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Marketing for accountants UK: why doesn't your practice show up on Google?

CodiePi Limited·
CodiePi cover: marketing for accountants in the UK, with a laptop, calculator and notebook on a desk

Last updated: 10 November 2026 · By CodiePi Limited

Marketing for accountants in the UK starts with being findable for the work you actually want. Many small practices that don't show on Google have a generic "accountant" profile, one services page and no proof of who they help. Build pages for specific clients such as sole traders, landlords and contractors, tidy your Business Profile and show your credentials.

This spin-off builds on our general guide, why is my business not showing up on Google?, which covers indexing, verification and suspensions for any business. Here we focus on small accountancy practices, where the professional bodies set rules on advertising and clients choose on trust as much as price.

In this guide

  • Why do larger firms outrank a small practice on Google?
  • How is local SEO for accountants different?
  • Which niche service pages should a practice build?
  • What should you publish about Making Tax Digital for Income Tax?
  • What do ICAEW and ACCA rules mean for online marketing?
  • Which trust signals help a client choose you?
  • How does content marketing for accounting firms work on a small budget?
  • Which page suits which client?
  • How does CodiePi help accountancy practices?
Hands writing in a ledger beside a calculator and coloured folders on a wooden desk

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Why do larger firms outrank a small practice on Google?

Often because they are better known, not because they are better accountants. A small practice with a general category, one services page and a handful of reviews looks like every other firm in town, so Google has no clear reason to rank it above established names with more links and reviews.

Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence. Google says prominence draws on things like links and reviews, which favours established firms. Distance favours whoever is nearest to the searcher. Relevance is where a small practice can genuinely compete.

Once clients know what they need, many search for more than just "accountant". They search for an accountant for their situation: a landlord with two flats, a self-employed electrician, an IT contractor working through a limited company. If your website has a clear page for that client, Google has something specific to match. If it doesn't, the firm that does will usually get the call.

That is the starting point for marketing for accountants in the UK. Pick the clients you want, then make it obvious on Google that you serve them.

How is local SEO for accountants different?

Local SEO for accountants is less about the map and more about matching the specific client a searcher is, because many clients never visit the office. Your profile still needs the right category, address set-up and service areas, but the website does more of the work than it would for a café or a shop.

Start with the Business Profile basics:

  • Category: Google says categories affect local ranking and asks you to choose the most specific option on its list. Lead with the one that matches most of your fee income and add only a few genuine extras.
  • Address: if clients come to your office, show it. If you work from home and never meet clients there, Google says to remove the address and set up as a service-area business.
  • Services: list the services you want to be found for, using the same names as your website pages.
  • Reviews: Google says incentives in exchange for reviews are fake engagement and strictly prohibited, so ask every client the same way.

Then accept the limits, which apply to marketing for accountants as much as to any local business. A service area tells Google you work in a town, but it won't make you outrank a practice based there. Plenty of clients are happy to work with an accountant remotely, so local SEO for accountants should cover your home area well and let niche pages win the wider searches.

Which niche service pages should a practice build?

Build a page for each type of client you want more of, written in their language, saying what you do for them, how you charge and how onboarding works. Sole traders, landlords, contractors and small limited companies each search differently, so one "our services" page can't rank for all of them.

Good starting points for a small practice:

  • Sole traders and the self-employed: Self Assessment, bookkeeping, expenses and the move to Making Tax Digital.
  • Landlords: rental income, property records and Making Tax Digital for property income.
  • Contractors: limited company accounts, payroll and the questions contractors ask when they start out.
  • Small limited companies: year-end accounts, corporation tax and VAT.

Each page should say who does the work, what's included, what isn't, and what happens after someone gets in touch. If you show fees, ACCA's guidance says the basis on which fees are calculated should be clearly stated and shouldn't mislead about the services or time covered.

A niche page is also where online marketing for accountants becomes measurable, and it is the most reliable building block in marketing for accountants generally. Send ads, newsletters and social posts to the matching page rather than the homepage, and you can see which clients each channel brings in.

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What should you publish about Making Tax Digital for Income Tax?

Publish a clear, dated explainer that matches HMRC's current guidance and links to it, then a page saying how you help clients sign up and stay compliant. HMRC says sole traders and landlords registered for Self Assessment with qualifying income over £50,000 for 2024 to 2025 should have started using MTD from 6 April 2026.

HMRC's guidance, last updated on 26 March 2026, sets out the later stages too:

  • Qualifying income over £30,000 for the 2025 to 2026 tax year: use it from 6 April 2027.
  • Qualifying income over £20,000 for the 2026 to 2027 tax year: use it from 6 April 2028.
  • Partnerships will need to use it in the future, with a timeline to be set out later.

HMRC also says it reviews each Self Assessment return and writes to people above the threshold, but that it is still the taxpayer's responsibility to check and sign up if no letter arrives. Some people can be exempt, for example if they are digitally excluded.

This is the kind of topic where good marketing for accountants earns trust. Sole traders and landlords are searching for plain answers, and a practice that explains the dates, the software choice and the sign-up steps is the one they'll contact. Put a "last checked" date on the page and review it whenever HMRC updates its guidance, because thresholds and timelines have changed before.

What do ICAEW and ACCA rules mean for online marketing?

They allow you to advertise but require it to be honest, clear and fair to other firms. The ICAEW Code of Ethics says accountants must not make exaggerated claims about services, qualifications or experience, or disparaging references or unsubstantiated comparisons to the work of others. ACCA's guidance sets similar limits for its members.

