Beating the competition with SERPs
If you’re looking for ways to tap into your competitors’ strategies and beat them at their own game, this post is for you. We’ll explain how SERPs contain the knowledge you need to refine and improve your marketing strategy, giving you the edge over your online rivals. Let’s get to it.
What are SERPs?
First of all, what on earth are SERPs?
As an accounting firm, you’ll be familiar with the use of technical jargon. In marketing it’s the same – there are lots of terms that initially seem obscure but are actually fairly simple.
SERPs is an acronym for Search Engine Results Pages i.e. the pages that are displayed when you search for something in Google or Bing. Each results page is made up of several facets – paid listings, organic listings, and other elements such as maps or images, depending on your query.
So how can SERPs help you beat your competition?
Using SERPs to your advantage
SERPs list websites that relate to your query, with the search engine displaying the site it perceives as most relevant to you at the top of the organic listings. There may be several sites listed above that, but these are typically paid adverts.
Within the individual listings is highly useful data – SERP data – which can show you what your competition is doing. It enables you to:
- Uncover hidden trends
- Improve paid advertising
- Expose content gaps
- Understand how content performs across regions
You can access this data by using a SERP scraper API. These automated tools pull web data from a plethora of sources, giving you visibility of how you competitors are operating, what content is working for them, and more. This in turn enables you to create a strategy that works harder, taking advantage of the successes of your competitors and finding niches they have overlooked.
Getting a SERP scraper API
The good news is you don’t have to build a SERP scraper API from scratch. There are lots of providers out there, and once you’ve signed up, all you need to do is configure your research parameters to obtain the information you require.
Your SERP API will typically have a dashboard where you can designate various parameters for search requests and customise your workflow and data needs. Parameters available include:
- Geo-targeting
- Device used
- Language used
- Safe mode SERPs
- Specific features such as maps, shopping or news
Some tools even have the functionality to bypass CAPTCHA checks, enabling you to gain access to content that would otherwise be blocked.
Once you’ve set your preferred parameters, the tool will collect all the data you require so you can analyse it and determine how to proceed with your SEO and content strategies.
Why use SERP APIs?
Having all this information at your fingertips is all well and good, but what does it really help you to do? Of course, you have to use the data to get the full benefit of the tool. When looking at the data, ask yourself specific questions that could help to inform your next steps: Are there pricing packages you could implement to draw consumers in? Which content is working best for your competitors? Which geographical regions are the majority of their web visitors coming from? What devices are their visitors using?
Armed with this knowledge you can review your pricing structures or offer discounts where necessary, create a meaningful content strategy that will solve problems faced by your clients and fill in gaps left by your competitors, and target consumers in specific locations that you may not have considered. You may even find that your website needs to be redesigned to be more mobile-friendly if consumers appear to be using mobile devices over desktops to research accounting services.
Benefits of SERP APIs summarised
Here’s a summary of the benefits of using a SERP API instead of carrying out manual checks.
Time saving
There’s no denying that manual research is time-consuming and labour intensive. A SERP API can save you significant time and effort by automating the process, leaving you to focus on other marketing activities.
Accuracy
The results of a manual SERP check can be hit and miss since there are so many factors to account for. With an API, you’re guaranteed accurate results every time – in real time.
Simplicity
No coding knowledge is needed to set SERP APIs up, since the techy bit is done by your provider. Dashboards are user-friendly, and support is there should you need it.
Cost effective
Having an employee dedicate an entire day to manual SERP checks doesn’t only cost you in time, it costs you their hourly rate too. This is almost certainly going to be expensive compared to the cost of using a SERP API. Some providers offer a pay per use option, while others charge a monthly subscription fee (which might be as little as $50 (£43) p/m) that enables you to conduct thousands of searches each month.
Refining your marketing strategy
Comprehensive SEO strategies for accountants take careful planning, and we at Whitefish Marketing are here to help. We can assist you with finding a SERP API provider to suit your needs, and help you create and implement an effective strategy based on the information that’s collected. As a specialist marketing agency for accountants, we understand the specific needs and goals of accounting practices, and can ensure you’re optimising your online presence and maximising your business’ potential. Contact us today to find out how our content marketing and SEO services for accountants can help your firm achieve its goals.
