I've always been driven to improve our SEO strategies, and recently, I've been particularly excited about the power of video content. We just received the first batch of ten video clips from one of our accounting clients, and this has only reinforced my belief that video is the future of SEO. With AI-generated content flooding Google's search results, it's become harder to differentiate quality, trustworthy content from the noise in today's digital landscape.
Years ago, things were different. We could write a high-quality blog post, optimize it with some backlinks, and watch it rise to the top of Google's rankings. I remember one article that ranked higher than the Australian Tax Office (ATO) for years on topics like "What can I claim without receipts?" and tax deduction tips. But those days are gone. Today, thousands of meticulously written, well-researched blog posts on the same topics make it difficult to stand out using traditional methods alone.
The Power of Video in SEO
That's why we're blending video production with our SEO strategies. Every single blog we now create for our clients features a video. These videos aren't just generic marketing content; they're authentic, founder-led videos where our clients—typically accountants or directors—answer common questions in their own words. They know these topics by heart, meaning they don't need to script anything. It's genuine, authoritative content, and that's exactly what Google is looking for.
For instance, if a blog answers a common tax question like "Can I gift money to my children?" a video will feature the accountant providing the answer conversationally and naturally. This creates not only great blog content but also engaging social media and LinkedIn content. It shows that the advice is coming from a real expert, which helps establish trust with both users and search engines.
Building Authority and Trust
The key to succeeding in SEO today is authority. Google's algorithms are becoming more sophisticated, prioritizing content from credible, authoritative sources. That's why we go beyond just creating great content. We're also emphasizing the importance of SEO authorship. By linking to the accountant's LinkedIn profile and other credible publications they've been featured in, we're showing Google that this content is trustworthy and written by someone with real expertise. It's similar to Google's past updates targeting the medical industry, where it became essential for medical content to be authored by verified professionals.
This approach is working because it builds real brands. And that's a crucial distinction. I still have hundreds of websites that aren't real brands, and they're struggling to rank. However, the ones where we apply brand-building strategies—whether video content, acquiring real Google reviews, or highlighting expert authorship—are seeing significant gains in traffic and rankings.
Overcoming Challenges in SEO for Accountants
Of course, there are challenges. Only some business owners are comfortable getting in front of a camera, and only some businesses have a physical office location, making local SEO harder. But when a business fully embraces these strategies, the results speak for themselves. For example, businesses with Google reviews and verified online presence consistently rank better. For those who can't provide these assets, we double down on things we can control—like producing more high-quality content, acquiring more backlinks, and focusing on technical SEO optimizations.
I've been doing SEO for 15 years, and I've learned that it's often the small, overlooked factors that can make or break your success. Optimizing H1 tags, crafting compelling meta descriptions, improving site speed, ensuring mobile optimization, and acquiring quality backlinks are all critical. But beyond that, it's the brand signals—like Google reviews and user engagement—that are becoming increasingly essential to long-term SEO success.
How Video Enhances Engagement and SEO
One of the biggest benefits of integrating video into our blogs is the boost in user engagement. From an SEO perspective, this is gold. When users land on a blog or service page and see a video of the business owner or accountant answering questions, they're likelier to stay on the page longer. This boosts time on site, reduces bounce rates, and signals to Google that the content is valuable and engaging. And, as we all know, Google rewards sites that provide a better user experience.
We're integrating these videos not just into blogs but also across service pages. For example, a service page about individual tax returns might feature a video of the business owner explaining common questions related to the service. It's not just about making the page more engaging for users; it's about showing Google that the page is rich with useful, dynamic content, which leads to better rankings and more traffic over time.
The Future of SEO: Combining Brand Building with Optimization
The concept of building real brands is at the core of all of this. Real brands get real results, and I've seen this happen time and time again. The websites that we treat like legitimate businesses—with real authority, Google reviews, and client engagement—are the ones that rank. It's becoming less about gaming the system with backlinks and more about creating genuine, valuable content people trust.
That's where video plays such a pivotal role. It's a medium that allows us to showcase the expertise and personality behind the business in a way that written content alone can't. And from an SEO perspective, it's incredibly powerful. Videos increase user engagement, build trust, and show Google that we're serious about providing value to users.
I'm excited to see where this strategy takes us next. We're already planning the next batch of videos for our clients, and I can't wait to get more of this content up on their sites. The goal is simple: to create meaningful, authoritative content that drives results—not just in terms of traffic and rankings but also in terms of real engagement and conversions.
