Small CPA firm, Sole Practitioner plan, 4 months
12 new business clients in a four-month campaign
12new business clients
Four-month campaign.
A focused ten-keyword campaign for an accounting practice.
For CPA firms, tax offices and bookkeepers
Accounting website design that makes your firm easy to choose
Three example layouts, for a CPA firm, an enrolled agent's tax office and a virtual bookkeeping practice, marked up the way a reviewer marks up a draft. We design and build sites like these from $400, one time, quoted per project.
A small CPA firm gained 12 new business clients over a four-month, ten-keyword campaign. See results
Website priorities
Accounting website design that helps prospects choose
A prospective client needs to understand the services, the fit and the next step. Start with those decisions before choosing a visual style.
In the owner's words
- "Our site came from a template years ago and nobody here wants to touch it."
- "Everything we do is on one Services page."
- "Clients can't find the portal login, so they email their documents instead."
- "We added an enrolled agent last year and don't know how to describe her credential."
- "It looks fine on the office monitor and falls apart on a phone."
Those are layout and wording problems more than design problems. This page works through them in order: three drawn layouts, the page list, the credential rules, and the technical parts clients never notice until they fail.
The one-minute test
- What the firm does, in words a client would use
- Who it is for: individuals, owners, a niche
- Where it works, or that it works remotely
- Who holds which credential
- How fees are set
- How to start, and how soon someone replies
Use it on any example you find, including the three below.
What a firm website costs
Website design and build
from $400 one time
Quoted per project after we see the page count, services, portal and booking needs. You get an itemized written quote; nothing is billed unless you accept it.
Request a website quoteWant the new site found as well? SEO plans start at $125 a month, month to month, and cover the Google Business Profile, citations and review requests.
Need the pages written? Monthly content plans start at $26 for four 500-word articles.
Results
Results from pages built for what buyers search
A campaign result and a separate client's experience. The layouts above are drawn examples; the result below is a real engagement.
A client on finding the right inquiries
"Our CPA firm finally ranks for the terms that matter. Steady client inquiries every month."
A small CPA firm reported 12 new business clients over four months. Its campaign targeted ten keywords, with six reaching the top five. Read the scope on the results page.
Three drawn layouts, each with its review notes
Three example layouts
Three drawn layouts, each with its review notes
Drawn examples, not client sites: every name and town is a placeholder. Each wireframe is numbered, and the notes beside it say what the block is for and what it has to say.
Layout A: Homepage for a two-partner CPA firm
One office, owner-managed business clients, tax plus monthly work.
1
Logo | Services | Industries | About | Fees | Client login | [Book a call]
2
CPA firm for owner-managed businesses in [Town]
Business tax, monthly accounting and advisory for companies with 5 to 50 staff
Book a consultationClient login
3
Business tax returnsOwner and family returnsMonthly accountingAdvisory and planning
4
Partners by name: credential, licensing state, what each one handles
5
Intro callEngagement letterPortal set-up and first close
6
Read our Google reviewsOne client story, with consent
7
Footer: name, address and phone as on the Google profile | hours, season hours from January | email
Have your current site marked up the same way, free
Header
Existing clients come for the login, new ones for the booking button. Both sit in the header of every page, on a phone as well as a desktop.
Headline
What, for whom and where, in one line. A prospect who reads nothing else should know whether to keep reading.
Service tiles
Each tile opens its own page, written for the person searching that service. A single list of services gives search nothing specific to rank.
Credentials
Credentials by person, in the form your state board allows for the CPA title and the firm name. "AICPA member" only where it is true.
How to start
The three steps from first call to engagement letter, with a plain line on whether the first meeting is charged.
Proof
Send prospects to the Google profile to read reviews where they were written. A client story goes up only with that client's written consent.
Footer
Name, address and phone exactly as on the profile and in directories, so the citations and the site agree.
Talk through your own layout in a meeting
Layout B: Service page for an enrolled agent's tax office
One service, one town, one credential.
