March 15, 2022 by ClientCircle
As an independent insurance agent, how do you stand out online from direct insurance carriers that have a larger marketing budget? Many people think having a lot of reviews is the most important thing, but the secret is to be the first agency that pops up when someone is searching online for insurance.
So how do you improve your Google search ranking? Try these five tips to improve your search engine optimization (SEO):
It’s against Google’s terms of use to solicit reviews in bulk. Instead, Google’s algorithm likes to see a steady stream of authentic reviews over time, and Google boosts the search rankings for businesses that do so.
Forty-nine percent of consumers say only reviews left within the last month would impact their decision to use a business, according to BrightLocal’s 2022 consumer review survey. So spreading out when you ask for reviews helps you keep fresh ones on your site.
Google wants to see you engage with your customers by responding to positive and negative reviews with courteous answers. It’s helpful to use certain words and phrases that describe your business in your responses, such as "insurance agent" or "agency."
Even though we’re looking at Google ranking specifically, various sites where your agency is listed can appear in a Google search. Anywhere your agency is listed should have consistent information because it shows Google you are a legitimate business. Make sure your name, address, phone number and business hours are accurate across all sites.
On Google specifically, fill out the areas you service and mark your business as an insurance agency in the description. Update your business hours to reflect any holiday closures. If your team has moved to be fully remote and you no longer use your office building, remove your address on Google. Add attributes of your business, including if your building is handicap accessible. Upload photos of your team members, office building and surrounding areas.
Having multiple listings of your business at the same location looks spammy to Google. If you switched branding and created a new business listing, take the listing with your old branding off any sites where it may still be showing up. If you haven’t already, make sure you’ve verified your Google business listing by claiming it.
Make sure your website accurately reflects the information on your Google My Business listing and vice versa to improve your SEO. Your home page should be easy to navigate and professional. Add web chat so prospects have a quick way to get the answers they need. Publish your testimonials on your website so people can see the nice things your customers have said about your agency.
If you’ve noticed your Google ranking has dropped recently, it could be due to an overall uptick in growth across the insurance industry.
ClientCircle uses Google ranking as a performance metric and gives you tools to improve. We review SEO and other metrics frequently and make adjustments to keep you on track.
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