Search Engine Optimization for Insurance Companies

Insurance agencies can often face challenges when trying to bring in new clients. When someone needs insurance, people usually opt to do a Google search and look at the top results of the first page. In order to draw in customers, agencies need to be at the top of search results.

Old Methods Fade

In the pre-digital era, insurance agencies could get new customers solely by placing ads in Yellow Pages and waiting for calls to come in. Right now, almost everyone searches for local businesses online, with Google dominating the search engine market.

Free Traffic

While the internet has re-shaped advertising, it remains one of the biggest expenses for businesses of all sizes. Improving your Google rankings gives you a constant stream of traffic, similar to the calls agencies were getting previously, only in digital form.

Quick Results

Big international insurance agencies wait an average of 6 months to a year to see improvements in their Google rankings. Small insurance agencies on the other hand, have an advantage since they are competing primarily against other small, personalized agencies in the local market rather than those located across the country.

Keywords

In order rank highly on local search, the first step is to identify the right keywords. Use keywords that describe your services, such as “life insurance”, “health insurance”, or “business insurance”. If you are specialized in a certain area — even better — include “high risk life insurance” or “small business insurance” as separate keywords.

For insurance agencies, keywords fall into 2 basic categories:

Buying Intent

Prospects that have already made up their mind and are ready to make the purchase search for “buying intent” keywords. For example, someone searching for “life insurance New York” knows exactly what type of insurance they need and is looking for a local insurance agency that offers it. Buying intent keywords product the fastest conversions, therefore make sure these are featured on your homepage, and build your service pages around them.

Research Intent

Prospects use research intent keywords when they need more information to make a decision. They might eventually buy insurance, but are currently at the earliest stages of the sales funnel. For example, a prospect searching for “what type of home insurance do I need” could be looking to buy a home, and is just trying to understand what his insurance options are.

These do not have a quick conversion speed, but are an important source of potential clients. Use FAQs and blog posts to inform this audience and demonstrate your expertise in the matter. These posts introduce your agency to prospects who might remember you when they are ready to buy.