1
Help with IRS letters and notices in [Town]
[Name], EA: enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service
Request an appointment
2
Who this is for
A letter you don't understandA notice about a prior-year returnA balance you can't pay at once
3
What we do, step by stepWhat no one can promise: the outcome
4
Bring: the letter (every page), the return it refers to, any reply already sent
5
Fees: how we quote, and what changes the quote
6
NameEmailBest time
Request a callNo documents here: you get a secure upload link when we reply
7
Related
Prior-year returnsBusiness returnsExtension help
Have your current site marked up the same way, free
Headline and credential
The service and the town in the H1, the credential under it in Circular 230 wording. Never "certified", and nothing that suggests the office works for the IRS.
Who it is for
Describe the situation in the visitor's words rather than form numbers. Someone holding a letter searches for what the letter says.
Scope
Say what the office does and leave the outcome out. For a CPA, a promised result is the "false or unjustified expectations" problem in AICPA 1.600; for any practitioner, Circular 230 bars misleading claims.
Checklist
A document list means the first appointment starts with the right papers on the desk.
Fees
Explain how the fee is set. If you publish a starting price, say what makes it rise: AICPA 1.600 counts a fee likely to rise substantially, without telling the prospect, as misleading.
Request form
A name, an email and a time, nothing more. No Social Security numbers and no tax documents through a contact form; point to the secure upload instead.
Related services
Links to the neighboring services keep a visitor with a different problem on your site.
Request a website quote
The season timing behind a tax office's pages is covered under tax preparer marketing.
Talk through your own layout in a meeting
Layout C: Homepage for a virtual bookkeeping practice
Fully remote, one niche, clean-up as the way in.
1
Logo | Clean-up | Monthly books | Pricing | Client login | Secure upload | [Book a fit call]
2
Bookkeeping clean-up and monthly books for [niche]
Remote, for clients in [states]
Book a fit call
3
Works in: [your ledger software] | advisor directory listing, if you hold one
4
Catch-up quoteClean-upFirst month-end closeMonthly
5
Clean-up: quoted after reviewing the recordsMonthly: from $[ ], by transaction volume
6
FAQ: meetings, time zones, who sees the books | [Book a fit call]
Have your current site marked up the same way, free
Header
A virtual practice runs on the login and the upload, so both go in the header beside the booking button.
Headline
A fully remote practice may have no address that qualifies for a Google Business Profile (a virtual office or mailbox doesn't, unless staffed during stated hours), so the niche in the headline and the site carry more of the search work.
Software
Name the software you work in. If you hold a QuickBooks ProAdvisor or Xero advisor listing, link to it, and check each program's current terms for how you may describe it.
Process
Clean-up, the first month-end close, then monthly. Showing the order tells a prospect what happens after they say yes.
Pricing
Say what moves the price (transactions, accounts, payroll), so the published figure still holds when the quote arrives.
Remote questions
Answer what a remote client asks before the call: how meetings work, time zones, and who can see the books.
Where a bookkeeping practice finds clients beyond its own site is the subject of our page on marketing for bookkeepers.
The pages a firm site needs, and the job of each
The page list
The pages a firm site needs, and the job of each
A small practice doesn't need fifty pages. It needs these, each doing one job, written before anyone picks colors.
| Page | Its job | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Home | What, for whom, where, and how to start | Client login and booking in the header |
| One page per service | Rank for that service and answer its questions | Only the services you want more of |
| About and team | Put a name and a credential on the work | Credentials by person, in the wording your rules allow |
| Fees, or how you price | Set expectations before the first call | A range only with what makes it rise |
| Locations | One page for each office, when there is more than one | The same name, address and phone as that office's Google profile |
| Contact and booking | Turn interest into an appointment | Hours, including season hours |
| Client login and upload | Serve the clients you already have | Links only; the portal stays with your software provider |
| Resources or blog | Answer what clients ask through the year | Can wait until the pages above exist |
| Privacy policy | Say what the forms collect and why | Plus anything your own rules require |
Each office page ties into that office's Google Business Profile, which is the subject of local SEO for accountants.
