In the fast-paced digital world, where information flows seamlessly at the click of a button, establishing a strong online presence has become paramount for businesses across all industries. This is particularly true for financial services companies, as they navigate through an increasingly competitive landscape.
To further emphasise the potential of SEO in the Australian market, consider this: 93% of online experiences start with a search engine, and 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results. By optimising your website for relevant keywords and improving your search engine rankings, you can significantly increase your visibility and reach the right audience at the right time.
Additionally, research shows that SEO has a higher conversion rate compared to traditional outbound marketing. In fact, businesses that invest in SEO see an average conversion rate of 14.6%, significantly higher than the 1.7% conversion rate for outbound strategies.
What is financial services SEO?
SEO plays a crucial role in the digital marketing strategy of financial services companies. It helps potential customers discover their websites through search engine results pages. By focusing on relevant organic searches, SEO drives natural traffic to financial services sites. To achieve higher rankings, it is essential to provide valuable content, maintain a healthy and secure website, and acquire valuable backlinks from authoritative websites. This holistic approach ensures visibility and enhances the online presence of financial services companies.
What obstacles does the financial services industry face in terms of SEO?
The financial services industry encounters several obstacles in terms of SEO, including:
Competitive Landscape: The financial services sector is highly competitive, with numerous companies vying for visibility and online presence. Standing out among competitors and achieving high search engine rankings can be challenging.
Topic Complexity: Financial topics can be intricate and technical, making it challenging to create content that is both informative and engaging for users. Balancing search engine optimisation with user-friendly content that simplifies complex concepts is essential.
Stricter Content Quality: Search engines prioritise high-quality content in their algorithms. The financial services industry needs to ensure that their content meets these standards and provides accurate and valuable information to users. Maintaining compliance with regulatory guidelines further adds to the content challenges.
SEO for Lead Generation: Financial services heavily rely on lead generation to acquire new clients. Implementing effective SEO strategies that drive quality leads and conversions is crucial but can be complex due to the nature of financial products and services.
Trust and credibility: The financial services industry relies heavily on trust and credibility. Establishing and maintaining a strong online reputation, building backlinks from authoritative sources, and addressing any negative reviews or complaints are crucial for effective SEO in this industry.
What are the key strategies & best practices for achieving successful SEO in the financial services industry?
Achieving successful SEO in the financial services industry requires a comprehensive approach that incorporates various strategies and best practices. Here are the key points to consider:
Current SEO Assessment: Start by evaluating your current SEO efforts. This involves analysing your website’s performance, identifying areas for improvement, and setting goals for your SEO campaign.
Content Audit: Conduct a thorough audit of your existing content. Identify pages that are performing well, pages that need improvement, and pages that should be created to fill content gaps. Ensure that your content is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to your target audience.
Keyword Research: Perform keyword research to identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential customers in the financial services industry are searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Keyword Explorer to discover high-value keywords with reasonable search volumes and manageable competition.
Competitor Analysis: Analyse your competitors’ websites and SEO strategies. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, the keywords they are targeting, and the types of content they are creating. This analysis will help you gain insights and identify opportunities for improvement in your own SEO efforts.
Educational Content: Financial services clients often seek educational content to make informed decisions. Create high-quality, informative content that addresses common questions, provides valuable insights, and establishes you as a trusted authority in the industry. This can be in the form of blog posts, guides, tutorials, or videos.
Local SEO: For financial services businesses with physical locations, optimising for local SEO is crucial. Create and optimise your Google My Business profile, ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information across directories, and encourage customers to leave reviews. Additionally, target location-specific keywords in your content and meta tags.
Improve E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) are vital for financial services websites. Establish yourself as an industry expert by providing accurate and reliable information, showcasing credentials and certifications, and featuring testimonials or case studies that demonstrate your expertise and trustworthiness.
Technical SEO: Ensure your website is technically optimised for search engines. Improve site speed, implement proper URL structure, optimise meta tags and headers, use descriptive alt tags for images, and make sure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive. Conduct regular site audits to identify and fix any technical issues.
How ReachLocal can help
We can assist in achieving successful SEO in the financial services industry through our expertise and services. We can provide a tailored approach to your SEO strategy, conducting in-depth keyword research, competitor analysis, and content audits. We can also help optimise your website for local SEO, enhance E-A-T signals, and provide technical SEO recommendations. With our experience in the financial services industry, ReachLocal can guide you in creating educational content that resonates with your target audience and improves your search rankings.
Bobby Rawat