The world of financial services is complex, but your content shouldn’t be. The best websites cut through the jargon, are engaging, provide value for your audience and position you as an authority in your field.
One of the most common reasons websites fail to gain traffic is poor copywriting. The good news: the brokerage world is packed with potential when it comes to content.
We’re sharing our top SEO copywriting tips that get you showing up on the big search engines and noticed by more of your dream customers.
In this article, you’ll learn the real, actionable steps you need to take to write SEO friendly web copy and blog articles. We’re even sharing some tailored keyword research for brokers and suggestions for your first blog articles.
Read on for more.
Working in finance you’d be forgiven for confusing the meaning of SEO. When it comes to copywriting we’re not referring to ‘seasoned equity offers’, but rather Search Engine Optimisation.
But what does that mean?
To put it simply, SEO involves ‘optimising’ your website to increase your visibility on big search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The more visible you are on Google, the more potential traffic there is for you and your business.
So, how does SEO copywriting work?
There are a few key steps when it comes to writing SEO friendly content:
When thinking about who your audience is, it’s not just about age, location or gender. Try and dig a little deeper and identify their:
When you understand this you can begin to create content that’s impactful and really resonates.
Using plain English is absolutely crucial when it comes to copywriting. This is especially true when it comes to the finance industry.
It’s easy to get caught up in the finer details of your craft.
With so much knowledge and expertise to impart, you may quickly end up using industry jargon that the average reader will find difficult to understand.
Show your clients that you know your stuff without writing an academic paper.
What does that mean?
Consider how an outsider would understand your work.
Take Warren Buffet for example:
Warren Buffet writes his annual letter to shareholders as if he’s talking to his sisters. He starts with ‘Dear Doris and Bertie’ and then deletes before he hits send.
While his sisters are smart, they’re not businesswomen and not up-to-date with industry language.
“ They’re not active in business, so they’re not reading about it every day. I pretend that they’ve been away for a year, and I’m reporting to them on their investment.”
Buffett’s writing strategy makes complicated advice digestible to investors at every level. He shares his vast expertise on a range of topics in a way that’s informative but with minimal jargon.
Taking a page out of Buffet’s book, consider how your average customer would understand your work.
Explain simply with small pieces of digestible content that offer clear, actionable insights. When in doubt, read your copy out loud to yourself or a friend.
If you’re stumbling over your words, or your friend needs added explanation, then break it down some more.
Unfortunately, the truth is, readers online are unlikely to read every word you write.
When reading on screens, we tend to look for small sections of scannable info.
Follow these tips to create scannable copy:
“Headers break down your content, make it easier to read, and structure your flow of information. Header tags are also one of Google’s many ranking factors. Good use of headers and keywords sends a strong signal to Google about the quality of the content on a given page.”
It’s good practice to include relevant keywords within your copy. A keyword is what your dream clients are searching for on Google. When you know what they’re searching, you can then provide the answers and information they need.
Top Tips:
Finding the right keywords and ideas to write about can be the most frustrating part of the writing process.
Short on time and need a little inspiration?
Here’s a few keywords that you might like to use as blog topics or on your service pages.
NOTE: We selected these keywords because they have a low competition difficulty and a reasonable search volume.
80% of people use search engines to help them find businesses in their local area.
To improve your chances of appearing in these search results use keywords that are location specific.
So, how do you find local keywords?
To get you started, here are a few ideas:
Blogs generate 7 times more traffic than static websites (Empowerkit 2013). Keep your website current and helpful for new, existing and potential clients with regular, fresh blog content.
Here are just a few blog post suggestions, based on our own research for brokers:
Loan Brokers:
Development brokers:
Mortgage Broker
Deposit Bonds
Using links within your content can help to improve your SEO. Links show Google that your content is credible and help your users navigate your website.
There are 3 main types of links:
Internal links lead the reader to complementary or related pages on your website.
External links are typically used to cite content or resources from another reputable site.
Backlinks are links to your website placed on other reputable sites. Google views these types of links as a little tick of approval.
Remember the reason you’re writing your web copy. While you want to help the reader, the end goal is that they take some sort of action on your website.
This action could be as simple as subscribing to your newsletter, downloading your free resource, or booking in with your team.
In many ways, your CTA is the most valuable bit of copy on your page as it gives users the next step along the buyer’s journey.
Now that you know more about SEO copywriting, you can start optimising your website.
Not sure where to start?
Get professional help from an SEO Copywriter.
Dom Kimber is an SEO Copywriter and is the founder of Social Swell.
Dom and her team specialise in web copywriting and SEO and work with brands to create strategy, develop content, and grow their businesses online.
Established in 2001, the Buyers Choice Broker Network is an award-winning national boutique aggregator. We empower brokers to build a better business and match borrowers with the right loan solution to empower them to build a better life.
The Money Quest Group (MQG) is one of Australia’s leading boutique mortgage broking businesses, with a network of more than 600 brokers nationwide. Known for their exuberant culture and superior support, MQG provides brokers access to a range of financial products from more than 60 lending institutions and suppliers, and exclusive access to in-house benefits and services.
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