This interview is with Whitney Hesmer, Marketing Agency Owner, Markology.
For readers meeting you for the first time, how do you describe what you do as the Founder of Markology and the marketing challenges you specialize in solving?
At Markology, we specialize in marketing for accountants and financial advisors with one main goal: generating more leads and better clients. Whether a firm wants more individual or business clients, we help them grow through SEO, content marketing, and Google Ads.
Many accounting firms run into the same problem: their websites all sound alike and focus too much on the firm—listing services and credentials instead of speaking to what potential clients actually care about. Most people searching online are asking, “Why should I choose this firm over the others?” They want to know things like how much money you can save them in taxes, how available you’ll be when they have questions, and what it’s actually like to work with your firm.
That’s where we come in. We help firms improve their messaging, websites, and online presence so they stand out and connect with modern buyers. Our focus is taking firms from outdated, traditional marketing to a more modern approach that actually drives leads and growth.
What experiences shaped your path to running a content-led SEO and lead generation agency in the marketing and advertising space?
I have worked in B2B marketing for more than 15 years across global corporations and award-winning startups. Those experiences really shaped how we built Markology.
Over the years, I became frustrated with many agencies that relied on padded retainers, provided unclear reporting, and under-delivered on actual results.
What we found was that the same coordinated strategy we use across SEO, content, and lead generation can work for almost any service-based business. We decided to focus those skills where they could make the biggest impact: helping small businesses grow.
We eventually found our niche in accounting through years of referrals, and it turned out to be the perfect fit. Accountants are incredibly good at what they do, but marketing is often not where their focus or expertise lies, which means there is a huge opportunity for growth. That is what makes the work so rewarding. Every client collaboration feels creative, strategic, and genuinely impactful because we are helping firms modernize how they communicate and grow.
With your background in financial accounting, what advantages does that give you when crafting SEO and content strategies specifically for accounting firms?
Starting my career as an assistant accountant gave me a foundational understanding of the industry, which has been incredibly valuable in the work we do today.
After working almost exclusively with accounting firms for more than six years, our team has developed a deep understanding of the language, challenges, and nuances of the profession.
One of our biggest strengths is translating complex tax and accounting topics into content that everyday people can understand and engage with. Many accounting materials are technically accurate but written for other accountants rather than potential clients.
Our specialty is taking complicated tax jargon and turning it into clear, human-readable content that feels approachable and useful. That’s what we’re known for. We focus on helping firms explain complex topics in a way that builds trust, answers real client questions, and makes accounting feel far less intimidating to the average person.
Zooming into your process, what is your step-by-step workflow from keyword discovery to a content brief when planning an accountant’s blog post that must match search intent and local demand?
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We start every engagement with a complimentary SEO audit before a client even signs on. That helps us understand the competitive landscape, set realistic expectations around timelines and results, and determine whether we’re actually the right fit for each other. For example, if a firm wants to compete against companies like Pilot with a very small budget, we’ll have an honest conversation about what’s realistic.
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From there, we move into keyword and competitor research. We look at what potential clients are actually searching for, how competitive those terms are, and where there are opportunities to niche down into a more targeted audience. In many cases, narrowing the focus helps firms rank faster and attract better-fit leads.
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Once the niche and keyword strategy are defined, all website and blog content is built around search intent. We focus heavily on the real questions prospects are asking, like whether they should elect S-Corp status, what business expenses they can deduct, or how tax changes affect them.
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We then organize those topics into a quarterly content calendar based on search demand, local SEO opportunities, and client goals.
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From there, each article gets a detailed content brief outlining the target keyword, search intent, related questions to answer, internal linking opportunities, and conversion goals so the content is designed not just to rank, but to generate leads.
Moving from planning to execution, what is one content pillar and cluster you’ve implemented for a professional services client that clearly improved lead quality, including the results it produced?
One content topic that has worked particularly well for our accounting clients is LLC vs. S-Corporation taxes. Business owners search for this constantly because they want to know one question: “Can I save money on taxes?”
Instead of creating just one blog post, we build out multiple pieces of content around the topic. That includes articles answering common questions, state-specific guidance, and simple explanations of when switching to an S-Corporation might make sense.
One thing that has been especially effective is creating a tax savings calculator alongside the content. Visitors can plug in their numbers and estimate how much they could potentially save by electing S-Corporation status. That interactive piece tends to drive much better engagement and lead quality because people are already thinking seriously about their finances before they ever contact the firm.
The main reason this works is that it answers a real question people already have. Instead of generic accounting content, we focus on practical topics that help business owners make decisions and understand their options. That naturally brings in more qualified leads who are actively looking for advice and ready to have a conversation.
Shifting to thought leadership and distribution, how do you turn subject-matter expertise into publisher-ready content—such as via placements on platforms like Featured—that earns authoritative links and qualified leads?
