5 SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Posted on July 8th, 2021 by nms
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Search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial part of the digital marketing landscape. By adopting SEO into your efforts, you are able to attract more customers, boost traffic to your website, and improve revenue streams. Making mistakes in your insurance SEO can cost you. In this guide, we will explore five of the most common SEO mistakes to avoid in 2021, helping you to get the most from your insurance SEO campaign.

Why Insurance SEO Matters

The practice of optimizing web properties for search remains one of the most influential steps a business can take to improve sales. The goal of most SEO campaigns is to boost organic traffic to a website or other web presence; as traffic increases, so does the potential for increased sales to a steady stream of new customers. In the modern age, consumers tend to research companies online before making purchasing decisions, and site ranking in search results has a powerful influence on those decisions. According to research, nine out of every 10 clicks on Google Search results pages go to the links on the first page of results. Without insurance SEO, your agency’s site may not appear at or near the top of results, potentially costing you new customers.

Mistake #1: Unclear or Missing Goals

In any endeavor, success or failure is dependent on what you want out of your efforts. Insurance SEO is no different. Simply wishing for “increased traffic” is too vague; it takes careful thought and planning to pin down measurable goals. Some SEO campaigns start with no goals at all, which is a recipe for failure. To get the most from your campaign, think about what you want to achieve. Examples include:

  • Higher conversion rate
  • More organic leads
  • Sales increases in specific percentages
  • Higher quality website traffic

Setting goals in advance of an SEO campaign helps to influence the process and establishes targets to measure performance against. With these goals in mind, campaigns can be tweaked to produce the desired results.

Mistake #2: Forgetting About Mobile Search

In today’s on-the-go society, about 50% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. This is a huge chunk of the market, and insurance SEO campaigns must take mobile search into account. SEO for mobile search must include:

  • Design of sites to display correctly across all computing devices.
  • Fast page loading speeds.
  • Incorporation of features to facilitate fast answers to user questions.

Google’s Mobile First index favors sites that are optimized for mobile devices. Adding features and functionality to sites to improve mobile friendliness can help to ensure a steady increase in organic search traffic.

Mistake #3: Falling Behind on SEO Advances

The principles of SEO have evolved almost as fast as the Web itself. Unfortunately, too many SEO professionals hold onto practices and tools that used to work in the past but may not produce results today. To achieve success in your insurance SEO campaign, it is critical to stay updated on SEO advances and best practices. Advances like mobile search, local search, and link building can have outsized effects on the quantity and quality of traffic coming to your agency’s website. By incorporating these modern SEO practices, you are setting the stage for long-term success.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Search User Intent

When someone turns to Google for the answer to a question, they have a specific intent in mind. Understanding that intent is the key to unlocking your agency’s potential in SEO. Too often, user intent is misinterpreted; even worse, it is ignored outright.

You must understand why a person is searching for an answer or a piece of information. Are they wishing to make a purchase? Do they want to learn more about a certain insurance product or service? Armed with that information, it becomes easier to tailor websites and their content to satisfy user intent, further boosting your site’s visibility in online search.

Mistake #5: Focusing on Text-Only Site Content

For years, SEO professionals have been telling the world that “Content is king.” Content is the leading aspect of a site that helps to achieve great visibility in search, but too often, the focus is only on text-based content. Today, web users have specific preferences, and that includes visual content like images and video. To get the most from your SEO campaign, it is important to add a variety of content types and formats to your site. Ideas include:

  • Short-form video clips
  • Podcasts
  • Downloadable content (white papers, case studies)
  • Webinars
  • Apps
  • Infographics

Each of these content types can be optimized for search, improving online visibility. With diverse content, great SEO practices, and a keen understanding of what people want and what devices they may use to access information, your next insurance SEO campaign can help you achieve your goals.

About Agency Tsunami

Agency Tsunami is the digital marketing division of Neilson Marketing Services, who has provided the insurance distribution sector with innovative marketing and communication solutions for over twenty-five years. With our Agency Tsunami program, we have implemented an integrated marketing strategy that includes optimized, professional websites supported by high-quality SEO and Social Media for hundreds of insurance retailers and wholesalers. Our goal is to help your insurance business perform and generate new opportunities. Give us a call at (800) 736-9741 to learn more about how we can do that for you.

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