Search engine optimization, search engine marketing, search marketing optimization, pay-per-click, cost-per-click… The list of terms we have added to our vocabulary to fully understand Insurance Agency SEO seems nearly endless. A few years ago most agency marketing departments were unaware of these practices, now they are a required element of web marketing that is supported by a whole industry. So what does it all mean? And how can you make it work for your agency?
At StartUpSelling, we like to say that Insurance Agency SEO is both an art and a science. T0 successfully develop a campaign that will yield results for your agency, you need both a creative/strategic direction, and a tactical/technical execution plan. This is often best achieved by two different skill sets, however each is a required element for the development of positive results that drive in-profile prospects to your website and into your sales pipeline. Lets dig deeper into both the strategic and tactical segments:
Insurance Agency SEO Strategic Plan
The first question that must be answered to begin your strategic plan is: Who would you most like to sell to? Different agencies will have very different answers: contractors, truckers, HNW’s, schools, small businesses, seniors, etc. Once the target markets are clearly defined and prioritized, we enter into the keyword creation phase. SEO experts will turn your preference for selling worker’s compensation in Indiana into a list of dozens of keyword phrases designed to attract that specific market. Examples might be obvious like “worker’s compensation Indiana” or “Indiana worker’s comp,” or they might be complex and obtuse, like “work comp indy” or “workman’s ins indiana.”
The relative value of each of these keyword phrases will be weighed to determine the possible results, creating an effectiveness quotient. We believe it is important to attack high-value and high-competition keywords while also investing in moderate-value and low-competition keywords that you can dominate. Once the analysis is complete, it is time to choose your weapon. This could be organic SEO or PPC or both, and I recommend you consult an Insurance Agency SEO professional prior to making your decision. Today we will focus on the organic campaign, and move into the tactical elements of the process.
Insurance Agency SEO Tactical Plan
The execution of an Insurance Agency SEO initiative can be split into two major buckets: on-page and off-page. Each is critical to achieving results. On-page optimization involves the use of your keywords in various elements of your website such as page titles, header tags, meta keywords, meta descriptions and alt-image tags. This also includes the content of your site. Dynamic, quality content that is centered around your target markets and the associated keywords is a powerful way improve search rankings quickly.
Meanwhile, we cannot ignore the off-page elements of SEO. Traditionally this consisted of backlinks and directory submissions. More recently this discipline has expanded to include blogs, articles, reviews, press-releases and various social media platforms. All of which must be leveraged to build the momentum needed to achieve the desired result: driving in-profile prospects to your website and into your sales funnel.