It doesn’t matter what type of business you’re running – it would be a legitimate mistake to think that getting found on Google shouldn’t be one of your biggest marketing priorities.
Especially when you’re operating a service-based business like a CPA or accounting firm, it’s understandable to think that you can largely get by on your own. Many people who have been in an industry for decades think that all they need is good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth. One satisfied customer tells another, who tells two more, then five, etc. Right?
Unfortunately, that’s no longer quite the case.
According to one recent study, about 68% of all online experiences and interactions with a business start with a search engine. If someone goes looking for a financial services provider in the modern era, the chances are high they’re going to begin online. And even with a personal recommendation, they’ll still go online to read up on your firm and find your contact info.
The chances are equally high that they’re going to turn to Google in particular, which owns an 89% market share on worldwide search engines. Microsoft’s Bing is a distant second at just 3.94%.
What happens at that point? According to Google itself, about 76% of people who search for a type of business and then “near me” will make a visit within just one day.
These three simple statistics illustrate exactly why getting found on Google is so important. But thankfully, it’s not necessarily as hard as many assume it to be. It will require a specific approach, however, and for you to keep a few key things in mind along the way.
It All Starts With Your Google Business Profile
At this point, it’s important to point out that Google makes the majority of its money as a company from ad revenue. The more people use their search engine, the more people see ads – and the more money they make. If they can keep you on the search results page for as long as possible, that’s even better – which is part of why they introduced the Google Business Profile into the equation.
Once named Google My Business listings, these are those business-related tidbits that appear after you’ve searched but before you actually make a selection. This free tool allows your business to show up on Google Maps and in local search results. The best part? It’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your local SEO.
Make sure all your business info is filled out – name, address, phone number (NAP), hours, and website link. You should also add as many photos of your financial services business as possible. People are more likely to click on businesses that have photos. Whether it’s your office, staff, or services, adding images can help increase engagement.
Not only that, but try to get as many reviews as you can because social proof is massive these days. Encourage satisfied clients to leave feedback on your Google profile. The more recent and relevant the reviews, the better.
Location-Specific Keyword Research
At this point, you’ll also want to go to the content on your website and focus on incorporating as many location-specific keywords as you can. It isn’t enough to simply have a term like “financial services” on your site as many times as you can get it. If yours is a business that operates in Baltimore, you’ll want to use phrases like “financial services in Baltimore” or “CPA in Baltimore” for the best results.
Think about what someone might search when looking for financial services in your area. Include these keywords throughout your website, especially in your titles, meta descriptions, headings, and body content.
Again, this is huge because about 88% of people who use a smartphone for local search will visit a business within just a week. So if someone is searching for “financial services in [CITY]” and they come across your business’ name, you’ve dramatically increased the chances that yours is the next number they call.
Note that you’ll also want to incorporate these keywords into as much relevant, high-quality content that you can. This includes not only blog posts but also case studies, or client stories about the local community. These pieces of content not only help with SEO but also demonstrate that you’re invested in the financial well-being of your local community.
Optimize, Optimize, Optimize
Speaking of smartphones, remember that more and more people are searching for businesses like yours on their phones. If they go to Google and you’re lucky enough that they click on your website, the fastest way to get them to hit the “Back” button in their browser is to offer a subpar experience.
That is to say, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re likely missing out on potential clients. Google also prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its rankings, so if your site doesn’t work well on a mobile device, your local SEO could take a hit.
For the absolute best results, make sure that your website loads as quickly as possible on mobile devices. This is not something that you want to leave to chance. You should avoid using any large images or videos that might slow things down.
Make sure that all buttons are incredibly easy to click on, as some people might not be using a mouse – they might be using their fingers. You should also make sure your site is as easy as possible to navigate on smaller screens. This is one of those situations where a minimalist design will serve you well.
Take Advantage of Those Backlinks
Finally, don’t forget that backlinks are always an essential part of not just SEO, but local SEO.
For those unfamiliar, a backlink is when another website links back to your content. Local backlinks, particularly from businesses or websites within your city or neighborhood, can help boost your credibility in the eyes of Google.
To start getting backlinks, you can partner with local businesses whenever possible. Maybe you could co-host events or create content together, and link back to each other’s website. It’s a great way to take a bit of their audience and carve it off for yourself. Along the same lines, you may also want to investigate local events in your area that your financial services business can sponsor. Whether it’s a charity run or a local business expo, sponsoring local events can often result in a backlink from the event website.
You could also write guest articles for local blogs or news sites. This is a great way to get your name out there and gain a valuable backlink.
Don’t Just Get Found on Google. Stay in the Spotlight
In the end, maybe the most important lesson of all is that local SEO for financial services providers isn’t something that you “do once and forget about.” When you meticulously follow those best practices outlined above, you significantly increase the chances of shooting to the top of the search engine results pages.
STAYING there, however, is something else entirely.
Staying in the spotlight requires you to be proactive and to continue to make these things a priority. If your keywords get too competitive, switch the keywords you’re targeting. Always focus on creating high value content for your target audience. Continue to optimize your pages to make sure they work well on the latest mobile devices. The list goes on and on.
But improving your local SEO doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does take time and effort. By optimizing your Google Business Profile, using location-based keywords, and creating relevant, local content, you’ll start to see more visibility in your area.
Local SEO for financial services providers is not a sprint – it’s a marathon. Don’t assume that you’ll be able to “do enough” to cement your #1 search results position indefinitely. The moment you do, you’ve lost a game you never truly understood in the first place.
Improving financial services SEO can be a time-consuming challenge, yes – but with a platform like Surefire Local by your side, it is certainly a lot easier. Rather than going to one tool for on-page SEO and another for content creation and another still for something like social media, everything you need has been distilled down into a single platform.
Not only can you handle things like directory management from one easy-to-manage place, but it also includes educational resources to help turn everyone in your business into the expert marketer they were meant to be. That way, you can focus less on how you’re going to get the right message in front of the right customer at exactly the right time and focus more on what that message actually is. That’s how you differentiate yourself from your competitors, and it’s a big part of how you keep a steady stream of new people coming through the door as well.
If you’d like to find out more information about SEO for financial services and how getting found on Google is a lot easier than you might think, or if you’d just like to talk about your own needs in a bit more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. You can also click here to schedule a Surefire Local demo so that you can see the impact a powerful all-in-one marketing platform can make for your own efforts.