Why Getting Found Online Is a Little More Complicated for Financial Businesses

Running a business online can sometimes feel like you’re constantly trying to keep up. Just when you think you understand what Google wants, something changes, a new competitor appears or another update sends everyone back to their analytics.

For businesses operating in finance, insurance, mortgages or similar sectors, things can be even trickier. Getting to the top of Google isn’t simply a case of writing a few blog posts and mentioning your favourite keywords.

There’s a lot more trust involved.

That makes SEO for financial services a slightly different beast from SEO in many other industries.

Google Takes Financial Content Seriously

Think about the last time you searched online for something to do with your money. Maybe you were wondering whether to fix your mortgage, how an ISA works or what type of insurance you actually need.

You probably wanted an answer you could trust.

Google understands this too. Financial topics often fall into what it calls “Your Money or Your Life”, or YMYL. These are subjects where inaccurate information could potentially have a meaningful impact on someone’s financial position or wellbeing.

As a result, Google sets the bar pretty high.

A funny, quickly written article might work brilliantly for a lifestyle topic, but financial content generally needs more substance behind it.

Make It Clear Who Knows What They’re Talking About

One way financial brands can build confidence is by making their expertise visible.

Rather than publishing anonymous articles, let readers know who wrote or reviewed the information. If your mortgage guide has been reviewed by an experienced mortgage adviser, say so. If an insurance specialist has contributed to an article, include their credentials.

It makes the content more useful to the reader and provides search engines with additional context around why your website should be trusted.

This feeds into Google’s E-E-A-T principles: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

Don’t Forget the Boring Website Bits

We all love talking about content, but there’s another side to SEO that’s less glamorous and just as important.

Your website needs to work properly.

Pages should load quickly, visitors should be able to use the site comfortably on their phones and important pages shouldn’t lead to errors. Security is especially important when customers may be entering personal or financial information.

Clear contact details, regulatory information, privacy policies and terms can also help visitors understand exactly who they’re dealing with.

None of these things sound particularly exciting, but together they make a website feel credible.

Write About the Questions Customers Actually Have

It can be tempting to create content based purely on the keywords with the biggest numbers next to them.

However, bigger isn’t always better.

Imagine you’re an independent financial adviser. Ranking for a broad phrase attracting thousands of searches might sound fantastic, but a smaller query from somebody actively trying to solve a specific financial problem could ultimately be far more valuable.

Good SEO for financial services considers what someone actually wants when they make a search.

That could mean creating useful guides answering questions such as:

• What happens when my fixed mortgage ends?
• What insurance does a small business need?
• How much should I put into a pension?
• What documents do I need when applying for a mortgage?
• What’s the difference between different savings accounts?

Those questions can often translate into genuinely useful content rather than articles written purely for search engines.

Trust Doesn’t Stop at Your Website

Google also considers what exists beyond your own pages.

If respected websites mention your business, journalists quote your experts or reputable publications link to your content, it can strengthen the authority surrounding your brand.

Digital PR and thoughtful link building therefore have an important role to play.

The emphasis, though, should always be on quality rather than collecting as many links as possible.

Think About SEO as a Long-Term Investment

SEO rarely delivers an overnight transformation, especially in competitive financial markets.

Instead, it tends to work best when treated as an ongoing part of the wider marketing strategy: improving technical performance, answering customer questions, demonstrating expertise and gradually building authority around the business.

For organisations that want specialist support, digital marketing agencies work with financial businesses to bring those different areas together.

And while there may not be a magic switch that puts a financial website straight at number one, getting the fundamentals right can make it considerably easier for the right customers to find you when they need you.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.