Guest Posting for Accountants: Which Sites to Target

Guest posting earns you an editorial link on a relevant, authoritative site in exchange for useful content that the publication's audience genuinely wants. For accounting firms, it is one of the most scalable link building tactics available: the expertise you already have is exactly what business publications, SME blogs, and trade press are looking for.

The quality bar has risen significantly in recent years. Google's Helpful Content and link spam updates have shifted focus away from volume and towards genuine editorial merit. A single guest post on a publication your prospective clients actually read is worth more to your rankings than ten posts on obscure blogs that nobody visits.

Why guest posting works when it is done right

An editorial link is a link that a publication chose to include because your contribution earned it. This is fundamentally different from a paid placement or a link on a site that accepts anything submitted to it. Google's systems are designed to distinguish between these two types, and the difference in ranking value reflects that distinction.

For accounting firms, the guest posting opportunity is particularly strong because you operate at the intersection of several areas that business publications consistently need coverage on: tax changes, HMRC policy, small business finance, company structure decisions, VAT, payroll, and the evolving accountant-client relationship. These are perennial topics with evergreen search demand, and publications serving SME and small business audiences commission and accept this kind of content regularly.

Target category 1: Accounting and finance trade press

The most immediately relevant publications for accounting firm guest posts are those read by the profession and its clients.

Accountancy Age: A long-standing trade publication covering the accounting and finance sector. Accountancy Age publishes opinion pieces, technical commentary, and analysis from practitioners and carries good domain authority. Contributions should be genuinely newsworthy or technically substantive.

IRIS Blog and Sage Advice: Both IRIS and Sage maintain editorial blogs aimed at accountants and their clients. IRIS in particular publishes practitioner perspectives on practice management and technology. These are softer targets than trade press but carry reasonable authority and high topical relevance.

ACCA and ICAEW publications: Both professional bodies publish editorial content aimed at members and sometimes accept contributions from qualified practitioners on technical topics. A published piece in an ICAEW journal or ACCA Accounting and Business magazine carries significant credibility.

When pitching to trade press, lead with the technical angle. Editors in this space want substantive expertise, not marketing copy.

Target category 2: Small business and SME press

Publications serving small business owners, entrepreneurs, and self-employed people are a natural fit for accounting firm guest posts. Their readers are your prospective clients.

SmallBusiness.co.uk: One of the highest-traffic UK small business publications. SmallBusiness.co.uk accepts expert contributions on finance, tax, legal, HR, and business management topics. A well-researched piece on a tax deadline, a guide to expenses claims, or an explanation of a regulatory change will be considered.

BusinessAdviceUK: Covers practical business advice across finance, operations, marketing, and HR. Accepts contributions from professional service providers with demonstrable expertise.

StartUp Donut: Part of the Donut network alongside LawDonut and AccountingDonut, StartUp Donut publishes practical startup advice including financial and accounting guidance. The audience is early-stage businesses looking for foundational advice.

The Guardian Small Business Network: The Guardian's small business section occasionally publishes expert contributor pieces, and a link from The Guardian carries substantial authority. The bar for acceptance is high: you need a genuinely newsworthy angle or a data-driven insight.

For SME publications, frame your content around practical problems your target clients face. "What does the April NIC change mean for employers who pay minimum wage?" is a more compelling pitch than "Five things to know about tax".

Target category 3: Sector-specific publications

If your practice specialises in particular industries or client types, sector publications are highly valuable guest post targets. A link from a construction industry website to your accounting firm's site tells Google that your firm has authority specifically for construction-sector accountancy.

Consider publications relevant to the sectors you serve:

• Construction and property: Building Talk, Property Week, The Construction Index, Landlord Today.
• Freelancers and contractors: Contractor UK, Freelancer Magazine, IT Contractor. These audiences have specific tax needs (IR35, self assessment, limited company formation) that accountants are well-placed to explain.
• Healthcare and dentistry: Dental Business, Healthcare Leader, Practice Business. Healthcare professionals have distinct accounting needs around partnerships and NHS pension implications.
• Hospitality and retail: The Caterer, Retail Gazette, Propel. Cash flow, VAT, and seasonal payroll are recurring finance topics for these sectors.

Target category 4: Local business magazines and regional newspaper sections

Regional business media are among the most achievable guest post targets because they have smaller contributor pools and a genuine need for locally relevant expert content.

Most regions have a local business magazine (often monthly or quarterly), published by the local chamber of commerce, a regional media group, or an enterprise partnership. These publications are read by local business owners and carry geographic relevance that national publications cannot provide.

To find them, search for "[your region] business magazine" or "business in [your county]". Contact the editor or content manager with a brief pitch on a topic relevant to the current season or a recent local business news story.

