If you’re in the business of insurance, you know how important it is to have a good lead generation strategy. Today, the big focus is on local SEO and how optimizing your content can help you attract more local clients and get the attention that you desire. Local optimization is about a lot more than keywords, though, and it’s a process that requires its own dedicated strategy.
Fortunately, there are plenty of easy things you can do to get your local SEO on the right track from the start.
Google is the biggest search engine indexer and therefore they have the opinion that matters the most. If you have not claimed and completed your Google Business Profile, you’re missing out on a huge part of your local SEO strategy. Make sure that you complete the profile, including the category pages and tags, and any other details you can provide.
Having this completed also increases the chances that you’ll show up in the first three listings that appear next to the map on Google searches.
Social media is a place of engagement, not just a place to exist. You need to find your audience on Facebook, Instagram, and yes, even TikTok, and get engaged with them. These aren’t just marketing channels—they’re connection channels, and that’s going to get you a lot more points than just posting ad after ad on your page.
Make sure that you’re engaging with people, sharing relevant content, and creating an entire persona for your brand on every social media page. You’ll also want to make sure that your voice is appropriate for each site based on your audience, but remember that insurance doesn’t have to be all stuffy and formal.
Reviews do a lot for local insurance companies and other financial services businesses. Of course, you’re not going to always get good reviews. Ask for them when you can and showcase the ones you get, by all means. However, don’t neglect negative reviews, either. Regardless of the circumstances, you need to at least respond to the negative reviews and ratings to show that you care about your reputation. You may not always resolve the issue, but you’ll at least prove that you’re making an effort.
It’s not all about creating new content. You also want to do an SEO audit of your existing content. Take the time to read through your existing website, online listings, and other instances of your business online. Find out where you can make improvements, add local keywords, and so forth. If there’s content that needs to go, you’ll quickly find it and be able to replace it with better content that will get a better local ranking.
Whether it’s through directory listings, forum memberships, engagement, or even link sharing, you need to network with the other local businesses that are related to yours. Even those that aren’t, provided that they’re local, can still be a boost to your reputation if you have a relationship with them. Plus, it shows your clients and potential clients that you are an established member of the community and that you are building a business, not just trying to make a profit.
The suggestions above are all essential parts of your local SEO efforts. Without them, you will not garner the rankings or reputation that you deserve. When it comes to local optimization, you have to focus on creating a strong reputation first and foremost, because that means more to Google than any keyword usage you might employ. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind:
Ultimately, it’s about taking the time to review your existing online presence and build from that. Utilizing SEO best practices will ensure that you get the best outcome with your strategy, no matter what you have in mind. Remember to think like a consumer when building your local SEO and you won’t miss a beat.
Once you have a solid local SEO strategy for your insurance agency, you’ll want to make sure that you have the systems in place to handle the leads that start pouring in. That starts with a 24/7 answering service like the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai. And of course, when you partner with us, you’ll also enjoy assistance with appointment scheduling, lead intake, and even your live website chat.
Still working on your marketing? Ask how we can assist with outbound sales and support, outreach campaigns, and more. Plus, we’ll deliver it all with a custom-tailored strategy that suits the needs of your insurance agency, no matter what those needs might be.
To learn more, schedule a consultation to discuss what the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can do to help your insurance agency, or send us a message at hello@smith.ai.