SEO for RIAs INTRODUCTION

What if we told you that you could get On-Page hundreds, maybe even thousands of more Perform Keyword Research qualified leads coming to your website each Add Keywords to Your Title Tags month, completely for free? If you are like Add Keywords to Your Meta thousands of other financial advisory firms Descriptions out there, you’d want in, right? We thought Add Keywords to Your H1 so. That’s why we’ve developed this SEO and H2 Tags for RIAs cheat sheet as your golden ticket. Add Descriptive Alt Tags Include Anchor Text We know you’re short on time. So print out or copy this cheat sheet to make sure Off-Page you’re completing the most necessary Setup Google My Business SEO tasks. Want to take a deeper-dive? Setup Google Search Console Simply click on any of the points to the Claim Brand Name Across All right to drop down and learn more! Social Media Channels Setup Inbound Linking Strategy

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I: On-Page SEO Elements

11 Keywords 14 Accessible URLs Introduction 16 Title Tags 18 Meta Descriptions 05 Intro to SERP 20 Header Tags 07 Developing an SEO Strategy 22 Content 08 Pillars of an SEO Strategy 24 Internal Links 09 On-Page vs. Off-Page SEO 26 Site Speed and Mobile Friendly

Part II: Off-Page SEO Elements

28 Inbound Links 29 Social Media Shares 30 Guest Blogging 31 Google My Business

33 Conclusion

3 INTRODUCTION

SEO, which stands for search engine optimization, is the practice of affecting your site’s visibility in organic (unpaid) search engine results. As an RIA, why is this important? Because driving traffic to your website provides multiple benefits including lead generation, increased conversion rates, growth in business and establishing your reputation as an authoritative and knowledgeable expert in the financial field. Below we’ll provide you with an in-depth look at creating an SEO strategy to increase your rankings in Google and ultimately drive traffic to your site. Since Google is the most used search engine today, our recommendations below will be based on the efforts needed to rank in Google.

4 INTRODUCTION TO SERP

Whenever you search for a specific word or query in Google, the page of results is known as the SERP What Is It? (search engine results page). The first page of the A search engine results page (SERP) is SERP will include 10 organic listings and up to four ads the list of results that a search engine returns in response to a specific word or (which companies acquire through PPC, or pay per phrase query. Each listing includes the click). Of those 10 listings, the top three results will linked web page title, the linked page URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a brief obtain around 61 percent of the clicks, while the ads description of the page content and, in will receive around 10 percent - which proves the some cases, links to points of interest within the website. importance of organic ranking.

The results shown in the SERP will vary depending on the searcher’s location and search history. For example, if you click often on your firm’s website, future relevant queries will likely show that site in the SERP. It’s important to test your organic results on third-party sites that won’t be affected by your location or search history.

5 LOCAL 3-PACK

Local 3-Pack Here are a few ways to increase Since you operate a business, your firm your firm’s chances of landing in Google’s local 3-pack: may benefit from Google’s local 3-pack. If Google has determined a search query 01 Keep your address consistent: Choose a standard format for your address (such as Street vs. St.) and use to best be answered with the information that consistently throughout your site, other sites and on of a physical business, a local 3-pack will your Google My Business profile. Discrepancies in your address format throughout the web can confuse Google appear at the top of the search. This shows and negatively affect your rankings. a map with pinpoints of each location 02 Obtain Google reviews: Because Google reviews are followed by the NAP (name, address, collected through Google, which acts an objective third phone number) data of three local busi- party, they can be a great asset to financial advisors without creating issues with compliance. To retain a nesses that Google has deemed most neutral status, we recommend not commenting or relevant. replying to reviews about your business that have been left on Google. 03 Include images: Google will often reward business listings that include images, with six to 10 images being the ideal range. These could include an image of your logo, staff, building or events.

6 DEVELOPING AN SEO STRATEGY

As you and your team gear up to implement any of the following SEO practices, there are a few important concepts to keep in mind.

Understand Your Target Audience Define Your Philosophy and Vision Identify Areas in Need of Improvement

Understanding who you want to reach your It’s likely your financial firm has a philosophy Simply put - what do you hope to gain from website is crucial for creating the foundation when it comes to advising, managing or this? Think about what areas of your business for your content and developing an effective investing. Create a philosophy and clearly need to be improved upon and how you can SEO strategy. Think about how familiar your define a vision for your SEO strategy as well. do that by utilizing these SEO best practices. audience will be with technical terms or Use this to outline your intentions and dictate complex financial issues - are you okay using your actions online. Here are a few questions to ask yourself: investment jargon or should you keep your phrases short and simple? Are you attracting + Do I want to bolster my firm’s reputation an audience that’s open to being persuaded as an authoritative entity in the industry? into using your services, or are they there to simply learn more about a topic? + Am I primarily interested in driving leads and growing my customer base?

+ Is my main priority to provide my current clients with easy access to important information?

7 PILLARS OF ANY SEO STRATEGY

When Google is ranking your site in the SERP, it cares about three things: trust, relevance and authority. These are considered the main pillars of SEO. Without developing and establishing all three pillars on your site, you won’t succeed in driving traffic organically.

Google only wants to send its users to sites that will be legitimate and helpful for their us- ers. This gives Google users a positive experience, ensuring they will continue coming to Google for their searching needs. In order to achieve this, Google wants you to:

Focus on the User Experience Never Deceive Users Deliver on the Information You Promised

8 ON-PAGE VS. OFF-PAGE SEO

Think of on-page SEO as a house and off-page SEO as the directions to get there. Essentially, on-page SEO refers to what is found within your actual website and its coding. This includes the site’s structure, content, SSL certificate and any elements found on the page.

Off-page SEO is what’s used to build your page’s authority for Google. This would include inbound links, social media shares, guest blogging and your Google My Business profile.

Each type of SEO makes up around 50% of your Google ranking factors, which proves optimizing your site both on and off the page is crucial for landing higher in the SERP.

9 On-Page SEO Elements

10 KEYWORDS

Keywords are the words or phrases users type into Google when doing a search. Naturally, what keywords Search for Relevant Keywords are typed will dictate what appears on the SERP. Only You can search for relevant keywords on results that Google believes to best match those key- third-party sites such as: + Ahrefs words and the search intent will be rewarded with the + Moz Keyword Explorer first few spots on the page. Therefore, the keywords you + Answer the Public + SEMrush use within your site will provide the baseline for the rest of your SEO strategy. In addition, you can set up your Google Search Console to discover what keywords are already driving traffic to your site. Since keywords are used to attract visitors to your site, you’ll want to incorporate terms people use when they search for businesses like yours. Create a list of primary keywords (broad, over-arching words or phrases with a high-volume of searches) and secondary keywords (more targeted or specific phrases with less volume). While casting a wide net sounds like it would yield more visitors, keeping your keyword strategy too generic can increase your competition and often lower your chances of ranking high on Google. Instead, focus on your firm’s niche and what words or phrases would be most relevant for you.

11 FINDING KEYWORDS IN GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE

Consulting your Google Search Console is an effective way to see what keywords your site is already ranking for. This will tell you the specific keywords or phrases that are driving traffic to your site.

To find these keywords, enter the “performance” tab. This will show your click-through rates (CTR) - how many times a visitor clicked on your page after landing in the SERP. You can set your desired date range on this page to check your CTR from any period of time. On the performance tab, you will also see what the top query results were and which had the biggest impact on driving traffic to your site.

12 KEYWORDS

Analyze this important data to see how you’re ranking in the SERP for your current keywords. Keyword Summary Are you ranking well but not receiving clicks? This + Keywords are specific words or phrases a user types when means your meta title and description (the informat- searching Google. ion about your site that appears on the SERP) may + Incorporate relevant keywords for your business into your site not be enticing enough or relevant enough to peak to rank higher on Google. users’ interest. Use this knowledge to tweak and + Create a list of primary and secondary keywords. rework aspects of your site (like the meta info) to + Focus on relevant keywords yield better results in the SERP. that highlight your firm’s niche. + Use Google Search Console to see what words your site already ranks for.

