If you’re passionate about SEO or accounting, you’ll find want to get my new national study, “When Will SEO and Accounting Firms Add Up?”

Get the free study of accounting firms.

I spent a lot of time with 200 accounting firms – well maybe not in their offices. But I got to know them – from the single page that looks like it was made in 1996 to the largest CPA firms in the world. Amazingly, despite the apparent strides they’re making, they aren’t performing too well from a search engine optimization standpoint.

From what I could tell, they really lack visibility on the Internet. It appears that 62% don’t have a single word in the top 1o 0n Google for keywords based on the cities where they’re located.

Ouch.

I led the study with a team through Online Marketing Coach, a service of World Synergy (I’m the web strategy thought leader).

Online Marketing Coach manages an Internet directory I created called Accountants and CPA Firms. Until recently, it was Ohio CPA Firms. The directory ranks all over the place for major cities in Ohio. In recent months, we’ve been building up content with the new directory – and top rankings are springing up for everything from Fresno and Spokane to Ocean City (and a lot more).

Get listing info here.

By the way, we didn’t use any of the directory advertisers for the study except one we couldn’t avoid because it’s among the top 100 firms in the nation (one of the types of firms we targeted). We also looked at 100 small firms to see how they stacked up.

View the news release.

Let me know what you think of the study after you get a chance to check it out.

Try michael at onlinemarketingcoach.com or call me at 440.349.4940 ext. 635.

If you want to benefit from organic keyword rankings, you have to start with effective keyword research.

It shouldn’t be surprising about the many ways people search for information. Look at the similarities among some of these keyword phrases:

Where to start? Try the free Google tool.

I get annoyed every time some online marketing maven suggests that website search engine rankings don’t matter.

Of course they do.

And they don’t.

If you’re an executive and you just only look at your rankings because you think it’s  fun to be high, then your approach is a bit short-sighted. So what if you rank well? Does it mean the keyword is the right one, that it drives traffic and converts?

By themselves, rankings don’t say a lot. But they’re a critical part of any SEO strategy and the multiple factors you need to consider in your analysis.

Check out my new piece on ranking analysis at SiteProNews: