A directory listing ensures potential clients can find you if they know where to look. And good reviews boost your reputation. But neither one works like they did before. Insurance has always been highly competitive, but there was a lag as some insurers started marketing online, and others didn’t. Now, everyone is online, so to say it is a lot more competitive is still an understatement. Everyone looks for convertible leads in pretty much the same places. If it seems like it is more difficult than ever to bring in new clients, search engine marketing (SEM) might be an ideal alternative for your agency.
Referrals are still critical to building a local book of business. But emails land in junk folders. And nobody answers your cold calls. Then traditional ads are a waste of time and money. So, it’s time for an update to your marketing strategy to leverage paid searches.
Potential clients are still out there, but consumer behaviors change rapidly, especially over the past few years. The prospects search online for rates, reviews, and insurance agency options located close by. You need to find new ways to attract them, so you have an ongoing, consistent lead source.
The quickest way to move this along is with SEM (Search Engine Marketing for Insurance). Here’s how we make it work.
- What is SEM (Search Engine Marketing for Insurance)?
- Why should insurance agents/ brokers be looking for SEM help?
- What are the benefits of paying for Search Engine Marketing for Insurance?
- How we can help achieve results.
What is SEM (Search Engine Marketing for Insurance)?
SEM is short for Search Engine Marketing. SEM is marketing online in search engines. You pay for ads to show up on the top of the results page for specific keyword searches. So, when a potential client searches in any search engine, they see your ad at the top of the page. Try it now. Search for anything and see if some sponsored ads show up at the top.
Businesses with sales-oriented marketing campaigns primarily use SEM. The searches can be anything:
- Mobile searches such as insurance agent near me
- Local services like agent or broker in my area
- Quote searches like cheap auto insurance nearby
- Services to purchase online like buy Medicare insurance
These searches all activate SEM ads. At the top of the results are paid ads. Some call them PPC or Pay Per Click ads because you pay a preset amount every time someone clicks on your SEM ad.
Why should insurance agents/ brokers be looking for SEM help?
Ads appearing at the top of relevant search results above your is an auction-based process. Everyone that wants to show up for a particular keyword bids and then that determines the ad ranking positions. The automatic process on Google determines ad validity and relevancy as compared to the search words.
SEM for insurance agents, brokers and financial advisors can effectively and inexpensively acquire qualified, convertible leads. Professional SEM agencies know how to create ads to target audiences who search for products you sell.
For many insurance agents, brokers and financial advisors, location is critical. So, as you serve a specific area, geo-targeting your SEM ads makes sure you never pay for clicks too far away. This local targeting helps increase your ROI by ensuring only the right people can see your ad.
A professional SEM agency helps you attract qualified leads through income targeting. This way, you can:
- Exclude segments like low-income households
- Target relevant, commercial keywords like affordable life insurance Chicago
- Adjust your bids for a searcher’s income range
- Target precise households to meet your ideal client profile
What are the benefits of paying for Search Engine Marketing for Insurance?
The most obvious benefit is time. Insurance agents, brokers and financial advisors already have a job. It takes time to do all the study necessary to become an SEM expert. And then it takes to create and implement the SEM plan. So, if you did all that, you would have no time left to work. Simply put, the opportunity cost is too high.
Your SEM expert will work through the subtleties to build ads around the terms and phrases that potential clients use in your area. Many times, it seems obvious, using search terms like life insurance, homeowners’ insurance, or Medicare supplement. But these phrases are both too generic, and often too expensive.
A search from those terms might come from someone who needs to know how to file a claim. Perhaps someone looking for a job or trying to file a complaint uses the same search terms. So, your budget disappears on clicks from people who are not potential clients.
How we can help achieve results
As a professional SEM marketing agency, we structure your campaign, so it positions you for success. Organized well, your data helps optimize and group campaigns to keep ads, keywords and your website targeted and relevant.
We focus on your particular audience and products to determine a strategy and budget. Each ad group addresses a specific intent. For example, the search term cheap renters’ insurance appeals to different potential clients than best renters’ insurance. We work with you to develop multiple ad groups to support your campaign.
We work to maintain consistency between ad keywords and your landing page. So, everything stays relevant to your target audience. We refine ads on an ongoing basis as we gather data. So we develop and test subtle differences to see what messages work best. Our experience gives us a foundation to create the strategy, but it is this ongoing analysis process that truly optimizes your ROI.
Summary
Ultimately, the search engine algorithms determining your ad’s position during an auction uses multiple criteria. The quality of your landing pages and hot the ad copy relates to the keywords impact your position. So, your ad’s position rises and falls, which is why your SEM campaign requires ongoing daily management. And, of course, Google continually changes the rules. So you an expert SEM agency to keep up with the changes.
Although basic SEM concepts are reasonably straightforward, the management of a PPC account remains complicated. Most insurance agents, brokers and financial planners lack the time, energy and interest to dedicate to effective SEM management. We are experts on SEM for insurance. Reach out today for a PPC campaign for more qualified leads.