A big part of our process is helping accountants take the knowledge they already have in their heads and turn it into content that everyday people can actually understand and publications want to feature.
Most accountants are experts in their field, but they’re used to speaking in technical language. Our job is to pull out the insights, simplify the messaging, and shape it into content that is clear, practical, and interesting to read.
For platforms like Featured and other publisher opportunities, we focus on answering questions with real expertise and specific examples instead of generic marketing language. We look for topics business owners are actively worried about, like tax changes, deductions, entity structure decisions, or financial mistakes to avoid, and provide concise, trustworthy answers that demonstrate authority.
That approach helps in two ways:
- It earns high-quality backlinks and media placements that strengthen SEO authority.
- It builds credibility with potential clients because they’re seeing the accountant positioned as a trusted expert in places they already read and trust.
The key is making expert knowledge feel approachable. The firms that stand out are usually the ones that can explain complex topics in a simple, helpful way without sounding overly technical or sales-focused.
On credibility and compliance, how do you operationalize E‑E‑A‑T for accountants through elements like author bios, reviews, and case studies while protecting client confidentiality?
For accounting firms, trust is everything, so a big part of our marketing is helping firms appear credible, experienced, and approachable online.
We start by making the people behind the firm more visible. This includes detailed team bios, real photos, credentials, specialties, and background information so potential clients feel like they know who they’ll actually be working with.
Reviews are also a huge part of the process. We encourage firms to consistently ask happy clients for Google reviews and testimonials, because people want reassurance before choosing an accountant. Seeing positive experiences from other business owners builds trust quickly.
When it comes to case studies, we’re careful about protecting confidentiality. Instead of sharing private financial information or naming clients, we focus on the problem and the outcome. For example, we might talk about helping a business owner lower their tax bill, clean up messy bookkeeping, or create a better system for growth without sharing sensitive details.
We also spend a lot of time making accounting content feel more human. Many accounting websites sound overly technical or generic. We help firms explain complex topics in a simpler, more practical way so potential clients actually understand the value the firm provides. That combination of expertise, trust, and clear communication is what helps firms stand out online.
On conversion and nurturing, what does your highest-converting lead capture and 14‑day nurture sequence for an accounting website look like inside your CRM?
The highest-converting lead capture we’ve seen for accounting firms is still webinars. Nothing else really comes close in terms of turning leads into actual clients.
Ironically, accountants are often hesitant to get on video, but when they do, the results are usually incredible because it gives potential clients a chance to see the person behind the firm, hear how they think, and build trust before ever booking a call.
The webinars that perform best are focused on very practical topics potential clients already care about, like:
- S-Corp tax savings
- Year-end tax strategies
- Common mistakes business owners make with bookkeeping and taxes
From there, we build a nurture sequence around the webinar inside the CRM. That usually starts with reminder emails leading up to the event, followed by a live Q&A at the end so attendees can ask questions directly. After the webinar, we continue sending helpful follow-up resources, related articles, recordings, calculators, and answers to common questions over the next few weeks and sometimes even months.
The goal isn’t to hard-sell people immediately. It’s to stay helpful and top-of-mind until they’re ready to move forward.
If there’s one thing we’d encourage more accounting firms to do, it’s host educational webinars around topics their ideal clients genuinely care about. It consistently produces some of the best lead quality and conversion rates we’ve seen.
Finally, if an accounting firm hired you for 90 days to grow organic leads, what would your week-by-week plan prioritize?
In the first 90 days, the very first thing we focus on is the website, because even a great-looking website often isn’t built to turn visitors into leads. There’s a big difference between a pretty website and one that actually gets people to book a call or fill out a contact form.
In the first few weeks, we examine the messaging, layout, calls-to-action, and overall user experience to identify where potential clients are dropping off. Most accounting websites spend too much time talking about the firm and not enough time answering what clients actually care about.
At the same time, we begin building the SEO foundation because SEO takes time to gain traction. That includes keyword research, local SEO, technical fixes, and planning content around the questions potential clients are already searching for online.
Because SEO is a longer-term play, we also focus on faster lead opportunities immediately. Depending on the firm, that can include:
- Google Ads
- Nurture email funnels
- Webinars
- Reddit outreach
- A few other strategies we’ve found work well for accountants
The goal is to create a balance between quick wins and long-term growth so firms can start generating leads now while building a stronger online presence for the future.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Marketing is changing rapidly, especially as AI becomes part of how people search for and find information online. But even with all these new tools, the basics still matter most.
If you create genuinely helpful content and answer the questions your potential clients are already asking, people will find you. Firms that do best online are usually those that focus less on ‘selling’ and more on being useful, trustworthy, and easy to understand.
At the end of the day, people still want to work with someone they trust. That part has not changed.