A Step-by-Step SEO Diagnostic Framework Built for Accounting Firms

This guide is designed for accounting firm owners, practice managers, and firm administrators who want a structured way to evaluate their firm's current SEO position — before spending money on fixes or external help.

You don't need to be a technical expert to use this framework. Each layer includes observable checkpoints you can assess with free tools. What you will need is a clear head and about two hours of focused time.

This is not a beginner's introduction to SEO. If you're still asking what SEO is and whether it matters for accounting firms, start with the foundational overview in our cluster hub. This guide assumes you already understand that organic search visibility drives client acquisition, and you want to know specifically what's wrong with your current setup.

This framework is also useful if you've already hired an SEO provider and want an independent read on whether the work being done is addressing the right problems. Audit findings give you a common language for that conversation.

What this guide won't do: It won't replace a full professional audit, and it won't give you individualized advice about your specific firm's situation. Think of it as a diagnostic checklist, not a prescription. For a complete, firm-specific evaluation, see the section below on when to bring in outside help.

Accounting firm SEO problems tend to cluster into four distinct areas. Treating them as one undifferentiated problem is why most DIY SEO efforts stall — you end up fixing content when the real issue is technical, or building links when local citations are missing entirely.

Layer 1: Technical Foundation

This is the infrastructure layer — what Google can and can't access on your site. Issues here affect everything else. A site with crawl errors or poor Core Web Vitals scores will underperform even with excellent content.

Key checkpoints:

• Is your site indexed? Search site:yourfirm.com in Google to confirm pages are being crawled.
• Does the site load in under 3 seconds on mobile? Use Google's PageSpeed Insights to check.
• Is there a clear sitemap submitted to Google Search Console?
• Are there duplicate pages, redirect chains, or broken links?
• Does the site use HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate?

Layer 2: Local Presence

For most accounting firms, local search is the primary acquisition channel. This layer covers your Google Business Profile, local citations, and review profile.

Key checkpoints:

• Is your Google Business Profile claimed, verified, and complete?
• Is your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across Yelp, Bing Places, and major directories?
• Do you have recent reviews, and are they being responded to?
• Have you selected the correct primary category in GBP?

Layer 3: On-Page Content

This layer covers whether your site communicates the right signals to Google and to prospective clients — service specificity, geographic targeting, and topical depth.

Key checkpoints:

• Does each core service have its own dedicated page?
• Are page titles and meta descriptions unique and descriptive?
• Does the site mention your city/region naturally in context (not stuffed)?
• Do service pages answer the questions a prospective client would actually ask?

Layer 4: Authority and Off-Page Signals

This layer looks at how other websites reference your firm — backlinks, mentions, and domain authority relative to competitors.

Key checkpoints:

• How many referring domains does your site have? (Use Ahrefs free tier or Moz Link Explorer)
• Are you listed in professional directories like AICPA, state CPA society directories, or local chamber of commerce?
• Are competitors in your market earning links from sources you could also target?

Running an audit without a prioritization system leads to one of two outcomes: either you fix the easy things and ignore the critical ones, or you get paralyzed by a long list and fix nothing.

Use a simple three-tier severity model to sort your findings:

Tier 1 — Blockers (Fix First)

These issues actively prevent Google from indexing or ranking your site, or they send strong negative signals. Examples include:

• Site not indexed or returning crawl errors
• No HTTPS / mixed content warnings
• Google Business Profile unclaimed or suspended
• Duplicate content across multiple service pages
• Core Web Vitals failing on mobile (especially for firms relying on local search)

Blockers should be addressed before any other work begins. Fixing content on a technically broken site is like painting a house with a cracked foundation.

