{"id":8590,"date":"2023-04-20T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emoneyadvisor.com\/?post_type=thought_leadership&p=8590"},"modified":"2024-01-10T20:22:13","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T20:22:13","slug":"a-primer-on-seo-and-sem-for-financial-professionals","status":"publish","type":"thought_leadership","link":"https:\/\/emoneyadvisor.com\/blog\/a-primer-on-seo-and-sem-for-financial-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"A Primer on SEO and SEM for Financial Professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s hard to imagine a time when you couldn’t go to the Internet to search for solutions. And while there is endless information available to help people answer their questions about money, financial professionals can position themselves online to reach those who are seeking additional support.<\/p>\n

The key is ensuring you and your business show up when consumers are looking for financial advice. Even with limited marketing experience, there are steps financial professionals can take to raise their online profile.<\/p>\n

SEM and SEO for Financial Advisors<\/h2>\n

Let’s start with the definition of some terms you’ve likely heard while researching online marketing for your practice.<\/p>\n

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing, and it is a type of paid online marketing that focuses on delivering advertising tailored to a particular search engine keyword or phrase. You may have also heard these ads referred to as PPC or pay-per-click. In this business model, marketers pay each time someone clicks their ad. It’s generally a low-cost option when compared to more traditional marketing such as television or print. SEM relies on keyword research to optimize PPC ads.<\/p>\n

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and refers to the process of optimizing a website, so it rises to the top of search engine results pages organically\u2014meaning without paying for it. This optimization also focuses on keywords but relies on the placement of these keywords within the content of a website. Organic results are achieved when a user searches for the keywords that the site has\u00a0incorporated into its content and metadata<\/a>\u2014encoded information that users can’t see.<\/p>\n

Steps to Identify Keywords<\/h2>\n

Effective SEM and SEO for financial advisors rely on finding the best keywords that match the search intent of your potential clients.<\/p>\n

To begin your keyword research, you can use a variety of third-party tools\u2014many of which have a free option. Once you’ve decided on a tool, create a list of topics that directly relate to your practice. Think of products, services, or questions your ideal clients might have in mind when looking for a financial professional. This is where\u00a0having a niche practice<\/a>\u00a0can be particularly valuable as a differentiator.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you offer planning to next-gen consumers and specialize in working with clients with student loan debt. If because of this specialty you have earned a designation as a Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP)\u00ae, this is a great place to start in establishing your online positioning.<\/p>\n

Topics related to this specialty practice might include:<\/p>\n