SEO for Financial Services: 8 Proven Practices for Online Visibility
In the realm of financial services, where every penny matters, getting noticed online is crucial. But with strict rules and lots of competition, it can be tough. That’s where SEO comes in. It’s all about making sure your website shows up when people search online.
If you work in finance, you know how important it is to help people with their money. But when it comes to getting your business seen online, SEO is key.
In this guide, we’ll give you eight expert tips for success with SEO in finance. Whether you’re in banking, investing, insurance, or another financial field, these tips will help you get noticed online and reach more people. Let’s get started!
What You Need to Know About SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords and phrases. By improving a website’s visibility in search engines, businesses can attract more traffic to their site and increase their chances of converting visitors into customers. Research shows that websites on the first page of Google search results receive approximately 95% of clicks, with the top three organic results capturing the majority of that traffic.
Traffic x Conversions = Sales, and this is ultimately the goal of SEO. It is achieved by enhancing user experience, optimizing various content and technical SEO factors, and building high-authority backlinks.
What are the benefits of improving SEO for financial services?
Improving their visibility in key online searches can yield significant benefits for financial service providers. Here are a few key advantages to consider.
Increased traffic
A solid SEO strategy brings in more organic visitors to your site. By ranking higher for important keywords, your site attracts more clicks as people search for relevant information.
Improved conversions
With increased website traffic comes a greater chance of converting visitors into paying customers. SEO tends to be a top performer in converting visitors because it attracts actively interested individuals rather than relying on paid ads.
Stronger brand recognition
As your financial services company appears more frequently in search results, more people become aware of your brand. Over time, your brand becomes associated with expertise in finance. If your on-site content delivers valuable information, your brand’s credibility grows, establishing you as a trusted authority in the industry.
Best SEO Strategies for Financial Services by JetTrinet
1. Understand YMYL and E-A-T
YMYL, or Your Money or Your Life, content holds significant weight in Google’s algorithm, especially for financial service providers. It encompasses content that can profoundly influence the reader’s life, such as medical or financial advice.
For financial service providers, the majority of their web pages fall into the YMYL category, as they can impact users’ happiness, health, financial stability, or safety. This includes pages containing financial advice on various topics, including:
- Investments
- Taxes
- Retirement planning
- Loans
- Banking
- Insurance
- Facilitating online purchases and money transfers
When determining the ranking of a YMYL page, Google relies on its E-A-T standards (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). These standards ensure that content meets rigorous criteria for accuracy and reliability.
Improve Your Site’s E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, is crucial for financial service providers aiming to rank YMYL pages effectively. It serves as a measure for search engines like Google to gauge the trustworthiness of a website or its content.
Creating content that prioritizes the needs of users over search engine rankings is key. As emphasized in Google’s E-E-A-T guide, evaluating content based on “Who,” “How,” and “Why” is essential:
Who: This refers to the author of the content. Providing information about the author’s expertise and background adds credibility and trust to the content.
How: This pertains to the method of content creation. Highlighting the process, research, and effort put into creating the content establishes its authenticity and reliability.
Why: This focuses on the purpose of the content. Content should aim to inform or assist users, rather than solely focusing on ranking well in search engines. Understanding and conveying the intent behind the content aligns with user-first principles and enhances trustworthiness.
Integrating these principles into your content strategy ensures that your website builds trust and credibility with users and search engines alike.
2. Run Comprehensive Keyword Research
According to a study, 95% of financial customers use search engines when looking for information or services. This highlights the significance of optimizing website content with relevant keywords to capture the attention of potential customers actively searching for financial solutions.
The table outlines keyword significance, considering the total count and impact on site traffic on some sites.
Here are some tools/methods that can be employed to effectively implement SEO:
Identify target audience: Understand demographics, needs, and preferences. Consider financial goals, pain points, and search behaviors.
Brainstorm topics: List broad topics related to services your audience might search for, like investment strategies, retirement planning, tax advice, and loan options.
