Presentation that provides practical strategies for accounting firms and others on what steps they can take to obtain and properly leverage a #1 ranking on Google - Flashpoint Marketing - CPA Firm SEO

1. #PSTech
#aamkt
Brian D. Swanson
Flashpoint Marketing
UNDER THE HOOD:
BREAKING APART A
#1 SEARCH RANKING

2. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Speaker Introduction
Brian D. Swanson
• 15 Years Accounting Marketing & Business
Development Experience
• Former Big 4 & Regional Firm Marketing Director
• SEMPO Certified in Internet Marketing
• SEMPO Certified in Advanced Search Engine
Optimization
• MBA in Finance & Accounting

3. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
How Does SEO Work?
Most Know Just Enough to Be Dangerous

4. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Quality Rankings
Almost anyone can get a #1 Ranking
Keyword Term: Accounting Firm SEO

5. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Group Audience Poll
What Must a Webpage Have to
Obtain a Quality #1 Ranking?

6. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Effective Website Marketing
Engaging
Content
Search
Engine
Optimization
Conversions
What are you
offering?
How are prospects
finding it?
What actions are
they taking?

7. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
How Do People React?
How Alluring is Your Website’s Content?

8. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Reflect on Your Website’s Content:
• Dynamic versus Static
• Us versus You
• Overly Technical versus Common Vernacular
• Current Events versus Months Old News
• Audience Relevant versus Irrelevant
• Unclear versus Clear Call to Action (Assuming there is a call to action)
Assess Your Content
Content is Your Website’s Product & Attraction

9. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Develop a Strategy
Getting Started:
• Who does this site target?
• Is there a niche area we want to highlight?
• What information are clients searching for?
• What type of content do customers want from us?
• How do we attract prospects?
• How is our content reinforcing our brand promise?
• What is/are the objectives of our strategy?

10. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Align Content & Sales Cycle
Awareness ActionPreferenceInterest
Position Content to Speak to Each Phase of the Buying Cycle
Identify
the
Problem
Explain
the
Cause
Introduce
Your
Solution
Develop
Trust –
Build Value
Overcome
Obstacles

11. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Examples
Issue Based Content
• Establishes
Awareness
• Explains the Cause
• Discusses Options
• Reveals How
Companies may be
Impacted
• Offers Solutions

12. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Examples
Service Based Content
• Identifies an Issue
• Explains the Cause
• Builds Trust with
Reader
• Discusses A Solution

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Content Development Ideas
Build onto Existing Content
• Create Sub-Pages Detailing Key Aspects of Service Offered
• Develop Thought Leadership – Blog Posts, Whitepapers, etc.
• Get Interactive – Surveys, Questionnaires, Checklists
• Demonstrate Value Through Testimonials
• Demonstrate Knowledge Through a “Resource Center”
• Use Videos to Help Visitors “Experience the Content” – Recorded
Webinars, Presentations, etc.
What Can You Offer Others Aren’t?

14. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Examples

15. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Content Management
Creating a Process
• Create a Content Calendar
• Engage Partners, Managers & Supervisors
• Create Criteria for Eligible Content
• What if I Can’t Write - What Do I Write About?
• Provide Examples of Past Published Content
• Remember to Offer Flexibility in the Process
• Offer Support From Marketing
Answers Questions & Concerns Before They Arise

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#PSTech
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The Association for Accounting Marketing
Which Path Do You Offer Visitors To Find Your Content?
Search Engine Optimization

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#PSTech
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The Association for Accounting Marketing
Evolution of SEO
The Process of Optimization Has Changed
• Rankings Based on User Experience
• Social Search – Social Media Influences Search Results
• Geographical Based Search Results
• Google Autocomplete – Suggests Search Terms
• Google Freshness Update
• Google Author Link
• Google Plus – Completely Changes Search Results Based on Network

18. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
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The Association for Accounting Marketing
Foundation for a #1 Ranking
Essential Elements for Effective SEO
• Engaging Content
• Keyword Strategy – Longtail vs. Specific Terms
• Meta Tags – Title, Description, Keywords
• Heading Tags – H1, H2, H3
• Customized URLs – CMS Required
• Social Media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
• Link Building – Online Press Releases, Interviews, Blog Posts
This is the 10,000 Foot View

19. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Keyword Strategy
Awareness ActionPreferenceInterest
Identify
the
Problem
Explain
the
Cause
Introduce
Your
Solution
Develop
Trust –
Build Value
Overcome
Obstacles
Identify Keywords for Stages of the Sales Cycle
Different Stages = Different Terms

20. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Keyword Strategy
This Website is Focusing
Ohio Rich Keyword Terms

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Keyword Strategy
This Webpage Has A More
Focused Keyword Strategy

22. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Keyword Strategy
• Individual Terms vs. Phrases – What does this tell us?
• Home Page vs. Interior Page
• Less Descriptive vs. More Descriptive
• Vegas CPA vs. Las Vegas Tax Accountant New Business
• Impact on Ranking Position – Less Companies Competing
• More Modifiers Mean Closer to Purchase

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
On Page Optimization
Meta Title
Tags
Customized
URL
H1 Title
Tag

24. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
On Page Optimization
Meta
Description
Meta
Keyword
Meta Title
Tags

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
SEO + Social Media
Common Objections to Social Media
• Who will Maintain It?
• What will we Talk About?
• How will we Get Followers?
• Our Clients aren’t Interested
• We won’t Get Any Leads
• We don’t Have Many Followers
• I Don’t Have Time MY FORMER
BOSS

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
SEO + Social Media
Why is Social Media Important for SEO?
Social Media Indicates What Fresh & Relevant

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
SEO + Social Media
How Social Media Impact Rankings
• Gets Your Content Found & Indexed Faster
• Likes, Shares, Re-tweets Send Positive Signals to Search Engines
• Content Ranked Higher For Those Connected to You
• Natural Source of Inbound Links
• Increases Your Domain Authority
• Increases Author Rank (Google & Bing)
Don’t Ignore Google Plus!!!!!!

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
SEO + Social Media
Annotations in
Search
Results
Author
Highlights

29. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
SEO + Social Media

30. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
SEO + Social Media

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversions
Does Your Site Offer Samples?
Do They Attract Prospects?

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversions
The Percentage of
Total Visitors Who
Come to the Website,
Follow Through After
Clicking on the
Company's Desired
Call to Action - Submit
Information,
Download a
Whitepaper, etc

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversions
Why Are Conversions Important
• True Test of a #1 Ranking
• Identifies What Visitors Should Do
• Creates Initial Exchange Between
Prospect & Firm
• Provides Something of Value to Prospect
• Allows You to Collect Useful Marketing
Information
• Transforms the Website Experience for the
Prospect

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#PSTech
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The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversion Example

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#PSTech
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The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversion Example

36. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversion Example

37. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversion Example

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Conversions
Most Important
Aspect of a #1
Ranking

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#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Putting It Together
Brian D. Swanson
• #1 Ranking Alone Has Little Value
• Engaging and Fresh Content is Essential to
Success
• Effective SEO Allows Your Site to be Found by
Qualified Prospects
• Social Media is Important to Influencing
Search Engines & Improving Rankings
• Make Sure You Have A Conversion Strategy
for Each Page of the Website

40. The Association for Accounting Marketing
#PSTech
#aamkt
The Association for Accounting Marketing
Questions
Brian Swanson
Flashpoint Marketing
bswanson@flashpointmarketing.biz
612-886-3561