Credential wording, checked against the source
Credentials and claims
Credential wording, checked against the source
A firm website is advertising, so the rules on ads reach the About page too. Below is only what each source says. State boards and other rules may add to it; check the source or ask your counsel.
- CPA title and firm name
- Your state board decides who may use the CPA title and how a firm may be named, and the rules differ by state. We don't summarize them here; read your board's rules before the team page goes live.
- Enrolled agents
- Circular 230 (31 CFR 10.30) accepts descriptions such as "enrolled to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service". Enrolled agents, enrolled retirement plan agents and registered tax return preparers may not use "certified" or imply an employer or employee relationship with the IRS.
- Claims and fees
- AICPA 1.600.010 .02 treats promotion as false, misleading or deceptive when it creates false or unjustified expectations of favorable results, implies influence with a court or regulator, or states a fee likely to rise substantially without telling the prospect. Under paragraph .01, a member who benefits from a designer's or agency's promotion must make sure it complies.
- Reviews and testimonials
- The FTC rule at 16 CFR Part 465 bans fake or false reviews and testimonials, review suppression through unfounded legal threats or intimidation, and presenting a company-controlled site as an independent review site.
- Client stories
- A case story or testimonial built from a client's return details uses that client's return information, which under 26 CFR 301.7216-3 needs the client's written consent first.
Get the free firm review
How the same rules apply to ads, email and social posts is set out in our guide to marketing for accounting firms.
Portal, booking, speed and the markup search engines read
Under the hood
Portal, booking, speed and the markup search engines read
The parts a prospect only notices when they fail.
Spec: client login and upload
Your portal and file exchange stay with the software you already use. The site's job is to make them easy to find: in the header, the footer and on the contact page, under a label a client recognizes.
Spec: booking
A short request form (preferred day and time, phone or video) suits a small firm. Say how soon you reply, and update that line in season if replies slow down.
Spec: speed
Compressed images in modern formats, no autoplay video or sliders, few font files. Test on a real phone over mobile data, not only on the office connection.
Spec: moving from an old site
If the old site ranks for anything, keep those addresses or redirect each one to its new page. Otherwise the move throws away what the old pages earned.
Spec: structured data
schema.org has an AccountingService type. Marking up each office with it (name, website, address, hours) states those facts in a form search engines read directly. It describes the firm; it does not rank a page on its own.
Sample with placeholders. One block per office, matching that office's Google profile.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "AccountingService",
"name": "[Firm name]",
"url": "https://[your-domain]",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "[Street]",
"addressLocality": "[Town]",
"addressRegion": "[State]"
},
"openingHours": "Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00"
}Accounting website templates, a fix, or a site built for the firm
Template, fix or rebuild
Accounting website templates, a fix, or a site built for the firm
Not every firm needs a new site. Choose by what the current one can and can't do.
Option 1
Fix what you have
When: the site is sound but thin, with one services page, weak titles and no booking.
Work: new service pages, rewritten titles and headings, markup and a booking link, on the platform you already use.
Option 2
A template, rewritten
When: a solo practice with a few services and a small budget.
Watch: the template is only the layout. Replace every stock sentence and stock photo, and check that it lets you add a page per service.
Option 3
A site built for the firm
When: several services or offices, an old site nobody can edit, or credential wording to clean up across every page.
Cost: $400 and up, one time, quoted per project.
What the quote depends on
- How many pages, and how many offices need their own
- Whether we write the copy or you supply it
- What must come across from the old site, and which addresses need redirects
- The login, upload and booking links to put in place
To weigh one recurring client against the price of a site, run the client value calculator.
SEO, after launch
A new site gives search a clean start; ranking is separate work. Our SEO plans run from $125 a month (Sole Practitioner) to $575 (Regional Firm), month to month, and every one includes Google Business Profile optimization, citation building and cleanup, and review work. Growing Practice and up add an on-page audit and a content gap review against the firms that rank.
How the monthly work runs is on the SEO for accountants page, and every tier is set out line by line on the pricing page.