Expand keywords: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find keyword ideas. Explore variations, long-tail keywords, and niche-specific terms.
Below is an example of the results obtained from analyzing keywords using Ahrefs’ keyword research tools.
- Analyze competitors: Study competitor keywords from their content and meta tags. Gain insights and identify gaps or opportunities for differentiation.
The table below shows the comparison of how many keywords, volumes, and traffic the competitors have.
- Prioritize keywords: Evaluate SEO terms based on search volume, competition, and relevance. Focus on terms with a good balance. Consider long-tail keywords for niche targeting.
When searching for financial services, it’s essential to identify the keywords that potential patients are using to find the services they need. In this regard, we have compiled a list of keywords related to financial services, along with their estimated query frequencies.
| Search Queries | Query Frequency |
| Financial planning services | High |
| Investment management companies | Moderate |
| Retirement planning services | High |
| Wealth management firms | Moderate |
| Tax preparation services | High |
| Mortgage lenders | High |
| Personal finance advisors | Moderate |
| Insurance companies | High |
| Credit card services | High |
| Business loan providers | Moderate |
| Financial consulting firms | Moderate |
| Online banking services | High |
| Accounting services | High |
| Debt consolidation services | Moderate |
| Estate planning attorneys | Moderate |
| Stock trading platforms | Moderate |
3. Develop High-Quality Expert Content
Creating great content is vital for boosting website rankings. SEMrush research shows that relevant content is the top strategy for improving SEO.
Use the best content optimization methods to create high-quality content for your financial services SEO.
Know who you’re writing for. Are they individuals seeking personal loans, small businesses needing expansion capital, or students looking for educational loans?
Tailoring your content to their needs makes it more effective.
Here are some common sections and blocks used in landing pages for financial services:
- Craft a captivating hero section: Grab attention with a powerful headline, a visually striking image related to finance, and a clear CTA button that drives action.
source: discover.com
- Services or solutions overview: Provide a concise overview of the assistance you offer, emphasizing the value they provide. Use icons or graphics to represent each support and briefly describe their benefits.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): Place prominent CTAs throughout the page to encourage visitors to take action, such as scheduling a consultation or contacting the clinic.
- Expertise and team profiles: Introduce your team of financial experts, advisors, or wealth managers. Showcase their experience, credentials, and areas of specialization to build trust and credibility.
- Facilitate easy contact and interaction: Make it easy for visitors to contact you by providing multiple contact options, such as phone numbers, email addresses, or a contact form. Keep the form fields minimal to encourage conversions.
source: usbank.com
4. Optimize On-Page SEO
On-page SEO involves optimizing individual web pages to enhance their visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. The process includes strategically using keywords in title tags, meta descriptions, and headings – as well as utilizing internal linking – to make content more relevant to search queries.
On-page SEO encompasses several crucial elements that contribute to the overall optimization of a website. These include:
- Title Tag: The title tag is essential for websites as it serves as the main headline in search results, capturing users’ attention and highlighting your expertise in areas such as wealth management, investment advice, or insurance solutions.
- Meta Description: Crafting a compelling meta description is particularly important to entice users to click on your link by emphasizing the unique benefits your services offer, such as personalized financial planning, competitive interest rates, or comprehensive risk assessment.
Below is an image of a site showing the Title Tag and Meta Description:
source: capitalone.com
- H1 (Heading 1): The H1 heading on webpages should concisely convey your core offerings, helping search engines and users quickly grasp your specialization.
Provided below is an image representing a well-designed Heading 1:
source: servicecu.org
- H2-H3 (Heading 2 to Heading 3): Using relevant subheadings in the H2-H3 tags helps providers organize their content effectively, aiding users in finding specific information.
- SEO-Friendly URLs: Descriptive keywords in URLs assist search engines in understanding your page’s content and help users anticipate the webpage’s content.
- Alt (Image) Tags: Optimizing image alt tags is crucial for websites, enabling search engines to associate relevant keywords with visuals, increasing your chances of appearing in image search results.
