Keeping It Fresh

One of the biggest challenges for today’s websites is keeping Google happy and interested. It’s not that it’s difficult. It’s simply time-consuming (when done correctly) and overwhelming if you don’t have a strategy setup to guide you.

As the saying goes, ‘Content is King,’ and it’s fresh content that keeps visitors engaged, because really, who wants to read about your Christmas Contest in March? Unfortunately, more than half of business owners fail to update their site even once a month. To put it in perspective:

– Sites that update their content  5 times a month receive 300% more traffic
– Businesses that utilize social media marketing receive 400% more site hits

Source

4 Easy Types of Content to Make Google Happy

Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging and the other various social media sites attract millions of people every single day. News articles, helpful tips, or special events posted on Facebook, or even a 140-character tweet about new products on Twitter all have search engine optimization advantages. Since social media content is essentially the epitome of fresh & relevant content, it is the most likely to be picked up by Google.

Press Releases

By definition, a press release is the announcement of something new. This makes it another type of content that search engines favor. Press releases can target your SEO keywords, improve your brand-association, and in the end, be posted to your social media accounts. Benefits like that should never be ignored.

User Generated Content

As an insurance agent, your business can rely heavily on the comments and reviews of your customers. This can be a double-edged sword, but the rewards definitely outweigh the risks. Invite people to comment on your blogs or your Facebook wall. Direct them to reviews on your Google business listing. Many consumers rely on the experiences and evaluations of others to determine the quality and value of your services. Search engines take into account how people interact with your site, so to gain new visitors, be sure those returning visitors are making their satisfaction known. Most importantly, you can also combine these efforts with your social media platform.

Marketing Automation Content

Lastly, this overlooked, yet important tool is essential to your website’s overall optimization and relevance. If you have helpful information that’s industry specific and appeals to your audience, post it on your site! Use it to gain more information about your visitors. With this focused content, people will not only want to gain access, but the content itself will help build relevancy for your target keywords. An example of this is to offer free reports for download off of your site in exchange for a Name & E-mail address. It’s a win-win-win for all parties involved. Consumers gain free information, Businesses gain leads, and search engines gain helpful data.

Source

Gain access to even more tips, help, guidance, and strategy for your Insurance Website today!

What Should I Put on my Homepage Content?

Many insurance agents ask me what kind of information should be added to their homepage. This is a pertinent question as a website's homepage is the most important page. It sets a tone for the type of agency you are, as well as providing relevant information, such as products and services offered. A good homepage provides just enough information to grab the attention of a prospect, without giving too much information which could be a turn off. Here are a few things to remember when composing your homepage content.

What is the Goal of your website?

Answering this question will help to narrow down what to add to your homepage content. Do you want to raise awareness about your agency? Do you want to increase your agency’s web visibility? Provide easy access to your agency’s products and services? Provide insurance information, tips and tricks? Whatever the answer is, customize your content, so you achieve those goals.

In no particular order, these should be available on the homepage of your website:

• Types of products and services offered, including specialty or niche products
• Agency’s unique selling point, how do you stand out from your competitors?
• Easy access to quote forms
• Agency values, perhaps a brief history
• One or two testimonials
• Other companies you work with
• Geo-targets (cities, states) you service

On the whole, make sure that your homepage reflects your values as an insurance agent and puts your agency’s best foot forward. Incorporating all of the points above will result in naturally occurring keywords for SEO. Try not to write copy solely with SEO in my mind, which could have the effect of sounding contrived and spammy. Just have fun with it, and if it sounds interesting to you, then chances are, it'll sound interesting to a prospect too!

Insurance Website Builder provides content writing for insurance agents’ websites so give us call to create your perfect homepage, 1-800-383-3482.

Extreme Example from CopyHackers.com.

New Features for Insurance Website Builder

We've added new features to IWB.

Complete integration with our new product: AgencyBuzz

• You configure AgencyBuzz within IWB here: http://www.insurancewebsitebuilder.com/Admin/agencybuzz.aspx
• Whenever the site is configured with AgencyBuzz, any submissions will also be auto inserted into AgencyBuzz from the website. The user has the ability to configure whether they want the submissions entered for Quotes, Service Requests or Newsletters.
• Normal newsletter screen on IWB : http://www.sampleinsurancewebsite.com/newsletter.aspx
• Newsletter screen when integrated with AgencyBuzz : http://www.freedemowebsite.com/newsletter.aspx

QR Codes on the employee directory for easy downloads of Contact Information

• http://www.sampleinsurancewebsite.com/contact/Patricia_Morris.aspx

Blog Comments have been enabled and can be moderated

• http://www.sampleinsurancewebsite.com/blog/Basic_Blog_Post.aspx

IWB now has a mobile version that includes the following features at no cost to the agent and is available on all plans. (If you don’t have a mobile device then you can still view a sample of it here: http://www.sampleinsurancewebsite.com/m/)

• Automatic Mobile Device Detection
• Quote Forms
• Manage My Policy Forms
• Report a Claim Form (all forms are mobile friendly forms)
• Line of Business Pages
• About Us Page
• Locations
• Click to Map (using the built in mapping app of the device)
• Employees
• Click to Call
• Click to E-mail
• Click to Download vCard (not supported by iPhone)
• Contact Us Page
• Blog
• FAQs
• Important Links
• Important Files
• View Full Site
• Privacy Policy
• Integration with Submission Manager and AgencyBuzz
• Mobile Sitemap (the same as the Google Sitemap but designed for mobile)
• A VERY good looking interface

We hope you enjoy all your new features!

