While it’s easier than ever for anyone with access to the internet to create a website, it’s not so easy to get Google’s attention. Meaning that without being seen by Google, a website likely won’t be seen by anyone else. To be seen in search results, a website needs to be what’s known as “indexed” by Google.
With hundreds of millions of websites to choose from, Google must narrow down the choices to weed out the “garbage” and find the optimal result for each online search. And to be seen in search results, a website needs to be what’s known as “indexed” by Google. Simply put, Google’s crawler “Googlebot” has visited the website, inspected the content, and if it passes muster, then adds that website to the Index for future search results.
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Why Does Being Indexed by Google Matter So Much?
Without being indexed by Google, a website has no chance of showing up in Google searches, no matter how relevant the search query may be to the website’s content. It’s as if it doesn’t exist to Google. And given that Google owns nearly 90% of the search market globally, it’s vital to a website’s overall success to be known to Google.
What Does This Mean for Financial Advisors?
In short, it means your financial advisory firm’s website standing with Google’s Indexing should be a top priority in 2025.
How Do I Know if My Financial Advisor Website Is Indexed by Google?
Google is transparent about which websites are in their index. In fact, it’s easy to check if your financial advisor website is currently indexed by checking on Google’s Search Console. If you find that your financial advisor website is being indexed – that’s a good start. However, having only your financial advisor website’s homepage Indexed by Google isn’t enough. And if your financial advisor website is not being indexed by Google at all – don’t panic. There is a reasonable solution.
The first step to getting non-index web pages indexed is to request indexing within Google’s URL Inspection Tool. Additional recommended steps are more technical but include submitting a sitemap to Google, building backlinks, and ensuring a mobile-friendly user experience on your financial advisor website.
The next step is taking matters into your own hands and making your financial advisor website more appealing to Google overall. That’s because once Google indexes a web page, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will show up in relevant search queries. It simply means that it’s possible for your financial advisor website to rank in search. Whereas without being indexed, there’s no chance of showing up in Google search at all. And with all of the competition for web traffic, it’s easy to see why solid SEO practices are still critical to your search success.
What Does This Really Mean for Financial Advisors?
Being indexed by Google is vital to your financial advisor website’s success.
And perhaps the most important part of getting (and staying) indexed on Google, is creating and regularly adding relevant, quality financial advisor content on your website. Content is still king, and it’s important to note that Google is evaluating the website as a whole – not just specific pages. It’s recommended to regularly check for broken links, outdated, or low-quality content, and inconsistent information.
Google’s Indexing and Your Financial Advisor Social Media Content
Whether social media is a driving force of your financial advisory firm’s overall digital marketing strategy, used as an occasional tool, or even non-existent, it matters more than ever. Why? Because Google is looking for high-value information within social media platforms and indexed content just as it does with standard web pages. And while all social media isn’t a website per se, and all social media platforms are different, one aspect remains the same: content is highly regarded above all else. Also, the SEO strategies you implement on your financial advisor website can also be applied to content on social media channels. This is especially true for videos and short-form content such as blog excerpts, etc.
Hint: if your financial advisor content isn’t present on social media platforms, it’s time to start.
It’s Important to Be Indexed — And Stay Indexed by Google
Just because your financial advisor website is indexed by Google now doesn’t guarantee it will stay indexed. To stay in Google’s good graces, websites need to maintain that same level of quality and relevance or they risk being un-indexed.
How AI is Affecting Google Indexing Trends
AI-generated content is saturating the internet. In fact, the rapidly growing amount of chatbot-generated content is one of the driving factors behind Google’s need to qualify websites by indexing them. And while there’s no stopping AI’s growth, Google is ultimately trying to present only trustworthy and accurate AI content within searches rather than eliminate it entirely. Why? Because AI-generated content is not inherently “bad” or “inaccurate” content. In fact, there are many practical reasons why financial advisors should be looking for ways to enhance their digital content.
The key here? Don’t use 100% AI-generated/chatbot-generated content on your financial advisor website. This isn’t to say there’s not a time and place for platforms such as ChatGPT and even Google’s own chatbot – Gemini, because there absolutely is — when used in moderation.
For example, if you’re looking for general ideas for content or brainstorming some blog copy, asking a chatbot for some ideas can be extremely helpful and give you a good start. However, copying chatbot copy verbatim is what will cause problems with indexing on Google. After all, chatbots are simply scouring the Internet and delivering a combination of content that is already on the Internet – which is exactly what Google does. Therefore, Google’s crawlers can easily identify (and disregard) solely AI-generated content that isn’t original to your financial advisor website.
While Google’s Index process may seem like one more barrier to getting your financial advisor content in front of your target audience, it can also be seen as an opportunity to stand out from the sea of unoriginal, inaccurate financial advisor content out there. If you want to learn more from a qualified digital marketing partner, we’re here to help!