- Internal Links: Implementing internal links on websites improves the overall user experience by guiding visitors to related topics, such as linking from a blog post about investment diversification to a page explaining different investment options or risk management strategies.
In the example below, you can see the internal link:
- Structured Data: Leveraging structured data allows search engines to display rich snippets in search results, providing users with valuable information upfront.
According to a survey by Search Engine Journal, 60% of users said that they are more likely to click on a search result if it includes the brand name in the title tag. This highlights the importance of using descriptive and informative title tags that accurately reflect the content of the page.
5. Earn Authoritative Backlinks
Enhancing finance SEO involves securing valuable backlinks. These links, originating from third-party websites, serve as pathways to your own site. While backlinks drive traffic to your website, they hold even greater significance in improving your Google rankings.
How does this work?
When your site earns a backlink from a reputable source, Google perceives your site as credible. As Google prioritizes reputable sites in its rankings, securing backlinks from trusted websites can significantly elevate your position in search results.
Therefore, it’s crucial to seek backlinks from reputable finance industry websites rather than aiming for links from any source. One effective strategy is to identify broken or missing links on these sites. Upon discovery, alert the site owners and propose replacing them with fresh links to your content.
Key Metrics for Securing Backlinks
To bolster your website’s reputation and Google ranking, prioritize building high-authority backlinks. Incorporating link building services into your SEO strategy is essential, particularly for finance websites.
When reaching out to potential linking partners, consider the following metrics:
Domain Authority: Scores from 1-100 indicating your domain’s ranking power.
Trust Flow: Reflects the credibility of a site based on authoritative links.
Topical Trust Flow: Shows site relevance to specific industries, aligning with your finance niche.
Organic Traffic: Prioritize sites with substantial traffic, especially from relevant regions like the UK for finance websites.
Effective Strategies for Building High-Quality Links
Here are some of the best ways to build high-quality links to your finance website:
- Guest Post On Reputed Financial Industry Publications
- Participate in Financial Webinars and Conferences
- Create In-Depth Financial Guides and Reports
- Offer Financial Tools or Calculators
The significance of external links for the online presence and SEO strategy cannot be emphasized enough. These links, acquired from reputable sources, serve as validations of credibility and expertise, exerting a significant impact on the visibility and search engine rankings of websites. Prioritizing the acquisition of relevant and high-quality links from within the industry is essential while evading link manipulation and dubious sources is equally imperative.
The Impact of Optimized Linked Pages
Optimized linked pages offer numerous benefits, including higher search rankings, improved user experience with valuable resources, credibility through reputable connections, relevance with aligned content, authority acquisition, and reduced penalty risk.
6. Enhance Branch Visibility with Local SEO Strategies
Does your company operate multiple locations? Implementing tailored local SEO tactics can amplify your branches’ online presence across various cities or states. This fosters stronger connections with local communities and drives foot traffic to physical locations.
Location Pages:
Create dedicated pages for each branch to target specific geographic regions. Tailor content to address the unique needs and interests of local customers. Incorporating location-specific keywords, relevant information, and contact details can boost visibility in local search results.
Google Business Profile:
Optimize Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) listings for each branch. Provide accurate and comprehensive details such as address, phone number, and business hours. Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across online platforms reinforces branch legitimacy.
Let’s consider a local bank, Secure Bank. They ensure their business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistently listed as follows:
Business Name: Secure Bank
Address: 123 Main Street, City, State, Zip Code
Phone Number: (123) 456-7890
Here’s a sample screenshot of a GMB:
Reviews:
Effective management of online reviews is crucial for improving local SEO. Positive feedback enhances branch credibility and encourages user engagement. Addressing negative reviews promptly demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction, further bolstering branch reputation.
According to a study by BrightLocal, 91% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. Moreover, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. This highlights the importance of reputation management for monetary firms as it can directly impact their ability to attract and retain clients.
