SEO for Accountants

Does SEO work for accounting firms?

Yes. People who need a tax agent, BAS help or a business accountant search Google and Maps, and the firms in the top three Maps results get most of those calls. SEO for accountants gets your firm into that pack and ranks a page for each service, so you collect the demand every tax season without paying per click.

The scale is bigger than most firms assume. As of 22 September 2024, the ATO reported 3.8 million individuals had chosen a registered tax agent for their 2024 return. Those people pick an agent somehow, and for anyone new to an area or unhappy with their current firm, that usually starts with a search.

The catch is that accounting search is crowded with national brands, online lodgment services and directories. A local firm wins on the searches where location and specialism matter: “tax accountant Ballarat”, “SMSF accountant Perth”, “accountant for tradies Gold Coast”. Those searches are lower volume, but the people making them want a firm, not a cheap online return.

Which accounting services are worth a page?

Build a page for each service with real fees behind it, and for each client niche you want more of. For most firms that means business tax and BAS, SMSF administration, business advisory and bookkeeping, with individual tax returns as the volume page that feeds the rest.

One “Our Services” page listing twelve services rarely ranks for any of them. A business owner looking for BAS help wants to see what’s included, how you handle quarterly lodgments, which software you work in and roughly what it costs. That needs its own page.

Service	Who searches	When demand peaks	Value to the firm
Individual tax returns	Employees, investors, people new to an area	June to October	Lower per client, but feeds the rest of the firm
Business tax and BAS	Sole traders and small companies	Around each quarterly BAS due date and EOFY	Recurring annual fees, the core of most firms
SMSF administration	Trustees and people considering an SMSF	October to November and March, in the data below	High recurring fees, long client life
Business advisory and CFO services	Growing businesses, owners planning a sale	Year round	Highest per client, needs proof of expertise
Bookkeeping and payroll	Small businesses without in-house staff	Year round, spikes at EOFY	Recurring, often a path to tax work
Niche services (tradies, medical, farmers, property investors)	Owners who want an accountant who knows their industry	Year round	Better-fit clients who pay for specialist knowledge

Niche pages are where small firms beat big ones. A page for medical practitioners can cover service entity structures and contractor arrangements in plain English. A page for tradies can cover vehicle and tool claims, quarterly BAS and Xero or MYOB setup. Generic competitors can’t write those pages convincingly, and Google rewards pages that answer the specific question.

Be careful with SMSF wording. Since 1 July 2016, ASIC says accountants need to be covered by an Australian financial services (AFS) licence to recommend that a client set up an SMSF. Unless you hold a licence or are an authorised representative, your SMSF page should describe administration, compliance and tax work, not tell readers an SMSF is right for them. ASIC’s 2018 review found significant levels of out-of-date information about this on accountants’ websites, so it’s worth a check.

When do people search for an accountant?

Most accounting search happens between May and October. The financial year ends on 30 June, people who lodge their own return must do so by 31 October, and the ATO tells people using a tax agent to be on that agent’s books before 31 October. Your SEO calendar should be built around those dates, not started in the middle of them.

Here is what Google Ads search volume data for Australia (via DataForSEO, October 2025 to September 2026) shows:

Search term	Quietest month	Busiest month
tax agent near me	2,400 (December)	18,100 (July)
tax accountant near me	1,900 (December)	9,900 (July)
tax return	9,900 (December)	246,000 (July)
eofy	1,000 (November and December)	60,500 (June)
smsf accountant	480 (December)	5,400 (October and November)
bas agent	590 (December)	1,600 (April and May)

Two things stand out. Searches for “tax agent near me” jump roughly sevenfold from December to July, so rankings you build in summer pay back in winter. And business searches like “bas agent” are steadier, which is why BAS and business tax pages are the better year-round investment.

BAS adds its own rhythm. Quarterly BAS is due 28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July, with extra time available for online lodgment and lodgment through a registered tax or BAS agent (except the 28 February quarter, which already includes an extension). Business Profile posts and an email to your list a few weeks before each date keep your firm in front of owners who are behind.

What do the TPB and professional body rules mean for your website?

Three sets of rules shape an accountant’s website. The Tax Agent Services Act and the Tax Practitioners Board’s Code of Professional Conduct cover registration and honesty, APES 110 covers how members of CPA Australia, CA ANZ and IPA market themselves, and each body controls who can use its logo.