13 ACCESSIBLE URLs

Your URL (website address) will tell Google and the user what your site is about. Create URLs that are short Basic Parts of a URL You Should Know but informative. This makes it easier for Google to parse and index when ranking your site. Protocol: This is the HTTP or HTTPS that begins every address. For SEO purposes, having a secure site with an HTTPS at the URLs make up an important component of your on-page front is highly recommended. This tells Google your site is safe to send its visitors SEO. Having an informative, succinct URL can make a to and provides users with peace of mind big difference in your rankings. That’s because Google (especially when they’re prompted to provide personal information). wants to know exactly where it’s sending its users - which is something a generic or jumbled URL doesn’t do. Your Domain name: This is the main portion of your URL and works as an identifier URL and slugs should match what the page does or talks for visitors and Google. It’s how users about so a visitor knows exactly what to expect when they can find your site directly without needing to search first. get there. When possible, try to incorporate your most important keywords in the domain name or slug since Slug: These are descriptors included after the original URL to point users to specific URLs are one of your most visible site components. pages within your site.

domain name

https://www.yourdomain.com/example-page

14 protocol slug KEYWORDS

When creating slugs, use hyphens to separate out words and keep it short. Here’s an example of creating Accessible URLs Summary an effective URL: + Create short, informative URLs. + A URL contains a protocol, domain Bad: website.com/post9374jks name and slug. + Your URL tells Google where it’s Good: website.com/all-about-financial-planning-for-retirement sending its visitors. + Incorporate important keywords in the Better: website.com/retirement-financial-planning URL when possible. + Changing a live site’s URL can negatively affect its rankings and links. While you may be tempted to quickly update your live site’s URLs to better match SEO best practices, it’s important to note that changing a URL on a live site means you’ll lose any momentum you’ve already gained in Google. A new URL to Google is equivalent to a brand new page - it won’t know that this was simply an update to your existing page. Additionally, this can cause link breakages throughout your site or on any inbound links you’re receiving from external sites.

15 TITLE TAGS

If keywords are the most important ranking factor in Google, title tags are second. Just as they sound, title tags dictate the title of the webpage. These appear in the SERP as the headline a user clicks on to enter your site. If you have a poorly crafted title tag, chances are Google won’t be ranking your site high enough for its users to see it. And if your title tag isn’t enticing or relevant, the user won’t be motivated to click through to your site from the SERP.

Page Names and browser page titles can be Every page on your site needs to have its own unique edited in your page settings in your Twenty title tag. This title tag should clearly define the focus Over Ten website dashboard. for the page, which tells Google and its users what they can expect. And creating unique title tags for every page makes sense - since no two pages on your site should offer the same content, there should be no reason to offer duplicate title tags. 16 TITLE TAGS

Keep your title tags between 30 and 65 characters. This is the optimal length shown in the SERP. Any Title Tags Summary longer and your title will get cut off, any shorter and it + Title tags are the title of a website. may appear incomplete. + They are the second most important SEO ranking factor. + Title tags should be clear, informative, When structuring your title tag, remember that Google enticing and relevant. + Give every page on your site a unique considers words closest to the front to be the most title tag between 30 and 65 characters. important. This means that, while you may be tempted + Structure title tags with keywords first. to start with your company name, you should really try to put your most important keyword first.

17 META DESCRIPTIONS

A meta description accompanies the title tag on the SERP. This short paragraph sits beneath the title tag and offers a more in-depth description of what the user should expect when they click on your page. While Google’s algorithms are always changing, the current recommended length of meta descriptions is 160 characters. This number, however, has ranged in recent years between 190 and 230 characters.

Just as every site on your page needs a unique title tag, a unique meta description should be created too. These concise page summaries should highlight what makes the page important and include a call to action (CTA) that encourages the user to click. While meta descriptions may not have a direct impact on SEO, it’s a crucial step in helping users deter- mine whether or not to click on your site. And the higher the CTR, the better your site will look to Google.

18 META DESCRIPTIONS

So what happens if you don’t create unique meta Meta Descriptions Summary descriptions for each page? Since that space cannot appear empty on the SERP, Google will scan your page + These short paragraphs sit below the title tag and URL on the SERP. and find something else to put there instead. This means + Meta descriptions should be around whether it’s the most relevant or enticing piece of 160 characters. + They don’t directly impact SEO but information to advertise your site becomes a gamble. affect your CTR. + Not providing a meta description means Google will use text from your site to fill the gap.

Meta descriptions can be edited in your page settings in your Twenty Over Ten website dashboard.

19 HEADER TAGS

Headers are an important tool for boosting your on-page SEO and enhancing the user experience (UX). Header tags typically range from H1 to H4, with H1 being the most important and H4 being the least. These are essentially titles and section headings that create a roadmap of the information presented on the page for Google and your site visitors.

There’s typically only one H1 on a page, since this is considered the page title. Include your most relevant and important keyword here, since this title tells Google what your page is all about. Be sure to reinforce your title tag text in the H1, but don’t duplicate it. From there, remember that the higher the tag, the more important it is to Google. Try to include supporting or secondary keywords and phrases in your H2, H3 and H4 text.

Learn more about this advisor’s SEO Journey.

20 HEADER TAGS

SEO aside, headers are important for user experience because they make the content on the page skimm- Header Tags Summary able. This means your site visitor can quickly find the + Header tags are important for both information they came looking for without feeling over- UX and SEO. + They range in importance starting whelmed by large blocks of text. As we’ll discuss further with H1 as the title text. down, easy-to-read and organized content is key to + Include your most relevant keyword in the H1 and pepper secondary keeping users engaged and interested in your site. keywords throughout the H2, H3 and H4s. + Headers create skimmable content for readers.

21 CONTENT

Any SEO professional will tell you: content is king. If you want to boost your site’s SEO efforts, it is highly recommended that you create and maintain a blog. This is an effective way to offer fresh content on your site and rank for relevant keywords. Updating content regularly on a site tells Google that the site is well-maintained and up-to-date. This can create a big advantage in rankings because Google values fresh content.

Creating visually appealing content is important for UX, which can greatly affect your Google rankings. If users are having a positive experience on your site, they’ll be encouraged to stick around, engage with the content and ultimately explore other pages. This is where visual aids such as headers, images, graphics and videos can come into play. Creating engaging content breaks up monotonous blocks of text, which can often appear daunting and overwhelming to readers.

22 CONTENT

Duplicate Content Content Summary

While it may be tempting, creating duplicate content is + Maintaining a blog is recommended a big SEO no-no. Duplicate content refers to the same for boosting SEO. + Create skimmable, visually appealing content appearing across multiple pages or sites. This content for better UX. creates problems for the search engine because it doesn’t + Engaging content encourages visitors to stay and explore your site. know which page to rank higher in the SERP. This can + Duplicate content can negatively result in an arbitrary or random selection that could affect the rankings of each page. + Keyword stuffing appears as spam ultimately hurt the rankings of both pages. to Google and your site could be penalized. Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing is another big SEO no-no. This is the practice of including as many keywords as possible into the content, meta data and anchor text of your site. Instead of focusing on providing relevant, important information about several selected keywords, this tech- nique is casting a wide net in hopes of catching as many searches as possible. This practice is considered out of date, ineffective and can be referred to as webspam.

23 INTERNAL LINKS

Internal links create a path from page to page on your site. This creates an easily navigable site for both the user and Google as it indexes and explores your pages. If you’ve commited to maintaining a blog, we recommend linking every blog post to at least two other pages on your site - ideally another blog post and a site page such as Our Services, Contact Us or Meet the Team.

When including links on a page, the text you see on your site that holds the link is called anchor text. Google considers the text you use as an anchor text to be important. This means you should use relevant keywords or phrases as anchor text whenever possible. Avoid using phrases such as “Click Here,” as they will bring no SEO value to your page.

In Google Search Console, you’ll find a “Links” report that can provide you with important information about inbound links. Inbound links are links from third-party sites that direct users to your page. In Google search console, you can find out what sites offer the most links to your page and what keywords your site uses as anchor text.

24 INTERNAL LINKS

In terms of SEO, it’s important to focus on your internal linking strategy. This keeps the SEO juice running through- Internal Links Summary out your site instead of stopping abruptly on a page (no + Internal links make your site navigable to Google and site visitors. links on a page gives Google’s bots nowhere else to go). + Link your blog post to at least two But external links can also be important for boosting other pages on your site. + Use keywords as your anchor text. credibility in the eyes of Google and your users. + External links can boost credibility and build relationships with peers. + Always open external links in a new External links are links on your site leading to third- tab or window. party sites. While giving the viewer an escape route to another site may sound scary, external links can be used to build up your credibility and create working relationships with other bloggers or organizations. For example, backing up your opinion about an investing philosophy with a link to a recent New York Times article can make you appear well-informed and authoritative.

