What do we mean by local search optimization anyway?

Here is a quick example: you get a hankering for Chinese food and decide to search for “Chinese restaurant” via Google. A listing of local restaurants meeting that search query will pop up. The same works for your insurance agency – as long as you have created a listing in Google Places. Think of it as the phone book of the Internet.

When a potential customer searches “Car Insurance, Your City,” with proper local search optimization your site has a better chance at appearing in those top results. That can be the deciding factor for an online insurance shopper. So how do you get into those coveted top local search results?

How to Optimize Your Insurance Agency for Local Search

• Make sure you are listed: online directories are available and free for a basic listing! To make sure you are highly optimized, create a Google Places, Yahoo business, and Yelp listing. These take a little time up front however they are relatively simple to follow along with and enter some simple information about your business.

• Join Associations and Organizations: Making sure you are a member of local organizations in your town like the Chamber of Commerce and professional and local insurance networks like the Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) or Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA). Friend/follow those on your page and stay caught up with current industry events.

• Get involved: Try sponsoring the local T-Ball team or have a booth at the town fair. Getting your name, face, and brand seen and interacting with the community are invaluable. When people in the community start to become familiar with your agency, social sharing, reviews, and overall site authority begins to increases.

• Consistency: One of the key pillars of a brand is keeping it congruent. Anywhere your agency name appears, make sure the information provided is consistent across all platforms including social, local listings, online directories, website, and promotional materials.

I hope these tips help your agency boost its local search results, as this is an important part of any solid insurance marketing strategy. In part two, I’ll share some common pitfalls to avoid in your local search optimization strategy.