In plain English:

• Registration. The Tax Agent Services Act 2009 has civil penalties for advertising tax agent services while unregistered (section 50-10). If your firm uses unregistered bookkeepers or staff, the website should make clear that tax agent services are provided by your registered agents.
• The Registered tax practitioner symbol. It’s optional, and you need to agree to the TPB’s terms of use. If you show it, the TPB says you must include your registration number and type of registration.
• Honesty and integrity. The Code of Professional Conduct requires you to act honestly and with integrity, and the 2024 Code Determination adds an obligation not to bring the profession into disrepute. The Determination’s “false or misleading statements” rule is about statements to the TPB and the ATO, but your ads are still covered by the Australian Consumer Law.
• APES 110, section R115.2. When marketing, members must be honest and truthful and must not make exaggerated claims about their services, qualifications or experience, or disparaging references or unsubstantiated comparisons to the work of others.
• Member logos. CPA Australia public practice branding is for members holding a Public Practice Certificate and needs CPA Australia’s approval before use. CA ANZ says Certificate of Public Practice holders whose firm meets its Chartered Firm requirement can use the CA ANZ logo, and a firm with non-member principals can’t describe itself as “Chartered Accountants” unless those principals become Affiliate members.
• Confidentiality. The Code bars disclosing information about a client’s affairs to a third party without permission. That affects review replies and any case studies you publish.

Do	Don’t
Show the TPB symbol with your registration number and type, and link to the TPB Register	Show the symbol without the number, or imply staff are registered when they aren’t
Describe services and fees factually, including what’s included	Promise “maximum refunds” or guaranteed outcomes
List individual designations such as CPA or CA for eligible staff	Use the CPA public practice or CA ANZ logo without approval or eligibility
Describe SMSF administration, compliance and tax services	Recommend setting up an SMSF without an AFS licence
Compare on verifiable facts, like fixed fees or software you support	Call your firm “the best accountants in Brisbane” or knock other firms
Reply to reviews politely without confirming the person is a client	Discuss a reviewer’s tax affairs or fees in a public reply

This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. If you’re unsure about a claim, check with the TPB guidance or your professional body before publishing.

How do accountants rank in Google Maps?

Ranking in Maps depends on three things you control: a complete, accurate Google Business Profile, a steady flow of genuine Google reviews, and a website that confirms your services and location. Distance from the searcher also counts, which you can’t change, so focus on the suburbs and towns around your office.

Get the profile basics right:

• Categories. “Accountant” as primary, then secondary categories that match real services, such as “Tax preparation service” or “Bookkeeping service”. Don’t add categories for work you don’t do.
• Services. List each service with a short description: individual tax returns, BAS, SMSF administration, business advisory.
• Hours. Many firms extend hours or open Saturdays from July to October. Set special hours in the profile so “open now” searches find you.
• Booking. Add your online booking or enquiry link so people can book an appointment from Maps.
• Posts. A post in late May about EOFY planning and another in early July about tax-time appointments costs ten minutes and shows the profile is active.

Reviews are where accounting firms usually fall behind. Clients are happy but nobody asks them. Send a review link by email or SMS after a return is lodged or a BAS is done, and reply to each review without mentioning anything about the client’s affairs.

If you have more than one office, each needs its own Business Profile and its own location page with the address, staff and services at that office. For the wider local picture, see our local SEO service.

How much does SEO for accountants cost?

Typical Australian market ranges for accountant SEO are $1,500–$3,000 per month for a single office in a competitive area, and $3,000–$6,000+ per month for multi-office firms or firms targeting a niche nationally, such as medical or SMSF clients. A small-town practice with few competitors can sit lower. These are market ranges, not our quote.

Scope	Typical Australian market range
Single office, low-competition regional town	$800–$1,500 per month
Single office, competitive metro area	$1,500–$3,000 per month
Multi-office firm or national niche targeting	$3,000–$6,000+ per month
One-off paid audit	$500–$2,500
Google Ads management (ad spend separate)	$500–$1,500 per month

Worked maths helps. Take a hypothetical two-partner firm in Toowoomba where a small business client is worth $4,000 a year in fees and stays for five years. That’s $20,000 per client over the relationship, so two or three new business clients a year from search covers a mid-range retainer. Individual returns are worth less, but some of those clients start a business or buy an investment property later.

Expect early movement in 6–12 weeks and meaningful growth in enquiries over 3–6 months, which is why the best time to start is late summer, before the EOFY rush. If you need appointments this July while SEO builds, Google Ads can fill the gap. For the rest of the client-acquisition mix, including referral partners and newsletters, see our guide to marketing for accountants. Compare scopes on our SEO pricing page.

Want to see where your firm ranks across your area, and whether your site has any TPB or logo issues? Get a free SEO audit for your accounting firm.