Foundational pillar / check cpa-credential-signals
CPA credential signals
When a site uses the CPA title, checks that it is tied to named licensed CPAs, a firm permit or board reference, or a license lookup.
By Shimon Carroll, Founder, SEO for AI Agents · Last updated
What this check measures
Whether the page uses "CPA" or "certified public accountant", and if so whether it names individuals with the credential (for example "Jane Doe, CPA"), mentions a board of accountancy, firm permit, or PCAOB registration, or links CPAverify.
Why it matters
Uniform Accountancy Act Section 14(c) restricts the CPA title to people holding a valid certificate or practice privilege, and Section 7 covers firm permits; each state board adopts its own version. Named, verifiable credentials also give visitors and AI answers something concrete to trust.
How we score it
A review prompt, not a legal verdict. Runs only on CPA firm audits. When the cue is missing the finding is low severity at medium confidence, which lowers the foundational pillar by about 0.6 points. A pass is informational and never scores. Pages that do not use the CPA title are not evaluated. In that case the finding is marked not measured: it does not score and does not count toward coverage. Each finding names who should review it, quotes what we saw on the page, and cites the primary source. Where the page shows a US address we name the inferred state; otherwise the wording is state-agnostic.
Confidence-flag rules
MEDIUM: the check reads the visible page text, links, and JSON-LD directly, so what it quotes is exact, but wording can carry the same meaning in phrasing we do not recognise, and one page does not show the whole site.
Common mistakes
- Calling staff "CPAs" in marketing when only some are licensed.
- Firm pages with no named CPA anywhere.
- License numbers that are out of date after a renewal or move.
How to fix it
Name the licensed CPAs behind the work with their state of licensure on their bios, reference the firm permit where your board requires it, and link CPAverify so a license can be confirmed.
Primary sources
Changelog
- · New. This rule used to live only in the vertical configuration and never ran. It is now a registered review check with a cited primary source, framed as a prompt to review with a professional rather than a pass or fail legal verdict.