How do accounting firms get new clients?

Mostly through referrals, Google search and maps, and recommendations from other advisors. Nearly everyone checks reviews and the firm’s website before calling, so all three need to be strong.

Should my accounting firm specialize?

A clear niche, such as an industry, client type or service like cross-border tax, makes a firm easier to find, remember and trust. You can still serve other clients.

How should an accountant handle online reviews?

Ask every client and never offer incentives. When replying, never confirm or discuss a client’s affairs. A short thank-you is enough.

When should accountants advertise?

In the weeks before the Canada Revenue Agency filing deadlines, when searches for tax help rise. Use the quieter months to promote bookkeeping, planning and advisory work.

Are there rules on advertising for CPAs in Ontario?

Yes. CPA Ontario’s Code of Professional Conduct applies to members and firms and includes a rule on advertising, solicitation and endorsements (Rule 217). Read it before launching a campaign.

Marketing for Accountants in Toronto: How CPA Firms Win Clients

Key takeaways

Most people choose an accountant through a referral or a search, then check reviews and the firm’s website before they call. Your marketing has to work at all three points.
Pick a niche you can name: an industry, a client type or a service such as cross-border tax. Specific firms are easier to find and easier to trust.
Build a page for each service and client type, keep your Google Business Profile complete, and ask clients for reviews in a way that respects confidentiality.
Tax season brings a rush of searches. Plan ads and reminders around the filing deadlines, and use the quieter months for advisory and bookkeeping work.
CPA Ontario’s Code of Professional Conduct applies to members and firms, and includes a rule on advertising, solicitation and endorsements. Check every campaign against it.

How people choose an accountant

Most clients arrive one of three ways: a referral from someone they trust, a Google search such as “accountant near me” or “small business accountant Toronto”, or a recommendation from another advisor, such as a lawyer or banker. Whichever way they come, almost everyone checks your reviews and website before they call. Good marketing for an accounting firm makes each of those steps easy.

1. Choose a niche you can name

“Full-service accounting” is hard to search for and hard to remember. A clear focus works better: dental practices, restaurants, real estate investors, tech startups, owner-managed corporations, or cross-border tax for people with ties to Canada and the US. You can still serve others. The niche is what you lead with on your site, your profile and your LinkedIn.

2. Get found on Google Maps

Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Choose accurate categories, such as accountant, tax preparation service or bookkeeping service, list your real hours, including extended tax-season hours, and add photos of your team and office. Our Google Business Profile guide covers the rules.

3. A page for every service and client type

Give personal tax, corporate tax, bookkeeping, payroll, advisory and any niche service its own page. On each one, say who it is for, what is included, what you need from the client, how pricing works and how to book. Answer the questions people ask before they call, such as what to bring, how long it takes and what it costs, so search engines and AI assistants can quote you. See our answer engine optimization guide.

4. Reviews, with confidentiality in mind

Reviews carry a lot of weight for a trust-based service. Ask every client, including the ones you think are lukewarm, and never offer anything in return. When you reply to a review, never confirm or discuss the client’s affairs. A simple thank-you is enough. Our guide on getting more Google reviews explains Google’s rules.

5. Plan around tax season

Searches for tax help rise ahead of the Canada Revenue Agency’s filing deadlines. Start your reminders and ads in the weeks leading up to them. Use an ad schedule so paid search runs when your team can answer, and turn the busy season into year-round clients by offering bookkeeping, planning or advisory check-ins once the rush is over.

6. Referrals and LinkedIn

Lawyers, bankers, financial planners and real estate agents meet your ideal clients every day. Build a short list of referral partners, stay in touch and make it easy to send people your way. On LinkedIn, partners who post short, useful notes about deadlines and changes for their niche build trust long before anyone needs them. Our LinkedIn lead generation guide covers the approach.

7. Stay within the Code

CPA Ontario’s Code of Professional Conduct says it applies to all members and firms. It includes a rule on advertising, solicitation and endorsements (Rule 217) and a rule against false or misleading representations (Rule 205). Read those rules before you launch a campaign, avoid claims you cannot back up, and check with CPA Ontario if you are unsure. This guide is not legal or regulatory advice.

8. Track where clients come from

Ask every new client how they found you, record the answer in your CRM, and track calls and form submissions on your website. Our guides to GA4 and UTM parameters explain the setup. After one tax season you will know which channels are worth more of your budget.

Where to get help

We help professional services firms in Toronto with local SEO, AI search, Google Ads and websites, tracked to booked consultations. See professional services marketing in Toronto.

Marketing for Accountants in Toronto