What people search when they need an accountant

People do not search for accountancy. They search for help.

This is the big misunderstanding that holds many accountancy websites back.

Most firms describe themselves in broad terms: “We offer accountancy services.” But clients do not search that way. They search for the thing that is worrying them right now.

Your report spells this out clearly: people search for what they need, like tax returns, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT returns help, year end accounts, accountants for landlords, and small business accountant.

If your website does not map to those needs with clear pages, Google has nothing specific to rank and visitors have nothing specific to trust.

The three moments that trigger a search

Most searches happen in one of these moments:

1. A deadline is approaching
   Self assessment, VAT returns, payroll dates, Companies House filing.
2. A change has happened
   New business, hiring, switching from sole trader to limited company, buying property.
3. Something feels out of control
   Messy bookkeeping, unclear tax position, too much time spent on admin.

In every case, the search is problem led.

What this means for your website

A homepage alone cannot do all the work. You need dedicated service pages that match real searches.

The report recommends one page per core service, and each page should answer the practical questions clients ask before they get in touch: who it is for, what is included, what you need from them, how the process works, timelines, a clear next step, and short FAQs.

This is not “content for Google”. It is content that helps clients make a decision, and Google rewards that because it matches intent.

The search phrases to build around

Here are common patterns that accountancy firms should plan for. You will recognise them from real enquiries.

Service + location

• Accountant in [Town]
• Bookkeeping services in [Town]
• Payroll services in [Town]
• VAT returns help in [Town]

Service + “near me”

• Accountant near me
• Tax return accountant near me
• Bookkeeper near me

Client type + service

• Accountant for sole traders
• Accountant for limited companies
• Accountant for landlords
• Small business accountant

Problem led searches

• Help with VAT returns
• Do I need to register for VAT
• How much tax should I set aside as a sole trader
• What records do I need for self assessment

You do not need a separate page for every single variation. But you do need coverage of your core services and your main client types.

How to turn searches into pages that rank and convert

Step 1: Create a proper service set

For most local firms, that means pages for:

• Self assessment and tax returns
• Bookkeeping
• Payroll
• VAT
• Year end accounts

When these pages exist, Google can rank something specific, and visitors can land on a page that matches what they searched.

Step 2: Make each page easy to understand

Structure matters. The report is clear: you do not need technical jargon, you need clear page titles, one clear main heading, scan friendly subheadings, and one primary topic per page.

A visitor should be able to scan and immediately feel: “Yes, they do what I need.”

Step 3: Be clear about location and service area

Local visibility depends on clear location signals, even if you support clients remotely. Keep address and phone number consistent across the site. If you create location pages, make them genuinely useful, not copied templates.

Step 4: Add the trust elements that push action

On service pages, include:

• Who the service is for
• What is included
• What happens next
• A clear next step to book a call or request a callback
• Short FAQs to remove common doubts

Your report calls out that service pages are where trust turns into action.

A simple way to choose what to write first

If you want the quickest route to better visibility and better enquiries, start with the services you most want more of, and the services with the clearest intent.

For many firms, “tax returns”, “bookkeeping”, “payroll”, and “VAT” bring high intent traffic because the visitor has a clear need.

Build those pages first, then expand into helpful FAQs and advice content based on the questions you get asked every week.

SEO for accountants is not about tricks. It is about being understood.

When your website clearly matches how people search, you appear more often, for more relevant searches, and you win more of the right enquiries.