Just when it seems that there couldn’t possibly be any more ways to optimize your financial advisor marketing content, there is a “new” SEO to consider—Search Everywhere Optimization. But calling it “new” can be considered misleading. The term may be new, but its foundation lies in the traditional elements of SEO, with a twist, but you have to think beyond Google.
What is Search Everywhere Optimization?
As a financial advisor, the concept of diversification is nothing new. In the case of SEO, search everywhere is a way to deliver your financial advisor content to audiences wherever they want to find it. This is especially important to financial advisors with an older client base. As the population ages, your financial advisor advisory firm’s online presence needs to adapt to reach and connect with younger audiences, perhaps those who will be inheriting $28 trillion from their parents and grandparents.
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This is because while Google is still the authority on search, it’s not the only place on the internet where people search for information. And to further complicate matters, Gen Z doesn’t seek out information the same way as Gen X or even Millennials. As these shifts in online habits between generations take place, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that there is no one way to reach everyone. This is where search everywhere optimization becomes critical.
Search Everywhere = Your Financial Advisory Firm Needs to Be Everywhere
A Gen Zer, a Millennial, and a Gen Xer are all looking for information that describes the differences between an IRA and a 401(k). And while the information they’re seeking may be similar, their means of searching for it—as well as how they prefer to filter this information—may vary greatly.
If the Gen Zer is searching on TikTok, they’re looking for short videos that may be highly creative and entertaining. They are probably using hashtags to search for it. The Millennial, however, has gone to Instagram in their quest for financial information. So, they are more likely to engage with high-quality images and videos, as well as Instagram Stories.
Last but not least, Gen X is sticking to Facebook. This is where your financial advisory firm’s business Facebook page plays an important role in making a positive first impression by offering the financial advisor content they’re seeking.
The above example highlights the challenges financial advisory firms face when attempting to reach all those demographics—without relying on Google. Because if someone can get the answers they need on TikTok, they may have no need to use Google.
And while the idea of social media content playing a role in SEO isn’t new, it has been treated as an addition to existing financial advisor SEO strategies. In some cases, it has even been an afterthought. Today, search everywhere now needs to be part of a cohesive SEO strategy.
Financial Advisors Should Prioritize Video
As video content has become more popular, so have the social media platforms showcasing it. While video can be utilized on all channels in some way, the top social media channels for financial advisor video content are TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Other social platforms, such as LinkedIn and Facebook are better for long-form, more detailed content. Note: Because being on video can be outside the comfort zone of some financial advisors, here are some alternative ways to produce quality financial advisor video content:
- Create a video with animation, static images, or an infographic and simply narrate the content rather than present it in person.
- Feature another team member or guest to co-host and take the pressure off.
- Use a Q&A format to deliver information more efficiently.
- Share videos from previous events such as webinars or seminars in small, easy-to-digest video clips.
Optimize, Optimize, Optimize
When it comes to your online financial advisor content, it can be overwhelming to think about creating unique content for each different channel. But that’s not always the case. In fact, most social media content can come from the same original source, and simply be optimized to appeal to that audience. The key is to understand your target audiences, where to find them, and how they want to consume information.
Don’t Forget About Bing
Google may be dominant, but it’s not the only widely used search engine. Owned by Microsoft, Bing uses similar SEO signals for search results. However, Bing is believed to be more social-media friendly with search results. That means if your financial advisor social media content isn’t Search Everywhere optimized, you may be missing out on opportunities to rank higher in Bing’s SERPs.
Search Everywhere Doesn’t Replace Traditional SEO
Instead of considering search everywhere as a replacement for traditional SEO, think of it as an additional component to a broader SEO strategy. This also includes previous updates to SEO practices from Google, including semantic search and SGE.
It’s especially important to prioritize search everywhere strategies in light of the emergence of the “zero-click search.” Because Google’s SGE update uses generative AI to return search results as summaries rather than links, financial advisor websites could see a decrease in organic traffic from Google. As many websites rely heavily on Google search for organic traffic, this could become a major problem without the addition of a search everywhere SEO approach.
Content Remains Critical
With all the changes to SEO and search algorithms, there is one thing that remains a top priority for SEO: producing and sharing high-quality financial advisor content. That’s because, at the core of every search engine (especially Google), the goal is to provide the most relevant and accurate response to a user’s search, no matter how or where they conducted that search. If your financial advisor content is top-notch in every channel, that will produce greater success with search everywhere optimization.
Search Everywhere and AI Tools
With AI doing the heavy lifting for many search engines, it only makes sense that financial advisors looking to embrace a search-everywhere approach would want to become familiar with available AI tools. From ChatGPT to Google’s Gemini, there are plenty of options for financial advisors to get to know AI. As an added benefit, Generative AI tools can help with financial advisor content and marketing ideas, as well as competitor analysis.
