Local SEO Checklist
local seo for financial advisor
Proven, practical steps to rank in local search, attract nearby clients and grow enquiries in 2025
This guide walks financial advisors through a complete local SEO playbook — from Google Business Profile and local keywords to schema, reviews and content that converts. Use it as your 90-day action plan.
60%+
Clients find advisors via local search
70%+
Click-throughs from Google Business Profiles
5★ Avg
Top-ranked advisors have 4.5+ reviews
49$/mo
All-in monthly websites that include local SEO (Congero)
Local SEO Audit: Quick 10‑minute checklist
Start here. Fixing these fast wins can boost visibility within weeks.
- Google Business Profile claimed and verified
- NAP consistent (Name, Address, Phone) across website and directories
- Mobile-friendly site and https://
- Local intent keywords on homepage and key service pages
- Schema for LocalBusiness / FinancialService present
- At least 10 recent reviews on GBP and replies to them
- Local landing pages for suburbs or service areas
- Analytics and goals tracking (calls, contact form submissions)
How to run a fast local rank check
Search Google in an incognito window for phrases like:
financial planner near me
— general local intent
— general local intent
retirement planner Sydney CBD
— suburb + service
— suburb + service
certified financial advisor Melbourne
— credential + city
— credential + city
SMSF advisor [suburb]
— niche service
— niche service
Google Business Profile — your most powerful local asset
Setup & optimisation (step-by-step)
- Claim and verify your GBP listing (use a physical address—you can hide your address if you work from home).
- Choose primary category: Financial planner or Financial consultant; add secondary categories like Retirement planning, SMSF advisor.
- Write a 750‑character business description using local keywords and services (see template below).
- Add services with clear pricing or starting price where possible.
- Upload 10+ high-quality photos (office, team, client-friendly shots, certificates).
- Enable messaging if you can respond quickly (<30 min response ideal).
GBP optimisation templates
Short description (first 200 chars matters):
Experienced financial planner in [Suburb]. We specialise in retirement planning, SMSF and wealth strategies for professionals. Free first consultation — call [phone].
Service entry example:
Retirement planning — personalised plans for individuals and couples. Initial consultation $150. Servicing: [Suburb A], [Suburb B].
GBP posting strategy
Post once per week with:
- Short article snippets (e.g., "3 ways to reduce retirement tax")
- Local case studies (anonymised)
- Events or webinars with a booking link
Local keyword strategy for financial advisors
Target keywords that combine service + location + intent. Place them naturally in page titles, meta descriptions, headings and first 150 words of pages.
Keyword examples
- financial planner [suburb]
- retirement planner [city]
- SMSF advisor near me
- wealth management for doctors [city]
- financial advice small business [suburb]
Meta title templates
[Service] [Suburb] | [Business Name]e.g., Retirement Planner Sydney CBD | Smith Advisory
Financial Planner [City] — Fixed Fee Advice | [Business]On-page placement checklist
- Title tag: include primary local keyword (keep under 60 chars).
- Meta description: local keyword + call to action (under 160 chars).
- H1: service + location when relevant.
- First paragraph: mention suburb/city and main service.
- Structured data: declare service area using schema.org's
areaServed.
Website fixes & structured data
Essential technical checks
- Mobile-responsive design (test with Chrome DevTools and real phones).
- SSL certificate (https) and HSTS where possible.
- Fast hosting and image optimisation — target under 2.5s on mobile.
- Clear, visible phone number for mobile (tel: link) and click‑to‑call buttons.
- Local business schema (see recommended snippet).
LocalBusiness schema (example)
Add this JSON-LD to your homepage or contact page (customise values):
{
"@context":"https://schema.org",
"@type":"FinancialService",
"name":"[Business Name]",
"url":"https://yourdomain.com",
"telephone":"[+61 400 000 000]",
"address":{
"@type":"PostalAddress",
"streetAddress":"[Street]",
"addressLocality":"[Suburb]",
"addressRegion":"[State]",
"postalCode":"[Postcode]",
"addressCountry":"AU"
},
"areaServed":["[Suburb]","[City]"],
"priceRange":"$$$",
"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourprofile"]
}
Local landing pages
Create dedicated pages for each suburb or service area (do not create low-value doorway pages). Each page should include:
- Unique H1 containing the suburb (e.g., "Financial adviser in [Suburb]")
- Short intro that mentions local landmarks or suburb specifics
- Local testimonials or case studies
- Contact block with suburb-specific phone/tracking number if possible
How to get more client reviews (and use them)
Ask at the right time
Best moments to request a review:
- After a successful financial plan delivery
- Following annual review meetings
- When a client thanks you in email or message
Make it easy: provide direct GBP review link and a short template.
