Blogs, SEO, and the Finance Industry

SEO is a vital step in reaching and engaging new customers for the financial industry. Most people will only click on results on the first page of Google.

Only 10% of users go to page 2. But you can’t simply buy your way to the top of the search engine, because paid ads only receive 10% of clicks, while organic results receive 90%. Reaching customers requires effort and investment in SEO.

So how do you tap into strong SEO? How can you hit that coveted #1 organic search result? Using blogging effectively can give your business a strong SEO boost.

The SEO game has changed. You can’t simply stuff your website with keywords to game the system. Google’s algorithms are getting smarter and smarter, so you need to provide valuable content for users. Blogging is a perfect way to provide actual value for customers and push your way up Google’s rankings.

Do Your Research

Before you start writing, you need to do a little research. Use tools like Adwords and figure out which keywords people are using. And once you write, don’t stuff the article with keywords. Search engines are good at detecting forced keyword stuffing, and users dislike it even more. Focus on one or two keywords, and try and prioritize “long-tail” keywords: more targeted search phrases that lead to better conversion. Keywords are especially effective in titles and headings, as they help give Google the jist of an article.

Answer questions

Find out which financial questions people are asking, and prioritize ones that your business is qualified to answer. Look for questions that aren’t answered well or questions that you could answer better, and produce content that answers those financial questions beautifully. Establish your company as an expert in the finance game. If you’re an investment firm, don’t waste time writing about payday loans. Focus on what sets your organization apart.

Create Great Content

Next, produce your content. Hire skilled writers who won’t shy away from research to create content that provides value. Make sure your content leads into strong calls to action that guide users into your services. This will ensure that your blog not only attracts users, but leads them to interact with your brand.

Build Backlinks

Acquiring backlinks is another effective way to boost your SEO results. Backlinks occur when another site links to yours, and they can indicate popularity and authority for Google’s algorithms. One effective step for getting backlinks is to guest post. Make contacts in financial publishing and reach out. Offer valuable content to well-known finance blogs in return for backlinks and awareness.

Link externally

Link to other experts in the financial field. Citing another financial blogger could lead to backlinks in return.

Link internally

You don’t just want to have external links, though. Use internal links liberally. Link to other content that you’ve produced: blog posts, videos, infographics, etc. Guide customers to related content and services. This will keep users on your site, establish your authority in the financial field and boost your validity in the almighty search engine’s eyes.

Produce fresh content

Of course, you need to keep writing. Search engines and your users value fresh, relevant content. If a website isn’t updated consistently, it will lag behind in SEO. So make sure you’re updating your blog with fresh content to stay up-to-date. Provide easy ways for readers to subscribe, so they can stay engaged with new content from your site. Any press releases or new services should definitely get a write-up, and these newsworthy items can pick up valuable backlinks from other sites spreading the word.

Share

Blogging won’t help a lot if nobody reads it. Share your blog on your company’s social media pages. Have share buttons embedded in articles. A high number of likes and shares can boost search engine rankings, and it will show users that your brand can be trusted.

So start writing. Produce great content to provide value for your users, lead users to action and improve your place on SEO rankings. Check out this article for more SEO blogging tips, and read this article for SEO tips for the finance industry.