Plan the next step for your practice
Our accounting search guide explains service-page priorities, seasonal planning and how to judge the results.
Find my search opportunitiesHow much does an accounting firm website cost?
Ours start at $400, one time, and each one is quoted per project once we know the scope. The quote moves with the number of pages, whether we write the copy or you supply it, how many offices need their own page, and what has to come across from the old site. SEO is separate and optional, from $125 a month.
What are the top CPA websites?
There is no official ranking, and the gallery lists that rank for the question judge mostly on looks. A better test for any example: can a stranger tell within a minute what the firm does, for whom, where, who holds which credential, how fees work and how to start? The sites that pass are the ones worth copying, whatever their colors.
Should we use an accounting website template?
For a solo practice with a few services, a template can be enough if every stock sentence is replaced and each service gets its own page. It stops being enough when you can't add pages, can't edit titles and headings, or the phone version hides the client login. Those are the signs it is time to rebuild.
How should the team page describe an enrolled agent?
With a description Circular 230 accepts, such as "admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service", and without the word "certified" or anything implying IRS employment. For CPAs, your state board's rules on the title apply. Put each credential next to the person's name, so a prospect sees who holds what. Check 31 CFR 10.30 or your counsel on anything unusual.
Will a new website lose our current rankings?
It can, if pages disappear. Before launch, list every address on the old site that gets visits or links, then keep each one or redirect it to the matching new page. Keep page titles that already work, carry over the content that ranks, and update the website link on your Google Business Profile if the domain changes.
Does a new website include SEO?
A site with one page per service, clear titles and headings, AccountingService markup and light pages gives search a clean start, and we build that way. Ranking work is separate: the Google Business Profile, citations, reviews, keywords and links, from $125 a month on a month-to-month plan. You can launch the site first and add a plan later.
What should we budget, and can we stop after a month?
Monthly SEO starts at $125 for Sole Practitioner. You can also choose a single month at the listed one-time price. There is no setup fee or minimum contract term. To stop a monthly plan, email before the next billing cycle. We confirm the scope and send a payment link before work starts.
How soon can we judge progress, and are results guaranteed?
Allow months to evaluate search progress, especially for a new website or a competitive city. Fixes and deliverables appear in the report before they necessarily produce new inquiries. We cannot guarantee a position, a client count or revenue. Together we choose the services and searches worth tracking so the review reflects your practice priorities.
Who looks after the account and explains the reports?
The Accountant SEO team handles the campaign and answers questions by email or a requested meeting. We confirm the scope before payment and send a monthly report with the activity and live links. Tell us which partner or practice manager should receive updates so reporting reaches the person making marketing decisions.
Will you also work with another accounting firm in our market?
We do not promise exclusive coverage of a city. Ask about competing services and markets before engaging us so we can discuss any overlap and the proposed scope. Your firm should choose its own service priorities and positioning; another practice may be pursuing different clients, but that distinction needs to be assessed rather than assumed.
Can a plan this size compete in a busy market?
The scope has to match the competition and your priorities. Sole Practitioner can suit a focused start; Growing Practice adds an on-page audit and content gap review. Established Firm and Regional Firm support broader keyword sets and competitor analysis. We review your site and market before recommending a tier. No package guarantees a ranking or a number of clients.
What if AI answers change how people find accountants?
Clear service information still helps a prospect understand what you offer. We focus on accurate pages, a suitable local profile and a clear inquiry route. Search features change, so we assess visibility alongside relevant inquiries rather than promising placement inside a particular AI answer.
How do you handle link placements?
Guest posts are outreach placements on sites the agency does not own. The plan table separates guest posts, Web 2.0 pages and amplification links. Reports identify the live URLs so you can inspect the activity. A placement does not guarantee a Google ranking.
Next step
Send us the site you have. We will mark it up.
The free firm review looks at your current website and Google profile and sends back the first fixes in order, by email within one business day. If you already know you want a new site, ask for a quote instead: every build is priced per project, from $400.
Get the free firm reviewRequest a meeting
Or open the assistant at the bottom right, or write to support@accountantseo.company.