Review request templates
SMS / WhatsApp (short):
Hi [Name], thanks for meeting today. If you’re happy with our plan, could you leave a quick review? [link]
Email (detailed):
Hi [Name], it was great working with you on your retirement plan. If you have 2 minutes, please share your experience on Google: [link]. Your feedback helps other locals find reliable advice.
Responding to reviews
- Reply to every review within 7 days.
- Thank positive reviewers and mention a next step (e.g., "Thanks, glad that helped — looking forward to your annual review").
- Address negative reviews politely and offer offline resolution (do not get defensive).
Content & local marketing that attracts clients
Blog topics
- How to maximise your superannuation in [Suburb]
- SMSF checklist for [City] residents
- Retirement income options for teachers in [Region]
Lead magnets
- Free checklist: "5 questions before hiring a financial advisor"
- Local seminar or webinar: "Retirement planning for [City] professionals"
Local PR & partnerships
- Guest posts on local business associations
- Sponsorships of community events
- LinkedIn posts targeting local professional groups
Content calendar (90 days)
- Week 1: Publish local landing page + GBP updates
- Week 2: Blog post — local topic + share to LinkedIn
- Week 4: Host 30-min webinar and collect signups
- Week 6: Request reviews from webinar attendees
Local link building & citations
Quality local links and consistent directory listings boost local relevance.
Where to get links
- Local business directories (Chamber of Commerce, local council)
- Local news or community blogs
- Professional associations (FPA, AFA) profile pages
- Local sponsor pages for events you support
Citation checklist
- Consistent business name, address and phone (format phone the same everywhere)
- Claim and update profiles on major directories (TrueLocal, Yellow Pages, Yelp)
- Check for duplicate listings and merge/remove
Tracking, KPIs & reporting
Measure what matters. Track leads and local visibility, not just traffic.
Primary KPIs
- Calls from GBP (track via forwarding or call tracking)
- Form submissions / contact clicks
- Organic local impressions & clicks (Search Console)
Tools
- Google Business Profile Insights
- Google Analytics 4 + conversion events
- Google Search Console
Reporting cadence
- Weekly: top 5 local queries and GBP activity
- Monthly: leads, conversions, and page performance
- Quarterly: content performance and backlink growth
Simple GA4 events to track
- Contact form submit (event:
form_submit) - Phone click (event:
phone_click) - Booking click (event:
booking_click)
90‑Day Local SEO Plan — tactical steps
Days 1–14
- Complete local audit
- Claim & optimise GBP
- Fix website speed & mobile issues
Days 15–45
- Publish 2 local landing pages
- Start weekly GBP posts and a blog post
- Begin review outreach campaign
Days 46–90
- Local link outreach to community sites
- Run a webinar and collect reviews
- Set monthly reporting & iterate
Need help implementing this plan?
Congero builds local SEO-ready websites for financial advisors and manages your GBP, schema and local pages — all for a flat monthly fee and unlimited updates.
60s
Site launched via WhatsApp demo
Unlimited
Updates included
49$/mo
All-inclusive hosting & local SEO
Frequently asked questions
How long until I see results locally?
Small fixes (GBP, citations, on-page keywords) can improve visibility in 2–6 weeks. Significant ranking gains from content and backlinks usually take 3–6 months.
Do I need a physical office to rank locally?
No — you can hide your home address on GBP if you visit clients or work remotely. What matters is consistent service area information and local signals (reviews, local content, links).
Which reviews affect local rankings most?
Google reviews with detailed, genuine text and responses from you help rankings and click-through rates. Encourage clients to mention the suburb and the service provided.
Should I create separate pages for each suburb?
Yes — but only if each page has unique, useful content (localised messaging, testimonials, case studies). Avoid low-value doorway pages that only change a suburb name.
Ready to get found by local clients?
Launch a mobile‑friendly, local SEO-optimised website and Google Business Profile with support — live in 60 seconds with Congero.
All-in pricing includes domain, hosting, SSL, local SEO setup and unlimited updates for $49/month. No lock-in contracts.
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