How to pitch a guest post

Editors receive many unsolicited pitches, and most are ignored because they are vague, self-promotional, or demonstrate no familiarity with the publication. A successful pitch does three things: shows you know the publication, offers a specific and useful topic, and establishes your credibility briefly.

A good pitch email is typically three to four short paragraphs:

1. A one-sentence introduction: who you are and your firm.
2. A specific proposed topic with a working title and two to three bullet points of what the article would cover.
3. One sentence explaining why this topic is relevant to their readers right now.
4. A brief credential line: your qualification, years in practice, or notable clients/sectors you serve.

Keep the total pitch to 150 to 200 words. Response timelines vary: trade press may take two to four weeks to respond; local publications are often faster. A polite follow-up after two weeks is appropriate.

Topic ideas that editors consistently accept

The following topic types consistently attract editorial interest from publications serving accounting and business audiences:

• Plain-English explanations of legislation changes (MTD for ITSA, NIC threshold adjustments, dividend tax changes)
• "What this means for you" pieces timed around Budget announcements or HMRC policy updates
• Comparison guides (sole trader vs limited company, cash basis vs accruals, pension vs ISA)
• Common mistakes guides ("Five payroll mistakes small businesses make every April")
• Sector-specific finance guides ("How dentists should structure their practice finances")
• Deadline reminders and action checklists (31 January self assessment, VAT return dates)

What to include in your author bio

Your author bio is where your link lives. Keep it short, specific, and professional. Include your full name and your role at the firm, the firm name (this is your anchor text), a link to your website, and one or two relevant credentials or a specific specialism.

A good bio is two sentences at most: "Jane Smith is a Chartered Tax Adviser and director at [Firm Name], a practice based in Bristol specialising in contractor and freelance tax. Visit [firmname.co.uk] for further resources." That is sufficient.

Red flags to avoid

Not all guest posting opportunities are legitimate. The following indicate a site that will not provide meaningful SEO value:

Sites that charge to publish your article: Legitimate publications do not charge contributors for editorial coverage. A site that asks for a "publishing fee" is selling a paid link, not editorial placement.

Sites with no organic traffic: Use Ahrefs, Semrush, or even just a Google site search to check whether the publication has genuine readership. A site with thousands of published articles but no organic traffic has been devalued by Google.

Sites with no editorial standards: If a site publishes any article submitted to it without apparent review or editorial involvement, it is a content farm. Links from these sites carry no value.

Guest post "networks" or "databases": Services that offer to place your article on dozens of sites simultaneously are selling links, not editorial placements. Avoid them.

Key takeaways

• Guest posting earns editorial links on relevant, authoritative sites; for accounting firms, this is one of the most scalable link building tactics because your expertise matches what editors need.
• Accounting trade press (Economia, Accountancy Age, ICAEW Insights), SME publications (SmallBusiness.co.uk, BusinessAdviceUK), sector-specific titles, and local business media are the four most productive target categories.
• Successful pitches are specific, brief, and demonstrate familiarity with the publication; generic pitches are almost always ignored.
• Topic types that editors consistently accept include legislation explainers, Budget reaction pieces, common-mistake guides, and sector-specific finance guidance.
• Never pay to have an article published; charge-to-publish sites are paid link schemes that carry SEO risk and no genuine editorial credibility.
• Keep your author bio concise: two sentences with your name, firm, credential, and website link.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a guest post article be?

Most SME and accounting trade publications expect 600 to 1,200 words for a standard contribution. Longer pieces (1,500 to 2,000 words) are sometimes welcomed for comprehensive guides or technical explanations. Check the publication's existing articles to gauge expected length and depth.

Can I republish my own articles across multiple publications?

No. Most publications want original content that has not been published elsewhere. Republishing the same piece across multiple sites creates duplicate content issues and most editors will check for this. You can write articles on similar themes for different publications, but each should be original.

How do I know if a link in my guest post bio is followed?

Right-click the link in your published article and select "Inspect". Look at the anchor element in the HTML. If you see rel="nofollow" or rel="ugc", the link does not pass ranking value. Most editorial publications use followed links for author bios, but it is worth checking.

Should I link to my firm within the article body, or only in the bio?

A single, contextually relevant link within the article body is generally acceptable if it genuinely adds value to the reader, for example linking to a specific tool or guide on your site that the article references. Multiple self-serving links within the body text are usually removed by editors and look promotional.

How many guest posts should I aim to publish per month?

One or two quality guest posts per month is a sustainable and effective target for most practices. Focus on quality publications with genuine audiences rather than maximising volume. Two well-placed articles on SmallBusiness.co.uk and Accountancy Age in a month will deliver more ranking value than ten articles on low-traffic blogs.