Why Your Accountancy Firm's Website Isn't Showing Up on Google

Most accountancy practices have a website. Most of those websites are invisible on Google. Not because Google has anything against accountants — but because the sites are missing the basic groundwork that local search actually requires.

This isn’t complicated. Here’s exactly what’s going wrong, and what fixes it.

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The problem isn’t your website’s design

When accountants find out their site isn’t ranking, the first assumption is usually that it needs a redesign. That’s rarely the issue.

The real problems are almost always technical — things that have nothing to do with how the site looks and everything to do with how Google reads it.

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Reason 1: You’re not in the Google Maps “local pack”

When someone searches “accountant in Birmingham” (or Coventry, or Wolverhampton), Google shows a box at the top of the results with three businesses, their phone numbers, their reviews, and a map. That box — called the local pack — gets the majority of clicks.

If you’re not in it, you’re competing for whatever’s left. And the businesses in that box are almost always there because of one thing: a properly set up and actively managed Google Business Profile.

A Google Business Profile is separate from your website. It’s the listing that powers the map pack. You claim it, fill it in correctly, and manage it — or you don’t appear.

Most accountancy firms either haven’t claimed theirs, or claimed it years ago and never touched it again.

The fix: Claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile. Set your primary category to “Accountant” — not “Financial Consultant” or “Business Services.” Add your services, upload photos, and post to it at least once a week.

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Reason 2: Your primary category is wrong

Google uses your primary category to decide which searches to show you for. Many accountancy practices set their category to something generic — “Financial Services,” “Professional Services,” or “Business Consultant.”

When someone searches “accountant in [your town],” Google looks for businesses with “Accountant” as their primary category. If yours says something else, you’re filtered out before the competition even starts.

The fix: Go into your Google Business Profile settings and set the primary category to Accountant. Add secondary categories for anything specific: Tax Advisor, Bookkeeper, Payroll Service — whatever matches what you actually do.

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Reason 3: Your website isn’t mobile-friendly

More than half of local searches happen on a phone. Google ranks mobile performance heavily — a site that loads slowly or breaks on a small screen gets pushed down in results.

The tell-tale signs: text that’s too small to read without pinching, buttons that are too close together to tap accurately, or a contact page that requires three scrolls to reach.

Most accountancy websites were built 5–10 years ago. Mobile standards have changed entirely since then.

The fix: Test your site on your phone right now. If anything feels awkward, it’s costing you rankings. Google’s free tool — PageSpeed Insights — will tell you exactly what’s slowing it down.

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Reason 4: Your site doesn’t mention the right locations

Google local search is geographically specific. If someone in Solihull searches “accountant near me,” Google wants to see that you serve Solihull — either because your address is there, or because your website explicitly mentions it.

Most accountancy websites say “we serve businesses across the UK” or “Midlands-based accountants.” That’s too vague. Google can’t map it to a specific town.

The fix: Add a page (or at minimum, a clear section) that names the specific towns and areas you work in. Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton — whichever applies. Use natural language: “We work with small businesses and limited companies across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.”

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Reason 5: No one is reviewing you consistently

Google’s ranking algorithm treats review velocity — how often new reviews arrive — as a signal that your business is active. A firm with 40 reviews received over 8 years ranks lower than a firm with 20 reviews received over the last 6 months.

Most accountants get reviews occasionally, when a particularly happy client thinks to leave one. That’s not enough to compete.

The fix: After every new client onboarding, after every year-end filing, after every time a client says “thanks, that was really useful” — ask them to leave a Google review. Two to four new reviews per month is the target. It compounds quickly.

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What this adds up to

None of these fixes require a new website. They require:

1. A properly claimed and completed Google Business Profile
2. The right primary category set
3. A site that works on mobile
4. Location-specific content
5. A consistent review-gathering habit

A new website helps — particularly if yours is slow, broken on mobile, or was built before 2018. But a new site without the groundwork above will be just as invisible as the old one.

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One thing worth knowing

At mybitness, when we build a website for an accountancy firm, the local SEO groundwork — Google Business Profile setup, correct schema markup, location-specific pages, mobile performance — is part of the standard build. Not an add-on.

If you’d like us to take a look at why your current site isn’t performing and tell you honestly what’s holding it back, we offer a free video review. Paul records a 5-minute walkthrough covering the three biggest issues, with no obligation to proceed.

Get your free website review →