seo for financial services
Actionable SEO and online marketing tactics that help accountants, financial planners, mortgage brokers and other financial services win local clients and qualified leads in 2025.
Financial services face high competition, strict compliance and heavy trust requirements. This guide gives clear, step-by-step tasks — technical, on‑page, local and paid — you can implement this week to improve visibility, traffic quality and enquiries.
In This Guide
Why SEO matters for financial services
Search remains the primary way clients find trusted financial advisers, accountants, mortgage brokers and wealth managers. Organic search delivers highly qualified leads — people actively looking for advice, rates, or local services. With rising paid costs, SEO provides sustainable, lower‑cost acquisition and builds credibility over time.
High-intent queries
Keywords like "mortgage broker near me", "financial planner Sydney fee structure" and "SMSF accountant Melbourne" indicate buyer intent. Rank for these and you get clients, not browsers.
Trust & compliance
Organic results often get more clicks from cautious consumers who seek third-party validation. Structured content, testimonials and regulated disclosures build trust and reduce drop-offs.
Quick SEO audit — 30 minutes you can do today
Run this lightweight audit to find the biggest low-effort wins. Use free tools: Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Mobile-Friendly Test, and a simple site: search on Google.
Technical check (10 min)
- Verify site is served over HTTPS (padlock visible).
- Open Google Search Console — any coverage/errors reported?
- Run PageSpeed Insights for homepage and a service page. Note mobile score and largest contentful paint (LCP).
- Check robots.txt and sitemap.xml exist at domain root.
On-page check (10 min)
- Does each main page have a unique title tag and meta description? (view source or use SEO extensions)
- Are H1s present and aligned to target keywords (one H1 per page)?
- Are contact details and address visible and consistent across footer & contact page?
Local check (5 min)
- Search "your service + your suburb" — do you appear in the local pack?
- Claim or check your Google Business Profile (GBP) and ensure NAP matches the website.
Content & trust check (5 min)
- Does the homepage clearly state services, geographic area, and target audience?
- Are regulatory disclosures, licences and professional memberships shown?
- Do you have 3+ client testimonials or case studies visible?
Local SEO & Google Business Profile
Most financial services operate locally. Optimising for local queries can drive immediate, high-quality leads.
Google Business Profile (GBP)
- Claim and verify your GBP listing.
- Complete every field: categories (primary & secondary), services, business hours, website link, and attributes.
- Use high-quality photos (office, team, certificates). Update monthly with posts and offers.
- Collect and respond to reviews promptly — thank positive reviewers and professionally address complaints.
Local pages & citations
- Create dedicated pages for each suburb or service area with unique copy and local signals (e.g., "Mortgage broker in Parramatta").
- Ensure NAP consistency across website, GBP, and major directories (Yellow Pages, TrueLocal, local chambers).
- Monitor citations with a spreadsheet or a tool — fix any discrepancies ASAP.
Content strategy & topical authority
Financial services require trust-building content that answers complex user questions. A pragmatic content plan wins both Google and client confidence.
Topical clusters
Group content by core service pillars (e.g., 'SMSF', 'Wealth Management', 'Mortgage Advice', 'Tax Planning'). Each pillar has:
- One pillar page that explains the service comprehensively.
- 4–8 supporting articles answering specific queries (how-to, FAQs, guides, case studies).
- Internal linking from supporting articles to the pillar page to signal authority.
Practical content types that convert
- Detailed service pages with pricing structures or "typical cost" ranges where compliant.
- Case studies with anonymised results and measurable outcomes.
- Explainer pages for regulatory topics (compliance, licence requirements) to build trust.
- Local guides: "Best suburbs for first-home buyers in [city]" to attract local searchers.
Technical SEO & site performance
Technical problems kill rankings and conversions. Prioritise performance and crawlability.
Performance targets
- Mobile LCP under 2.5s, CLS < 0.1, FID/INP under 100ms.
- Compress images (WebP where possible) and lazy-load below-the-fold media.
- Use critical CSS and minimal third-party scripts on landing pages.
- Enable Brotli/Gzip, HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 on the server.
