Most law firms and accountants burn £5-10k/month on marketing agencies that deliver clicks, not clients.

You're ranking for some things on Google. Your have a few ads are running. But when you look at your enquiry quality? Time-wasters. Tyre-kickers. People who ghost after the first call.

I help fix that problem.

Over the past 10 years, I've helped 500+ UK service providers - law firms, accountancy practices, training companies, healthcare providers - turn their marketing into a predictable client acquisition system.

What that actually means:

→ Google Ads & Meta campaigns that target serious buyers, not browsers
→ SEO strategies that rank you for terms people search when they're ready to instruct
→ Lead qualification systems so you only speak to prospects who can afford you

Who I work with:

Established professional services firms (£250k+ turnover) who are tired of agencies that promise the world and deliver vanity metrics. If you're investing £3k+/month in marketing and not seeing ROI, we should talk.

Recent results:

 - Family law firm: 240% increase in qualified divorce enquiries in 6 months
 - Corporate training provider: Scaled from £200k to £1.2M revenue through international SEO
 - Accountancy practice: Reduced cost-per-client acquisition by 60% while doubling volume

I run three specialist agencies:

🔹 Advertify – Paid media & SEO for service providers
🔹 The Legal Lab – Marketing systems specifically for law firms
🔹 A Numbers Game – Performance marketing for accountants

Next steps:

If you're a law firm or accountancy practice serious about predictable growth (and can invest £3k+/month), book a 30-minute call to discuss your marketing:

📅 https://calendly.com/salimahmed-advertify/30min

Or DM me with "STRATEGY" and I'll send you the link.

Salim

I've spent part of the last two months doing something completely unrelated to marketing.

Most evenings in November and December, once the kids fall asleep, I've been heading over to a 3 bedroom house I rent out with my toolbox.

Painting walls. Fixing dodgy plasterwork. Cladding the bathroom. Staring at old kitchen tiles wondering if there's any hope for them.

Is this weird? I actually find it therapeutic...

After a day of strategy calls, content planning, and client work, there's something grounding about physical labour. You can see the progress. You know exactly what needs doing next.

No ambiguity. No waiting for results. Just you, the work, and tangible improvement.

I'm no professional tradesperson, obviously...

In fact, I started this project with almost zero DIY knowledge. YouTube has basically become my best friend. Watch a tutorial. Pause it seventeen times. Try to replicate what they just made look effortless.

And things don't always go to plan.

That bathroom cladding? Took 5 million attempts to get half the measurements right. It didn't help that none of the walls are straight.

But there's something valuable in that learning process. Making mistakes. Figuring out what went wrong. Trying again with slightly more knowledge than before.

I do like building things. Making things better. Seeing the direct impact of effort.

The renovation work has been a nice break from screens, ad platforms and spreadsheets. A different kind of problem-solving that uses completely other skills of my brain.

Though I'll admit, the kitchen tiles are testing me. If anyone's got tips on making old tiles look decent without ripping them all out, I'm all ears...

Salim Ahmed

Marketing that actually brings in clients | Founder @ Advertify, The Legal Lab, A Numbers Game | 500+ UK Businesses Scaled

Back in the office today?

If you're feeling the holiday blues, I get it.

That Sunday night feeling hits different in January.

But here's what helps me personally: remembering why I do this.

I've built something I actually enjoy showing up to.

My agencies allow me to work with businesses I genuinely like. My team are actually people I enjoy building with (who are frankly better at their jobs than I could ever be). And I have the freedom to be fully present with my family.

Not just there. Actually engaged.

The balance is better now but it hasn't always been this way. The early agency days were pretty difficult. Late nights, weekend work, constantly feeling torn between business and family.

But I kept asking myself: what's the point of building something if it costs me everything else that was important to me?

So I built differently.

If you're dreading this week, maybe ask what you're really working towards.

Not the surface stuff. The real reasons.

Maybe it's freedom. Maybe it's impact. Maybe it's proving something to yourself.

Whatever it is, that's what helps get me through.

Because January is long. And motivation that comes from outside you won't last.

But when you're clear on your why? The hard days become easier to face.

Other than earn £££'s... what's your reason for doing what you do?

Finding trustworthy experts for your business just got ridiculously easy.

I'm talking properly easy.

The HoLT Directory went live today - and I'm a founding member.

It's a free, searchable directory of trusted small business owners and solopreneurs. No fluff, no nonsense, just brilliant people who know their stuff. 

Lea 🌈 Turner and The HoLT team built this because finding reliable support shouldn't feel like a gamble. And she's right.