Tier 2 — Gaps (Fix Next)

These are missing elements that limit your ceiling. The site functions, but it's leaving visibility on the table. Examples include:

• Service pages exist but are thin (fewer than 400 words, no clear target keyword)
• GBP is claimed but has no posts, photos, or recent reviews
• NAP inconsistencies across 3-4 major directories
• No schema markup for LocalBusiness or AccountingFirm entity types
• Missing location-specific pages for firms serving multiple markets

Tier 3 — Optimizations (Fix When Bandwidth Allows)

These are refinements that improve performance at the margin. Don't ignore them permanently, but don't let them distract from Tier 1 and Tier 2 work.

• Internal linking structure between service pages and blog content
• Image alt text and file naming conventions
• Additional long-tail keyword targeting in FAQ-style content
• Backlink outreach beyond directory listings

In our experience working with accounting firms, most DIY audits surface 2-4 Tier 1 blockers that were previously invisible to the firm — issues that had been quietly suppressing rankings for months.

You don't need enterprise software to run a credible first-pass audit. The following free and low-cost tools cover the four layers described above.

Technical Layer

• Google Search Console — Coverage report shows crawl errors and indexing issues. Performance report shows which queries you're already ranking for. This is the single most useful free tool available.
• Google PageSpeed Insights — Tests Core Web Vitals for both mobile and desktop. Provides specific recommendations your developer can act on.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 URLs) — Crawls your site the way Google does. Surfaces broken links, redirect chains, missing title tags, and duplicate meta descriptions.

Local Layer

• Google Business Profile dashboard — Review completeness, photo count, recent posts, and Q&A. If you haven't logged into this in the last 30 days, that's a finding in itself.
• Moz Local or BrightLocal (paid, but offer trial periods) — Checks NAP consistency across major citation sources. Well worth running once per year at minimum.

Content Layer

• Google Search Console — Queries report shows what people are searching to find your site. If you see no branded queries, your brand presence is weak. If you see no service queries, your content isn't matching intent.
• Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free for site owners) — Shows keyword rankings and top-performing pages. Useful for identifying which pages are close to page one and could benefit from a targeted content improvement.

Authority Layer

• Ahrefs Free Tier or Moz Link Explorer — Shows referring domain count and top backlinks. Compare your profile against two or three competitors in your market to establish a relative baseline.

One note on tool interpretation: raw numbers without competitive context are rarely meaningful. A firm with 40 referring domains might be well-positioned in a small regional market, or severely behind in a major metro. Always benchmark against the firms currently ranking for your target terms.

Not every audit finding requires outside help. But some do — and knowing the difference saves both time and money.

Handle It In-House If:

• Your audit surfaces primarily Tier 2 and Tier 3 gaps (content improvements, GBP updates, citation corrections)
• You or someone on your team has 4-6 hours per month to allocate consistently
• Your market is low-to-medium competition (smaller metros, niche specializations with few local competitors)
• You're in the early stages of building an SEO foundation and want to understand the work before delegating it

Consider Outside Help If:

• Your audit surfaces Tier 1 blockers and your team doesn't have technical web development resources
• Competitors in your market have significantly stronger authority profiles (50+ referring domains vs. your single digits)
• You've been doing SEO work for 6+ months without measurable improvement in rankings or organic traffic
• Your firm has multiple service lines and locations — the content architecture complexity increases quickly
• The audit produces more than 15 distinct action items — prioritization and sequencing become a project management challenge in themselves

Red Flags That Suggest Your Current Provider Isn't Addressing Root Causes:

• Monthly reports show activity (posts published, links built) but rankings and traffic are flat or declining
• You've never received an explanation of why specific tasks were prioritized
• Technical issues identified in a prior audit remain unresolved after 60+ days
• Your provider has never asked about your firm's target client profile or service mix

If any of those red flags apply, a second-opinion audit from an independent SEO professional is worth the investment — not to replace your current provider automatically, but to give you an informed basis for that conversation.

When evaluating outside help, ask specifically how they've worked with accounting or professional services firms. The compliance considerations around advertising — particularly AICPA Section 1.600 guidelines and state board advertising rules — require an SEO provider who understands what claims can and cannot be made on behalf of a licensed professional. This is educational context only; verify current rules with your state's CPA licensing authority.