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PPC for Accountants & CPAs: A Beginner’s Guide

Samuel Edwards
|
May 2, 2022

Did you know that Google handles about 5.6 billion search queries per day?

If you want your accounting company to get more exposure, it’s essential to get as many visitors to your site as possible.

It helps a lot to have a high Google page rank for major accounting firm and CPA terms, but a pay-per-click campaign for accountants could be just what you need to set your company apart.

Why Should Accountants and CPAs Use PPC Advertising?

Why Should Accountants and CPAs Use PPC Advertising?

PPC campaigns are helpful for the accounting Firms profession for many reasons:

Highly Visible

With Pay per click (PPC) advertising, your company’s name will appear above most results on search engine. This helps more potential clients find your business.

If your company doesn’t rank for a critical accounting keyword, you can design an ad that appears when the user types that word. Your company name and site will always get prominence above your competition with PPC ads.

More Control

With A successful PPC campaign, you have a lot of control. It’s possible to make campaign changes immediately.

Just choose the keywords you want to focus on, set how much you are spending, and write the ad.

Easy To Track

PPC allows you to track people that click your accounting Firms or CPA website. With that data, you know which Google ads work and which don’t. You also learn which pages get the most visitors and the most effective keywords.

All of this information lets you tweak your ads for the most effectiveness over the long term.

PPC Tips For Accountants And CPAs

Before setting up a PPC campaign, please review these best practices to get the most bang for your buck.

Look For New Keywords

Keywords for Accountants

Your Pay per click (PPC) campaign should be regularly updated to ensure they are focused on the right keywords and prospects. That means you or your PPC manager need to look for the latest keyword opportunities to put into the campaign.

You can rely on many ways to find the latest keywords. One simple way is to review Google search results in your niche and look for keywords that you didn’t include in your digital marketing campaign.

Another way is using the Keyword Planner that is included in your account. This is a free tool loaded with ways to find the best and most competitive keywords. You also can review what the average cost per click is for each word. Then you can forecast what you will probably spend and the marketing budget you need.

Review Conversion Tracking

This is essential for your accounting PPC campaign. Conversion tracking lets you check how many visitors have come to your site from the campaign. This could be through a website form, chat, or phone call.

You also can use micro-conversion that lets you see smaller types of engagement, such as signing up for the e-newsletter or downloading a white paper.

When you set up conversion tracking, you can watch how many contacts or sales have come from a period of time compared to the costs. You also will know which keywords, ads, and landing pages are the best performers. This allows you to fine-tune your paid search campaigns for the most cost-effective results.

Check Your Competitors

Spyfu

It’s easy to get bogged down in your own company and campaign, but don’t forget to check what your competitors are up to. There are reports and tools within Google Ads that help you keep up with competitors.

Some of these tools are free, but you also can pay third parties to analyze your competition. A popular paid tool is Spyfu which shows the keywords your competitors pay for. Another good one is SERanking. Both offer a good look at what other marketers are paying every month for your keywords.

Finetune Your Ads

For every accounting ad group, you have in Google Ads, it’s advised to have two or three advertisements so you can test various promotions and variations. Google/search engines have several ad types you can choose from.

Google defaults to showing the best-performing ads the most. So you should watch your ads and continue running tests. Any ad that isn’t performing well should be analyzed and improved for the best digital marketing spend.

Ensure Geo-Targeting Is Correct

It might seem too obvious, but it’s surprising how many accounting firm target areas that don’t matter to their business. After all, if your office is in Seattle, you may not get a lot of traction running ads in Miami. Sure, some clients can be remote, but many people don’t want to use an accountant that isn’t in their town.

You can easily set up location targeting in your Google Ad account by clicking Settings, Locations, and City/Region/Zip Code.

Review Recommendations

Review Recommendations Inside Your Google Ads Account

The recommendations page in your Google account offers many helpful opportunities to improve your campaign. Recommendations are created automatically by Google’s algorithm when it sees chances to make your campaign better.

