It’s a marketing crime not to be on page one of Google when someone searches for “financial advisor near me.” Those running this search are actively in the market for a financial advisor – and there are lots of them. For some, this isn’t surprising as technology is now infused in all aspects of our lives. For others, it begs the question, “who would search for an advisor online?”
Statistically, most people still ask around. They rely on the recommendations of friends, family, and trusted professionals. But not everybody takes that approach. Consider these types of consumers who turn to Google first:
- Freshman – They are either new in town or new to having money and don’t know who to ask.
- Privacy Seekers – They don’t want other people to know they have money, so they don’t ask.
- Researchers – They want to do their own analysis and don’t trust the opinions of others.
- Digital Natives – They research everything online and advisors are no exception.
- Niche Needs – They need an advisor with specific expertise, not necessarily found locally.
- Time Savers – They like the convenience of online search and research.
You have no shot of reaching these types of consumers if you’re on page two (or beyond) in a Google search. Most people never make it past the first few listings, let alone page two. Fortunately, placing yourself on page one is pretty straightforward, as long as you’re willing to advertise. You could reach page one organically through Search Engine Optimization (and you should work towards this), but Google Search Ads are a quick and surefire way to accomplish this objective.
As a quick primer, Google Ads work like this:
- A user initiates a search for keywords such as “financial advisor near me,” “financial planner (city name),” or “fee-only financial planner.”
- The Google Ads system uses a variety of factors to determine which ads are most relevant to that particular search query. The system then displays the most relevant ads at the top of the search results page.
- From there, the user can choose to click on any of the ads to learn more about the financial advisors and planners who have placed them. This is where a quality website comes into play, showcasing you as a professional that’s uniquely suited to help them.
The process of running Google Ads is pretty straightforward, but not something you can learn overnight. If you don’t have the staff internally to do this, look for an external vendor (hint: Oechsli) to help out.
This trend is going to continue. Learn the art of Google placement now and reap the rewards for many years to come. As younger generations acquire more wealth, they will undoubtedly rely on the internet to seek out financial guidance that meets their needs.