Contact us at 1-800-383-3482 for more information about these exciting new features.

To Blog or Not to Blog

A blog, originally called a "web log", is a chronological online journal.  In a business setting, blogs are best used to provide valuable information to consumers on subjects relevant to the product being offered.  For instance, an auto insurance agent could use a blog to offer safety tips to drivers, what to do in the event of an accident, and so on.

By providing information that is directly relevant to your agency's services and products, you are providing keywords to search engines that potential customers search for when shopping for your services.  In addition, keeping fresh content on your website is one of the most effective ways to increase your page ranking with search engines.

How to Start a Blog
Blogs are another way to brand your agency.  Therefore, to receive the most benefit from a blog, it should be integrated within your website.  The blog should have the same domain name and the same look and feel as your current website.

There are several blog products available.  There are very elaborate blog software packages available, however, initially you may want to sign up for a free blog through a service such as Word Press or Google. While your abilities will be limited with a free blog service, they are a cost-effective way to get your feet wet.

Our Gold plan members that subscribe to our Insurance Website Builder package enjoy built-in blogging capabilities with enhanced features on their websites. 

What to Blog About?
The subjects available to an insurance agent are endless.  Take a moment and think about all of the questions you are asked on a daily basis.

• Is anyone covered to drive my vehicle?
• Do I have a grace period?
• What can I do to lower my premium?
• Replacement Cost vs Actual Cash Value
• Does Homeowner's Insurance Cover Flood?

You are answering these questions consistently.  Now all that is required is to sit down and write out those answers.

Advertise Your Blog
Let people know you have a blog.  Tell your customers, your companies, casual contacts, etc.  Advertising your blog can be as easy as including a link in your email signature, a note in letters sent to customers, or mentioning it in your on-hold message.  Also, using social media venues, such as Facebook and Twitter, to advertise your blog and blog posts is a very effective way to increase traffic to your website.

Initially creating a blog can appear to be an overwhelming and time consuming task, but it doesn't have to be.  Share the responsibility among your staff.  What better way is there to learn then to have to prepare to teach?  Assign each staff member a topic and give them time to research the topic.  There will be staff that are reluctant because they lack confidence in their writing abilities.  Writing is perfected with practice and blogging is the perfect opportunity to practice those skills.

Having an blog for your agency offers a list of benefits - increases your website traffic, develops loyalty and trust with customers and prospects, and expands your knowledge as you and your staff research topics.  The time you invest on your blog will offer great returns.

Additional Resources:

• How to optimize your blog 
• How Facebook boosts Rankings 
• Setting up Twitter on your Website
• Top Blogging Tips by the Best Bloggers

Customizable Page URLs for IWB customers

Introducing customizable page URLs for Extra pages especially for Insurance Website Builder customers. Now when you create an Extra page on your website you can add a descriptive web address, which is very advantageous for SEO. Here are the highlights:

1. This feature is only available for Extra pages
2. There are two fields to fill out, you must enter both fields in order for your page to be viewable.
3. You can enter your own words or choose the first field from a drop down menu.
4. You can use the handy View on Site Live link to view live web page, located beside the two fields.
5. You are only allowed certain characters in the fields: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, hyphens and underscores
6. The maximum number of characters per field is 50.
7. The extension ".aspx" is automatically added to the page

Here's what you need to remember to optimize for the search engines: 

1. Use insurance related keywords and geo-targets in the customized web addresses.
2. Make sure to separate keywords by either hyphens or underscores. This will make it easier for the search engines to read.   
3. Make sure you don't duplicate keywords. For example, this is not acceptable, http://www.agencyname.com/homeowners-insurance/home-insurance.aspx.
4. Don't go crazy on the number of keywords you can add, there should be a maximum of two words per field.
5. Make sure the web address makes sense to a visitor, that the two fields are somehow connected. For example http://www.agencyname.com/auto-insurance/sr22.aspx
6. Be careful not to duplicate existing pages URLs.

Additional Resources

• On-site optimization - learn how to optimize your homepage for search engines.

Setting up Twitter on your Website

Twitter is a very powerful social networking platform that can significantly increase the number of visitors to your website, if used correctly. IWB websites have the capability to automatically tweet with appropriate web addresses, any changes made to the website, e.g. updating pages, posting blogs, adding content. This is great for busy agents like yourselves.

1. Set up a Twitter account. Go to http://twitter.com and sign up for a account. Your user name should be your company name rather than your main keyword phrase (kp). A company name is better in the long run, as you will be changing out your main kp in a few months, and you would have to start your campaign all over again.
2. Make it look nice. Customize your account with your main kp as best as you can. The bio line should include your main kp. Make sure to include your website address in the profile settings. Your background and link colors should match your home site. If possible make your image a 72 pixel by 72 pixel version of your company logo. Nothing turns away a visitor faster than a default-looking, no-customization page.
3. Network with your website. Log in to the Admin Console, under Communication Settings, click on Social Networking Settings. Enter your user name and password and make sure to check the box that says Enable Twitter Posting. Now every time you make a change to your website, Twitter will know about it. 

Twitter is a great way to communicate with current and potential customers. Even though the website automatically tweets for you, don't let that be the only thing your feed is about. Integrate community news and events, current affairs, insurance news, and company news and promotions, to make your status updates more interesting. Happy tweeting!

Additional Resources:

• Read more about Twitter for Business.
• Learn how to set up a Facebook Business Page.
• Link Facebook to Twitter. 
• How Twitter is changing: A new study reveals Twitter’s new direction
  
• Social Media and the Insurance Industry