Practical Guide — 2025

improve website seo for advisers

Clear, actionable SEO steps advisers can implement this week to increase visibility and attract more clients.

This guide covers audits, technical fixes, on-page content, local SEO, content planning, link building and measurement — with concise tasks you can tick off today.

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+22%

Avg. traffic lift in 90 days

60%

Searches from local intent

Lock-in contracts required

Under 2 min

Simple SEO fixes you can do now

In this guide

Perform a quick site audit Fix technical SEO issues On-page SEO for adviser pages Local SEO & Google Business Profile Create a content plan Simple link-building tactics Measure & iterate Printable checklist

1. Quick site audit (30–60 minutes)

Start with a focussed audit to identify high-impact fixes. Use free tools: Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Mobile-Friendly Test, and a crawl tool (Screaming Frog or a cloud crawler).

Checklist

Indexing: Is your site indexed in Google? (site:yourdomain.com)
Search Console: Any manual actions or coverage errors?
Mobile: Mobile-Friendly Test — pass/fail
Speed: PageSpeed score (aim 50+ on mobile to start)
Security: HTTPS and valid SSL
Canonical tags: No duplicate content issues
Top pages: Identify top 5 pages by traffic

Tools & commands

Google Search Console — Performance & Coverage
PageSpeed Insights — mobile and desktop
site:yourdomain.com "your service" — check indexed pages
fetch as Google (URL Inspection) for key pages
Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Site Audit — find broken pages, missing tags

Quick win: Fix one high-traffic page with a title tag, H1 improvement and page speed boost — you'll often see impressions rise within days.

2. Technical SEO: make the site crawlable & fast

Technical problems block visibility. Prioritise the following fixes in order of impact.

HTTPS & Security

Ensure SSL is valid and redirects HTTP → HTTPS.
Fix mixed content (images/CSS loading via http).
Enable HSTS only after checking everything works.

Speed optimisations

Compress images (WebP where possible) and lazy-load offscreen images.
Use a CDN and browser caching headers.
Minify CSS/JS and defer non-critical scripts.

Crawl & Index

Submit XML sitemap to Search Console.
Ensure robots.txt allows key pages and blocks duplicate admin pages.
Use canonical tags for duplicate content (e.g., print pages).

Technical priority order: HTTPS → Mobile → Speed → Crawl errors → Sitemap → Structured data.

3. On-page SEO: structure pages that convert

Advisers need pages that clearly answer client intent and convert visitors to enquiries. Follow this formula for every service page.

Page template (use for each service)

Title tag (50–60 chars): include primary keyword + location if local.
Meta description (120–155 chars): clear benefit + CTA.
URL: short, hyphen-separated, include keyword.
H1: clear service headline (one H1 only).
Intro paragraph: answer “who, what, where” in first 50 words.
Subheads (H2/H3): FAQs, process, fees, testimonials, contact CTA.
Internal links: link to related services and blog topics.
Schema: LocalBusiness/ProfessionalService and FAQ schema where applicable.

Content tips for advisers

Use plain language — clients search conversational queries.
Address objections: pricing, qualifications, process, compliance.
Add a clear CTA above the fold (call, email, book a consult).
Use client-focused headings like “How we help you reach X”.
Include 1–2 images per page with descriptive alt text.

Pro tip: Repurpose client FAQs into FAQ schema — likely to generate rich snippets and voice search answers.

4. Local SEO for advisers

Most adviser searches are local. Optimise for “near me” and location-specific queries.

Google Business Profile

Claim and verify your profile.
Use exact business name, address, phone (NAP consistency).
Add service areas, business hours, and a clear description with keywords.
Post weekly updates and add photos of team/office.
Ask clients to leave reviews and respond promptly.

Local pages & citations

Create a dedicated “Locations” page if you serve multiple areas.
List NAP consistently across directories (Yellow Pages, TrueLocal).
Embed a Google Map on contact and location pages.
Use location-based schema (address, geo coordinates).

5. Content plan: attract clients with helpful answers

Content should match the questions your potential clients ask. Use this simple editorial approach.

Step A — Keyword mapping

List core services (e.g., retirement planning).
Find 3–5 intent keywords per service (informational, commercial).
Map each keyword to one page (avoid keyword cannibalisation).

Step B — Content types

Service pages for commercial intent.
How-to and FAQ blog posts for informational intent.
Case studies that demonstrate results (redact client details).

Step C — Publishing cadence

Publish 1–2 helpful posts/month — consistency beats volume.
Promote new posts via LinkedIn and email to increase initial signals.
Update high-performing content every 3–6 months.

Content idea starter: “How to prepare for your first financial advice appointment” — a high-converting, informational asset.

6. Link building: earn relevant endorsements

Quality links from relevant sites build authority. Use targeted outreach and partner tactics.

Practical tactics

Write guest posts for local business and finance sites.
Offer to be a quoted expert for local news pieces.
Publish useful resources (calculators, checklists) and ask partners to link.
Check competitors’ backlinks to find outreach targets.

Reviews & mentions

Collect client reviews on Google and industry directories.
Ask for testimonials that can be placed on service pages (with structured data).
Monitor brand mentions and request link attribution when found.

7. Measure, convert, iterate

SEO without measurement is guesswork. Track traffic quality and conversion actions.

Set up

Google Analytics 4 + Search Console linked.
Conversion events: contact click, form submit, phone click, booking page.
Heatmaps for key pages (Hotjar or similar).

KPIs to watch

Organic sessions and new users (month over month).
Impressions & clicks from GSC for target pages.
Conversion rate and cost-per-lead (if you run ads).

Iterate

Improve pages with high impressions but low CTR (title/meta rewrite).
Update thin pages with more helpful content and examples.
Repurpose top blog posts into downloadable guides to capture leads.

Example weekly routine: Check GSC impressions, review top 3 pages, fix one meta tag, and publish or update one useful blog post.

8. SEO action checklist for advisers (30–90 days)

Day 1–3: Site: check indexing, set up Search Console & GA4, submit sitemap.
Week 1: Fix HTTPS, remove mixed content, compress images.
Week 2: Optimize 3 priority service pages (title, meta, H1, CTAs).
Week 3: Claim and fully complete Google Business Profile.
Month 1–2: Publish 2 helpful blog posts and run outreach to earn 3–5 links.
Month 2–3: Review analytics, improve pages with high impressions but low CTR.
Ongoing: Request client reviews monthly and refresh content quarterly.

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Frequently asked questions

How long until I see SEO results?

Small technical and on-page fixes can show improvements in days for rankings and clicks; meaningful traffic growth often takes 2–6 months depending on competition.

Should advisers blog or focus on service pages?

Both. Service pages capture commercial intent; blog posts answer questions and build authority, which helps rankings and conversions over time.

Can I handle SEO myself?

Yes — start with the audit and a small plan. If time is limited, consider a managed monthly service that handles updates, local SEO and reporting so you focus on clients.

Ready to increase your online visibility?

Implement the steps above or partner with a service that builds and optimises adviser websites quickly. Predictable pricing, mobile-first design, and ongoing local SEO are available without lock-in contracts.

See How It Works Learn About Services

Not sure where to start? Run the quick audit above — focus on one high-impact page this week and measure results.