Did you know that around 53% of website traffic comes from organic searches? Drawing potential and current clients to your website is essential to staying competitive and growing your client base. And one of the best ways to increase your organic website traffic is with SEO.
SEO is an essential digital marketing tool that all financial advisors need to employ. You want your website to rank high on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Since most everyone needs financial advice, connecting with those looking for what you have to offer is vital.
This guide will discuss everything you need to know about financial digital marketing and how to incorporate SEO into your plans.
What is SEO?
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a tactic that’s designed to improve your website’s visibility when users search for services or products related to your company. The better visibility you have, the more attention your website will receive over your competition.
Search engines have algorithms and bots that crawl different web pages on the internet. These bots collect information about these web pages and put the information in an index.
One way to look at the index is by comparing it to a library. A librarian will get a book (or website) based on the information you’re looking for.
The search engine algorithms will analyze the web pages listed in an index. During their analysis, they’ll figure out where each web page should appear in the SERPs. You want your website to appear on the first page of results, preferably at the top.
Why Can SEO be Challenging for Financial Planners?
Finance SEO can be difficult, but not impossible. One of the reasons why it’s challenging is because the industry is competitive.
Another reason is that users use phrases and keywords to seek financial advice that can be really specific. As a result, there’s a lot of competition for those keywords.
Additionally, many financial advisors are hesitant to invest their marketing budget into SEO, as they don’t think it’s an effective digital marketing strategy. That means they might not have an excellent online presence, making it challenging for potential and current clients to find them.
Is SEO Cost-Effective?
How much an SEO campaign costs depends upon various factors, including:
- The amount of SEO work needed
- The complexity and size of your website
- The level of competition in your niche
SEO is an ongoing investment. Results don’t happen within a few days. It takes time for your optimization efforts to go into effect.
With a good SEO strategy and consistent effort, you can see a return on your investment within several months.
SEO and SEM Strategies for Financial Advisors
How you run your SEO for finance strategy depends on various factors. One of these factors includes your financial advisory specialty. Reputation management is also vital when creating a solid online presence.
Optimize Your Content
One of the most critical components of SEO is your content. You want to ensure you create informative and high-quality content for your business’s website. Your content should be optimized for search engines and your website visitors.
All of your written content should be SEO-friendly. Your content can include the following:
- Videos
- Blog posts
- Website content
- Images
- Graphics
Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
Keywords are essential to your financial SEO strategy. Keywords refer to the phrases or search terms people pop into their search bar when looking for products or services.
The keywords used should be incorporated organically and thoughtfully into your content.
As a financial advisor, you want to focus on keywords specific to your specialty. Long-tail keywords help you accomplish these. These types of keywords are less competitive and more targeted than generic keywords.
Some examples of generic keywords include:
- Financial consultant
- Financial advisor
- Financial planner
- Financial adviser near me
These keywords will have a lot of competition because they’re so generic. Your keywords should reflect your unique services.
Explore some long-tail keyword examples below:
- Financial planner in Riverside County
- Retirement planning for seniors
- Financial planning for small business owners
Which long-tail keywords you choose depends upon what you have to offer.
Use Social Media Platforms
Social media is a great place to incorporate SEO. You can reach a wider audience with social media platforms. You can also build links to your business’s website from notable sources.
Your business should be active on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Social media platforms are also great places to run pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. You can target a specific audience with paid advertisements that incorporate the keywords they’re searching for.
One thing to remember with PPC campaigns is that they can be more costly than organic SEO. There’s an easy way you can calculate your return on ad spend (ROAS) after running a campaign.
First, take the total revenue your ads generated and divide it by how much you spent. The resulting figure is your ROAS.
Don’t Forget About Local SEO
Local SEO is a crucial strategy you should employ. You miss out on numerous local clients if your content isn’t optimized for local SEO.
In addition to optimizing your website, you should also focus on your Google business listing. Your business’s Google listing is crucial for local searches. Without a local SEO campaign for your business listing, you won’t land on the first page of results.
Some ways you can improve your local SEO include:
- Optimizing your Google “My Business” listing
- Making your website mobile-friendly
- Matching your business address and name to your Google listing
Partner with an Experienced SEO Marketing Agency
SEO can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have experience on the topic. Besides, your time is better spent connecting with your current and potential clients. So, you need to partner with a reputable SEO marketing agency with expertise in the field. At Red Stone Studio, we can help you increase your financial leads and client base. Contact us today to schedule a free strategy call with one of our team members.
