At a networking event, a fellow business owner in the accounting world voices his opinion: “Look, our clients come through referrals or word-of-mouth; no one’s typing ‘best tax advisor near me’ into Google.”
You nod politely, but deep down, you wonder if that’s really true anymore. What if that mindset is quietly letting potential clients slip away to competitors who show up online?
As a Canadian marketing agency, we’ve heard this objection countless times from firms in HR, law, accounting, taxation, and finance. But let’s unpack it together and see why embracing digital marketing for professional services might just be the game-changer your firm needs.
For years, firms in the professional leads like HR, accounting and law, have been relying heavily on referrals, networking activities, and personal contacts. It’s understandable. Tax-related services, legal consultations, human resource planning, or financial planning services can be perceived as highly personal and intricate. Clients appear to like referrals on a trusted basis as opposed to random findings online.
Most partners continue to believe that their dream customers are too busy executives, family business, or established companies, and do not begin with Google. They enter via hot leads or business circles. This state of mind a decade ago was perfect. However, client behavior has changed in a silent and gradual manner.
People are using the internet to do initial research, comparisons, or quick answers, even in specialized fields. The old ways have not vanished; however, they are not the only ways anymore.
The world has reached a significant milestone of over 6 billion people online by the beginning of 2026, which equates to over 73 percent of the global population. Google remains dominant in the search, with an estimated market share of about 90 percent across the world. It is not just about window shopping. It is where decision-making starts, even in the case of professional services.
In fields like law, accounting, and finance, consumers increasingly research options digitally before committing. Recent insights show that over 92% of legal consumers are likely to look up their issue online before contacting an attorney.
It is all about being visible when one is in need of help. In the case of accounting firms, search terms such as small business tax strategies or financial planning services in Canada are increasingly being posted, as the economic environment is filled with doubts and regulatory developments.
Likewise, in legal practice, the search terms around the question of legal advice to corporations or legal advice to families are at their peak in search of cost-effective, convenient solutions.
HR is not lagging behind, and in fact, the keywords involving employee retention plan or diversity recruiting agencies are gaining more attention, particularly in the face of a new work environment.
However, this is where it becomes interesting: the digital transformation of professional services is no longer a matter of choice. Companies that apply the use of online tools are not merely surviving but are flourishing because they are able to access markets that appreciate the convenience. As Seth Godin explains in his book This is Marketing, it is not to interrupt people but to be there when they are seeking an answer. This is a trap that should not be ignored because there is a pool of clients who begin their journey with a search.
Talking about evolution, we can speak about the demographics that cause this change. The younger generations of professionals, such as millennials and Gen Z, are entering the business decision-making positions within Canada. These are people who have been using smartphones since childhood, and their search engine usage shows it. Although they may scroll TikTok to find some tips, about one out of four continue to use traditional search engines with their serious needs, a combination of social discovery and serious internet research.
In the case of finance and taxation services, this translates to the creation of content that informs and establishes trust, such as blog posts on how to navigate CRA audits or videos on how to understand investment tax credits. The combination of human and tech factors is reflected in younger leaders seeking to find out what remote team building ideas are, or AI in recruitment. The same trends are observed in law firms, as the number of searches for online contract review services increases among technologically oriented entrepreneurs.
According to a report by Statista, searches for local services on mobile devices have exploded, with most people picking up companies that feature at the top in search engine results. Unless your accounting firm is already SEO-optimized to attract lawyers or other firms, or your law firm is geared towards digital marketing to reach this very powerful crowd, then you are virtually invisible to this crowd. And as the classic customer base retires, malleability means survival in the long run.
Talking theory is one thing, and another to behold it. Take a medium-sized HR company in Manitoba that used to use trade shows. Investing in online advertising of HR services, they have increased the number of visits to their websites by 200 percent by posting targeted information on the subject of wellness in the workplace. Now, the leads obtained are in a steady stream of searches, which are converting to higher rates than in the past.
For accounting and taxation, an Edmonton-based firm saw similar results with a finance digital strategy, using blogs on “year-end tax planning” to draw in small businesses. Even in finance, where trust is paramount, online presence helps firms stand out.
To illustrate the growth, here’s a quick look at search interest trends from recent data:
These shifts show digital presence amplifies traditional strengths rather than replacing them.
Ready to ditch the doubt? Here’s how to get started with a solid digital marketing strategy for professional services:
