Did you know that financial advisors with a focused marketing budget acquire more new clients than those who don’t focus on marketing? Are you worried that increasing your marketing will make your firm non-compliant with important FINRA regulations?
If so, then you’re in the right place! Keep reading to learn how you can use the power of SEO to optimize your lead generation while also staying in compliance with regulations in your industry.
Why You Need to Use SEO as a Financial Advisor
As a financial advisor, your goals for your website will differ from most other types of businesses. You aren’t simply trying to bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors and hope to convert some of them to become paying clients.
The financial industry is incredibly personal and so, too, should your website and content marketing focus on staying personal with your prospective clients. Your SEO strategy won’t revolve around finding keywords that will bring in thousands of visitors who will read the article and leave. Instead, your focus should be on using your content to build trust with future investors.
There are several benefits of SEO. The top benefits for you as a financial advisor include:
- Increases visibility for your brand
- Build trust with future clients
- Keeps your business in alignment with FINRA regulations
- Increase ROI with high-quality lead generation
As you can see, focusing on SEO can offer you the leverage you need to scale your business. However, you need to do it right for your industry, which is what we’ll cover in the next section.
How to Create the Right SEO Strategy to Find New Clients
Search engine optimization is a tool or method, along with your SEM strategy, to increase brand awareness. You can do this by creating content that your ideal client is already searching for and that answers their questions.
When it comes to SEO, it can become overwhelming quickly as you try to navigate what to do first and where to focus your efforts. We’ve narrowed it down to the top three areas you should focus on as a financial advisor.
From your CPC to your ROAS, you want to get the best return on your investment of time and money, and SEO does just that.
Ensure Your Website is Optimized
The most important aspect of your optimization is to be sure your website is optimized. This means that it is easy to navigate, has a fast loading time and, of course, your site needs to be mobile-friendly.
Your website is your most important asset when it comes to digital marketing. It will work for you around the clock and never take a vacation or sick day. Over time, you’ll begin to see new leads and new clients coming to you organically every day.
This is why it’s so important to make sure your site is optimized and user-friendly. Taking the time to do this first will ensure higher conversions than simple PPC strategies. And you’ll see better lead generation as you continue on with the rest of our steps.
Write Content that Potential Clients are Asking for!
Many people fear that keyword optimization is a thing of the past when it comes to SEO. However, the fact is that the old way of using keywords is dead, and today’s content marketer needs to keep their readers in mind as they choose their keywords.
Take the time to find out what your clients search for every day. The fastest way to do this is to sit down with your current investors and ask them what they searched for. Find out where they first began their search and what keywords or phrases they looked up in the beginning.
Creating amazing content that helps your clients and answers their questions gives you a prime platform to show your authority in your industry. This is especially important in the financial advisory industry and why SEO can be a vital tool in your marketing toolbox so you stay FINRA compliant.
Remember, today’s searcher is asking for long-tail key phrases instead of short or single words. Start with what a potential investor will search for at the beginning of their interest in finance and investing.
You could write articles that answer questions, such as, “what is a fee-only advisor” and “what is a fiduciary?” Then move on to content in this similar topic cluster, such as, “what are the top benefits of working with a fiduciary?”
These are the types of questions an interested advisor is searching for. And when you write the best content available for these questions, you’ll find your site rising in the rankings. This is how you can use content to build visibility and trust with potential clients.
Drive Local Traffic
Your SEO efforts don’t end with your website. You’ll have several other areas where you’ll want to build your visibility. The best place to start is with your local SEO strategy. This begins with your Google “My Business” profile.
If you don’t have a profile yet, make this step a priority this week. You must have a GMB profile or your business is invisible to Google. And if you have a profile, did you simply add in your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information and leave it at that?
If so, then you have more work to do. Be sure to:
- Optimize your profile by adding in your business hours
- Add a link to your website
- Include information about the services you offer and the specific type of client you help
Then be sure to update your profile often. This signals to both Google and your viewers that you’re active and relevant. Add content such as posts and images that speak to your brand and potential clients.
Finally, begin to ask your current clients to leave you a review on your profile. Social proof and testimonials are paramount to building trust and reputation management. Guide your current clients to your profile and ask them to help you by leaving a review.
Target New Leads and Grow Your Business Today
Financial advisors that rely on old marketing methods will soon find themselves out of business. You need to focus your marketing strategy on SEO to help you build your brand while staying compliant with regulations.
If you’re ready to build your financial advisor business using growth marketing that works, then schedule your free discovery call today.
