Improve Website Search Results
There are a number of ways to improve website search results. It is a large topic with a number of categories. We will focus on what I feel is the quickest way to have a website that will have strong search results on search engines such as google. Before we review the strategy, lets start with realistic expectations of what you can hope to accomplish. Again, this is a big topic so we need to go have a basic understanding before we get into all the details. This article will focus on organic search results and not paid ads. In addition, it will focus specifically on insurance agencies and agents. Insurance agents for finding prospects and agencies for recruiting agents.
Improve Website Search Results: Competition, keywords, blogs and content
The first thing to understand is the field or subject you are trying to get search results on makes a difference. In general, the less popular the topic, the easier it will be to have a site that searches well. When I say “Searches well” I mean a site that will show up on the first of second page of search engines when someone searches for that category. As an example, if I own a charter fishing business in Connecticut, I would want my website, blogs, articles to show up on the first page when people search that topic. Someone enters “Connecticut charter fishing trips” as a search in google, I would want to show up on the first page.
Competition for search terms
The more popular the term, the harder it will be to show up on the first page. I simplified this a great deal but that is the general idea. It would be much easier to show up first page for someone searching “Professional Alpaca groomer NY” then it would to win on “Phone number for Medicare”. A lot of people are searching for the Medicare phone number. There are also a lot of paid ads promoting it and a ton of people putting information online about it. The higher the keyword competition, the harder it will be to rank high on a search
Improve Website Search Results: Long Tail Keyword Search
The longer the search term, the easier it will be to rank higher on a search. Much harder to win for a search on “Medicare” than it would be to win on a search for “Best Medicare Agent In Parish NY”. The longer the term is, the less people search it. We will review how blogs can help you win on long tail search a little later.
The website
Will a great website be enough for people to find your services (Whatever it is you offer or sell) online? Unless, you are in a field with little to no competition, the answer is no. If they are searching for your company or you by name, that might be good enough. However, most people want to show up when someone generically searches for their services. One example is; a business called “Eddie Crowe Best Travel Agency”. If that is the name of my website and people search for Eddie Crowe Travel Agency, it will probably show up on a search quickly. However, most people will simply be searching for “Best Travel Agency” or “Best Travel Agency (town or state)”. When that is the case, which it usually is, Eddie Crowe will be nowhere to be found. A great website with a lot of pages and content certainly helps but it is not going to get the job done on its own.
Improve Website Search Results: Blogs
This is why blogs are so important. A website with a blog is critical with long tail keyword search. I suggest using a WordPress blog. Keep in mind, I am biased because I have always used WordPress. Blog titles can match up with exactly what people are searching online. As a result, blogs can be used to create endless articles (At no cost) with titles that people are searching for online. As an example, maybe I sell used cars. I have a killer looking website focusing on my used car sales business. That is great but I probably will not be showing up well on a search if someone is specifically looking for a…. “1972 International Scout for Sale”. Now, if I have a blog connected to my website with a title of “1972 International Scout For Sale” I have a chance of showing up on a search.
How we can help agents improve web search for prospects and agencies search for new agents
As an FMO we have been using long tail keyword search to recruit agents for a number of years. It is what built us from a single agent agency to an agency with 800+ agents today. There are certainly a number of other important aspects of agent recruiting but having them find you online certainly helps. With a quick Google search of “Free Medicare Leads” or “Free Medicare Lead Program” you will see one are one of in not, the first non-paid ad search result. We did not use any type of outside agency or ad budget to get these results. We have numerous searches that are on the first page and can show you how to get similar results.
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