Most financial advisors are sought upon and found online, oftentimes through their own website. Because of this, it’s essential that your site has been properly optimized and is regularly updated to set yourself apart from other financial advisors.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of maximizing how many users find your website through search engines. Search engines include Yahoo and Bing, but in the digital marketing world, Google is king. Since Google is the entity wielding most of the power, it’s essential to optimise your site in a way that Google will steer users your way.
Everything you have ever googled and then clicked on is because of SEO. Ads at the top of the page aside, the content that is on a website is what helps Google determine what should be in the top spots on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Those who are using internet searches to find information or services are typically further down the marketing funnel than those who come across advertisements that are used for informative purposes.
Search engines like Google are meant to provide the most relevant and high-quality results for any query a user searches for. This is achieved by search algorithms. Essentially, Google can look at a web page, understand the content, keyword, how well it is optimized for the web, and it’s overall authority on the given subject matter, and decide to show a specific page in the results. That’s why it’s critical for any site—from online retailers to blogs to news aggregators—to not only understand how SEO works, but to optimize it, as well.
There are nearly 30,000 search terms related to “financial advisors near me” every month and the financial services industry is far behind other industries when it comes to properly optimizing their websites for SEO. If done correctly, the ROI for SEO can be much higher than money spent on online advertising. Of course, an SEO-optimized site takes time and proper understanding of what Google is looking for. We’ve compiled some tips to help you optimize your financial advisor website.
Title tags and meta descriptions are what you see on the SERP after you have searched for something. They are the results that have a title and description below, describing what is on the page and determining if you want to click on that page to answer your question. Having relevant information in the title tags and meta descriptions will help to ensure that users know what to expect when they click on your link.
Keywords are an SEO’s bread and butter, as content revolves around relevant keywords and search queries. This means that you must understand what your financial advisor audience is searching for and what kind of help they need.
There are a few ways to do this including tools like Moz, SEMRush, and Google Search Console. A free way to do this is by simply using Google. Google one of the keywords that you’d like to rank for, like “retirement financial advisor in austin,” and then see what comes up. Scroll to the bottom where you see a section that says “related searches” and see what those queries are. By doing this, you can capitalize on what people are searching for surrounding your original query.
Calls to action, or CTAs, have a significant impact on whether a user on your site will convert or not. Essential, a CTA is a phrase that tells the user what action to take and how to take it. Common CTAs including phrases like “Buy Now,” “Subscribe Now,” or “Schedule a Free Consultation Today.” A strong CTA convinces users to act, while giving them the motivation to do so.
CTAs should put the focus on what’s important and remove any kind of “fluff” language that may confuse or redirect the audience. The action should be concise (though CTAs that are an entire sentence can also be effective), and puts the focus on what is important.
An updated site will show your users that you care about staying up-to-date on the latest studies and trends in the financial world. Additionally, updated blogs and articles can provide a sense of authority and can build trust. If you are planning on holding events, doing free consultation specials, or anything where time is of the essence, it’s critical to keept those up-to-date. Basically, users put a lot of value in an updated website with news, trends, and other relevant topics, and showing that you put value in that can help you find more leads.
This seems obvious, but many financial advisors do not put their contact information on their site. When something is searching for financial advisors on the internet, they are ready to start connecting with an advisor ASAP. One of the best ways to do this is to create a form on your site that users can leave their name, email address, and a short note explaining what services they are looking for. That way, you are able to get back with them after doing some initial research. Leaving a number to your direct line or your office address helps to build trust, as well. People are intimidated by financial advisors, so it’s important to make them feel as comfortable as possible during the initial process.
Reviews are important for almost every type of service offered, but especially so in the financial services sector. This is the chance where you can show potential clients where you shine and your happy clients. Ask your current or past happy clients for reviews that you are able to post on your site. It’s important that these are authentic reviews from real people.
It’s also important to highlight your niche market. As there are many services people may be needing, make sure you are clear in what you offer. If you focus solely on retirement planning and end-of-life situations, make a main priority on your homepage. Don’t waste your or anyone else’s time by not being upfront about what you offer.
Having a website that is user-friendly and SEO-optimized will have you reaping the benefits of your efforts in no time. Using online best practices will set you apart from your competition who may be doing the bare minimum. The value of SEO for financial advisors will help you get found on the SERP, build your authority, and get linked to other valuable websites. If you are having trouble with SEO, consider seeking out a service or agency who can help you.
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