Getting your accounting firm's Google profile ready for tax season
Many people look for an accountant in the weeks before the April filing deadline. The firms that show up clearly are the ones that prepared months earlier.
For most individuals in Canada, the personal tax filing deadline is April 30. People who are self employed, and their spouses or common law partners, have until June 15 to file, although any balance owing is still due by April 30. Every year, a wave of people start looking for an accountant in the weeks before those dates, many of them searching on Google.
The firms that benefit are rarely the ones that start in March. Here is what to get in place over the winter.
Say clearly what you do
A profile that only says "accounting firm" makes people guess. Use the services section to list what you actually offer, in the words clients use:
- Personal tax returns
- Self employed and small business tax
- Corporate tax and year end
- Bookkeeping and payroll
- Help with CRA letters or reviews, if you offer it
If you don't take on new personal tax clients, say so. It saves you calls you'll have to turn away.
Show your busy season hours
If your hours change in tax season, such as evenings or Saturdays from March to April, update your profile when the change starts and change it back afterwards. Set holiday hours ahead of time for statutory holidays, including Good Friday, which often falls in the busiest weeks.
Make the first step easy
- Add a booking link if you offer online appointments, so people can book a first call from the search results.
- Make sure the phone number reaches someone, or a voicemail that says when you'll call back.
- Link the profile to a page on your website that explains how to get started and what to bring.
Photos and details
Add real photos of the office and entrance, and your team with each person's permission. Fill in details such as languages spoken, accessibility and whether you offer virtual appointments. Small things help someone choose between two firms.
If you advertise, start before the rush
Google Ads campaigns need a few weeks of data before they settle. Launching in late March means paying to learn during the most expensive weeks. Starting in January or February gives the campaign time to find the searches that bring real enquiries. Our guide to how Google Ads budgets work explains how spending is calculated.
Know what the season brought in
The most useful thing you can do this year is measure. Set up tracking for calls, bookings and enquiries before the season starts, then look at the numbers once it ends. Next year, you'll know exactly what worked. Our guide to telling which calls and enquiries come from Google shows how.
Keep within your professional rules
Provincial CPA bodies have professional conduct rules that cover advertising. Keep claims on your profile and in ads accurate, avoid promises about refunds or outcomes, and protect client confidentiality when replying to reviews.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Rules and Google features change, so check the current source before acting.