There are lots of recommendations on this page that can help your accounting PPC campaign. Some include dynamic search as, targeting and keywords, responsive search ads, and more.

You also will notice an optimization score. This is Google’s estimate of how well your account is performing. Applying their recommendations helps the campaign improve.

Remember Broad Match Keywords

The list of keywords for accountants is often shorter than for other PPC ads advertisers. This means there are fewer search variations even when your campaign targets several geographic locations.

That said, you still might dig up a few long tail keywords that work well for your accounting business.

It’s often worthwhile to use board match keyword versions of other keywords and match types. Experts say it’s ideal to begin with phrase and exact match keywords. Then, put in broad match after a few weeks or months when you want more clicks.

Don’t neglect negative keywords, either. For accountants, this can include keywords that are related to people searching for jobs, careers, resumes, etc.

PPC is one of the most powerful and cost-efficient ways for accountants to grow their brand and practice. Use these tips and your accounting firm will be well ahead of the competition.

Author
Recent Posts

Samuel Edwards

Chief Marketing Officer

Throughout his extensive 10+ year journey as a digital marketer, Sam has left an indelible mark on both small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises alike. His portfolio boasts collaborations with esteemed entities such as NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Price Benowitz LLP, a prominent law firm based in Washington, DC, and the esteemed human rights organization Amnesty International. In his role as a technical SEO and digital marketing strategist, Sam takes the helm of all paid and organic operations teams, steering client SEO services, link building initiatives, and white label digital marketing partnerships to unparalleled success. An esteemed thought leader in the industry, Sam is a recurring speaker at the esteemed Search Marketing Expo conference series and has graced the TEDx stage with his insights. Today, he channels his expertise into direct collaboration with high-end clients spanning diverse verticals, where he meticulously crafts strategies to optimize on and off-site SEO ROI through the seamless integration of content marketing and link building.

Latest posts by

Samuel Edwards

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Author

Samuel Edwards

Chief Marketing Officer

Throughout his extensive 10+ year journey as a digital marketer, Sam has left an indelible mark on both small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises alike. His portfolio boasts collaborations with esteemed entities such as NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Price Benowitz LLP, a prominent law firm based in Washington, DC, and the esteemed human rights organization Amnesty International. In his role as a technical SEO and digital marketing strategist, Sam takes the helm of all paid and organic operations teams, steering client SEO services, link building initiatives, and white label digital marketing partnerships to unparalleled success. An esteemed thought leader in the industry, Sam is a recurring speaker at the esteemed Search Marketing Expo conference series and has graced the TEDx stage with his insights. Today, he channels his expertise into direct collaboration with high-end clients spanning diverse verticals, where he meticulously crafts strategies to optimize on and off-site SEO ROI through the seamless integration of content marketing and link building.

Related posts

Samuel Edwards
|
May 30, 2025
PPC Case Study: Tampa, Florida Apartment Complex

When this apartment complex client partnered with PPC.co, their goal was clear: generate more qualified leads through Google Ads. In just 60 days—from January to March 2025—we transformed their paid acquisition performance. Total conversions more than tripled, jumping from 10 to 32, while the overall conversion rate soared by over 300%. At the same time, we drove down the cost per conversion by 44%, delivering significantly more leads at a much lower cost. 

By strategically combining Performance Max and high-intent Search campaigns, we not only increased lead volume but improved overall efficiency and ROI. This rapid and measurable improvement underscores the value of data-driven optimization and expert campaign management.

January 2025

March 2025

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Campaign Analysis Summary

January 2025

  • Total Ad Spend: $498.63

  • Total Conversions: 10

  • Cost per Conversion: $49.86

  • Overall Conversion Rate: 1.12%

  • Campaigns Active:

    • Performance Max (PMax):

      • Conversions: 10

      • Conversion Rate: 1.12%

      • Cost per Conversion: $49.86

    • Search Campaign: No conversions or spend.

