PPC for Accountants: Expert Tips, Costs and Mistakes (+ Checklist)

PPC can help accountants get more clicks and clients using paid advertising on Google. Learn expert tips, mistakes to avoid, typical costs, and benefits of PPC for accountants. Plus, we made a checklist just for you.

Accountants are no strangers to numbers. That’s what makes PPC advertising perfect for accounting firms looking to increase their reach, attract new clients, and grow their client base.

PPC advertising is cost-effective for accounting firms to reach more customers — without wasting valuable marketing dollars on ads that don’t convert.

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to run an outstanding PPC campaign for your accounting firm, step by step.

Plus, we’ve included a handy checklist to make it easy to put these tips into practice.

What is PPC for accountants?

PPC for accountants is a type of pay-per-click advertising where accounting firms pay to advertise on search engine sites and social media platforms (e.g., Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn). The largest platform for PPC ads is Google Ads.

With PPC advertising for accountants, you pay each time someone clicks on your ad.

You’re not paying based on how many people view your ad. You’re only paying when people click.

When optimized, PPC campaigns are a valuable tool for increasing conversions and growing your bottom line.

How much does it cost?

No need to crunch numbers — we’ll do it for you. The typical cost for PPC for accountants varies but ranges between $3,000 and $10,000 per month. The average cost per click (CPC) for the finance and insurance industry is $4.01.

How much you spend will depend on the keywords you choose and the Quality Score of your ads. The higher your Quality Score, the lower your CPC.

Benefits of PPC advertising for accountants

PPC advertising is effective across every industry. But there are a few reasons PPC campaigns are beneficial for accountants:

• Direct targeting
• Immediate visibility
• Measurable return on investment
• Flexibility and scalability
• Higher conversion rates

Direct targeting

When you build a PPC ad, you design it to target particular demographics. This allows you to identify your perfect audience and send ads only to people who fit the bill.

If you’re a CPA firm specializing in accounting services for small businesses, you don’t need to reach massive corporations. You only need to target the groups of people who will potentially buy your service.

This makes it a highly efficient way of marketing a local business. If you bought a billboard on a highway to advertise, you’d pay to get your ad in front of tens of thousands who aren’t looking for CPA services. It’s far more efficient to focus only on the people who are.

PPC advertising hones in on your perfect audience, making it a cost-effective to grow your business.

Immediate visibility

As soon as you hit publish on a PPC ad campaign, it immediately racks up impressions, making it a fast way to build brand awareness for your firm.

You don’t have to invest time and money printing mailers or growing your email list. As soon as your campaign is ready to launch, you can start driving people to your site immediately.

Measurable return on investment

PPC campaigns are excellent for accountants because they provide a wealth of quantitative data to refine and optimize your campaigns.

You can calculate the conversions produced and the click-through rates to see if you need to improve your copywriting or design. You can split-test ads to find the most effective presentation of ideas.

Plus, you can measure your exact return on investment, so you’ll always know what you’re getting for your ad spend and how to make your PPC campaigns better.

Flexibility and scalability

Industries, competitors, and customers change — and ad campaigns need to be flexible. Successful companies evolve over time and keep up with changes in the market.

With PPC ads, it’s fast and easy to spin up new campaigns. No other marketing channel lets you make fast, responsive adjustments to your campaigns as quickly and easily.

And PPC ads are as scalable as they are flexible. When it’s time to ramp up your ads, just dial up your ad spend.

Most accounting firms vary their ad spend by season. During tax season, you’ll be flush with clients, but later in the year, you’ll want to turn up the ad spend to fill up your client roster. Pump a larger budget into your PPC campaigns, and watch your customer base grow.

Higher conversion rates

If there’s one thing accountants know, it’s how to make the most of every dollar.

PPC campaigns provide bang for your buck through targeting and analytics. Since PPC ads reflect the search intent, they have far higher conversion rates than other forms of advertising. That’s why targeted PPC ads with effective landing page copy make an unbeatable marketing mix.

Expert accountant PPC tips

Creating an effective PPC campaign can feel daunting, but it’s not difficult if you keep a few simple strategies in mind:

1. Understand your audience
2. Pick optimized keywords
3. Craft compelling ad copy
4. Optimize landing pages
5. Regularly monitor and adjust

1. Understand your audience

You need a strong understanding of who your target audience is.

Define the demographics of your perfect client, including their occupation, location, and role in their company.

Are you trying to reach individuals? Are you trying to appeal to C-Suite leaders? Knowing your audience will allow you to make the most of PPC tools.

2. Pick optimized keywords

To optimize your ads for more impressions and conversions, do keyword research.

Keyword research is an essential search engine optimization (SEO) technique that reveals the exact phrases your target customer is searching for, so you can use them in your ads. Then when your ad appears on the search engine results page, it’ll be the solution your customer needs.

Use a mix of general and long-tail keywords to attract a broader audience. Free keyword research tools like Answer the Public and Moz Keyword Explorer are great starting points.

