She has great clients, provides excellent service, and gets regular referrals. But when she searches for "accountant near me" on Google, her business is nowhere to be found.
"I don't understand all this SEO stuff," she says. "It seems too complicated and technical for someone like me."
Here's the truth: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) isn't nearly as complicated as the experts make it sound. Most of what you need to know can be learned in an afternoon and implemented in a few hours.
What SEO Actually Is
SEO is simply making your website easy for Google to understand and recommend to people searching for your services.
Think of Google as a helpful librarian. When someone comes to the library asking for a book about accounting, the librarian wants to recommend the best, most relevant option. Your job is to make it crystal clear to the librarian (Google) that your book (website) is exactly what people are looking for.
The Two Things Google Cares About
Google wants to show people the most helpful, relevant results for their search. To do this, Google looks at two main things:
Relevance: Does your website actually address what people are searching for?
Authority: Is your website trustworthy and credible?
That's it. Everything else is details.
Speaking Your Customer's Language
The biggest SEO mistake business owners make is using their own language instead of their customers' language.
Karen calls herself a "CPA providing comprehensive tax and advisory services." But her customers search for "accountant help with taxes" or "small business bookkeeper."
If you want to be found, you need to use the words your customers actually type into Google.
Finding the Right Keywords
Don't guess what people search for. Find out.
Ask your current customers: "How did you search for someone like me before we met?"
Use Google's suggestions: Start typing your service into Google and see what it suggests
Check Google My Business insights: See what search terms bring people to your listing
Use free tools: Google Keyword Planner (free) or Ubersuggest (free version available)
Focus on keywords that are:
- Specific to your service
- Include your location (if you're local)
- Actually used by real people
The Three Places Keywords Matter Most
You don't need to stuff keywords everywhere. Focus on these three critical places:
Your page titles: The headline at the top of each page
Your page headings: The section headers throughout your content
Your page content: The actual text that explains your services
For Karen's homepage:
Title: "Small Business Accountant in Lincoln, Nebraska - Tax Help & Bookkeeping"
Heading: "Accounting Services for Small Business Owners"
Content: Naturally mention "tax preparation," "bookkeeping," "small business accounting," and "Lincoln, Nebraska" throughout the page
Google My Business: Your Secret Weapon
If you serve customers locally, Google My Business is more important than your website for getting found.
Make sure you:
- Claim and verify your listing
- Fill out every section completely
- Add photos of your business, team, and work
- Encourage happy customers to leave reviews
- Post updates regularly (think of it like Facebook for your business)
This takes maybe two hours to set up properly, but it's the fastest way to show up in local searches.
Content That Actually Helps
Google loves websites that answer people's questions. Instead of just describing your services, create content that solves problems.
For Karen's accounting firm:
- "What tax deductions can small business owners take?"
- "How to organize your receipts for tax season"
- "When should you hire an accountant vs. doing taxes yourself?"
This content positions her as helpful and knowledgeable, exactly what Google wants to recommend.
The Technical Stuff (It's Not That Technical)
Yes, there are technical aspects to SEO, but most of them are handled by modern website builders. If your website loads quickly, works on mobile phones, and has clear navigation, you're 90% of the way there.
Don't get overwhelmed by talk of schema markup, meta descriptions, and canonical URLs. Focus on the basics first.
Measuring What Matters
You don't need fancy analytics to track your SEO progress. Focus on:
- Are you showing up for searches related to your services?
- Are people finding your website through Google?
- Are those people contacting you?
Google My Business insights and basic Google Analytics (free) will tell you everything you need to know.
Action Steps You Can Take This Week
1. Research 5 keywords your customers actually use. Don't guess. Ask customers, use Google suggestions, or check what terms bring people to your current website.
2. Optimize one webpage with your target keyword. Pick your most important service page and make sure your main keyword appears in the title, headings, and content naturally.
3. Set up your Google My Business profile correctly. If you haven't claimed it yet, do it now. If you have, make sure every section is complete and accurate.
The Bottom Line
SEO isn't about tricking Google or gaming the system. It's about making your website genuinely helpful to people searching for your services.
You don't need to be technical to do SEO well. You just need to be helpful in the language your customers actually use.