March 2025

  • Total Ad Spend: $898.54

  • Total Conversions: 32

  • Cost per Conversion: $28.08

  • Overall Conversion Rate: 4.64%

  • Campaigns Active:


    • Performance Max (PMax):


      • Conversions: 19

      • Conversion Rate: 3.74%

      • Cost per Conversion: $27.39

    • Search Campaign:


      • Conversions: 13

      • Conversion Rate: 7.14%

      • Cost per Conversion: $29.08

Strategic PPC Campaign Insights

  • Performance Max Improvements:

    • Conversions almost doubled (10 → 19) with just a 4.4% increase in spend ($498.63 → $520.45).

    • Cost per conversion was nearly cut in half ($49.86 → $27.39), showing better algorithmic targeting or improved creatives/landing page experience.

    • Conversion rate rose from 1.12% to 3.74%, indicating better audience alignment.

  • Search Campaign Activation:

    • Was inactive in January.

    • Delivered strong performance in March with a 7.14% conversion rate and 13 conversions at a very competitive $29.08 cost per conversion.

    • High interaction rate (7.65%) shows strong ad engagement and search intent alignment.

What’s the path going forward? 

  1. Continue Campaign Diversification:

    • The dual strategy of running both PMax and Search campaigns is proving effective. Continue scaling with both to diversify reach and conversion sources.

  2. Increase Budget Strategically:

    • Given the efficiency improvements (43.7% drop in cost per conversion), consider increasing the budget further to capitalize on momentum—particularly for the high-performing Search campaign.

  3. Refine PMax Targeting & Creative:

    • The Performance Max campaign is performing well but has room to improve conversion rate to match the Search campaign. A/B test creatives, refine audience signals, and check landing page relevance.

  4. Track Lead Quality:

    • Ensure that higher conversion volume aligns with high-quality leads or downstream metrics like closed deals or ROI.

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The client was thrilled with the performance. As they put it: 

‍

We’re super excited about the results! Can’t wait to see what’s to come!”

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Conclusion

This case study is a testament to what can happen when a well-structured campaign meets expert strategy and continuous optimization. Whether you're launching a new property or looking to boost occupancy in a competitive market, PPC.co delivers real results—fast.

Ready to grow your leads and lower your cost per conversion?
Contact us today to schedule a free audit and discover how we can help you achieve similar results.

Click on the following link if you would like to see more PPC case studies! 

‍

Timothy Carter
|
May 29, 2025
The E-Commerce & Retail Guide to Running Profitable Paid Ads

If you’re running an e-commerce or retail business, you already know that visibility is everything. The best product in the world won’t sell if no one sees it. That’s where paid ads for ecommerce comes in. 

Done right, they drive traffic, conversions, and repeat customers. 

Done wrong, they drain your budget and leave you wondering what went wrong.

Whether you’re spending $500 a month or $50,000, your goal is the same: profitability. Not just clicks, and certainly not just impressions. You want to turn ad dollars into real, predictable revenue.

So how do top-performing e-commerce and retail brands make their paid ads work? 

What are they doing that you’re not? 

This guide breaks it down step-by-step, so you can start running profitable ads with confidence.

Understand Your Business Goals Before You Spend a Dime

Before you launch a single campaign, you need clarity on your audience and goals. Are you trying to boost first-time sales? Increase average order value? Each objective requires a different strategy and metrics for success.

  • If your goal is new customer acquisition, your campaigns might be optimized for reach, clicks, or conversions. 
  • If your goal is profitability, you’ll focus more on return on ad spend (ROAS), customer lifetime value (CLTV), and cost per acquisition (CPA).

Don’t fall into the trap of launching ads just to “see what happens.” Paid media works best when it’s part of a bigger strategy. So before you log in to Google Ads or Meta Ads Manager, get specific about what success looks like.

Know Your Numbers

If you want to run profitable paid ads, knowing your numbers is the foundation of your entire strategy. Without a clear understanding of your margins, break-even points, and how much you can afford to spend to acquire a customer, you’re essentially gambling with your ad budget. 

And in e-commerce, that can get expensive fast.

