Did you know that roughly 46% of all search engine inquiries on Google are related to local businesses, events, and information?
What about the fact that about half of all local search engine inquiries, including the phrase "near me" result in a business or store visit, often within the same day?
You know that excellent search engine optimization (SEO for short) is absolutely essential if you want to make it as an insurance agent.
However, you need a bit of assistance when it comes to local SEO for insurance agents. Your local market is the epicenter of your entire client base -- so if you're not reaching them, you're likely not reaching anyone.
The good news is that local SEO isn't as complicated and time-consuming as you may fear. In fact, some local SEO tips and tricks can be surprisingly simple.
Read on to get the hottest local SEO tips you need to start implementing today.
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1. Claim All Third-Party Listings
What's the absolute number-one thing you need to do to boost your local insurance SEO?
Claim your third-party business listings (yes, even if you're an independent agent) on sites like Yelp and, most importantly, Google My Business.
Your third-party business listings are a bit like a "one-sheet" of everything you offer your customers as an insurance agent. They provide leads with the most essential information about your company, like your name, contact information, photos of any office you have, online reviews, hours, and even nearby public transportation options.
These listings make it possible for clients to get most of the information they need to make a choice about whether or not to reach out to you in one place.
What's more?
Pro Tip: If you don't claim these business listings, know that your competitors can claim them for you.
2. Incentivize Online Reviews
Close to 100% of people read online reviews before they decide to work with a company or buy a product.
Online reviews on both third-party websites and your own company testimonial page are one of the most important aspects of local SEO for insurance professionals.
After all, if you don't have any reviews, clients will think you're inexperienced or that any past clients didn't have a positive enough of an experience to bother leaving you a review.
Of course, you'll need to work a bit to make sure clients leave you reviews.
Always include a template or a link for an online review in your emails to clients. Offer to enter everyone who leaves you a review into a giveaway of a gift card to a much-loved local restaurant.
Pro Tip: Make sure you read your reviews as soon as they're posted -- and always respond, positive or negative.
Clients want to feel like they're appreciated, and leads want to see that, if there is an issue, you're publically working to resolve it.
3. Go Hyperlocal
Local SEO is good -- but hyperlocal SEO is even better.
When blogging, make sure that you include keywords that mention not only your city, but also your street name, county, the neighborhood you're located in, and even landmarks near your shop.
Write about local events like upcoming festivals or even local sports games to get your content in front of the people who are the most likely to respond to it.
Check out this post to learn more about how to get hyperlocal marketing right.
4. Blog -- And Comment on Other Local Blogs
You simply can't expect to succeed at standard or local SEO without a blog.
These blogs give you an opportunity to include keywords and links back to your own website, both of which help you to rise in search engine rankings. They also allow you to show off your expertise and directly connect to your target market in the comments section.
In addition to commenting on your own blog posts, know that commenting on other blogs is another smart way to boost your local SEO score.
Make sure you include a link to your own website in your comment signature and watch your visit rank climb higher while you make connections with other powerful and popular businesses.
Pro Tip: Don't just comment all over people's blogs with spam and links back to your website. Provide useful and meaningful comments.
5. Link to Other Local Businesses
Before the world of digital marketing, local business owners would knock on each other's office doors and agree to promote one another's businesses.
It's how many companies got referrals, improved their own brand recognition and services, and even stayed in business.
You need to consider how you'll implement a digital version of networking with other local businesses. Your goal should be to promote/feature their content, and have them do the same for you.
There are countless ways to go about this.
Follow them on social media and comment on their pictures. Share their posts in your Instagram stories, add them to your email list, and even link back to their blog posts in your own web content.
We especially love the idea of having a local influencer -- a kind of local celebrity with a large social media following -- upload a photo of them with you and several other local business owners.
6. Keep Online Branding Consistent With Print Marketing
It doesn't matter how wonderful your local SEO for insurance strategy is.
If your customers and leads don't recognize your company the moment they see your logo, your company font, or even your profiles on social media, none of your hard digital marketing work will pay off.
You need to be certain that all of your local marketing efforts use the same branding strategies as your national and physical ones.
This means your website's header should be your company name and logo, using the same font and colors as you do anywhere else you market your services.
Use the same photo (often, your logo or a professional headshot will work best) for all of your author photos, social media profile pictures, and anywhere else you market your services online.
7. Always Include Contact Information
As you continue to research effective strategies when it comes to local SEO for insurance agents, you'll likely come across the acronym "NAP" several times.
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number -- and it's information that shouldn't just be on your homepage, but also on every internal page of your website.
Remember that your homepage won't always be the landing page for every customer, especially once you've started to build up a stronger linking strategy.
Customers simply don't want to have to navigate back to your site's homepage or find your contact information in the drop-down menu. Don't risk losing the customer, and put your contact information in the same place on each of your webpages.
Additionally, consider adding a fillable form or question/comment box at the bottom of each page to make contacting your company even easier.
Pro Tip: Above all, ensure that your NAP is consistent on your website, social media pages, and all your physical marketing as well.
After all, inconsistency in your company citations/information is the number-one threat to your local search engine ranking.
8. Add a Google Map
We know that we just spoke about the importance of including your contact information on every webpage, but you should also include a Google map.
First of all, having a Google map on each internal page of your website actually boosts your local SEO score.
What's more, it's convenient for your clients, as it's incredibly easy for them to not only find your office's location but also get directions to it when they're already out on the road.
Don't worry -- adding a Google map to your website is much simpler than you might think.
Click here for an easy step-by-step guide on how to make it happen.
9. Submit to Online Local Business Directories
It's no secret that most people these days aren't turning to the phonebook when they need to connect with a local insurance agent.
However, many consumers still use online business listings to find local services.
Remember that, unlike third-party listings, local business directories are optimized to help consumers within your specific service area connect to companies they need.
Click here to see a list of some of the most-used online business directories, and make sure you submit your insurance agency to them.
In addition to online local business directories, you may also want to think about listing your insurance services in the classified ads sections of local digital newspapers and community blogs.
Local SEO for Insurance Agents Is Easier Than You Think
We hope that this post has taken most of the mystery out of local SEO.
Remember to build up a strong portfolio of online reviews, keep your contact information and branding consistent across all your online platforms, and digitally connect with other local businesses.
Ready to take your career as an insurance agent to the next level?
We invite you to get in touch with us to learn more about how selling insurance can allow you to build your own business, work when you want, be your own boss, and give your clients peace of mind.
Now that you've mastered local SEO for insurance agents, the sky is the limit.
Let us help you to reach your full potential.
Key Takeaways In This Article
- Always be consistent in your marketing message, both online and offline.
- You need a blog for local SEO to truly work.
- Reach out to other business owners and form a partnership.
- Make it easy to find your contact information.
Over to You
We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below on:
- Are you currently using local SEO strategies for your insurance agency?
- Does your website bring you leads? What form of digital marketing are you using?
- Have you formed other partnerships to build a network? What kind of business owners were they?
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. We will carefully read each one of them. Happy Selling!
