seo strategy for financial planners
A practical, step-by-step SEO playbook to attract clients, rank for local searches, and grow your advisory firm in 2025.
This guide covers keyword research, content structure, technical SEO, local optimisation, schema for financial services, link-building tactics, and a 30/60/90 day action plan you can implement today — no jargon, just results.
In this guide
Why SEO matters for financial planners
Clients increasingly search for financial advice online — often with local intent (e.g., "financial planner near me", "retirement planner Melbourne"). SEO brings qualified traffic from people actively researching planners and financial services. Unlike paid ads, organic traffic compounds over time and demonstrates trust.
Benefits
- Higher-quality leads who are actively searching
- Stronger brand trust through content and reviews
- Lower long-term acquisition cost than ads
What success looks like
- Top-3 rankings for 3–5 commercial keywords
- Steady 30–50% increase in organic enquiries in 6 months
- Consistent 4.5+ star Google Business Profile rating
Keyword research for advisory services
Target keywords that match client intent. Use a mix of: service + location (e.g., "financial planner Sydney"), problem-focused queries ("how to plan retirement tax effectively"), and informational queries ("best superannuation strategies 2025").
Step-by-step keyword plan
- Seed list: Write down core services (financial planning, retirement planning, SMSF advice, investment strategy).
- Expand using tools: Use Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest to expand keywords and capture search volume and difficulty.
- Map intent: Label each keyword as commercial (hire/quote), local (near me/city), or informational (how-to/compare).
- Prioritise: Focus on 10–20 primary keywords: 5 commercial, 5 local, and 5–10 informational.
- Long-tail opportunities: Target long-tail phrases that reflect client pain points (e.g., "how to withdraw super without tax 2025").
Keyword mapping example
Quick tools
- Google Autosuggest & People Also Ask
- Ahrefs/SEMrush for competition
- AnswerThePublic for content ideas
Website structure & service pages
A clear structure helps both users and search engines. Build a hierarchy that matches your keyword map: Home → Service Categories → Service Pages → Blog/Resources.
Essential pages
- Home — concise value proposition + primary services
- Service pages — one primary keyword per page (e.g., "SMSF advice Sydney")
- About — team bios, credentials, licences
- Case Studies/Success Stories — demonstrate outcomes (always anonymise where required)
- Resources/Blog — pillar content and FAQs
- Contact & booking page — clear CTA
On-page structure checklist
- URL: short, contains primary keyword (example: /financial-planner-sydney)
- Title tag: 50–60 characters, keyword near front
- H1: unique, matches intent
- Intro paragraph: 40–80 words describing the service and outcome
- CTAs: contact button, phone link, booking link visible above the fold
- Social proof: testimonials, accreditations, AFS number if applicable
Content strategy & pillar pages
Good content turns visitors into clients. Use pillar pages to cover core topics in depth, with supporting cluster posts linking back to the pillar.
Pillar page examples
- Complete guide to retirement planning (pillar)
- SMSF setup & management guide
- Financial planning for small business owners
Cluster content ideas
- How to choose the right super strategy
- Tax implications of retirement withdrawals
- Case study: saving for retirement in 10 years
Content best practices
- Write for clients, not search engines — solve real questions
- Use clear headings and short paragraphs for readability
- Include calculators, downloadable checklists, or sample plans to increase engagement
- Link cluster posts to the pillar page and vice versa (internal linking)
- Update pillar pages quarterly to reflect regulatory or market changes
Technical SEO checklist
Technical issues can block rankings. Fix these first before doubling down on content.
Must-fix items
- Serve site over HTTPS (SSL)
- Mobile-first responsive design
- Fast hosting, optimized images, enable compression
- XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- Robots.txt correctly configured
- Fix broken links & 4xx errors
Performance & accessibility
- Aim for Lighthouse > 90 on mobile
- Lazy-load below-the-fold images
- Provide alt text for images (use keywords naturally)
- Structured data (see next section)
Local SEO & Google Business Profile
For many financial planners, local enquiries are the highest value. Optimise your presence where clients search.
Google Business Profile (GBP) checklist
- Claim and verify your GBP listing.
- Use your exact business name, address, and phone number (NAP) — be consistent across web and directories.
- Choose correct categories: Financial Planner, Financial Services, Financial Advisor.
- Write a keyword-rich business description (but avoid unverified claims).
- Upload high-quality photos: office, team, client-facing shots (if compliant).
- Collect and respond to reviews — aim for 4.5+ and reply promptly to all.
Local landing pages
If you serve multiple cities, create city landing pages with unique content — avoid thin, templated pages. Each page should include:
- City name in title & H1
- Local case study or testimonial
- Service details and contact options
Citations & directories
Consistent listings on local directories (Yellow Pages, local business directories, professional associations) help local rankings. Make sure NAP is identical everywhere.
Schema & compliance-safe structured data
Structured data helps search engines understand your business and can enable rich results (local pack, FAQ snippets, review stars).
Recommended schema types
- LocalBusiness or FinancialService (include address, openingHours, telephone)
- ProfessionalService for specific planners
- FAQPage markup for common compliance-safe FAQs
- Review markup (only if reviews are visible on the page)
Compliance note
Financial planners must ensure content and claims comply with ASIC and professional standards. Avoid unverifiable performance claims and always include appropriate disclaimers where required.
Link building & PR for planners
Authoritative links increase domain trust. Focus on relevance and authority rather than quantity.
Tactics that work
- Guest posts on financial education sites and local business blogs
- Local partnerships: chambers of commerce, accountants, mortgage brokers
- Press releases for milestones (new service, awards) sent to local media
- Create data-driven content (surveys, local reports) that others cite
What to avoid
- Poor-quality paid links or link farms
- Over-optimised exact-match anchor text
- Unethical link exchanges
Analytics & measuring success
Track the right metrics — not just traffic.
Key performance indicators
- Organic sessions (by page)
- Keyword positions for priority terms
- Contact form submissions / booking conversions
- Google Business Profile calls & direction requests
- Phone call tracking (if used)
Tools to use
- Google Analytics 4 (set up conversion events)
- Google Search Console (indexing & keyword reporting)
- Rank tracker (Ahrefs, SEMrush, or simple SERP tracking tool)
- Local analytics: GBP Insights
30/60/90 day action plan
Execute consistently. This plan prioritises quick wins, then scales into content & link-building.
- Claim & verify Google Business Profile.
- Fix SSL, mobile layout, and critical speed issues.
- Publish/optimise 3 service pages with unique titles & H1s.
- Set up GA4 and GSC; define contact conversion events.
- Ask 5 satisfied clients for Google reviews.
- Publish 2 pillar pages (e.g., retirement planning guide).
- Create 4 cluster posts answering client questions.
- Build 3 local landing pages if you serve multiple cities.
- List your practice on key local directories; ensure NAP consistency.
- Start outreach to 10 relevant sites for guest posts or features.
- Publish a data-driven or commentary piece to attract links.
- Implement FAQ schema on pillar pages.
- Review analytics and double down on pages with high intent traffic.
Quick win tip: Add click-to-call and a booking link in the top-right of every page — it increases conversions from organic traffic immediately.
Title & meta templates (ready to copy)
Service page title
Example: Financial Planner in Melbourne — Retirement Strategy | Acme Advisory
Meta description
Keep under 155 characters. Focus on benefit and call-to-action.
FAQ snippet example (for FAQ schema)
Keep answers short (30–60 words) and factual — ideal for rich snippets.
Frequently asked questions
How long until I see results from SEO?
Can I do SEO myself or should I hire an agency?
Are there compliance risks with online content?
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