Indexing & crawlability
- Keep important pages within 3 clicks of the homepage.
- Use clean URLs and avoid query-string heavy links for core pages.
- Submit sitemap.xml to Google Search Console after major changes.
- Fix redirect chains and broken (4xx) pages.
Schema, trust signals & regulatory requirements
Structured data and visible trust elements improve click-through and reduce drop-off for financial services where credibility is paramount.
Key schema types
- Organization — logo, contact, sameAs links.
- Service — describe each service with priceRange where appropriate.
- LocalBusiness — use for offices, include address and openingHours.
- BreadcrumbList and FAQ schema for help pages to gain rich snippets.
Visible trust elements
- Licence numbers, regulatory body links (ASIC, ATO references) where allowed.
- Client logos and case study summaries (obtain permission).
- Team bios with professional qualifications and LinkedIn profiles.
- Clear privacy policy, terms and cookie disclosures.
Link building & PR for financial brands
High-quality links and mentions from reputable finance or local sites drive authority. Focus on relevance and editorial value — not quantity.
PR outreach ideas
- Produce original research or a data-driven local market report (e.g., "First-home buyer affordability index Q2 2025") and pitch to local press.
- Write expert commentary for industry publications on regulation changes.
- Sponsor or present at local business events and earn mentions on event pages.
Link earning tactics
- Create definitive guides and calculators (mortgage calculator, retirement projection) that other sites will naturally reference.
- Offer legal/regulatory explainers that journalists link to when covering stories.
- Guest post on trusted finance blogs with a natural, useful contribution.
Paid search & remarketing — complementing SEO
Paid campaigns accelerate visibility while SEO gains momentum. Use paid wisely to test keywords and protect branded terms.
High-impact paid tactics
- Bid on high-intent keywords like "fee-only financial planner near me" and "best mortgage broker [suburb]".
- Run lead-form extensions or call extensions during business hours for immediate contact.
- Use landing pages tailored to the ad group — keep messaging and offer consistent.
Remarketing & CRM
- Set up remarketing audiences for visitors to high-value pages (fees, calculators, contact page).
- Use dynamic remarketing with content-relevant ads (e.g., visited SMSF page → SMSF guide ad).
- Connect CRM to track ad-sourced leads and measure LTV and ROI.
Analytics & conversion optimisation
Measure everything. Small optimisations to forms, CTAs, and trust signals can lift conversion rates significantly.
Setup & primary KPIs
- Google Analytics 4 + Google Tag Manager installed correctly.
- Track phone calls, form submissions, and booking events as conversions.
- Monitor assisted conversions and channel performance monthly.
A/B testing ideas
- Test different hero CTAs: "Book a free 15-minute call" vs "Get my free guide".
- Try trust badges vs. social proof near the contact form to reduce friction.
- Experiment with contact form length — fewer fields often equals higher submissions.
Actionable checklist — 90 day plan
Follow this prioritised plan to move the needle quickly.
Week 1 — Audit & fixes
- Run quick SEO audit from earlier section.
- Fix HTTPS, sitemap, and 404s.
- Ensure mobile responsiveness and reduce hero images size.
Week 2–3 — Local & on-page
- Optimise Google Business Profile and request 5 recent reviews.
- Update service pages with unique titles, H1s and local mentions.
- Add structured contact blocks on every page.
Month 2 — Content & links
- Create 2 pillar pages (e.g., SMSF, Mortgage Advice) and 4 supporting posts.
- Publish one case study and a local market report for PR outreach.
- Begin outreach to 10 local sites for mentions/links.
Month 3 — Measure & optimise
- Review GA4 conversions and highest-performing pages.
- Run two A/B tests on CTAs or contact forms.
- Refine paid search based on top converting keywords.
Ongoing
- Monthly content: 2–4 posts or updates targeting high-intent keywords.
- Respond to reviews weekly and refresh GBP photos monthly.
- Quarterly technical audit and PageSpeed checks.
Frequently asked questions
How long before SEO work shows results?
Is it safe to publish client case studies?
Should I focus on SEO or paid ads?
What keywords should finance firms target first?
Need help executing this plan?
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