You might be thinking, “What is SEO and is SEO for insurance agents really worth the money?” Spoiler alert, YES!
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. And in a nutshell means, optimizing (structuring) your website content (blog or other) so that it ranks on Page 1 of Google.
Even if you didn’t know what SEO stood for, you’ve probably heard the saying, “If you want to bury a body, bury it on page 3 of Google where no one will find it.”
While morbid, it’s totally true. How often do you scroll beyond the first 10 results?
Think about this: right now, your potential client, or possibly current client, is Googling “How does a metal roof affect my insurance?”. Not relatable to your agency? How about, “Why did my car insurance go up without an accident?” That one definitely resonates, doesn’t it?
Did you know, there are over 5000 people in your area searching that term every month? How would it change your business if half of those people… forget half… how would it change your business if 10% of those people clicked on your website?
What if you had 100 articles on your website that rank on page 1 of Google?
Being visible online is not only important but it’s how you grow. You might say, “My business is based on word of mouth and referrals”. How many existing clients do you have? What if 10% of them aren’t happy?
Did you know, that an unhappy client will tell 10 people that they had a bad experience but might only tell one person they had a great experience and that’s only if their friend is talking about insurance?
I spent 15 years in the insurance industry in North Carolina (I know. The second most volatile state…in terms of insurance) and I know first hand what it’s like to manage a book of business, manage employees, come up with growth strategy, and manage quality assurance to make sure your clients are happy.
And while you’re at it, make sure you know about all the industry changes happening every minute of every day, make sure your agents know about all the changes and don’t forget you also need to be writing enough business to keep ALL of your companies happy.
I can take growth strategy off your plate. I’m going to help you demystify SEO for your agency.
What Is SEO For Insurance?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for insurance agents is the practice of optimizing your online visibility to appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) when people search for insurance-related terms. Think of it as making your agency more visible to potential clients in the digital world.
Here’s why it’s crucial:
- 70% of people research companies and agencies online. If you’re not visible, you’re missing out on valuable leads.
- Top of page SERPs get 95% of clicks. Being at the top means more visits and potentially more clients. The closer to the top of the page, the more clicks you get, DUH.
- Insurance is a competitive market. SEO helps you stand out from the crowd and reach your target audience.
What Does SEO For Insurance Agents involve?
It’s a combination of different strategies, including:
On-Page Optimization
- Keyword research: Find relevant keywords people use to search for insurance that have low competition, like “auto insurance in your city” or “best life insurance quotes in your city.”
- Content creation: Create informative and engaging content that answers your target audience’s questions and showcases your expertise, like blog posts, video guides, and customer testimonials.
- Website structure and navigation: Make your website easy to navigate and find information quickly.
- Technical SEO: Ensure your website loads quickly and is mobile-friendly.
Off-Page Optimization
- Local SEO: Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing and other local directories to appear in local search results.
- Link building: Get backlinks from high-authority websites to your website to increase its authority and ranking, like Realtors, carrier partners, other relevant partners.
- Social media marketing: Engage with potential clients on social media platforms and share valuable content.
- Email marketing: Use your blog content for your newsletter.
Benefits Of Good SEO For Insurance Agents
- Increased website traffic: More people find your website, leading to more leads and clients.
- Improved brand awareness: Your agency becomes more visible and builds trust with potential customers.
- Cost-effective marketing: SEO is a long-term investment that can deliver consistent results over time. Your content, with minor updates based on market changes, is evergreen.
- Pre-qualified leads vs cold leads: By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can attract more qualified leads, close more deals, and grow your insurance business.
Remember:
- SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.
- Patience is key – it takes time to see results.
- Consider hiring an SEO expert if you need help navigating the complexities of search engine optimization.
How To Use SEO To Grow Your Business
Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to use SEO to grow your business.
Build a blog with SEO-optimized content
A blog with SEO optimized content will do two things for you:
- A blog will give you instant credibility. Imagine your potential client looking at your website and looking at your competition’s website. You have instant authority, credibility, and you’re well on your way to establishing a great rapport. But it can’t just be words on a page. It must be organized and optimized. Don’t think only about Google’s perspective, think about the reader’s experience. (pssst… Google wants your reader to have a good experience)
- If the content is SEO optimized, people searching for your services will find your website and will find YOU. Aren’t you the best at what you do? Haven’t you always said, “If I can just get in front of more people…” (you should have answered yes to both of those btw)
how to sEO-Optimize your Content For Your insurance agency
SEO is simple. But it’s not easy. If you’re on a shoestring budget you can absolutely do this on your own. If you can start an agency, you can learn SEO. The benefit to hiring someone else to do it though, means you can focus on what you’re good at. Writing insurance. But, I’m going to lay out what you’ll need to do step-by-step.
Use keywords
This is THE most important part of SEO. It all starts here. I’ve successfully grown traffic for 4 websites of my own from 0 users per month to them now seeing over 75,000 users per month. That number grows every single month.
Do keyword research to find relevant keywords for your insurance niches. Auto, Home, Life, Liability, Boat, Builders Risk, etc., and then use them throughout your article, in your headline, sub headings, and in your content.
Do not do “keyword stuffing”. That’s a big no-no and Google will penalize your site if you do that. Don’t think their algorithm won’t catch it.
Publish on a regular basis
You will need to create and publish content consistently. I know. It’s a lot. That’s why none of your peers are doing it.
Subheadings
When you use H2, H3, and H4 headings, it makes your content easy to scan and gives a great user experience. It will also help Google understand what keyword you’re trying to rank for.
Internal and external links
Within each post, you will need to link to another relevant post on your website. This improves usability, boosts page views, and tells Google that your site is relevant for that keyword you’re going after. Google thinks the user is happy because they’ve just gone to another page on your site.
You also need to link out to another relevant source. Have you heard of the term “Link Exchange”? If you’re linking out to a business, reach out to them and ask them to link back to you “I’m linking my post to you, here’s where you can link to me from your website. Please.”
Valuable content
Do not use filler content. More is not better. Answer the user’s question and move on.
Is SEO For Insurance Agents Important?
Using SEO optimized content for your Insurance website’s blog is so important for readability purposes and for visibility on the interwebs.
These best practices should always be followed. Never cut corners. Your goal with every piece of content is to 10x your competition. Make it 10 times better. (And that goes for your overall business strategy as well.)
Keeping SEO in mind from the beginning of your blog launch is what will lead to consistent growth for your website and for your business.
Have a question? Send me a message!