The 52: Make Client Events Social in 2021

Week 20

Make Client Events Social in 2021

As more states reduce COVID-19 restrictions, in-person client events will likely be an option again in the near future. But before you start your monthly “Lunch & Learns” back up, rethink your event strategy. I predict that after being cooped up for the last year, clients will be looking for social connection and entertainment (instead of education) when they decide on which events to attend. So plan your 2021 in-person client events to be fun and engaging, and keep your educational events online. And just to be safe, plan your in-person events to be outdoors as well!

The 52: Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Paid Ads

Week 18

Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Paid Ads

The final area of the five components of a local SEO strategy is paid ads. While not technically considered local SEO, paid ads are one more way to show up on the first page of search results, which is why I include them as part of an overall SEO strategy.

There are two possible options for advertising on search results:

1. Paid Search Ads are the pay-per-click ads that look like organic search results and are found at the top and bottom of the page but are labeled “Ad.”

2. Local Services Ads are Google’s new pay-per-lead ads available in some geographic markets that are prominently displayed at the very top of the page.

Even if paid ads are not part of your long-term strategy, they can provide a quick way to help you appear in search results while your other local SEO efforts come to fruition.

P.S. Interested in learning more on this subject? Join me on June 3 at 11:30 a.m. PDT at the FPA NorCal Virtual Conference for my session, “Local SEO: How to Optimize Your Online Presence to Attract Local Prospects.”

Five Pillars of a Financial Advisor’s Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategy

Search engine optimization (SEO) techniques are an important part of increasing your company’s visibility in search engine results such as Google. But for most financial advisory firms, unless you focus on a narrow niche, it is not essential to rank nationally in search results. It’s more important to show up in search results in your local communities.

Think of it this way: If you live in Los Angeles and search for “outdoor dining near me,” you don’t want to see results from restaurants in New York. The same is true for people who search for a “financial advisor near me.” They want to find an advisor within driving distance.

That’s where local SEO comes in. Local SEO strategies are those techniques that increase your visibility in search engine results in your local geographic area.

“Local SEO: Strategies that increase your visibility in search engine results in your local geographic area.”

While there is some overlap in traditional SEO and local SEO techniques for optimizing website content, local SEO requires a significant number of strategies not determined solely by your website.

Assumptions Made for this Article

For purposes of this article, all recommendations are directed at increasing your rankings on Google since the site accounts for 92% of the global search market share.

Some of these strategies are not technically considered local SEO in the marketing world (i.e., ads) because they don’t help your website’s long-term organic rankings. From a practical standpoint, I include ads because they show up on the first page of Google results and provide yet another opportunity for a prospect to find you in their search.

Why Should You Have a Strong Local SEO Strategy in Place? 

According to UC Davis, 92% of consumers use the internet to search for local businesses. While many advisory firms have clients spread across the country, most new prospects are within driving distance of a company’s headquarters or satellite office. This is because most firms just do not have the financial resources to make a real impact nationally.

Unless a firm has expertise with a niche that naturally attracts prospects from around the country, local marketing is still the best use of time, money, and energy. If you want to increase leads generated from your website, implementing a comprehensive local SEO strategy is crucial.

How to Improve Your Local Search Rankings

If you want to rank on the first page of Google in your local area when a prospect searches for “financial advisor near me” or “financial planner [your city],” then you need to do more than just have the right keywords on your website.

You need to address five areas to optimize your local search engine presence:

• Local pack (e.g., Google My Business)

• Advisor listings (e.g., NAPFA’s “Find an Advisor,” FeeOnlyNetwork.com)

• Review sites (e.g., Google My Business, Yelp)

• Organic rankings (e.g., website optimization)

• Paid ads (e.g., Google Search ads, Local Services ads)

The best way to understand why you need all five of these areas is to examine the first page of Google results, as shown below.

When people think of “getting on the first page of Google,” they think of organic rankings, meaning their website appears in the general search results. But if that is all you are focused on, your firm is missing out on many other opportunities to be found on the same page of search results.

Let’s take a look at all the ways a prospect may find an advisor on the first page of Google search results, starting at the top and working our way down.  

Paid Ads

In most cases, paid ads sit at the top of all search results. Google consistently shows Google Search ads and, in some markets, is testing a service called Local Services ads. Except in the rare instance when no ads target a specific search term, the only way to show up at the top of Google is through paid ads.

Local Pack

The next section of Google search results is the Local Pack. This is the map you see with three businesses listed underneath. To be listed here, your business must have a Google My Business profile. Client reviews on Google and other factors will increase the chances of your business getting listed here.

Review Sites, Organic Rankings, and Advisor Listings

The meat of the search results is what you traditionally think of as search results. They are websites that Google displays because its algorithm has determined that these sites are the answer to your search query.

This is where the search engine optimization work you do on your website comes into play. If you have optimized your site well for a specific search term, it should show up in the search results, though not necessarily on the first page.

