understand which of those are driving the bulk of your performance so you can double down on them.
If you see specific keywords or ad groups perform well, you can move more budget into these to take advantage.
Conversely, some keywords simply may not perform well or might not spend any money due to low search volume.
You will want to clean up your account and reduce wasted ad spend by pausing these keywords.
Another aspect of keyword monitoring is testing new keywords consistently, which can be found from your keyword research or your search term report as discussed above.
Set up Location Targeting and Local Search Ads
Location targeting and local search ads play an important role in how users find services local to them.
And that includes accountants.
In this section I give you instructions on how to leverage location targeting to ensure you acquire the local leads, instead of your competitors.
Location Targeting for Accountants
Many clients prefer convenience when seeking accounting services as it's unlikely they want to travel long distances unless they have a strong reason to do so.
To optimize your ad campaigns effectively, ensure you're targeting a service area that's local to your practice.
You have the flexibility to target specific locations such as cities, towns, and postcodes, or even set a radius around your office location.
To setup location targeting, head to your campaign and click 'Location' on the left hand side. You can then add in your city, town or set a radius around your business location.
Local Search Ads on Google Maps
Think about how often you've turned to Google Maps to find nearby businesses. Chances are, it's your go-to when you need local services.
Google Maps not only provides quick access to local businesses but also crucial details like location, reviews, operating hours, and contact information.
As an accountant, activating local search ads on Google Maps gives you top placement in Maps listings in your local area as you can see below:
How to Set up Local Search Ads
Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up local search ads on Google Maps:
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Enable location assets for your Google account.
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Create a comprehensive Google Business profile listing for your accounting firm.
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Enhance your Google Business profile with client reviews, captivating images, accurate location details, website links, and operating hours.
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Utilize location targeting and adjust bids based on targeted areas.
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Incorporate location-specific keywords, such as "accountant in [city name]."
For more detailed instructions on implementing these steps, you can check out this step-by-step guide written by Google here.
Create a Relevant Landing Page
A landing page that matches the intent of your ads is an absolute must-have.
Whilst it’s much easier - and quicker - to just send users to your home page, this won’t answer the users query in the same way a personalised landing page will.
And that will only have a negative impact on conversions.
If someone searches for "tax accountant near me" they should land on a page that not only talks about tax accounting, but also shows your location and includes a contact form for them to fill out.
You can create seperate landing pages for each service and use them in your campaigns to ensure a coherent and relevant experience for the user.
Final Thoughts
An effective Google Ads strategy is essential for any accountant looking to expand their online presence, attract new clients, and drive consistent leads.
By implementing the strategy we have discussed - keyword research, search term optimization, location targeting and relevant landing pages - you'll be leagues ahead of your competition on Google Ads.
Still unsure on how to create Google Ads campaigns for your accounting firm? Book a free 15-minute consultation with a Google Ads expert on my Book a Call page.