3. Craft compelling ad copy

Copywriting is an essential component of making effective ads. Google or Bing can get your ad in front of people — but if it’s not clear and compelling, it won’t convert.

Take this example from Cycle CPA:

Its ad works for several reasons:

• It asks an engaging question to grab reader attention
• It’s laser-targeted at a specific target audience — green industry companies
• It pulls readers in with a compelling video
• It uses a low-risk call to action to drive viewers to a landing page

Make sure your ad is solution-driven and speaks to the pain points of the searcher. Also, include a call-to-action so the user can continue their customer journey.

4. Optimize landing pages

Your ad serves a purpose: it drives readers to content that speaks to their pain points and offers a solution.

Once someone clicks your ad, the page should be clear, relevant, and persuasive. Deliver a great user experience, and you’ll make it easy to continue their buyer’s journey.

Poor landing pages result in a high bounce rate, which means users click the ad and then leave the site quickly. A high bounce rate means customers aren’t getting their needs met once they hit your landing page.

Use testimonials, strong reviews, and clear product information to build trust.

5. Regularly monitor and adjust

PPC campaigns provide insights to improve your campaign’s performance. Dive into those metrics with regular monitoring and…adjust.

Use A/B testing techniques to improve the effectiveness of your ads. Sometimes, something as simple as a headline or button color will make all the difference.

How to create a PPC campaign in Google Ads

Google Ads is the leading PPC platform, so let’s walk through how to build your first PPC ad campaign on Google Ads.

1. Set up your account

Go to Google Ads and fill out the form to create an account. It’ll ask for basic business and contact information, and your billing details.

Then link your Google Ads account with a Google Analytics account to access the full scope of metrics and insights available.

2. Execute your keyword research

Perform keyword research to align your PPC ads with search queries. Google offers a free tool called Keyword Planner to help you get started.

Use general and long-tail keywords to maximize your ad’s potential impact. High-competition keywords like “tax services” will be more expensive to target than low-competition ones like “Oregon estate tax planning consultant.”

Look for keywords that align with your budget and can deliver a strong return on investment. A keyword with a $5.61 CPC may seem expensive, but if it consistently delivers high-value clients, it’s worth it in the long run compared to a $1.94 CPC keyword that fails to bring clients in the door.

3. Create a targeted campaign

After creating an account, build a campaign. Identify the objective of your campaign — like getting customers to fill out a lead form or increasing purchases — then define your search themes.

Search themes are targeted search keywords you want your campaign to appeal to. For example, you may set target keywords like “small business accountant” or “accountant for small business owners” to go after small business owners.

Google Ads lets you choose up to 25 keywords, so you can choose additional search terms if you want to reach people searching for a different service, like tax preparation.

4. Create effective and well-designed ads

Next, it’s time to create the ads. Focus on crafting copy and ad designs that are concise, compelling, and eye-catching, with a clear call to action.

5. Optimize your landing page

When users click on your ads, they should land on a page that gives them exactly what they’re looking for — and encourages them to take the next step. Optimize your landing page with relevant keywords and content that’s readable, contains persuasive CTAs, and has a user-friendly design.

6. Set your budget

Within the Google Ads interface, you can set a budget. Don’t worry too much about this — you can always adjust it later as you analyze campaign performance and optimize for ROI.

You’ll also input your bidding strategy at this point. Google offers some automated bidding strategies, but you can also choose to manually bid.

7. Don’t skip the ad extensions

Make the most of your ad’s impact by including ad extensions like site links, callouts, and structured snippets. These informational and interactive elements make your ad more engaging — and give clients more ways to connect with your business.

8. Monitor and optimize

Once you launch your campaign, monitor your key metrics to measure the ad’s impact.

If you notice some metrics lagging behind, test and make adjustments so you’re making the most of your ad spend.

Skip the hassle and contact the experts at HawkSEM today to get your PPC campaign up and rolling. We specialize in maximizing your ROI with our proven PPC expertise. 

Common PPC mistakes to avoid

Now that we’ve seen what to do, let’s look at what not to do. Here are a few common PPC mistakes to avoid:

• Broad keyword targeting: Targeting general short-tail keywords with high search volumes can be tempting, but it puts you in competition against tons of other advertisers for the same keywords, driving up your costs and cutting down your chances of success. Instead, focus on long-tail keywords to attract high-intent viewers.
• Overlooking ad copy relevance: It’s easy to optimize your PPC campaign technology — but totally overlook your ad copy. No matter how many potential customers see your ad, it won’t matter if you’re running a sloppy ad that doesn’t convert.
• Neglecting negative keywords: Negative keywords are related to your industry, but not your offering. For example, when running a PPC campaign for your accounting firm, you may include keywords related to accounting services, but exclude keywords like “accounting software” or “DIY accounting” since those aren’t directly related to your services.
• Taking a “set it and forget it” approach: Once you launch your PPC campaign, don’t forget to track the data. Active participation in your campaign is the key to optimized results. Don’t hit launch and then assume your work is done.
• Inadequate budget management: Accountants are pros at keeping track of budgets, but without careful monitoring, it’s easy to lose track of ad spend. Consider using automated bidding strategies to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck, and keep a close eye on your ad spend to ensure your campaigns stay profitable.