Let’s start with the most critical numbers you need to know:

  • Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). This is what it costs you to produce or source the product you’re selling, including manufacturing, packaging, and shipping to your warehouse (or dropshipping fees). If you’re selling a T-shirt for $30 but it costs you $10 to manufacture and another $5 to ship, your total COGS is $15.
  • Average Order Value (AOV). AOV is the average dollar amount a customer spends when they place an order on your site. If your total revenue for a given period is $10,000 and you had 200 orders, your AOV is $50. This number helps you understand how much revenue you can expect per customer interaction – and it’s key to setting realistic ad spend limits.
  • Gross Profit Margin. This is the percentage of each sale that’s actual profit before marketing and operational costs. Using the example above, if your product sells for $30 and costs $15 to produce, your gross profit is $15, or 50 percent. If your AOV is $50 and your average product costs $25, you’re working with a 50 percent margin overall. Higher margins give you more breathing room with your ad spend.

Your break-even ROAS tells you the minimum return you need on your ad spend to not lose money. It’s calculated by dividing 1 by your gross profit margin. 

So if your margin is 50 percent, your break-even ROAS is 2.0. That means for every $1 you spend on ads, you need to make $2 in sales just to break even.

For example, let’s say you’re running Facebook Ads and spending $1,000 on a campaign. If your break-even ROAS is 2.0, you need to generate at least $2,000 in revenue to avoid losing money. Anything above that is profit. Anything below that eats into your cash.

Once you know your numbers, you can reverse-engineer your ad strategy instead of throwing money into the void and hoping for results. For instance, if your AOV is low (say $25), you might struggle to profit from ads unless you have a very low COGS or high conversion rates. In that case, you might want to:

  • Bundle products to increase AOV
  • Offer free shipping thresholds (e.g., “Free shipping over $50”)
  • Upsell or cross-sell related products during checkout

On the other hand, if your AOV is $150 and your margins are strong, you have more room to compete in ad auctions, bid more aggressively, and test multiple audiences and creatives without instantly wiping out your profit.

A lot of beginner advertisers focus entirely on immediate return from ads. That’s understandable – but short-sighted. If you’re breaking even or slightly losing on the first sale, that might still be a smart move if you’re building long-term customer relationships.

That’s where Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) comes in. If you know that your average customer places three orders a year, each worth $60, then their LTV is $180. If you spend $40 to acquire that customer with your first ad, but earn $140 more over the next 12 months, that ad was extremely profitable in the long run.

Top e-commerce brands build their paid strategies around LTV-to-CAC ratio – how much they earn over time compared to what they paid to acquire the customer. 

A healthy ratio is usually 3:1 or higher. So if you’re spending $50 to acquire a customer, you want to earn at least $150 from that customer over time.

Once you understand your numbers, you can plan your ad spend with precision. You’ll know exactly:

  • How much you can pay to acquire a customer
  • How much you need to make per order to be profitable
  • What kind of ROAS you should target in your campaigns
  • When it’s time to scale or pull back

Let’s say you want to make $5,000 in profit this month, and your product has a 50 percent gross margin. That means you need $10,000 in sales. If your target ROAS is 2.5, you can spend up to $4,000 in ad spend to hit that goal. With those numbers in hand, you now have a roadmap for campaign budgeting, not just a shot in the dark.

Choose the Right Platforms for Your Audience

Every ad platform has strengths. But if you try to use them all at once, you’ll burn through your budget without learning much. Instead, pick one or two that align best with your business model and customer behavior.

If you’re selling visually appealing products like apparel, skincare, or home goods, platforms like Instagram and TikTok can deliver strong returns – especially with the right creative. If you’re focused on high-intent buyers, Google Search and Shopping Ads are goldmines. And if you’re targeting professionals or B2B retail buyers, LinkedIn may offer surprising results.

Test channels strategically. Start with the one that matches where your customers spend their time and scale from there. The best platform for you is the one where your ideal customers are already shopping, scrolling, or searching.

