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FAQ sections are a great way to provide helpful content on your CPA firm’s website – if they’re done well.
How can FAQs be done wrong? They seem so simple. Just throw them on a page with some quick answers and you’re done, right?
Wrong! Without a thoughtful strategy behind them, you could end up with duplicate content issues, long lists visitors have to scroll through, and answers that hurt your online visibility more than they help.
A successful CPA FAQ strategy means identifying the right questions to answer and the right places to put them. It also means knowing how to write answers that humans, search engines, and AI platforms can all use.
The SEO and GEO Benefits of FAQs
A well-crafted set of FAQs can have compounding returns. First and foremost, they help potential accounting clients better understand your business acumen and core competencies. They can improve lead generation metrics while ensuring incoming inquiries are more qualified. Plus, when your team spends less time answering basic questions, they can close new deals faster.
FAQ sections also serve another purpose: to increase your online visibility. Search engines like Google often reference FAQ answers in AI overviews and include them in the People Also Ask feature. Similarly, AI platforms are trained to seek answers to specific questions. Your business, tax, and accounting FAQ sections are like an easy-to-read menu of the financial information they need.
Frequently asked questions are also a great place to add internal links to other resources on your website. This helps search and AI platforms get to relevant information quickly, which often leads to improved rankings. It also keeps visitors on your website longer, making them more likely to convert.
Where To Add FAQs on Your CPA Website
Let’s start with an easy option: the traditional FAQ page. Many CPA businesses create a page dedicated to common questions, usually about their business, qualifications, and process.
Other opportunities to add FAQs:
- At the bottom of product or service pages
- On industry pages
- Next to or below forms on contact pages
- On topic overview pages and blogs
- Further down on your homepage
- On “About Us” and team member pages
- On support pages (make sure these are support-related questions only!)
Note: We recommend using a collapsible “accordion” FAQ design to keep your pages from getting too long. You’ll also want to limit the number of FAQs on any given page. Focus on the questions that are most relevant to the page’s topic, haven’t been answered in other page copy, and can help turn visitors into leads.
Where To Find the Right Questions
- SEO tools: Free tools like Google Search Console and Google Adwords can help you see which keywords are sending the most users to your website. Paid platforms like SEMrush and Ahrefs offer tools for keyword and topic research, along with competitive analysis to highlight new opportunities.
- Client surveys: Send out formal questionnaires or ask loyal clients directly for feedback on potential questions. Ask what they wish they’d known about a topic, or what they searched for to find your firm.
- Contact form submissions: Look at your incoming inquiries. What are prospective clients looking for? What questions are they asking? You can also note questions asked further into the sales process.
- Competitor websites: Your competitors are also looking for new ways to bring in clients. Check similar pages on their websites to see which questions they’re answering.
FAQ Examples for CPAs
Let’s say you are creating an overview page about your accounting and advisory services. You’ve already included SEO-friendly headers, a description of each service, client references and links to related blogs.
Your accounting FAQs might include a mix of general accounting questions as well as specific questions about your business and capabilities.
General CPA Questions:
- How much does it cost to hire a CPA?
- Is a CPA worth it?
- What’s the difference between a CPA, an accountant, and a bookkeeper?
- How do CPAs help businesses?
- Can CPAs file taxes in any state?
- Can I write off CPA fees?
Questions About Your Firm:
- What does the monthly accounting process look like at your firm?
- What makes your firm different from the competition?
- Which accounting software do you use?
- Do you provide help in case of an audit?
- What other services can help my business?
- Can you help me catch up on my taxes from previous years?
Create Your Firm’s FAQ Strategy
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to build your CPA FAQ strategy alone. The team at Ingenuity is highly experienced in SEO, GEO, and online content creation. We’ll help you find the most impactful questions, add them to your website, and track their success. Call or email us today for more information.