Top accounting firms generate leads by advertising specific services in their profiles—tax prep, bookkeeping, audit services, and more. GMB Everywhere reveals your competitors' exact category and service mix so you can list everything clients search for.
Imagine someone searching for "bookkeeping services near me" or "tax preparation" on Google. They see a list of accounting firms—some at the top, some buried below.
Ever wonder why some accounting firms show up first while others don't? That's what we're going to explain. And don't worry—we'll keep it simple.
Your Google Business Profile (or GBP for short) is basically your accounting firm's online business card on Google. It shows your name, location, phone number, hours, photos, and client reviews. When someone searches for accounting services, Google decides which firm profiles to show based on a few key things.
Google wants to show people the best, most relevant results. So it checks three main things about your business. Think of these as the "three pillars" that hold up your local ranking.
This sounds obvious, but many accounting firms have inconsistent information online. Google checks if your name, address, and phone number match everywhere—your website, business directories, and Google. If they don't match, Google gets confused and won't show your profile properly.
Quick check: Is your accounting firm name spelled exactly the same on your website, directories, and Google profile?
When someone searches "tax preparation near me" or "bookkeeping services near me," Google looks at your accounting firm profile to see if you provide those services. If you haven't listed them, you won't show up—even if you offer those services.
This is where categories and services come in. We'll explain these in detail in the next section. For now, just know that telling Google exactly what you do is really important.
Google reads client reviews. Lots of positive reviews tell Google that clients trust your accounting firm. Replying to reviews shows you're responsive and professional. Both boost your search ranking.
Think about it: would you choose an accounting firm with 3 reviews or one with 50+ positive reviews? Google thinks the same way.
Here's the good news: You don't need to be a tech expert to improve these things. Most of it just takes a few minutes to set up.
Now, let's dive deeper into the part that matters most for accounting firms: categories and services. Once you understand these, you'll be ahead of most accounting firms in your area.
Remember when we said Google needs to know what you do? This is where you tell it. Let's break this down into two simple parts.
Why this matters: Of all the things you can control on your Google Business Profile, categories have one of the biggest impacts on your local rankings. Pick the wrong ones, and you won't show up when clients search. Pick the right ones, and you'll appear for the exact services you offer. Our case study proves that adding relevant categories doesn't hurt your rankings—it actually increases your visibility.
Think of categories like labels on a filing cabinet. Google uses them to sort businesses into groups. When someone searches "accounting firm near me", Google opens the "Accounting Firm" folder and shows what's inside.
If your accounting firm isn't in that folder, you won't show up. It's that simple.
You get to pick one primary category (your main label) and a few secondary categories (extra labels for other accounting and tax services you offer).
Here's what a typical accounting firm might choose:
Pro tip: Not sure which categories to pick? The checklist below will walk you through exactly how to find the best categories for your accounting firm.
If categories are the folders, services are the specific items inside. They tell Google (and prospective clients) exactly what you offer.
Let's say someone searches "tax preparation near me" or "bookkeeping services near me." Google will check if you have those services listed. If you do, great—you'll show up. If you don't, Google assumes you don't provide them.
Think of it like a service menu. If a service isn't listed, clients searching for it won't know to call you.
Services an accounting firm might list:
The more services you list, the more client searches you can show up for. Just make sure you actually provide what you list!
Here's a simple action plan:
Not sure where to start? The checklist below will guide you through the categories and services in just 20 to 25 minutes.
Work through each item below. By the end, your accounting firm profile will be optimized for better local rankings and more client inquiries.
Explore optimization guides for accounting, tax, and finance services
Complete suite of professional tools for Google Business Profile management
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - primary and secondary categories display automatically beside the profile
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Search for any term on Google Maps - click the Local Scan button to compare all GBPs
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'AI' button beside the GBP to use AI features
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Find more' button beside categories
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Basic Audit' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Review Audit' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Teleport' button beside the GBP
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How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Post Audit' button beside the GBP
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