SEO for Financial Services: 11.3% increase in conversions
Like so many other Financial Services businesses and banks need to implement digital strategies that will help them succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the most important components of such a strategy, and the benefits of enhancing a company’s online presence should not be underestimated.
In order to execute SEO well, businesses need to apply several tactics whilst ensuring they stay up to date with the latest Google algorithm updates. Whilst this might sound like a lot to take on, an organic search strategy can be implemented in phases.
It is important to continually monitor progress over time, as Google’s algorithms are constantly changing and evolving and it’s important to consider the process as ongoing.
In this case study, I write about my time working as the Search and Acquisition Manager for Barclays.
Which Financial Services companies has Victoria helped?
I have worked with several high profile startups and VCs in the Fintech space such as:
- Barclays: Top British multinational investment bank and financial services company. Segments: B2B and B2C.
- SMELoans: Financial services for small and medium enterprises in the UK. Segments: B2B.
- Fablious : Alternative finance community. Segments: B2B and B2C.
- Codefi: Blockchain for global commerce and finance. Segments: B2.
- ConsenSys: Ethereum Blockchain Solutions. Segments: B2B.
Results
Complex website migration over a nine-month period resulted in
- 20.7% increase in commercial traffic
- 11.3% increase in conversions
- 47.3% increase of traffic to the ‘help section’
- HTTP to HTTPS increase of 11.5%
- 100% increase in organic visibility, clicks and conversions for ‘current accounts’
Results breakdown
Migration led to 20.7% increase in total commercial traffic
Following the migration, Barclays saw an overall increase in traffic by 20.7% which resulted in an increase of 11.3% in conversions despite a -1.53% decrease in demand.
How did we get these results at Barclays?
Undertaking a planned and organised website migration
Website migrations are essential for growth and innovation and I believed would provide a huge cost-saving opportunity for Barclays.
As Barclays is a large organisation I had to navigate a number of different hurdles, such as justifying why migrations are needed; emphasising the opportunities website migrations bring; and undertaking a large scale migration within a team.
In the end the migration itself was successful with a variety of positive results:
- 20.7% commercial traffic increase
- 11.3% conversion increase
- 47.3% increase of traffic to the ‘help section’
- HTTP to HTTPS increase of 11.5%
- 100% increase in organic visibility, clicks and conversions for ‘current accounts’.
Why is SEO important in Financial Services?
Creating and implementing a successful SEO strategy is the perfect way to achieve business results. This aspect of digital marketing helps a website attract greater organic search traffic volumes and perform better in Google’s search engine page results (SERP).
The Financial Services industry is one of the most competitive, oversaturated markets to rank in, which is why it is crucial to research and develop a company’s strategy to provide a better return on investment (ROI).
In SEO, traffic refers to the number of visitors who arrive at a website by clicking on its page in the search results. Increased traffic can boost a company’s pool of customers, which in turn creates more money for the business.
What are the benefits of SEO for Financial Services?
Now more than ever, people are turning to Google to search for the products or services they require. In order for any bank, credit union or FinTech company to increase its number of clicks, it is important for its website to be optimised in order to attain the top spots in Google’s SERP.
Ultimately the higher a website’s position in the search results is, the more visitors it will receive, which increases conversions and delivers more business. The benefits of employing SEO for banks include:
Attain higher positions in Google’s SERP
Maximise a website’s visibility by optimising its pages for keywords that have a high commercial intent. The top positions in Google’s SERP get more traffic, expanding a company’s business opportunities.
Increase organic traffic
When it comes to organic search, one of the main goals is to increase a website’s organic traffic. When the number of visitors to a website increases, its pool of leads expands. SEO helps to ensure the target audience finds the company’s website, increasing conversion rates.
Save money on paid advertising
Effective organic search engine optimisation enables a website to rank highly in Google’s SERP without spending money on pay per click advertisements. Due to the fact the financial service sector is so competitive, advertising for popular search queries can be costly. SEO can help a business secure featured snippets and answers from ‘People also Ask’, helping a website to rank in the top positions of Google’s results.
Build an online presence that people trust
Building a brand that customers and clients trust is particularly important for the Financial Services industry. Authenticity is key to conversions. As well as this, banks form part of Google’s Your Money Your Life (YMYL) pages and as such are scrutinised for high-quality, accurate content.
Improve a website’s user experience (UX)
Using various on-page and off-page SEO techniques, companies will help to ensure their customers and clients are getting a good experience from the website. This in turn decreases a website’s bounce rate, increases dwell time and ensures the business remains competitive.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is SEO for Financial Services?
SEO for financial services involves using search engine optimisation tactics to sell financial products. Search engine optimisation isn’t an optional extra for financial companies and their extremely competitive ecosystem, where paid search clicks are the most expensive across all industries and can deplete big budgets fast.
What are the benefits of SEO for Financial Services?
Search engine optimisation is an integral part of marketing and growth strategy for B2B and B2C brands operating in the finance and financial technology sector.
Benefits of a good SEO strategy for financial services include:
– Organic search helps your users find what they’re looking for faster.
-Increase your business reach and opens up your products and services to more qualified customers.
-Cost-effective way to earn your place in the SERPs and generate new leads.
– More engagement: users spend more time interacting with your company’s website, increasing the chances of conversions, revenue and growth.
Why choose Victoria to help achieve your SEO goals?
Victoria has over 10 years of experience delivering SEO and she has specialised in the FinTech vertical. She has executed countless digital marketing campaigns and is able to support her strategies with proven results as you can see on the Case Study section. Besides that she brings:
-Managerial experience: Victoria is able to take the lead and confidently manage projects to ensure they hit their targets in a short amount of time.
-Understands client needs: With a genuine desire to help, Victoria listens to stakeholders to understand the business needs, bringing new ideas to the table for each strategic goal.
-Specialist industry knowledge: In-depth experience working across the banking, Financial Services and FinTech industries for over 10 years. She is also a well known international SEO conference speaker.
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