Stay out of the trenches by keeping these PPC pitfalls in mind as you design your ad campaigns. Now, let’s learn about creating great PPC campaigns.

Best PPC platforms for accountants

Now that you know the basics of what PPC ads are, let’s break down the leading PPC platforms:

• Google Adwords: This platform is the most widespread, resulting in a massive reach. Google Ads also offers deep metrics through Google Analytics. With specific keyword applications and highly targeted audiences, Google Ads is the leader in PPC campaigns for a wide reach.
• LinkedIn Ads : LinkedIn targets professionals. If you’re an accounting firm seeking to connect with corporate clients, LinkedIn is a must-use platform. You can target based on job titles and industries, so LinkedIn is a great way to connect with folks in your accounting niche.
• Meta Ads: Facebook and Instagram are social media platforms that offer PPC ads. Both platforms allow detailed targeting for reaching potential clients. Instagram is ideal for highly visual industries, so it may not be the best avenue for accounting firms.
• Bing Ads: Bing Ads is a less competitive alternative to Google Ads. The CPC will likely be lower on Bing Ads, so if you’re looking to spend conservatively, Bing Ads could be a great pick.

While there are other options, these are the major four leaders. When deciding on the right platform, consider your goals and budget.

Important PPC terms

Here are a few key terms you’ll need to understand before you can make the most of your pay-per-click advertising:

• Cost per click (CPC): CPC is the basic unit of the cost associated with your PPC ads. Better-optimized ads will have lower CPC. CPC can change over time, so it’s an important metric to track as you run ads.
• Click-through rate (CTR): CTR compares the number of people who have seen your ad versus the number of people who clicked on it. This will show how effective your ad is on its target audience. Average CTRs in the finance industry in 2023 are around 6.1% for Google Ads. If you’re seeing CTRs well below that, that’s a sign your ad has room for improvement.
• Conversion rate: The conversion rate measures how well your ad turned searchers into paying clients. These are folks who clicked through and completed your desired call-to-action. Conversion rates vary considerably by industry. In the finance industry, the average conversion rate is around 4.1%.
• Quality Score: The Quality Score is a rating Google gives to ads to help you understand how your ad compares to other advertisers. It directly affects the placement and cost of the ad. Ads that are optimized and effective tend to have higher Quality Scores, which results in a better placement and lower CPC.
• Target audience: Your campaign will appear to the targeted audiences you select — in this case, folks looking for finance services.
• Ad extensions: These are an underused technical component of your pay-per-click ad. Ad extensions include links, phone numbers, and other elements that provide information searchers need to decide whether to click on your ad.

Checklist for building a successful PPC campaign for accounting

Now that we’ve covered the basics of PPC advertising, let’s simplify the process. Use this checklist to guide you through your first PPC campaign:

• Define the goals of your campaign
• Identify key performance indicators (KPIs), such as cost per acquisition (CPA) or return on ad spend (ROAS). Use these metrics to shape your campaign structure and bidding strategies.
• Conduct thorough keyword research
• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, and Ahrefs Keyword Explorer to find a balance between high-volume generic keywords that target broad audiences and specific long-tail keywords that reach prospective buyers.
• Craft compelling and targeted ad copy
• Draw on your keyword research to integrate relevant search terms into your ad text. Craft a clear, compelling call-to-action (CTA) to get users to click through to your website.
• Create compelling landing pages
• Use clear, benefit-focused copy and compelling social proof to drive conversions. Ensure that your ad copy is aligned with the messaging on your landing pages to deliver a consistent experience to users.
• Define your budget
• Allocate your budget based on the performance of different campaigns and search themes. Use automated bidding strategies to optimize for conversions while making the most of your budget.
• Implement tracking tools
• Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads — and link it with your Google Analytics for deeper insights into user behavior and overall campaign effectiveness.
• Review metrics regularly
• Avoid a “set it and forget it” mentality. Schedule weekly or bi-weekly reviews of your campaign analytics to look for trends and make data-driven adjustments to your ad strategy.
• Test and refine over time
• Always be testing. Test everything from ad image text to headlines to descriptions to CTA copy. Continually refine your approach and adapt to market changes.

The takeaway

PPC advertising isn’t nearly as complex as it seems.

The ingredients of a great PPC campaign are simple: Effective targeting, thoughtful keyword research, compelling copy, and ongoing monitoring.

But getting your first campaign off the ground can still feel like a huge challenge.

If you’re ready to maximize your marketing strategy and budget without spending hours on the details of PPC ads, talk to our strategists at HawkSEM. Our experts in PPC marketing will remove the stress of launching a great campaign — so you can get the most for your ad spend.

Ready for a cost-effective client acquisition solution? Reach out for a consultation today.