6 SEO Tips for CPAs

Last month we talked about getting started in search engine optimization (SEO) and the importance of having the right tools at your fingertips for SEO. This month I want to focus on six specific tips that you can do right now to increase the ranking of your website in search engine result pages (SERPs). Any one of these tips could be a post on its own, so I’ll stick to a high-level summary.  If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or email me directly. Some of these tips may require a technical solution, so be sure to consult with your webmaster before making any changes if you’re not comfortable doing them yourself.

HOTI: Carrier IQ; 12 Days of Christmas Gets Expensive

We asked our bloggers to tell us what they found interesting on the Internet this week. What would you add to this list?

Jina Etienne, CPA - I re-tweeted this post from the Colorado Society of CPAs, it generated a lot of interest and comments. “So... what's so great about being a CPA? 5 reasons here.” I even got a response from a former client whom I had recommended get her CPA. She’s finishing up school now and will take the CPA Exam next winter!

In the News: Financial Literacy, Social Media

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving holiday and has safely emerged from their tryptophan induced coma. It’s been a busy few weeks for AICPA and the profession, with lots of interesting news coming out. I’m particularly thankful (see what I did there?) to be able to spotlight a couple of my colleagues on the Communications Team who were mentioned in the media recently.

Melora Heavey, AICPA senior manager – communications (and AICPA Insights blogger) spoke to Fox Business about some of the ways that companies are taking steps to develop a more financially literate workforce – which serves to benefit both the employees and the organization itself. “Companies are trying to manage insurance costs, and having a workforce that has a thorough knowledge of their benefits and options help them to do this,” says Heavey. How prevalent are these programs? A study by the Society of Human Resource Management found that 30% of organizations surveyed  offered one-on-one financial/investment advice, 24% offered in-group or classroom advice and 22% offered online advice. Companies interested in implementing financial education programs for their own employees can find free resources at wlife.org, the website for the Workplace Leaders in Financial Education Awards, a program co-sponsored by the AICPA and SHRM.

The Basics of SEO for CPAs

The World Wide Web has been around for 20 years now and has fueled a number of new careers, from Internet marketer to YouTube sensation. One such new career is specializing in search engine optimization. SEO is the science of getting a website or page a better ranking on search engine result pages (SERP). With more than 130 million domain names worldwide and a countless number of web pages, competing for a top spot on a SERP can be a daunting task.

It’s not as easy as building the “Field of Dreams” of websites. Just because you build one doesn’t mean visitors will come. One has to promote that website and you will compete with other similar sites for positioning whether it’s to just land on the first SERP or the first site listed. Additionally, SEO rules are constantly changing to keep up with search engine algorithms (which are, of course, secret).

The first step is getting your website to show up in SERPs, we’ll tackle how to get your website a better ranking in a future post.

Social Media and Job Seekers

Dear Smarty Pants, Braggarts and Potty-Mouths… A word to the wise: you never know who is listening.

I am often taken aback by the things I see people posting on social media. I understand the need to vent or an attempt to be funny, but what you put out there in the public domain could be costing you your career. In a recent survey, 95% of employers said they use social media to screen potential employees. Yes, 95%! Yikes. From inappropriate photos and comments about previous employers to proof an applicant was less than truthful about qualifications… employers are getting an eye full!

Groupon's IPO; Siri Talks Back; Facebook vs LinkedIn

We asked our bloggers to tell us what they found interesting on the Internet this week. What would you add to this list?

Heidi Brundage, CPA, SPHR - I had the pleasure of opening the North Carolina Association of CPAs first ever Professional Women’s Conference on Wednesday. More than 200 women were in attendance; it was a day of awareness, networking and encouragement! This post from the Harvard Business Review reminds me that we have so much work to do to bring awareness to the lack of advancement of female CPAs.

Stacie Saunders - On Thursday, Facebook announced it has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Labor and three employment-related agencies in an attempt to decrease the country’s unemployment rate using social media — a project that may eventually include a Facebook jobs posting system. What does this mean for LinkedIn? We will have to wait and see!

James Schiavone - The iPhone 4S wasn't the announcement many Apple fans were expecting, but it did come with one surprise, Siri. The personal assistant, called Siri, makes life easier with reduced typing and heightened potential for your most meaningful exchange of the day to be with your iPhone. I thought I was all cutting edge using my Android to talk-to-text, but apparently I can be edgier and get useful answers to real life questions spoken back to me. Siri is still in beta and promises to become even more advanced in future versions, but folks are having a lot of fun testing it out.

Gregory J. Wright, MBA - Groupon finally filed for its IPO this morning, but is only seeking a valuation of $11.4 billion, less than half the $25 billion it sought earlier this year before their accounting was called into question.

 

CPAs: Showcase your Volunteerism with LinkedIn

CPAs are passionate about giving back and lending their expertise through volunteer work. But how many of your peers, coworkers or clients know about your volunteerism or the causes you support? There was no area to feature these accomplishments on LinkedIn…until now!

Highlight your Passions

In early September, LinkedIn launched a new feature allowing users to add volunteer positions, causes they care about and organizations they support. It’s simple to use. Here’s how:

LinkedIn Backs off Social Ads and Improves Mobile App

Thrust into the spotlight

Until recently, LinkedIn has managed to stay out of the spotlight when it comes to privacy. In June, however, LinkedIn decided to opt in millions of users to a privacy setting, allowing their names and pictures to be used in social advertisements. Social advertisements often include names and/or pictures of people you are connected to who recommend the product or service.  It went relatively unnoticed for weeks…and then the firestorm. In early August, the blogosphere and news websites lit up with the information. LinkedIn users were not happy.

QR Codes 101

QR codes, or quick response codes, are popping up everywhere. You may have seen them at conferences, in catalogs, on billboards and even in the Journal of Accountancy. What are they and how can you take advantage of this growing trend?

Let’s start with the basics.

A QR code is a two-dimensional code that can be read with an application on your mobile device. They are used to drive users to digital information, such as websites, Facebook pages or registration links. It is as simple as a click of a button!

If I see a QR code, what do I do with it?