Inside, you'll find hundreds of experts covering everything:

• Automation specialists
• Architects
• Contract lawyers
• Copywriters
• PR professionals
• Paid ads experts
• SEO consultants
• Speakers

And plenty more in between.

Advertify is listed in there, alongside other businesses who look great to work with.

It's completely free to access. Easy to search. Zero gatekeeping.

If you're looking for experts you can actually trust, bookmark this: www.the-holt.com/directory

You can sit with us (unless you're a knob) | The-HoLT.com

The HoLT

Advertify

2020. Lockdown. I'd just launched my first digital agency.

My "office" was a Regus business lounge near my house. Socially distanced desks. Hand sanitiser everywhere. That weird mix of ambition and uncertainty that defined those months.

There were maybe five of us who showed up regularly.

Some starting businesses. Some just escaping their homes for a bit of normality. We'd nod hello from opposite corners of the room, then gradually started chatting over coffee.

They became my first supporters.

When I landed my first client, they genuinely celebrated. When I won my second and third, they asked how I did it. When that first big invoice payment came through - bigger than what I used to get paid as a monthly salary - they were buzzing for me.

I still see some of them doing brilliantly today. Different industries, different paths, but all pushing forward.

Something I think about now, but that I didn't realise then: you never know who's watching your journey. Who's rooting for you. Who you're inspiring without even knowing it.

Those people in that business lounge weren't just faces in a shared space. They were proof that support doesn't always come from where you expect.

To anyone starting something new right now - find your people. Even if it's just a handful. Even if it's temporary.

The ones who celebrate your small wins often matter more than the ones who show up for the big ones.

100+ law firms in Bristol are fighting for the same 3 spots on Google Maps.

Most of them don't even know the fight is happening.

A lot of firms have a family law capability, even if it's not their main focus.

When someone searches "family solicitor near me" or "family lawyer Bristol", Google shows a map with 3 businesses. That's it. Three.

If you're extremely optimised, you're one of them. If you're not, you're invisible (unless you run paid G ads).

This is what most local businesses miss:

Your Google Business Profile is working while you sleep. Someone searches for what you do in your area. Google decides who to show them.

You won't notice unless you're looking.

You don't see the searches happening. You don't see who clicked. You just get a phone call or someone walks through the door saying "I found you on Google."

Most local businesses are invisible because they haven't claimed their profile. Or they claimed it years ago and forgot about it.

Meanwhile, your competitors are showing up with photos, reviews, opening hours, and a direct call button.

The difference between being found and being invisible? Numerous inbound leads.

If you serve customers within a 20-mile radius, local SEO isn't optional. It's how people find you before they even know your name.

People didn't stop buying online over Christmas/NY.

In fact, they kept shopping right through the period most businesses go quiet.

Here's what happened for one of my clients via their Meta Ads from 17th to 30th December:

• £21,639 in purchases
• 97 orders placed
• £4,845 ad spend
• 4.47 ROAS

That's a 4.47x return while lots of others hit pause.

The insight here isn't complicated.

Your customers don't stop scrolling just because you've stopped working. They're still on their phones. Still browsing. Still buying.

The businesses that stay visible during these quiet periods aren't just making sales now. They're building momentum for January whilst their competitors are starting from cold.

I'm not saying you shouldn't take time off. Family time matters most.

But your ads can run while you're building Lego towers and watching Christmas films.

The question isn't whether your audience is online during the holidays. The data shows they are.

The question is whether you're there when they're ready to buy.

The moment I realised I was the potential problem changed everything.

Back when I was building my earlier businesses, this happened constantly. Someone would miss a deadline. Make a decision I disagreed with. Ask me questions I thought they should already know the answers to.

My first thought was always: "Why can't they just figure it out?"

One summer, I went on holiday for 8 days. Proper switch-off. No laptop, minimal phone checking.

When I got back, two decent-sized clients were unhappy. One was actively looking to leave.

My immediate reaction? Frustration. What had the team messed up while I was gone?

But when I dug into it, the truth was uncomfortable.

They'd made decisions based on what they thought I'd want. Not what was actually best for the clients.

Because I'd never clearly defined what "good" looked like. Never given them real authority to make calls. Never built any systems that let them succeed without me hovering.

I'd set them up to fail, then got annoyed when they did.

So I changed how I led:

• Defined clear outcomes for each role
• Gave actual decision-making power (not just lip service)
• Built feedback loops so problems surfaced early

The same issues I'd been frustrated with started performing completely differently.

