Your Old Plan vs. a Better Plan: How Accounting Firms Can Attract More CAS Clients

The Old Way of Attracting Clients is Obsolete

By Jeremy Estey

Yes, you read the title right! For accounting firms offering Client Advisory Services (CAS), attracting clients can be a grind. The reality is many firms are stuck using outdated client acquisition strategies. These can include networking, referrals, cold outreach, and traditional advertising.

They eat up time and resources while delivering inconsistent results. If you’ve been relying on these methods, the frustration and struggle is real, not to mention the unpredictable client flow and stressful sales cycles. Does this sound familiar?

Here’s the problem: These approaches lack consistency and scalability. There is also very little control. This makes it hard to build a reliable pipeline of high-value, recurring CAS clients.

Breaking It Down

Networking and Conferences

You spend hours at conferences and networking events, hoping to meet potential clients. After chatting with people, you collect a few business cards with the hopes of new business. Let's get real though ... people flake out! It’s usually hit or miss whether these connections will turn into paying clients.

Downside: High time investment and unpredictable results

Referral Dependence

Your firm depends on existing clients to refer new ones. Being a savvy businessperson, you offer incentives and discounts to encourage referrals. The problem? Referrals are inconsistent and completely outside your control.

Downside: No control over client flow and you're limited by client networks

Traditional Advertising

You might already invest in TV, print or even radio ads. The issue is that these approaches aren’t very targeted and focus more on a broad or general audience. There isn't an accurate way to measure their success – other than phone calls, if you get them. Do you even know how many people saw your ad?

Downside: High cost, low targeting, lower engagement, and usually poor ROI

Cold Outreach

You write some clever email, buy an email list and send thousands of cold emails using a software designed for cold email outreach. Time draining right? More times than not, you’re met with more rejection than results.

Then there's the cold calling. You're a CPA – who has time for that? It’s hard enough trying to get out of the office at 5 p.m. Cold outreach is a slow and exhausting process with a low success rate.

Downside: Time-consuming, mentally draining and low conversion

Scattered Social Media Posts

You post to LinkedIn or Facebook whenever you can get five free minutes in your day. It's a great post, and you feel good about it and hope it catches the eye of a potential client. However, with the time you spent writing, it gets no traction and you remember why you don't post on social media very often. Without consistency or a clear strategy, it’s like shouting in a wide-open field with no one around.

Downside: Lack of focus, no measurable results, random outcomes, and lack of consistency

A Better Way: Using SEO to Attract CAS Clients

Now, imagine a world where clients come to you – no more chasing leads, no more exhausting cold outreach, no more reliance on referrals. Sounds like you're in a dream, right? This dream can become a reality by implementing Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You'll be able get in front of your ideal clients on Google and other search engines. This increases your online visibility, which helps your ideal clients find you.

Here’s how this new plan for you works.

Optimize Your Firm's Website to Target Keywords Your Ideal Clients Are Using

When optimized for online search, your website becomes the firm's best salesperson. Targeting keywords your ideal clients are searching for is key; example – "Cash Flow Management" or "Business Advisory Services."

Benefit: Clients come to you, meaning a steady stream of warm, qualified leads

Blogging and Case Studies

Adding regular content about your CAS solutions establishes your firm as the expert. For example: Use blog articles that educate your ideal clients about your CAS solution. You can also create content around the questions your clients may have. This warms up cold traffic and entices them to reach out for your services. Quality content also boosts your firm's search rankings. The higher your ranking, the more visibility online.

Benefit: Builds authority and trust; reduces need for sales activities

Targeted Local SEO

If your firm serves the local market, implementing a local SEO strategy is imperative. Optimizing for location-specific keywords will help attract local clients. This ensures local businesses in your area find you.

Benefit: You capture high-value clients in your local area

Lead Generation

Leveraging your website to attract leads is the main goal. A way to do this is to add tools (Lead Magnets) to encourage potential clients to provide contact information. Some ideas can include ROI calculators or cashflow management spreadsheets. You can offer these free in exchange for their email address and a phone number for follow up.

Benefit: Saves time, streamlines the sales process and increases conversions

Measurable Results and Continuous Improvement

With SEO, actions that visitors take on your website are measurable; for instance, tracking how many leads your site generates, as well as how long visitors stay on your website and what content motivates them to act. Be sure to understand these metrics to adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.

Benefit: No more guessing – only data-backed information

Positive Results of the New Plan

By shifting to an SEO-driven strategy, you’ll experience several game-changing benefits:

• Consistent Flow of High-Value Clients – Prospective clients who are looking for your services
• Increased Recurring Revenue – More CAS clients mean more recurring monthly revenue
• Higher Profit Margins – CAS clients generate higher margins compared to traditional accounting services
• More Time to Focus on Clients – SEO will do the heavy lifting; you’ll spend less time on getting clients and more time on client work delivering value
• Improved Reputation – Higher search rankings establish you as the go-to CPA in the market

The days of chasing leads and scrambling for referrals are over. An SEO-focused client attraction strategy brings clients to your door. This allows you to scale your firm while focusing on what you do best.

About the Author: Jeremy Estey is the Founder of AmberSky Marketing Ltd. Contact him at jeremy@amberskymarketing.com.

Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's CPA Magazine

This content was made possible by the sponsors of this issue of Today's CPA Magazine:

Accounting Biz Brokers

Accounting Practice Sales

CPA Charge

Goodman Financial

Poe Group Advisors

TaxDome