When including external links on your site, we recommend telling the link to open in a new tab or window when clicked on. This ensures your site stays on the user’s screen, which makes it easily accessible if they choose to return.

25 SITE SPEED AND MOBILE FRIENDLY

Site speed can be an often overlooked SEO factor, espec- ially for financial advisors. The good news is, most firms Site Speed and Mobile Friendly Summary won’t have an issue reaching Google’s recommended three second load time. Unless your homepage is inun- + Your site should have a load time of three seconds or less. dated with videos, heavy graphics and multiple fonts, + Mobile-friendly site versions have be- most financial advisor sites don’t have this issue. If you come an expectation from Google. do see slow speeds, it’s important to correct the issue. Slow speeds make users bounce away quickly from your site, which tells Google the site is not providing a good user experience.

With about half of all site traffic coming from mobile devices, your site needs to have a mobile-friendly version. Neglecting to do so could provide a bad user experience to nearly half of your site visitors, which will ultimately cost you in rankings. To check how your site is viewed on mobile devices, you can use the “Mobile-Friendly Test” page in Google Search Console.

26 Off-Page SEO Elements

27 INBOUND LINKS

Once your site is optimized to meet the recommended SEO best practices above, evaluate and re-strategize your off-page SEO elements to further improve your rankings in Google.

Inbound Links

Inbound links are links from third-party sites that direct users to your page. These are big builders of authority for your ranking in Google because they’re essentially endorsements from other sites saying your site is worth a visit. Google understands that if other sites are sending their readers over to you, you’re most likely delivering on the promises and expectations outlined in your URL and meta info.

28 SOCIAL MEDIA SHARES

Similarly, social media shares are great for building authority and expanding your reach to a wider audience. This provides a forum for engaging with readers and boosting your reputation as a thought leader. Sharing regularly can encourage site engagement and ultimately help build your brand identity. This in turn can bolster your rankings in Google as you grow as an authoritative figure in the field.

29 GUEST BLOGGING

As we mentioned above, external links can be useful in building relationships with peers and organizations. That’s because sharing links from other advisors can open the door to having them share your site in return. Exchang- ing links like this can help widen your audience reach significantly and build authority. Another option is to guest blog on another organization’s site.

Writing a blog post for another blogger is an effective way to build your authority, widen your audience reach and ensure inbound links. It proves to readers that other sites find you authoritative enough on a subject to ask for your thoughts and share them with their own audience.

30 GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

As basic as it may seem, setting up your Google My Business profile can make a big impact on your web presence. This can be helpful for targeting local SEO - meaning visitors in your area can come across your business easier. Essentially, your Google My Business profile gives you control over how your business appears throughout the SERP and other Google features. Once your profile is set up, you can create posts, analyze insights and ensure your informa- tion is consistent.

31 GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE

In addition to setting up a Google My Business profile verifying your website via Google Search Console is another great way to boost your SEO. You can use Google Search Console to find out things such as:

Which keyword queries caused your site to appear in search results What queries resulted in more traffic to your site than others What sites are linking to your website Current website errors and how to fix them

Google Search Console is really a one-stop shop to ensure your site stays in front of potential site visitors. Best part of it all? It’s completely free! By verifying your site through Google Search Console you can take a deep dive into the sea of data to see exactly where your performance is lacking and how it can be improved. Not sure where to begin when it comes to Google Search Console? Don’t worry. We’ve pulled together everything you need to know in this step-by-step guide.

32 CONCLUSION

If you’re looking to generate new leads and grow your online presence, incorporating SEO best practices into your site can be rewarding and well worth the time. We recommend starting with a few basic strategies to grad- ually grow your site traffic. Google is always changing its How Strong Is Your SEO? Grade your site. Make it better. Outsmart your ranking algorithms, which means what works today may competition. not be best practice tomorrow. That’s why it’s important for you to stay up to date on your information and remain flexible when strategizing. Get Your Free Grade Today

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