These tips will show you how long-tail keywords are going to help you rank higher. Every insurance office wants to be on the first page of the Google Search Results. We get asked all the time, “How do I get a better ranking?” and “Why am I not on the first page of Google?”
Insurance is one of the more expensive words in Google AdWords. There is so much competition for the keyword “insurance” that the price continues to climb. Competing with GEICO, Progressive, and TD is hard to do, especially for keywords like “Auto Insurance,” “Home Insurance,”and “Business Insurance.”
Can You Even Rank on Page 1?
Google updates their algorithm regularly, and tons of new content is being added to the web daily. It may seem impossible to show up on page 1 of a Google Search, but it is possible!
How do you get your content to rank organically?
One way is by using long-tail keywords in your website content.
What is a Long-Tail Keyword?
A long-tail keyword is a targeted search phrase that contains 3 or more words. It often contains a head term, which is a more generic search term of 1 or 2 words. Think of it as a way to get more specific for the niche you are targeting. For agencies and independent agents looking to rank in organic Google searches, long-tail keywords can create a healthy ROI for your marketing budget.
Important: By using 4 or more words for your long-tail keyword, it will help eliminate a lot of competition for the phrase and will help get your page ranked on Google.
You will notice that long-tail keywords have far fewer searches, but you gain a higher probability of conversion. Remember, the best keywords for the insurance industry are the ones your qualified prospects are using.
Why Use Long-Tail Keywords for Insurance Marketing?
- Long-tail keywords drive search traffic, accounting for 70 percent of online searches. This traffic volume gives you more opportunities to build your brand and engage with targeted visitors.
- The insurance industry is highly competitive, especially in digital marketing. Long-tail keywords mean less competition, which can create higher search rankings because fewer insurance marketers target them.
- Prospects who use long-tail keywords are typically more qualified than those who use other keywords. They may not be ready to buy just yet, but they are getting close to making a buying decision.
- The highly specific nature of long-tail keywords helps answer specific questions of your visitors, bringing you closer to your target audience.
- Longer, natural-language phrases like long-tail keywords are essential for semantic searches so they help your agency engage the increasing number of prospects using voice search.
- Search engine pages with long-tail keywords have fewer Google integrations like shopping ads, video clips, and other distractions. That means your targeted visitors can focus on finding the solutions your agency provides.
- Long-tail keywords are perfect for optimizing old content to drive even more traffic. If you’re not updating and optimizing your old blog posts, landing pages, and web pages, you’re missing one of the best SEO tips for insurance agents.
How Do I Find Long-Tail Keywords?
It is important to do research when planning your long-tail keyword strategy. There are a few different ways you can find long-tail keywords and related search terms. From online tools to your agency staff, there are plenty of resources.
- Answer the Public
Answer the Public is a popular free resource for long-tail keywords because it generates frequently asked questions about your seed keyword on social media, blogs, and forums. The website also gives you comparison keywords to help your agency rank in relevant searches. - Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest‘s keyword insights are based on Google SERPs and Google Ads data. The SERP analysis creates an overview of the top 100 sites that rank for a keyword or keyword phrase, and their keyword overview shows search volume for the last year. They offer limited free use, but also offer a free trial to see if the program is useful for your insurance marketing needs. - Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere is a Chrome and Firefox browser extension that’s one of the most convenient tools on this list. The extension adds widgets to Google SERPs that show related keywords and “People also search for” keywords. You can find important insights like monthly search volume, CPC, and competition. - Keyword io
When we conduct research for our clients, one of our favorite parts of keyword io is that it provides questions that are searched for that particular keyword. Questions are an important part of mobile search; you can find out more by reading our blog on “The Importance of Optimizing Your Insurance Website for Mobile Visitors.” - Google Search Bar
Start typing in the Google Search Bar and you will notice that Google gives you suggestions in a drop-down. These are long-tail keywords that are associated with your initial search.
- Searches Related To…
Google also provides a list of searches that are related to your “keyword.” (In the image below, it’s “home insurance.”) For an almost unlimited number of long-tail keywords, click on the most relevant phrase in the list. Scroll down and you’ll now have a whole other set of “Searches related to…” phrases.
- Your Team
From CSRs to Producers, your current and potential clients ask your team many questions about insurance every day. Use these questions and answers on pages of your website.
How Competitive Is Your Long-Tail Keyword?
Research is important when it comes to a long-tail keyword’s value. You will want to look for keywords that are lower in competition, but still have a good number of searches. It’s important to remember that you are not going for search volume: you are going for a focused search.
Instead of having tons of searches that don’t rank, it’s better to have a few searches that rank high.
Google’s Keyword Planner Tool will show you how much competition you are facing. When looking for your long-tail keywords, it is best to look for Low to Medium Competition to get higher rankings with Google. The first examples are for Auto Insurance, which you can sort by Competition to find the lower competitive keywords.
This example shows the keyword competition for the long-tail keyword “Homeowners Insurance Average Cost”:
By starting with a long-tail keyword in your Google Keyword Planner, you will find more long-tail keywords and their competition level. While keywords are very important, having valuable content that supports your keywords is imperative!
You’ve Found Your Long-Tail Keywords – Now What?
Use your long-tail keywords to create a keyword-rich headline for your page. Headlines matter to searchers, which means they matter to search engines. Because there is so much information online, you will want to make sure that your headline stands out! When you use your long-tail keyword in your headline and in your content, it makes it stand out in the search engine results:
Need help with your headline? You can find tools online. Portent’s Headline Generator can give you inspiration!
Be sure to use long-tail keywords throughout your page and use them as headlines with a Headline 2 tag. It is a great opportunity to ask questions and then use the supporting paragraphs to answer the questions, which adds value to your page and positions your agency as the go-to resource for insurance products, information, and expertise.
Are you ready to tap into the power of long-tail keywords? Contact us today for a demo.