ICAEW's marketing helpsheet adds practical detail. Advertising should be legal, decent, honest, truthful and clear, and must conform with the requirements of the Advertising Standards Authority. Claims to be the leading practice in an area need their basis stated on the material itself. It also reminds firms that marketing emails, including newsletters, are covered by UK GDPR and PECR, recommends a clear opt-out and points to the ICO's direct marketing guidance.

ACCA's guidance on obtaining professional work says members may advertise in any way they think fit, provided it doesn't bring the profession into disrepute, discredit other firms, mislead or fall short of the UK advertising codes. An ad should be clearly identifiable as an ad.

For online marketing for accountants, that rules out "the best accountant in town" headlines you can't back up, and comparisons with rival firms that are unsubstantiated, misleading or disparaging. It doesn't rule out confident, specific copy about what you do. ICAEW also offers a paid service to check practice marketing material against its Code if you want a second opinion.

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Which trust signals help a client choose you?

Named people, their qualifications and professional body, your practising status, clear fees or fee basis, and genuine reviews. Clients are handing over their finances, so they look for proof before they call. Every claim should be accurate and easy to check, which suits both the professional rules and Google.

ACCA's guidance on public practice says members responsible for public practice work in the UK must hold an ACCA practising certificate. If you hold one, or the equivalent from ICAEW or another body, say so on your about page and link to the body's public directory where it has one.

Other signals worth adding:

  • Photos and short profiles of the people clients will actually deal with.
  • The software you support for bookkeeping and Making Tax Digital.
  • How you handle new clients, including the identity checks you carry out.
  • Reviews on your Google profile, linked from the website, with polite replies that never reveal client details.

None of this needs a big budget. It needs accuracy. A practice that shows real people and real credentials looks more trustworthy than one with stock photos and vague promises. Honest marketing for accountants plays to that strength.

How does content marketing for accounting firms work on a small budget?

Write a small number of useful, accurate articles that answer the questions your target clients already ask you, link each to the matching service page, and keep them updated. Content marketing for accounting firms isn't about volume. A few well maintained pages beat a feed of generic tax tips copied from elsewhere.

Look at the emails and calls you get each January and April. Questions like "do I need to register for Self Assessment?" or "what records does a landlord need?" make ideal articles. Answer the question in the first paragraph, then explain, and link to HMRC for the official detail.

Content marketing for accounting firms can also help with AI search. In our experience, pages that answer one question clearly and directly are easier for those tools to use, which is what we cover in what is AI SEO. Results build over months rather than weeks, as we explain in how long SEO takes.

Keep a simple calendar: one article a month, a review of the Making Tax Digital page each quarter, and a check of your fee and service pages before the busy season.

Which page suits which client?

Match each client type to one page, one main search phrase and one trust signal. The table below is a starting map for marketing for accountants at a small practice. Adapt it to the clients you actually want, and build the pages for your best-fit clients first.

Client typePage to buildWhat they might searchTrust signal to show
Sole tradersSelf-employed accounts and MTDaccountant for self-employed near meNamed adviser, MTD software supported
LandlordsLandlord accounts and property incomeaccountant for landlordsClear fee basis, MTD dates from HMRC
ContractorsContractor limited company accountscontractor accountantPractising certificate, onboarding steps
Small limited companiesYear-end accounts and corporation taxsmall business accountant plus townReviews, office address if clients visit
New businessesStarting a business checklistdo I need an accountantPlain-English guide linked to GOV.UK

How does CodiePi help accountancy practices?

We start by finding out why your practice isn't showing up for the clients you want, before suggesting any package. Our free audit looks at how you appear on Google, the issues costing you enquiries and how you compare with nearby firms. There is nothing to pay, no obligation and no promised rankings.

The fix might be a Business Profile clean-up and niche pages through our SEO services, or newsletters and campaigns through our digital marketing team. We write with the ICAEW and ACCA rules in mind, and the final sign-off on any claim stays with you.

CodiePi is based in Doddington, Cambridgeshire, and works with businesses across the UK, mostly online and by phone. If your marketing for accountants needs a fresh look, book your free audit.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my practice appear for its name but not for the clients I want?

Google knows you exist but doesn't see you as the best match for wider searches. That is common when the profile uses a general category and the website has one services page. Build pages for specific clients such as landlords or contractors, match your profile services to them and keep collecting genuine reviews.

When do sole traders and landlords need Making Tax Digital for Income Tax?

HMRC says those with qualifying income over £50,000 for 2024 to 2025 should have started from 6 April 2026. Over £30,000 for 2025 to 2026 means starting from 6 April 2027, and over £20,000 for 2026 to 2027 means 6 April 2028. Check HMRC's guidance for the latest position and exemptions.

Can accountants advertise on Google and social media?

Yes. ICAEW and ACCA both allow members to advertise, provided marketing is honest, clear and not misleading, avoids exaggerated claims and doesn't disparage other firms. Advertising must also meet the UK advertising codes. Marketing emails need a lawful basis under UK GDPR and PECR, and ICAEW recommends a clear opt-out.

Do accountants need a Google Business Profile if clients never visit?

It still helps, because many people search on Google and Maps first. If you don't meet clients at your address, Google says to remove it and set up as a service-area business with the areas you cover. Choose the most specific category, list your services and link the profile to the right page.

What is the best content marketing for accounting firms?

Accurate answers to the questions your target clients already ask, published as clear pages and kept up to date. Making Tax Digital explainers, landlord and contractor guides and year-end checklists work well when they link to HMRC and to your matching service page. A few well maintained articles beat a large volume of generic tips.

Sources

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