Here is an example of a site that has received a 2-star rating, indicating some dissatisfaction with the provided services or experiences.
source: yelp.com
7. Perform a Technical SEO Audit
Financial services companies need to ensure their sites are optimized for search engine visibility and user experience. A comprehensive technical SEO audit is essential for identifying areas of improvement and implementing strategies to enhance online presence. According to a survey by Clutch, 45% of small businesses invest in regular site audits to improve their SEO performance.
Let’s explore the key aspects of a technical SEO audit:
Improving Website Security and Speed
SSL Certificate:
Implementing an SSL certificate establishes a secure connection, encrypting data transmission between your website and users to enhance trust and protect sensitive information.
Increasing Site Speed:
Website speed is vital for delivering a seamless user experience and enhancing search engine rankings. Consider the following optimization techniques:
Geolocation: Utilize geolocation data to deliver localized content and reduce latency by providing users with information relevant to their location.
Page Speed Enhancement:
Efficient page loading is crucial for both desktop and mobile search results. Prioritize speed optimization to retain users and avoid losing them to competitors. Utilize tools like Google Lighthouse for speed assessment and AMP for accelerated mobile loading. Fast-loading pages improve user experience, boost search rankings, and strengthen competitiveness in the market.
Indexing Optimization Techniques
Duplicate Content:
Identify and resolve duplicate content issues to avoid diluting search rankings.
Canonical URLs:
Implement canonical tags to specify the preferred version of a page with similar content.
robots.txt:
Optimize the robots.txt file to control search engine bot access and prioritize important pages.
Here’s an example of a robots.txt file:
meta-robots “noindex”:
Prevent indexing of specific pages by adding the “noindex” meta tag.
sitemap.xml:
Create and submit a sitemap.xml file to aid search engines in discovering and crawling all relevant pages.
Here’s an example of a sitemap.xml file:
Friendly URLs and GET Parameters:
Optimize URLs with descriptive keywords for improved user experience and search engine visibility. Avoid excessive GET parameters for readability.
404 Code:
Customize the 404 error page to retain visitors and guide them back to relevant content.
8. Regular Monitoring and KPI Analysis
Regular monitoring and analysis are vital for refining and improving your financial services SEO strategy. Utilize platforms like Search Console and GA to track website traffic, SEO rank, backlink profiles, and user behavior, ensuring comprehensive data capture.
In order to evaluate the success of your SEO strategy, it’s essential to monitor relevant KPIs:
- SEO rank (per page): Determine the positions your pages occupy for key search terms identified during keyword research.
- Impressions: Assess how frequently your pages are viewed by users searching for relevant terms.
- Organic traffic: Measure the number of visitors arriving at your site through search engines.
- Engagement metrics: Analyze factors like time on page, pages per session, and bounce rate to gauge user interaction.
- Conversions from organic traffic: Track both hard conversions (e.g., service purchases) and soft conversions (e.g., newsletter subscriptions) originating from organic search.
- SEO Score: Utilize platforms like Site improve to obtain a comprehensive score reflecting your overall SEO performance.
Based on your analysis of these KPIs, continuously refine your on-page SEO and link building strategy. Update keyword targeting, create user-centric content, optimize existing pages, and cultivate high-quality backlinks to enhance off-page SEO. Given the dynamic nature of financial services, ongoing adjustments are crucial for sustained success.
Conclusion
To wrap up, mastering SEO techniques is vital for financial service providers navigating the digital age. By optimizing content, earning authoritative backlinks, and refining local SEO strategies, institutions can expand their reach and engage effectively with their audience. Regular monitoring and agile adjustments ensure continued relevance and effectiveness in an ever-evolving landscape. Moreover, in 2024, financial services SEO transcends mere keywords and backlinks, emphasizing the paramount importance of user experience and brand building. As the digital world assumes increasing centrality in financial services, a robust SEO strategy becomes not just an option but a necessity for success and growth in 2024 and beyond.
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