September 18, 2020 - Search engine optimization, better known as SEO, encompasses a variety of strategies that aim to improve a webpage or website’s search engine ranking. The higher you rank for relative searches, the more easily potential customers are able to find your agency.
As a local business, SEO can help you increase visibility and attract new leads to your agency. This tactic is known for its long-term effectiveness and relatively low cost, making it an insurance industry favorite. To get you started with SEO, we’ve rounded up some of the most important insurance marketing strategies you can use to help local customers find your agency.
Optimize for Local Search
A reported four out of five consumers use search engines to find local information. This means it’s very likely your next policyholder will find you online! Let’s make sure they can find your information.
As an insurance agent, you may or may not have a complete website. It’s more likely that you have a dedicated webpage for your local branch attached to your carrier’s website. But don’t worry, you can still optimize a single webpage to work in your favor with on-page SEO.
The easiest way to get started is by filling out your local webpage completely. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how few people actually do this! Enter information in every available section, from your bio to your contact information and everything in between. This information can help you appear in local searches as well as tell your future customers how and when to connect with you.
Keyword-Driven Content
One of the best things you can do to help customers find your page is to choose a location-based keyword phrase. When someone in your community searches for auto, life, or other insurance, they’ll likely plug in their location at the end of the search term. For example, if a new resident is looking for auto insurance in their area, they may type in “best insurance in San Diego county” or “auto insurance in Las Vegas, NV” (go Knights!). Identify how your customers might be searching for an agency like yours through keyword research, then implement that phrase onto your webpage or website.
You may not have a ton of flexibility to add sections on your carrier webpage. Don’t fret! There are still ways to incorporate keyword terms. Include it in your bio, mission statement, and anywhere else you think it may seamlessly fit. Be careful to avoid throwing it in places that it doesn’t belong. You don’t want to commit the crime of keyword stuffing or risk poor readability.
Business Directory Listings
This is something we talk a lot about here at Melon Local. And for good reason! Business directory listings are to local businesses what social media is to millennials. If you don’t have one, do you even exist?
Business directory listings, like Google Business Profile, are another avenue by which customers can find your agency. When you type in a nonspecific local search, let’s say “best pizza in Kansas City,” you’re likely to see business directory listing sites at the top of your search. If your business doesn’t have a profile, you’ll miss out on customers searching for insurance agencies in a similar way.
Optimize your profile by, again, completing all available fields. Failing to put your address and the regions you serve can leave you out of local search results. You should also link to your website or webpage so that customers exploring your agency can get more information about you easily. Don’t forget to upload a few, high-quality pictures and respond to reviews, good or bad.
Part of a Larger Picture
Local Search is one of many insurance marketing strategies you can use to grow your agency. And while it is a powerful one, we encourage you to create a well-rounded marketing plan that takes your business goals and customers’ needs into account. Have questions about building a localized insurance marketing plan? Reach out to our team to learn how we can help.