Turns out my "hiring problem" was actually a leadership problem.

Now when I catch myself getting frustrated with the team, I pause and check what I've actually given them to succeed with.

I got another message as a result of Tom today.

You know Tom. The guy who apparently gives out "glowing recommendations" about my ad campaigns.

Except I've never met Tom. Never worked with Tom. Never even heard of Tom until he started recommending me to random strangers in my DMs.

If I had £100 for every time Tom vouched for my work, I'd be writing this from my yacht in Monaco.

The formula is always the same:

"Hi [Name], I saw the glowing recommendation from Tom..."

Then comes the pitch. Usually something about connecting me to 2-3 companies per week. Always performance-based. Always a "quick conversation."

I use Linkedin DM's too, so that in itself is not an issue.

Just wondering who Tom is 👀

So if you're getting these too, you're not alone. Tom's been busy recommending everyone apparently.

Maybe we should all chip in and buy Tom a drink. He's working overtime out there.

Anyone else got a recommendation from Tom lately?

How long has that Chrome dinosaur game been there?

Because I only just found out about it.

I'm sat there, internet down, staring at that screen getting increasingly frustrated.

My 12-year-old child walks past and says: "Abba (dad), you know if you click on the dinosaur it's a game, right?"

Me: "What are you on about?"

I clicked it.

The dinosaur started running. Jumping over cacti. Racking up points.

Has this always been a thing?

Because if so, I've wasted countless hours of my life just sitting there waiting for the internet to come back.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to beat my high score before the WiFi comes back on.

Anyone else only just discovered this? Please tell me I'm not alone here.

Your local SEO is missing out on potential traffic because your business name is spelled 3 different ways across the internet.

I see this constantly when auditing local businesses. Google finds your company listed as "Smith & Co Legal Services" on one directory, "Smith and Company Legal" on another, and "Smith Co. Law" on a third.

Google's algorithm gets confused. It can't confidently verify which listing is the real you.

The result? Your rankings drop. Your map pack visibility disappears.

Here's what messy citations look like:

Directory 1: "Smith & Partners Solicitors | 123 High Street | 02079460958"
Directory 2: "Smith and Partners Solicitors | 123 High Street, Unit A, London | 020 7946 0959"
Directory 3: "Smith Partners Law Firm | 123 High Street, London SW1A 2BB | 020 7946 0958"

Clean citations look like this:

Directory 1: "Smith & Partners Solicitors | 123 High Street, London SW1A 1AA | 020 7946 0958"
Directory 2: "Smith & Partners Solicitors | 123 High Street, London SW1A 1AA | 020 7946 0958"
Directory 3: "Smith & Partners Solicitors | 123 High Street, London SW1A 1AA | 020 7946 0958"

The fix is simple but tedious. Run a citation audit. Find every directory listing your business. Standardise your NAP format everywhere.

Pick one format. Use it consistently. Every single time.

"There's too much noise online. We'll just stick to word of mouth."

That works... until it doesn't.

Word of mouth is brilliant. It's trust-based, it's authentic, and it costs nothing.

But it's also slow. And it caps your growth at the speed of conversation.

I've watched law firms and accountancy practices rely on word of mouth for years. They had loyal clients. They had steady referrals. They were doing okay.

But eventually "okay" may not be enough to cover rising overheads, staff salaries, and increasing competition.

Online marketing isn't about competing with everyone. It's about being visible to the people already looking for what you offer.

Your competitors aren't the problem. Invisibility is.

Word of mouth will always matter. But if you're not online, you're leaving money on the table.

I spoke to a business owner last month whose website looked like it was built in Microsoft Paint.

In 1994.

They'd only launched 18 months ago.

I get it. When you're running a business, the website often gets pushed down the list. There's always something more urgent screaming for attention.

What matters though?

Your website is your shop front. It's the first impression potential clients get of your business.

And in 2026, even if you have a lack of technical digital skills - there's genuinely no excuse for a terrible website anymore.

You don't need a massive marketing budget. You don't need to hire an expensive agency. Free themes exist that look professional and convert visitors into customers.

I've owned multiple businesses. I know every pound counts. I've been there, juggling priorities, trying to decide where to invest time and money.

But a basic, functional website isn't a luxury. It's a minimum basic requirement.

Your website doesn't need to be fancy. It just needs to not actively repel people.

Clean layout. Clear messaging. Simple navigation. That's it.

Is anyone else still coming across websites that look like they time-travelled from the 90s?

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