Nail Your Targeting

One of the biggest mistakes retailers make is casting too wide a net. You don’t want everyone to see your ad – you want the right people to see it.

On Google, this means targeting high-intent keywords that signal buying behavior. Focus on terms like “buy,” “best,” “free shipping,” or product-specific searches. On Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you’ll want to dial in your custom audiences using demographic data, lookalikes, interests, and behavior.

Don’t forget retargeting. Most people won’t buy the first time they visit your site, but retargeting brings them back when they’re ready. Set up ads that follow people who viewed a product, added to cart, or engaged with your brand but didn’t check out.

The more relevant your targeting, the more efficient your spend and the higher your return.

Invest in Scroll-Stopping Creative

Creative is the make-or-break factor in most e-commerce ad campaigns. You can have perfect targeting and the right product, but if your ad doesn’t grab attention in the first two seconds, it won’t convert.

Your creative needs to do three things quickly:

  1. Stop the scroll
  2. Spark interest
  3. Show value

Use high-quality product photos or videos. Show your product in action. Highlight a clear benefit or solve a specific problem. Incorporate customer reviews or user-generated content to build trust.

For paid social, test multiple creatives at once – video vs. image, UGC vs. branded, short-form vs. long-form – and let performance data guide your iterations. On search platforms like Google, focus on copy that’s compelling and packed with relevant keywords. Test different headlines and descriptions to see what gets the best click-through rate.

Use Landing Pages That Convert

Sending paid traffic to your homepage is a rookie mistake. You want every click to land on a page that’s designed to convert. That means fast load times, mobile optimization, and a clear call-to-action.

If you’re promoting a specific product, send users to that product page and not your full catalog. If you’re offering a bundle or a seasonal deal, create a dedicated landing page with copy, visuals, and layout tailored to that offer.

Remove distractions. Reduce friction. Make it stupid-easy for people to buy. The less effort it takes, the more sales you’ll see. And don’t forget to A/B test. Sometimes a simple tweak to your headline or CTA can double your conversion rate overnight.

Monitor Performance

Once your ads are live, your job isn’t done. In fact, this is where it really begins. You need to monitor performance regularly, looking at more than just the surface-level metrics.

Click-through rate (CTR) tells you how well your ad is capturing attention. Conversion rate shows how well your landing page is sealing the deal. ROAS tells you how profitable your campaign is. And CPA helps you compare efficiency across different products or audiences.

Watch for early indicators of success – or failure. 

  • If your CTR is low, your creative probably needs work. 
  • If people click but don’t buy, your landing page or offer may be off. 
  • If your ROAS is negative, it’s time to adjust your targeting, bidding, or pricing.

Treat your campaigns like living systems. Tweak, test, and improve them continuously.

Scale What’s Working, Kill What’s Not

Once you find a winning combination – an ad, offer, and audience that works – it’s time to scale. Increase your budget gradually while keeping an eye on performance. Scaling too fast can tank your results, so go step by step.

Duplicate high-performing campaigns to test new audiences or creatives. Experiment with upsells, bundles, or time-limited offers to increase AOV. Layer in email or SMS marketing to retarget paid traffic and drive repeat sales.

And just as importantly, don’t be afraid to kill underperforming ads. If something isn’t working after a reasonable test period, cut it. Your budget should be flowing to what works – not what you hope will work.

Focus on Lifetime Value

One of the biggest mistakes in paid advertising is chasing one-off sales without thinking about the bigger picture. Winning e-commerce brands think in terms of customer lifetime value.

If your first sale breaks even, that’s fine. (As long as you have a plan to turn that customer into a repeat buyer. ) You can use post-purchase emails, loyalty programs, and retargeting ads to bring people back.

At the end of the day, when you view paid ads as the beginning of a customer relationship – not the end – you unlock real long-term profitability. And at PPC.co, that’s where we want to help you! We offer industry-leading PPC management services for ecommerce and retail brands who want to stop wasting ad spend and start generating real ROI.

Contact us today to learn more!

‍

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