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Your website is often the first impression potential clients have of your financial advisory services. A sleek design is important, but without proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO), even the most visually appealing websites can remain invisible to your target audience.
Keep in mind, though, that SEO is not just about increasing traffic; it’s about attracting the right traffic—qualified leads who are actively searching for the solutions you provide. This is of paramount importance.
So, how do you harness the power of SEO to grow your financial advisory business? It starts with understanding:
- What Google looks for when ranking websites for SEO
- Using Google's free tools to your advantage
- Expanding BEYOND the basics (LinkedIn, Backlinks, Google Reviews)
- Improving your content (copy and structure) to fuel the fire
What is the point of SEO anyway?
The point of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is to improve a website's ranking in search engine results pages like Google or Bing, so that when people search for relevant keywords related to your business, your website appears higher in the search results than your competitors, leading to more organic website traffic and potential customers finding your site with ease. This is known as increasing your organic visibility. When done well, this increased visibility translates to tangible results: more website visitors opting into your free resources, more booked calls with qualified prospects, and a growing email list filled with potential clients you can nurture into long-term relationships. It's an economical way to generate leads that are HIGHLY qualified because they're already looking for the services you offer (this is the magic and importance of keywords). If you are creating content for the right keywords and consistently doing the additional work below--your website is the one that will show up over those of your competitors and BAM! Suddenly you’re logging new leads, new calls, and eventually new clients.
What Does Google Look for When Ranking Websites for SEO?
Google uses a complex algorithm to determine how high your website appears in search results. Here are the top five elements that influence your ranking:
1. Pillar Posts
These are in-depth, authoritative blog posts that serve as the cornerstone of your website’s content. They cover broad topics relevant to your target audience and link to related articles on your site. For financial advisors, a pillar post could be "The Ultimate Guide to Retirement Planning."
2. Topic Clusters
Topic clusters group related content around your pillar posts, creating a clear structure for Google to understand your expertise. For example, under a retirement planning pillar post, you might have supporting articles like "The Benefits of Roth IRAs" or "How to Maximize Social Security Benefits."
Image Compliments of Gate39Media
3. Google My Business (GMB) Listing
Your GMB listing is a key factor in local SEO. Ensure your profile is updated with accurate information, regularly post updates, and gather client reviews. This builds trust with Google and boosts your local search visibility.
4. Backlinks
Backlinks—links to your site from reputable websites—are one of the most powerful ranking factors. They signal to Google that your site is trustworthy and valuable. Partnering with related businesses or being featured in industry publications can help build your backlink profile. Just take a look at what Google has to say about backlinks in this screenshot below.
Image compliments of Google AI Search Result "What is a backlink?" 11.16.2024
5. Social Media Signals
While social media isn’t a direct ranking factor, it plays a role in driving traffic and increasing your site’s visibility. Share your website URLs on social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to boost engagement and SEO indirectly.
Mastering Technical SEO Basics and Tools
Technical SEO ensures that your website is accessible and easy for search engines to crawl and index. Use these tools to audit and optimize your site:
- Google Search Console: Track search performance, identify indexing issues, analyze search queries, troubleshoot technical issues, submit sitemaps, monitor backlinks, analyze core web vitals.
- PageSpeed Insights: Improve site speed to enhance user experience and rankings. You can use https://pagespeed.web.dev/ to check the speed performance of your site. Mobile will always be a tad lower, but you don't want it in the danger zone.
- Ahrefs or SEMrush: Analyze your keywords and overall SEO performance. You can also pull performance records and do competitor analyses.
- Web Signals: Check and optimize page titles and meta descriptions.
- AI Tools: Use AI for SEO recommendations, keyword discovery, and more. Many SEO tools out there today have already incorporated AI into their platforms.
How to Use Google Analytics to Refine Your SEO Strategy
Google Analytics is a powerful tool for understanding visitor behavior and improving your content. Here’s how to leverage it:
- Pinpoint your top-performing pages and focus on optimizing them further. We use Databox to track some of our KPIs and it will show you your top visited pages, including blogs.
- Examine bounce rates and time-on-page to evaluate how engaging your content is.
Pro Tip #1: If you see an increase in traffic, but your bounce rate is going up, your keywords are not fulfilling the right intent and should be re-evaluated. Some SEO companies will try and show you an increase in traffic, but if the conversions aren't also increasing, you have a shady & ineffective SEO provider.
- Track key conversions, such as (1) form submissions, (2) scheduled calls, (3) lead magnet downloads, and (4) contacts who join your email list. This helps you measure your site’s effectiveness in attracting leads.
- Double Check Your Traffic: If you see a sudden spike one month, make sure spam bots are not skewing your numbers. Here's how to check and make sure your organic and referral traffic are real visitors and NOT spam bots: https://www.monsterinsights.com/how-to-find-who-links-to-your-site-in-google-analytics/#ga
Pro Tip #2: It doesn't matter if 1 million people come to your website if none of them are opting in, scheduling a call, or taking action.
Expanding SEO Strategies Beyond the Basics
SEO success requires a comprehensive (that's that wonderful word again hahaha) approach. Here are some additional strategies to boost your efforts:
+ Streamline Your Business Directory Listings
Ensure consistent and accurate listings on platforms like Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, and local directories. These listings strengthen local SEO and enhance your business’s credibility.
+ Publish LinkedIn Newsletters
LinkedIn newsletters are a fantastic way to share valuable content with your network. By embedding links back to your site, you can drive traffic and improve domain authority.
+ Solicit Google Reviews from Clients via Email and in Client Meetings*
Even though you can't compliantly use these reviews in other areas of your marketing, like emails or newsletters or your website (see Wealthtender for that capability), acquiring positive Google reviews improves your credibility with searchers and increases your odds of ranking above your competitors in search.
*For rules on how to collect reviews compliantly and how you can use them without being fined later, watch a webinar I co-hosted with Diana Cabrices of Wealthtender on the topic here: “How Financial Advisors Can Win Business with Testimonial Marketing in 2024.”
Regularly Review and Improve Your Content
Your website content needs to evolve with your audience’s needs. Conduct periodic audits to:
- Ensure service pages are clear and compelling (and that you have one for each persona and/or area of service). Inquire with me directly for more details on what that means.
- Replace outdated information and fix broken links.
- Address frequently asked questions that aren’t yet covered on your site. What one or two clients are asking, is what a handful of others are wondering.
- Conduct surveys or client interviews to help you identify what content your audience wants to see.
Keeping your content fresh not only engages visitors but also signals relevance to search engines.
Why SEO Matters for Financial Advisors
SEO is a game-changer for financial advisory businesses, helping you connect with the right audience and grow your client base. By implementing strategies like pillar content, topic clusters, maintaining an updated Google Business Profile, building backlinks, and sharing URLs on social media, you can improve your site’s visibility and grow your business with more qualified clients. And don’t forget about adding business directory listings, publishing LinkedIn newsletters, and soliciting reviews to the mix to further strengthen your efforts.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires regular attention and adaptation. SEO is kind of like going on a diet. If you do it for 6 months and lose 40 lbs, but then start eating cookies and pizza everyday again, you’re going to lose progress. SEO is definitely a long game, but one that can pay compelling dividends if you stick with it consistently. Start with a thorough website audit and watch as improved visibility leads to more opt-ins, scheduled calls, and a thriving email list full of potential clients ready to work with you.
Ready to Boost Your Website’s Visibility?
Take the first step toward attracting more qualified leads and growing your financial advisory business with our expert SEO services. Schedule a FREE Strategy Call today, and we’ll help you identify opportunities to optimize your site, increase your organic visibility, and turn your website into a client-generating machine.