Other websites will also appear here and not just those of your competitors. Review sites such as Yelp will often rank. Advisor listing sites will also show up—both general listings such as FeeOnlyNetwork.com or FPA PlannerSearch and paid lead services such as SmartAsset and Zoe Financial.

Having listings on some of these sites provides an opportunity for prospects to find you even when they clicked out of Google Search and onto a different link. It’s usually worthwhile to be on the sites that apply to your business and make financial sense.       

The 52: Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Organic Rankings

Week 17

Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Organic Rankings

The fourth area of the five components of a local SEO strategy is organic rankings. This is when a search engine like Google ranks your website on search results. When people say, “I want to be on the first page of Google,” this is the strategy they are talking about.
Optimizing your website for organic SEO is a complex topic, but in short, you need to:

1. Conduct keyword research to discover which local words people are using to find a service like yours

2. Optimize one webpage on your site for each of your keywords

3. Establish backlinks by having other websites link their content (e.g., articles, press releases) back to your site

There are other technical aspects as well that you should discuss with a web developer to implement.

P.S. Our next Niche Starter Kit starts next Friday! Take the next steps here.

The 52: Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Review Sites

Week 16

Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Review Sites

The third area of the five components of a local SEO strategy is review sites such as Yelp or Google My Business. While review sites have traditionally been dangerous territory for advisors, starting May 4, new SEC marketing rules will allow for advisors to solicit and promote reviews with some restrictions.

Similar to advisor listings, review sites frequently show up on the first page of search results for popular search terms. Google also uses reviews to confirm you are a local business, and reviews improve your chances of ranking in the local pack. To get started, focus your efforts on a few review sites as recommended back in Week 7.

P.S. Our next Niche Starter Kit begins in two weeks! Take the next steps here.

The 52: Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Advisor Listings

Week 15

Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Advisor Listings

The second area of the five components of a local SEO strategy is advisor listings. These are the “find an advisor” sites that help connect consumers with financial advisors. These websites can be pay-per-lead sites like SmartAsset.com, professional association sites like FPA’s PlannerSearch, or paid listing sites like FeeOnlyNetwork.com.

Many advisor listing sites spend significant time and money on their local SEO strategy to appear on the first page of Google results ahead of local financial advisory firms. While not all these sites are going to be worth the cost, having a profile on sites that appear on the first page of Google results can lead to an increase in web leads.

P.S. Join Kristen Luke (@kristennluke) and Kristin Harad (@kristinharad) on Clubhouse this Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 1 p.m. PDT to discuss how to use videos in your marketing.

The 52: Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Local Pack

Week 14

Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy: Local Pack

The first area of the five components of a local SEO strategy we discussed last week is the Local Pack. This comprises the three businesses that show up in the map portion at the top of Google search results. To improve your chances of being listed there, here are three non-technical steps you can take:

• Complete your Google My Business profile as much as possible, including photos.

• Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across the internet using a service like Yext so Google can verify your location.

• Get client reviews on Google My Business (RIAs will be able to do this after May 4).

P.S. Does this seem like a lot? Did you know that if you adopted a niche-focused expertise approach, you wouldn’t have to worry about keeping up with the latest local SEO tricks?

The 52: Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy

Week 13

Five Components of a Local SEO Strategy

If you want to rank on the first page of Google in your area when a prospect searches for “financial advisor near me,” then you need to do more than just have the right keywords on your website. You will need to address five areas to optimize your local search engine optimization (SEO) presence:

• Local pack (e.g., Google My Business)

• Advisor listings (e.g., NAPFA.org, FeeOnlyNetwork.com)

• Review sites (e.g., Google My Business, Yelp)

• Organic rankings (e.g., website optimization)

• Paid ads (e.g., Google search ads, local service listing ads)

Over the next several weeks, we’ll cover these areas in our weekly tips. Until then, download this week’s infographic on this topic.

The 52: Name Your Services Specifically for Your Niche

Week 12

Name Your Services Specifically for Your Niche

When listing your services on a website or brochure, think about naming them in a way that speaks the language of your niche. For example, if your niche is multi-generational families who want to protect and transfer wealth to their heirs, you may want to change “estate planning” to “family legacy planning.” Using the language of your niche will communicate that you designed your service specifically for them.

P.S. The deadline to sign up for the next Niche Starter Kit is Thursday!

The 52: Don’t Settle for Generic Messaging

Week 11

Don’t Settle for Generic Messaging

When we work with firms to launch into a niche market, we often see them drawn to a generic message that could apply to almost any type of client. To capture the attention of your niche, every aspect of your message should relate to the specific issues that client faces. For example:

Generic message: We help sales executives with the unique financial issues they face to bring them peace of mind.

Targeted message: We provide sales executives with the financial strategies that break the cycle of the feast-or-famine lifestyle. 

When developing your message, ask yourself, "Does this uniquely resonate with my niche?" If not, keep working at it until it does.

P.S. Struggling with messaging for your niche? Join our next Niche Starter Kit on March 26.