So, what do accountants and marketing professionals have in common? We both know that the devil is the smallest of details. Accuracy matters. If one thing is off, the entire report, results, or insight is called into question. And most often you have to start over and figure out what went wrong.
That’s localized ad optimization in a nutshell. Broad strokes and haphazard targeting will waste your time and money. But if you commit to a more thoughtful, refined, and strategic focus on reaching the right people geographically from the very start, you will produce the results you want.
For accountants, CPAs, estate planners, and financial planners, the digital ecosystem offers fertile ground for growing your local client base, but only if you navigate it with the precision it deserves. These tips for localized online ad optimization for accountants will get you there.
Why You Need To Be Crushing It With Localized Ads
Proximity matters for small businesses. You’re much more likely to attract business in your area, even if you could technically provide services online anywhere. When it comes to something as important as money management, it’s vital that you build a trust-based reputation where you are.
Localizing your ads isn’t just about getting your name out in the digi-sphere. It’s about focusing your ad budget on the people who are most likely to become clients. That’s simple ROI.
Almost half of mobile searchers are locals trying to find local services. 76% of people who research a local business on their phones will visit them within 24 hours with 28% buying that service same day.
For a local small professional service business like yours, unlocalized ads are like buying a national 30-second TV ad on the Big Game when you’re only trying to reach people in one or two zip codes. On the other hand, localized ads are more like digital billboards that you put up in prime locations so your future clients “drive” by them every single day.
Geo-targeting allows you to only show your ads to people who are in a certain town, zip code, or radius. You can further hone in on your ideal clients by understanding the ins and outs of different ad platforms you might use for geo-targeting. Let’s start with the big one.
Google Ads
- Audience: Google Ads reaches a broad audience with varying intents, from informational seekers to ready-to-act clients.
- Benefits: Offers precise targeting based on search intent, geographic location, and more. It is highly effective for capturing demand when potential clients are actively searching for accounting or financial planning services.
- Key Features: Use of location-based keywords and location extensions to show your office address and phone number, enhancing local relevance and driving foot traffic.
Facebook and Instagram Ads
- Audience: Ideal for reaching a diverse demographic. Users range widely in age, making these platforms suitable for targeting both younger clients (who might need tax advice for the first time) and older individuals (who could be looking into financial advisory or estate planning services). It’s true that Facebook skews older and Instagram younger, but since Facebook Ad Manager lets you do both, it’s easy to target the right people.
- Benefits: Strong targeting options based on interests, behaviors, demographics, and geographic details. These platforms are excellent for building brand awareness and engagement through visual content.
- Key Features: Carousel ads that showcase multiple services, retargeting tools to capture interest shown in previous interactions, and dynamic ads to personalize content to user behavior.
Yelp Ads
- Audience: Local customers actively looking for services within their community, including those seeking professional financial advice.
- Benefits: Increases visibility among users looking to make immediate decisions based on local reviews and ratings, essential for service-based professions like estate planning.
- Key Features: Ads appear above organic search results and on competitors’ business pages, significantly increasing visibility and the chance to intercept potential clients.
The Secret to Successful Local Ad Campaigns
1. Localize Your Ads
You really want to connect with local clients, so your campaigns need to reflect some local flavor. Show you’re “one of them” by following this easy 3-step approach to localize your local ads on Google
- Geo-target in the settings: We mentioned this above. You’ll choose the parameters that define the local area you want to reach when setting up ads. But that’s only the beginning.
- Geo-target with Ad Content: Show images and mention local events, festivals, landmarks, etc. Mention the perks of living in your area and take pride in being where you are. Area codes, zip codes, and neighborhood names can further localize you.
- Utilize Local Extensions: Google Ads offers location extensions that help display your physical address right below the ad, making it easier for potential clients to find you or recognize your firm as part of their community.
2. Stand Out in Local Search
Localized online ad optimization for accountants extends beyond ad copy. Search engine marketing includes both paid and organic search
Together, ads and your website build trust and guide leads toward your services.
So, it’s crucial to invest in local SEO, which is a whole lot easier than its big sister, regular SEO, because search engines prefer local websites when people in your area are searching.
In relation to localized online ad optimization for accountants, local SEO includes ensuring your website is fast, responsive, and mobile-friendly.
Then, you begin to pay attention to what’s actually on the pages that people can see. It needs to resonate with a local audience and align perfectly with your ad copy.
Begin with local keyword research. This research serves double duty. It will inform your paid and organic search strategy. Include location-based keywords in your ad copy. Phrases like “estate planning in [City Name]” or “best CPA near me” can significantly increase your ad’s relevance and visibility.
Use local imagery on your website, landing pages, and visual ads.
Next, focus on having consistent details. Align your ad content with the information on your landing pages. Discrepancies can confuse clients and diminish trust. Make taking the next step obvious and easy with a clear call to action.
Finally, revisit those ad extensions. Use additional features like call extensions, which allow clients to connect with you directly from the ad.
3. Leverage Local Partnerships
Long before influencers and businesses were collabing on social media, people were connecting with others in their community. Doing so can expand your reach, save money, increase the effectiveness of your campaigns, and strengthen your ties in the local area.
Collaborate with other local businesses or influential local celebrities. A joint session, dual-hosted event, or a shared promotional offer can be advertised to mutual benefit, tapping into established trusts and expanding client bases.
If you’re an estate planner, imagine hosting an event with a financial planner, bookkeeper, or accountant. Although your services may overlap, you can work together to generate a lot more business for all of you.
If staying in your industry seems a bit too much like cozying up to competitors, then consider businesses like restaurants, bars, or gyms with whom you might share customers.
4. Focus on Continuous Improvement
Effective ads adapt as you learn more about what works. Start tracking data and exploring analytics reports. Gain insights that can lower your ad costs and increase ROI.
Use tools like Google Analytics and local online marketing software to monitor your landing pages’ engagement and conversion rates.
And don’t forget A/B testing. Regularly test different versions of your ads to see which elements perform best, from headlines to call-to-action buttons.
Localized Online Ad Optimization for Accountants
Community visibility matters. Localized ads are a great way to achieve it because they allow you to not only get your brand in front of locals but also connect through that local flavor you exude. The journey to localizing involves:
- Learning how to effectively use the geo-targeting features in ad platforms.
- Leveraging local ideas in ads to show people this isn’t just another spammy ad trying to play local.
- Emphasizing smart local SEO practices on your website
- Refining your strategy as you discover what works
To succeed with online advertising, you must prioritize and actively work to manage your online ad campaigns—whether you’re injecting local flavor or learning from your tracking and testing. You may find some platforms more conducive to certain services, so it’s important to develop a system that allows you to manage multiple ad platforms efficiently from one place.
Surefire Local takes the mystery and chaos out of managing local ads. With our all-in-one platform, you’ll develop precision and consistency that fills your pipeline with high-value leads.
These tools are designed to attract attention solely from customers within your service area, maximizing the relevance and impact of your ads and generating effectiveness in all your local reputation and digital marketing efforts.
By turning more website visitors into clients and tracking results to optimize performance continuously, Surefire Local provides a transparent view of your campaign performance and revenue generation.
But it gets even better because—we have AI.
With AI-generated recommendations, Surefire Local not only adjusts your strategies based on performance but also guides you through improving them. The platform also extends educational resources, including webinars and blogs, which are invaluable for staying on top of local online marketing trends and tactics.
Find out for yourself how our locally-minded business software can streamline your marketing efforts and help you achieve a hyper-local presence. Sign up for the next Surefire Local Demo. Don’t miss the opportunity to see how tailored local ad strategies can significantly enhance your practice’s visibility and client acquisition.