Are you looking to level up your digital marketing efforts in 2022?
If the answer is yes, then getting to Page 1 of Google should be a primary goal.
Skeptics among you might think this sounds unrealistic, but the genuine truth is, anyone can do it.
All it takes is two things:
- Long-term planning and execution
- Ongoing effort
The reason many financial markets businesses don’t get their SEO where they want it to be is because they give in before they see any real results.
It takes a dedicated effort—plugging away at things for weeks or months—before you begin to reap the rewards.
And even when you’re at the top, you have to keep working to stay there. Adapting and adjusting your approach on an ongoing basis.
But trust us when we say this: the growth potential makes it all worth your time.
So if you’re willing to put in the work it takes to get those returns, and stay consistent, this 4-step method to mastering keywords for financial services is for you.
Read on to develop an effective keyword strategy that will take your SEO to the next level, multiply your inbound leads, and drive long-term growth.
(Plus, we’ll also show you how to generate leads from day one via Google Ads, while your keyword strategy is taking shape.)
Step 1: Get started with a keyword research tool
People use Google when they have a question they need answering, or a problem to be resolved.
So to get to the top of Google’s search ranking, your site content must provide the answer to that question, or the resolution to that problem.
The chances are you already have a good idea of the challenges your customers and prospects face in your market.
But to enhance your SEO, you need more than just an idea. You need to know the exact words your audience is typing into the Google search bar.
Thankfully, there is an abundance of tools designed to identify keywords for financial services.
Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush or Ubersuggest will give you detailed, data-driven insight into the terms and queries people search for in your space.
Step 2: Target the right keywords for financial services
Once you’ve got some data on keywords that are ranking in your space, you need to target a select few that are relevant to your niche, and will bring you the traffic you want.
But mastering the use of keywords, for financial services at least, doesn’t just mean going for the ones with the highest monthly search volume.
If you’re a fintech solutions provider, you’re going to struggle to rank on page 1 for “fintech” right off the bat.
The big players in your space might be able to go after terms like these, but that’s because they have the high domain authority and limitless content budget needed to rank for them.
In the beginning stages of your SEO journey, you need to go for the low-hanging fruit.
Look for relevant long-tail keywords that stem off from these primary search terms.
Not sure what we mean by short tail or long tail keywords? Here’s a quick explanation
Make sure they have low SEO difficulty, relatively high click-through, and a respectable monthly search volume (think hundreds rather than thousands).
Going back to our fintech example, you might opt for such ones as “why fintech is the future” or “how can fintech facilitate fund distribution”.
You also want to start thinking about the intent behind these search queries.
Why have they searched for this? What are they in need of? What do they really want to know?
To climb the rankings, your site content must respond to that search intent—fulfilling their need or answering their prevailing question.
Once you’ve curated a bank of long-tail keywords in your niche, it’s time to start thinking about that content.
Step 3: Crafting high-value content
This is where the real hard work begins.
To rank for your desired keywords, you need to not only respond to user search intent, but you need to do so with high-quality, value-rich content.
You know that saying about how the cream rises to the top, meaning a good idea doesn’t go unnoticed for long?
Google’s search ranking works on the same principle.
The content on Page 1 is what Google has deemed the best at fulfilling the user’s search intent.
Think about the last time you Googled something, found a goldmine of information which perfectly answered your questions, and then shared it with a friend or colleague.
Chances are that content took all the key information on the topic at hand, and presented it to you in a way that was engaging, well-structured, and easy to understand.
That’s what your content needs to do.
While you’re developing and planning your content, revisit your keyword research.
Get a good feel for what’s out there, and see if you can identify any particular characteristics which lead to certain pages outperforming others.
It might be that for one term, lists perform best, while others call for more comprehensive, deep-dive assets.
During your research, you should also look to identify opportunities where you can add more value than the content that’s currently at the top of the rankings.
It’s part art, part science. You need keyword data to get an idea of what gets to the top, but you also need a bit of nous to figure out how you can outperform the competition.
DON’T FORGET!
Your content also needs to tick the right boxes in terms of on-page optimization.
There are multiple paid tools out there that can help with this (such as SEMRush, linked above). But if you don’t have the budget for those, here’s a great summary video
Step 4: Use Google Ads to give your returns a short-term boost
Crafting high-quality SEO content is without doubt one of the best ways to build your credibility online, drive more organic traffic and generate more leads.
But it takes time to build your domain authority and start seeing the results. And you still have a business to run in the meantime.
Thankfully, you don’t have to wait until you get to page 1 of Google to start generating leads.
Supplementing your organic keyword strategy with Pay Per Click (PPC) ads is an excellent way to give yourself a foot up onto the ladder, and make up for the shortfall of traffic while your SEO content is still in development.
You can use PPC with Google Ads to bump your keyword-specific pages to page 1 of Google. Or, you can use it to promote a pre-made lead magnet, such as a webinar, a free consultation, or an eGuide with detailed content on your area of expertise.
However you choose to use Google Ads, the engagement you get from them will drive more leads to your website, helping you to drive visitors to your site and build credibility in your space.
Once your SEO starts delivering returns, you can reduce your PPC expenditure and focus budget on other areas, as organic leads begin to take over your paid efforts.
Keywords for Financial Services: Takeaways
- There’s no shortcut to Page 1 of Google’s search results. You have to commit to the process and stay consistent for the long haul.
- The first step is using a keyword planning tool and to find the right keywords for your niche. Note down long-tail keywords related to your products and services, and think about why users are entering these search terms.
- Work hard on shaping quality content around your target keywords, which responds to the intent behind them. And strive to offer more value than your competitors.
- Use paid ads to boost your content. This will help drive engagement and generate leads in the short term, while you build up your organic SEO over the long term.
Got more questions about keywords for financial services, or SEO in general? Here’s how we can help