Using Local SEO as an Independent Insurance Agent 

Marketing is such an important aspect of being successful as an independent insurance agent. If you want to grow your business, you will need to consistently attract new clients.  When people are searching for a new insurance agent or new insurance plan, they often turn to the internet first — whether that be on social media platforms or search engines.  That makes being found online all the more important, as those insurance agents and carriers that appear near the top of searches are the ones most likely to close deals.   Below, we’ll discuss how independent insurance agents can use local SEO to their advantage to attract new customers and stand out from the crowd. 

What is Local SEO? 

First, it’s important to understand what local SEO is. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a process of creating and refining online content about you and your insurance business so that you appear at the top of searches when people are looking for services you offer.  For instance, when people type in “insurance products” in Google, SEO will help determine what results pop up first. This is extremely important, as a large majority of click-throughs — and conversions, as a result — come from those first few results.  Local SEO takes that a step further, focusing on searches that come from specific locations. So, for instance, when someone types in “insurance products near me,” Local SEO will help determine which results Google and other search engines feel are the most relevant.  Local SEO will take into account the person’s location when they are searching, which is determined by the IP address of the device they are using. 

What are the Different Local SEO Components? 

When creating a local SEO, you need to take into consideration all its different components. This will help you improve your local SEO so that you’re the independent insurance agent people in your area find when they search online.  Some of these components include … 

• Reviews: Having positive reviews for your business can improve your local SEO. 
• Links: Having backlinks on other local websites that point to your site improves local SEO. 
• Citations: When your business is mentioned in local directories or other sites, it boosts your local SEO. 
• Keywords: Placing specific keywords that are location specific on your site can improve what’s called your on-page optimization. 
• GBP: Setting up a free Google Business Profile also plays an important role in local SEO. 

Keep in mind that these principles of local SEO apply not only to your insurance website but also your different profiles on social media platforms. 

How Can You Improve Your Local SEO? 

Once you understand the components of local SEO, you can begin to implement a strategy to improve it. There are many ways that this can be done, and we’ll cover some of the main ones here below. 

Find the Right Keywords 

Keyword research will help you discover the most impactful keywords for you. This will allow you to identify the keyword phrases that people are actually searching for so that you can optimize your site and content to them.  You can use tools such as SEMrush to figure this out, and then optimize based on keyword phrases such as “best home insurance near me” or some other localized search. 

Create Content 

Creating content on your website and linking to it on your social media platforms does a number of things for your business. For one, it helps to establish you as an expert in your field, and that’s very important, since a big part of selling insurance is trust.  In addition, it also helps with local SEO. As long as you’re integrating the keywords that are relevant to your business throughout your content, it’ll show up in search results, which will help people notice your business. 

Encourage Reviews 

You should also encourage your customers to leave reviews for you on some of the biggest sites out there, including Facebook, Yelp, Google Business Profile and even with the Better Business Bureau.  Remind your happy customers to leave reviews for you, and make sure that you respond to all reviews that are posted about you — whether they are negative or positive. This will boost your local SEO and also build trust and show that you’re professional.  

Think Mobile-First 

So much of internet searches are done on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Search engines take this into account, so they rank sites higher that are optimized for mobile devices.  As such, you need to make sure that your website is mobile friendly, and that you’re thinning mobile-first with everything you do. Your site should look good on all mobile devices, and it should load fast, too.  Surprisingly, both of these things play a big role in local SEO. 

Discover the Good Life

At Good Life Insurance Associates, our experienced insurance sales associates are here to provide support and training for both new and experienced agents. To learn more about us, remember to explore our business support services. Or, to speak with a member of our team about your journey to becoming an independent agent, contact us today!